Round Baler Adjustable Side Wall Ejection Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Round balers face issues with bales rolling excessively far and damaging wrapping material due to retained rotational energy and kinetic energy gained during ejection, which existing solutions fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

A round baler with an adjustable baling chamber side wall driven by an adjustment mechanism that reduces clamping force during ejection to allow smooth exit and then increases it to brake the bale, preventing excessive rolling and damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the side wall maintains constant clamping force during ejection, then the bale is securely held during formation, but the bale experiences excessive deceleration and may get stuck during ejection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebale ejection reliabilityVSAvoidbale ejection smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The side wall's clamping force is made dynamic rather than static. The adjusting mechanism causes the side wall to move outward during ejection, reducing clamping force when needed, then return to original position to restore clamping force. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining secure holding during formation and enabling smooth ejection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The side wall is preliminarily adjusted to an outward position before ejection begins, preparing the system to reduce frictional forces in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when ejection starts, the clamping force is already reduced, allowing the bale to exit smoothly without getting stuck.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a complex flexible unloading ramp is used to reduce bale impact speed, then wrapping material damage is prevented, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewrapping material damageVSAvoidunloading ramp complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The braking function is extracted from the unloading ramp and transferred to the side wall's adjusting mechanism. Instead of making the ramp complex and flexible to handle speed control, the side wall independently provides braking force by moving outward during ejection. This simplifies the unloading ramp design while still preventing wrapping material damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The side wall acts as an intermediary braking element between the bale and the unloading ramp. By providing frictional braking force during ejection, it reduces the bale's speed before the bale contacts the ramp, thereby protecting the wrapping material without requiring the ramp itself to be complex or flexible.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the side wall is adjusted to provide predetermined friction during unloading, then the bale exits smoothly, but a more complex control system with additional actuators is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebale exit smoothnessVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adjusting mechanism serves multiple functions: it controls the axial dimension of the baling chamber during formation, adjusts the side wall position during ejection to reduce friction, and provides braking force by increasing friction toward the end of ejection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate actuators for each function, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The functions of chamber dimension adjustment and friction control during ejection are merged into a single adjusting mechanism. By coordinating these functions through one mechanism rather than separate systems, the patent reduces control system complexity while achieving both smooth ejection and proper braking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively controls the bale's movement, preventing it from rolling too far and minimizing damage to wrapping material, allowing for a simpler unloading ramp design.

Implementation Method 1

The adjusting mechanism is configured such that the axial dimension of the baling chamber is initially increased during bale ejection compared to the dimension intended for bale formation and then subsequently decreased again (while still ejecting the bale). This ensures that the clamping force of the side wall on the bale is initially reduced during ejection compared to the clamping force applied when the bale is formed, and then increased again.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3106021B1Roundbaler
Publication Date: 2020.01.29 DEERE & CO
  • EP3106021B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3106021B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

A round baler (10) is provided with a baling chamber (28) and limiting means of the baling chamber (28) that can be moved into an open position for ejecting a completed bale. The axial dimension of the baling chamber (28) can be changed by at least one side wall (26) adjustable by means of an adjusting mechanism (32). The adjusting mechanism (32) is configured such that the axial dimension of the baling chamber (28) is initially increased during bale ejection compared to the dimension provided during bale formation and subsequently decreased again to decelerate the bale.