Rotating Lock Piston for Fast Combine Header Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of raising and lowering a combine harvester's header is time-consuming due to the need to manually lock and unlock it between transportation and harvesting modes, which affects operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A cylinder lock system that includes a cap-end fixture, a rod-end fixture, and a lock piston, which rotates to selectively couple and decouple the rod-end fixture to the cap-end fixture, allowing for quick and automatic locking and unlocking of the header, enabling rapid transitions between transportation and harvesting modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual locking and unlocking of the header is used, then the header can be securely locked in position, but the process becomes time-consuming and reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lock piston automatically engages and disengages the locking mechanism with the dog feature during the normal raising and lowering cycles of the header. The system uses the existing motion of the header to drive the locking action, eliminating the need for separate manual locking operations and making the system self-servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is pre-positioned and ready to engage before the header reaches its final position. The dog feature is designed to automatically engage with the lock piston at the appropriate moment during the header's motion cycle, ensuring the header is locked before it fully reaches the raised or lowered position.
2Device complexity
If a simple locking mechanism is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the speed of locking and unlocking operations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism transitions from a static manual system to a dynamic automatic system. The lock piston moves dynamically with the header's raising and lowering motion, and the dog feature rotates dynamically to engage and disengage the locking action, enabling rapid locking and unlocking that matches the speed of header movement.
3Productivity
If automatic locking mechanism is implemented, then operational efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock piston serves multiple functions: it acts as both a locking element and a driving element for the dog feature. The same piston that moves the header also drives the locking mechanism through its connection to the bar and dog, eliminating the need for separate locking actuators and reducing overall system complexity despite the automatic functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural system that includes a cylinder and a rod that moves axially in and out of the cylinder to raise and lower a header. A cylinder lock system controls movement of the rod. The cylinder lock system includes a cap-end fixture that couples to the cylinder and receives the rod. A rod-end fixture couples to an end of the rod. The system includes a lock piston. The lock piston includes a protrusion. The lock piston rotates about the rod and selectively couples the protrusion to the cap-end fixture to lock and unlock the rod-end fixture to the cap-end fixture.