Round Baler Flexible Web Gap Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing round balers experience crop escape and blockages due to gaps between the gate and frame, especially when the gate opens, leading to reduced bale density and increased rolling resistance.
Innovation Solution
A round baler design featuring a flexible web that covers the bale chamber, eliminating gaps between the gate and frame by maintaining a continuous, smooth surface, with the web gliding along the edges of the side walls, and incorporating a system of rolls and idlers to manage web tension and movement, allowing for bales of varying diameters and reduced unloading time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the gate opens to unload the bale, then unloading is enabled, but gaps appear between the gate and frame allowing crop to escape
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible web acts as an intermediary element that spans the gap between the gate and frame. This web maintains crop containment while allowing the gate to open for unloading, thus preventing crop escape without compromising the unloading function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible web (thin film structure) that can deform and adapt to the gate's movement. This flexible web covers the gap area, preventing crop from escaping through the gap while allowing the gate to open and close for bale unloading.
2Manufacturing precision
If the gate opens even slightly, then bale density can be increased, but gaps form through which crop may escape
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible web serves as a mediator that allows the gate to open for density adjustment while simultaneously preventing crop from escaping through the resulting gap. The web maintains the sealing function even when the gate is in the partially open position.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible web's ability to deform allows it to maintain coverage over the gap area even when the gate opens slightly for density adjustment, thus preventing crop escape while enabling the density improvement function.
3Force
If side walls are moved outward when gate opens, then bale rolling resistance is reduced, but gaps appear between side walls and frame
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible web acts as an intermediary that fills the gap created when side walls move outward to reduce rolling resistance. It prevents crop escape while allowing the side walls to move for reducing resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible web compensates for the movement of side walls by deforming and maintaining coverage over the gap area, thus preventing crop escape even when side walls move outward to reduce bale rolling resistance.
4Loss of substance
If a continuous web covers the bale chamber, then crop escape is prevented, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible web (thin film structure) to cover the bale chamber, providing a simple yet effective solution to prevent crop escape. This approach avoids the need for complex rigid structures while achieving the desired sealing function.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A bale chamber (20) is partly covered by stationary side walls (22) assuming the size and shape of the bale chamber (20) and by a gate (26) having a skirt (50), which can be brought into an overlapping relationship with the side walls (22), when the gate (26) is closed.