Pendulum Suspension Recentering for Spray Boom Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pendulum suspension devices for spray booms on agricultural machines experience lateral displacement when traveling on sloping ground, leading to uneven spraying patterns due to misalignment of the mobile frame with respect to the fixed frame, resulting in either lack or doubling of coverage during subsequent passes.
Innovation Solution
A pendular suspension device with an actuator interposed between the fixed frame and the connecting rod, featuring moving attachment points and pinion mechanisms that allow for recentering of the mobile frame relative to the fixed frame, ensuring parallelism with the ground and maintaining optimal spray boom alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the mobile frame is allowed to pivot pendularly to maintain horizontal position on sloping ground, then the spray boom maintains horizontal orientation for homogeneous spraying, but the mobile frame experiences lateral displacement relative to the fixed frame causing misalignment in successive passes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a correction mechanism with a connecting rod and actuator as an intermediary system between the mobile frame and fixed frame. This intermediary mechanism actively compensates for the lateral displacement by moving the attachment point of the connecting rod on the mobile frame, thereby realigning the mobile frame with the fixed frame while preserving the pendular suspension's ability to maintain horizontal orientation on slopes.
2Manufacturing precision
If the attachment point of the connecting rod is moved to recenter the mobile frame, then lateral displacement is compensated and alignment is restored, but the device complexity increases due to additional moving means
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms including a rack integral with the mobile frame and rotatable pinions that engage with the rack. The pinion can rotate under the action of a cylinder to move the attachment point laterally, providing a dynamic means to compensate for displacement. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to varying slope conditions while maintaining precision, rather than requiring a permanently complex fixed structure.
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 compensates for lateral displacements, ensuring homogeneous spraying by maintaining the mobile frame's parallelism with the ground, preventing lack or doubling of coverage and optimizing spray zone coverage during successive passes.
Implementation Method 1
a mobile frame (2) intended to carry one or more spray booms, at least one pendular suspension link (3) of said mobile frame (2) on said fixed frame (1)
Implementation Method 2
the point of suspension (7) and the center of gravity (8) of the mobile frame 2 tend to remain aligned on the vertical V
Implementation Method 3
at least one jack (4) for varying the inclination of said mobile frame (2) with respect to said fixed frame (1)
Data Source
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AI summary
Pendulum suspension device for spray boom (5), comprising: - a fixed frame (1) intended to be carried by an agricultural machine, - a movable frame (2) intended to carry one or more spray booms (5), - at least one pendulum suspension link (12) of said movable frame (2) on said fixed frame (1), and - at least one jack (4) for varying the inclination of said movable frame (2) relative to said fixed frame (1), notable in that said jack (4) is interposed between said fixed frame (1) and said link (12), and in that means are provided for moving relative to said movable frame (2) the attachment point (7) of said link (12) under the action of said jack (4), so as to recenter said movable frame (2) relative to the fixed frame (1) when said attachment point (7) is moved.