Segmented Pick-Up Rotor for Forage Harvester

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pick-up attachments for self-propelled forage harvesters face challenges in increasing picking-up capacity without exceeding legal transport widths or compromising fodder quality, especially in rugged terrain, and higher speeds lead to increased wear and harvest losses.

Innovation Solution

A flexible pick-up rotor assembled from segments in articulated relationship, combined with a transverse auger and sliding disk guide elements, allows adaptation to terrain contours, enabling wider working widths and higher speeds without turf damage or harvest losses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the working width of the pick-up attachment is increased to enhance picking-up capacity, then the picking-up capacity is improved, but the pick-up attachment exceeds the legally permissible total width for road transport

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepicking-up capacityVSAvoidtotal width

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The pick-up rotor is divided into multiple rigid sections (first section, second section, third section) that are articulated together. This segmentation allows the rotor to achieve a larger effective working width while maintaining a compact folded width for transport compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The articulated connection between rotor sections enables dynamic adaptation of the rotor width. The sections can be positioned to maximize working width during operation and folded to minimize transport width, resolving the contradiction between productivity and transport dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If a rigid pick-up rotor is used to maintain structural stability, then the structural stability is improved, but the pick-up attachment cannot adapt to rugged terrain with varying heights, depths, irregularities or shapes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidadaptation to terrain contours

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The pick-up rotor employs articulated connections between rigid sections, allowing the structure to dynamically adjust its configuration. This enables the rotor to conform to terrain irregularities while maintaining the structural integrity of individual sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

By dividing the rotor into multiple rigid sections connected by articulated joints, the design achieves both local adaptability (each section can adjust independently) and global structural stability (rigid sections maintain strength).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If guide elements are positioned laterally beside the pick-up rotor to guide it over the ground, then the guidance function is improved, but the pick-up implements no longer reach the turf in rugged terrain, leading to harvest losses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguidance functionVSAvoidharvest completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of positioning guide elements only laterally beside the rotor, the invention places guide elements both laterally and longitudinally (in front of and behind the rotor). This multi-dimensional arrangement ensures proper guidance while allowing the rotor to adapt vertically to terrain variations, maintaining contact with the turf.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Productivity

If the pick-up attachment is guided deeper than usual to reach crops in rugged terrain, then the crop gathering capability is improved, but the pick-up implements comb aggressively through the ground, leading to massive fodder soiling and reduction of fodder quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop gathering capabilityVSAvoidfodder soiling

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The articulated rotor sections can dynamically adjust their position and angle in response to terrain variations. This allows the pick-up implements to reach into depressions and gather crops effectively without being forced to comb aggressively through the ground, thereby reducing fodder soiling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

5Productivity

If the forward speed of the forage harvester is increased to enhance picking-up capacity, then the productivity is improved, but the mechanical wear of the pick-up rotor increases due to higher speed of revolution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepicking-up capacityVSAvoidmechanical wear

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented rotor design with multiple rigid sections reduces the speed of revolution required for effective crop pickup compared to a single large rigid rotor. This segmentation allows each section to work independently at lower speeds, reducing mechanical wear while maintaining high picking-up capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250098588A1Pick-up attachment for a preferably self-propelled forage harvester

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 CARL GERINGHOFF GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

A pick-up attachment for a preferably self-propelled forage harvester includes a pick-up rotor with pick-up implements (for picking up crops from the ground, wherein the pick-up rotor is assembled from several segments joined to one another in at least partly articulated relationship for adaptation to the contours of the ground.