Single Load Beam Weighing Apparatus for Square Baler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing weighing apparatus for agricultural balers, which use multiple load beams to support a weighing table, result in increased costs due to duplicated components and potential inaccuracies in weight measurement when the weighing table is not horizontal or when bales are not centrally positioned.
Innovation Solution
A bale chute with a weighing apparatus supported by a single load beam on one side and deflector plates to center the bale, along with an inclinometer to measure and compensate for the inclination of the weighing table, allowing for accurate weight measurement using a single load beam and reducing costs by eliminating the need for duplicate load beams and electronic processing circuitry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple load beams are used to support the weighing table, then the structural stability is improved, but the cost increases due to duplicated components and electronic processing circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the redundant load beam from the weighing system, reducing from multiple load beams to a single load beam configuration. This extraction of unnecessary components directly reduces device complexity and cost while maintaining weighing functionality through alternative support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces asymmetry in the support structure by using a single load beam on one side and different supporting means on the other side, rather than symmetric multiple load beams. This asymmetric configuration reduces component duplication while maintaining structural stability through the deflector plate mechanism.
2Device complexity
If a single load beam is used to support the weighing table, then the cost is reduced by eliminating duplicate components, but the measurement precision deteriorates when the weighing table is not horizontal or bales are not centrally positioned
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector plate acts as an intermediary element between the bale and the weighing table. It actively centers the bale on the weighing table regardless of initial position, ensuring that the single load beam consistently measures accurate weight. This intermediary mechanism compensates for the lack of multiple load beams and maintains measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters by introducing active bale centering through deflector plates and ensuring horizontal positioning of the weighing table. These parameter changes (bale position, table orientation) compensate for using a single load beam, maintaining measurement accuracy despite the reduced structural redundancy.
3Measurement precision
If deflector plates are added to center the bale, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deflector plates replicate the centering function that would otherwise require complex electronic sensing and adjustment mechanisms. By using simple mechanical deflector plates to guide and center the bale, the invention achieves precise positioning without the need for expensive sensors, motors, or control systems, thus improving precision while minimizing added complexity.
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
This solution significantly reduces costs and ensures accurate weight measurement by compensating for the inclination of the weighing table and centering the bale, providing precise weight readings even when the baler operates on uneven terrain or with non-uniform bale distribution.
Implementation Method 1
a single load beam for producing an output signal in function of a force sensed by the single load beam
Implementation Method 2
means for measuring the inclination of the weighing table relative to the horizontal
Implementation Method 3
deflector plates are provided to centre the bale to allow the bale to be positioned in the correct weighing position
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A weighing apparatus for weighing bales on the bale chute of a square baler, comprises a weighing table 16 supported on one side of a support frame 18 by means of a single load beam 10 and movably supported on the other side on the support frame 18. A transducer measures the inclination of the weighing table 16 relative to the horizontal and a processor determines the weight of the bale by applying to the force sensed by the load beam 10 a correction factor determined by the measured inclination.