Segmented Working Wheel With Hardened Running Surfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing agricultural wheels struggle to balance soil aeration, stability, and wear resistance, with spiked rollers compromising soil aeration and grid wheels offering unsatisfactory stability and wear resistance.

Innovation Solution

A working wheel design comprising disc-shaped base bodies with radial elevations and depressions, connected by connecting elements, treated with a thermal separation process to create a uniformly hardened edge layer, ensuring improved wear resistance and toughness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If spiked rollers are used to improve grip and prevent slipping, then wear resistance is improved, but soil aeration is impaired leading to soil compaction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidsoil compaction
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The wheel is divided into multiple disc-shaped base bodies arranged along the axis, with gap regions between them. This segmentation allows soil aeration while maintaining structural integrity and wear resistance through the distributed configuration of hardened surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Only the running surfaces of the disc-shaped base bodies are hardened through thermal treatment, while the core material remains softer. This local hardening provides wear resistance where needed (contact surfaces) while maintaining toughness in the core, preventing soil compaction through appropriate material properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-generated harmful factors

If grid wheels are used to improve soil aeration, then soil aeration is improved, but stability and wear resistance become unsatisfactory

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesoil aerationVSAvoidwear resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The wheel structure is segmented into multiple disc-shaped base bodies with gaps between them, providing soil aeration similar to grid wheels. However, each disc's running surface is hardened through thermal treatment, ensuring wear resistance and stability are maintained despite the open structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If the entire running surface is hardened to improve wear resistance, then wear resistance is improved, but toughness decreases leading to brittle fractures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidtoughness
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The thermal separation process hardens only the running surfaces of the disc-shaped base bodies, while the core material remains unhardened and tougher. This local differentiation provides wear resistance at the contact surfaces while maintaining impact resistance and preventing brittle fractures in the core structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Strength

If multiple hardening steps are performed to achieve uniform hardening, then wear resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuniform wear resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple hardening steps into a single thermal separation process that uniformly hardens the running surfaces of all disc-shaped base bodies simultaneously. This integrated approach achieves uniform wear resistance while reducing manufacturing complexity and energy consumption compared to multiple separate hardening operations.

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 design achieves optimal engagement with the ground while allowing soil aeration and enhanced stability, reducing the risk of brittle fractures and extending the wheel's service life.

Implementation Method 1

the disc-shaped base bodies are treated along the running surface by means of a thermal separation process so that the disc-shaped base bodies have a uniformly hardened edge layer on the running surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal separation process: Heat Treatment

Data Source

PatentEP4424129B1Working wheel consisting of disc-shaped base bodies
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 INNOVATION-FARM EDTBAUER OG
  • EP4424129B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4424129B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP4424129B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a working wheel formed by at least two disc-shaped base bodies. The disc-shaped base body (1) comprises a longitudinal central axis (3), a first end face (5), and an opposing second end face (6). Furthermore, the base body has a running surface (7), wherein the running surface (7) is arranged radially outside the base body (1) with respect to the longitudinal central axis (3) and extends between the first and second end faces (5, 6) in a circumferential direction (8) of the base body (1) and has radial projections (9) and radial depressions (10), such that an outer contour (11) of the disc-shaped base body (1) is formed by means of the radial projections (9) and the radial depressions (10) in the circumferential direction (8).In the area of ​​the running surface (7) a hardened surface layer (12) is formed, which is produced by means of a thermal separation process, which has a uniform layer depth (13) radial to the outer contour (11) with respect to the longitudinal central axis (3).