Soil opener with angled rotating disc and lifting blade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soil openers cause significant soil disruption and inefficiency in depositing seed and agricultural products due to the interaction of rotating discs and fixed blades, leading to excessive soil displacement and disruption.
Innovation Solution
A soil opener design featuring a leading rotating cutter set at a compound angle to cut and loosen soil, combined with a trailing fixed blade to lift displaced soil, allowing seed and agricultural products to be deposited beneath the lifted section with minimal disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a rotating disc is used to penetrate and create furrows in the soil, then furrow creation is achieved, but significant soil disruption and displacement occur
Solution Approach 1:
The soil opening function is divided into two distinct stages: (1) a rotating disc cuts and loosens the soil to create a furrow, and (2) a trailing fixed blade lifts the upper soil section to deposit material. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without causing excessive overall soil disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating disc performs preliminary cutting and loosening of the soil before the fixed blade arrives. This preliminary action prepares the soil structure in advance, allowing the subsequent fixed blade to lift and deposit material with minimal additional disruption to the already-loosened soil.
2Manufacturing precision
If a fixed blade is used to lift soil for seed deposition, then seed placement precision is improved, but soil disruption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating disc performs preliminary cutting and loosening of the soil before the fixed blade arrives. This preliminary action prepares the soil structure in advance, allowing the subsequent fixed blade to lift and deposit material with minimal additional disruption to the already-loosened soil.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the rotating disc and fixed blade into a single integrated soil opener unit that operates sequentially. The rotating disc creates the furrow and loosens soil, while the trailing fixed blade immediately follows to lift and deposit material, merging two functions into one coordinated operation that minimizes total soil disruption.
3Device complexity
If a single rotating disc is used for both cutting and lifting soil, then device complexity is reduced, but soil disruption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The soil opening function is divided into two distinct stages: (1) a rotating disc cuts and loosens the soil to create a furrow, and (2) a trailing fixed blade lifts the upper soil section to deposit material. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without causing excessive overall soil disruption.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A soil opener (10) for driving through soil in a direction of travel (D), the soil opener (10) comprising: a support (12); and a soil opener unit (100) mounted on the support (12), wherein the soil opener unit (100) comprises: first and second soil-cutting members (110, 130); and a delivery tube (150) with an exit aperture (152) for releasing material to be deposited in the soil; wherein: the first soil-cutting member (110) comprises a rotating disc (112) having a first soil-engaging surface (112 A) inclined: at a first angle (H) to a perpendicular (V) to the soil surface (G) when viewed along the direction of travel (D), the first angle (H) being greater than zero; and at a second angle (J) to the direction of travel (D) when viewed along a perpendicular (V) to the soil surface (G), the second angle (J) being greater than zero, whereby the rotating disc (112) defines a leading upwardly- inclined face (112 A) defining a leading side (114A) of the rotating disc and a trailing downwardly-inclined face (112B) defining a trailing side (114B) of the rotating disc (112) relative to the direction of travel (D); and the second soil-cutting member (130) comprises a fixed blade (132) defining a second soil-engaging surface (132A); wherein: the second soil-engaging surface (132A) comprises a soil lifting surface (134) projecting laterally relative to the first soil-cutting member (110); and the exit aperture (152) of the delivery tube (150) is provided adjacent a rear part of the soil lifting surface (134).