Self-Mounting Ballast Weight System for Off-Road Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Off-road work vehicles, such as agricultural tractors, face challenges in attaching and detaching ballast weights efficiently, often requiring manual lifting or external hoist mechanisms, which is time-consuming and inconvenient, especially in remote areas.
Innovation Solution
A self-mounting ballast weight system featuring a fulcrum-mounted ballast weight that pivots between a mounting and operational configuration, utilizing a hydraulic lift mechanism and latch system to secure the weight to the vehicle frame without the need for external lifting systems, allowing for easy installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual lifting or external hoist mechanisms are used to attach ballast weights, then the ballast weight can be securely mounted on the vehicle, but the process becomes time-consuming and requires additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The ballast weight system is designed to be self-mounting, where the ballast weight itself provides the lifting capability through an integrated winch mechanism. The system eliminates the need for external hoists or manual lifting by using the ballast weight's own weight to pull itself onto the vehicle frame, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
A winch mechanism serves as an intermediary device that converts the gravitational force of the ballast weight into a lifting force. The winch cable acts as a mediator between the ballast weight and the vehicle frame, enabling automatic attachment without requiring external equipment or manual intervention, thus reducing both time and operational complexity.
2Ease of operation
If external hoist mechanisms are used to lift ballast weights, then the weight can be mounted, but additional equipment and vehicle coordination are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates external hoists by making the ballast weight self-sufficient. The integrated winch mechanism allows the ballast weight to perform its own mounting operation, reducing device complexity by removing the need for separate lifting equipment and coordinating multiple vehicles.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting mechanism is merged directly into the ballast weight assembly. The winch, cable, and mounting frame are combined into a single integrated system, eliminating the need for separate external hoist equipment and simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the ballast weight rests on the ground during mounting, then it can be positioned easily, but it needs to be lifted to the operational position on the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The winch cable acts as an intermediary that transforms the gravitational force already present in the ballast weight into an upward lifting force. By anchoring the cable to the vehicle frame and winding it onto the winch, the system uses the ballast weight's own weight to generate the lifting force needed to raise it to the operational position, eliminating the need for external lifting equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The ballast weight system performs its own lifting operation through the integrated winch mechanism. The system uses the ballast weight's gravitational force to power the winch, which in turn lifts the ballast weight to its mounting position, creating a self-service system that requires no external force application.
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
Enables efficient and convenient attachment and detachment of ballast weights on work vehicles, improving stability and traction without the need for manual lifting or external hoists, reducing time and effort, especially in remote locations.
Implementation Method 1
The ballast weight system has a lift mechanism attached between the ballast weight and the vehicle frame such that the lift mechanism pushes on the corner portion to pivot the ballast weight about the fulcrum between the mounting position to the operational position. In one aspect, the lift mechanism is a hydraulic cylinder
Implementation Method 2
a ballast weight configured to pivot between a mounting configuration in which the ballast weight is resting on the ground in a condition to be mounted on the working vehicle and an operational configuration in which the ballast weight is carried by the vehicle frame
Data Source
AI summary
A working vehicle has a ballast weight system including a fulcrum mounted on the vehicle frame and a ballast weight configured to pivot between a mounting configuration with the ballast weight is resting on the ground and an operational configuration with the ballast weight is carried by the vehicle frame. The ballast weight has a mounting arm and a lower corner portion. The mounting arm has a recess configured to interact with the fulcrum, wherein in the mounting configuration, the recess faces sideways such that the work vehicle is driven towards the ballast weight until the fulcrum interfaces with the recess. A catch mechanism secures the ballast weight to the fulcrum. A lift mechanism attaches between the ballast weight and the vehicle frame such that the lift mechanism pushes on the corner portion to pivot the ballast weight about the fulcrum. A latch mechanism pins the ballast weight in the operational position.