Breakaway Cable Guide Tube for Agricultural Sprayer Boom
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Solution Overview
Problem
Longer sprayer boom lengths lead to vertical movement of boom tips during use, causing potential contact with the ground and damage due to breakaway cable whipping or getting stuck in roller guides, compromising the function of breakaway joints and leading to damage of boom components.
Innovation Solution
A guide system for breakaway cables that includes a guide tube to prevent physical contact between the cables and rollers, allowing the guide tube to move with the breakaway lever and spring, ensuring the cables remain aligned and reduce the risk of damage during deflection events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cables are routed through a roller guide with rollers to guide the cables straight, then the cables are guided properly during normal operation, but during forceful touchdown events the cables may whip or jerk and track toward the ends of the rollers, eventually getting stuck or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A guide tube is introduced as an intermediary component between the cable and the roller guide. The guide tube receives the cable and guides it through the roller guide, preventing direct contact between the cable and the rollers. This intermediary structure allows the cable to be guided properly during normal operation while protecting it from whipping and tracking toward roller ends during forceful touchdown events.
2Productivity
If the boom length is increased to allow increased coverage in a single spraying pass, then the productivity is improved, but the vertical movement of the boom tip ends increases, causing more frequent touchdown events and cable damage
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube serves as a protective intermediary that allows the use of longer boom lengths for increased productivity while preventing cable damage from the increased vertical movement and touchdown events. The guide tube absorbs and redirects the forces during touchdown events, protecting the cable from whipping and tracking toward roller ends.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cables are allowed to move freely to accommodate boom section movement, then the breakaway joint flexibility is maintained, but the cables may contact pinch points and get stuck between rollers and plates
Solution Approach 1:
The guide tube acts as a protective intermediary that allows the cable to move freely with the breakaway boom section while preventing contact with pinch points. The guide tube extends through the roller guide, ensuring the cable remains protected even during maximum deflection when the breakaway boom section is in its deflected position.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide tube is configured to move with the breakaway boom section during deflection events. The guide tube's position changes dynamically as the breakaway boom section moves between neutral and deflected positions, ensuring continuous protection of the cable while maintaining the flexibility of the breakaway joint.
Data Source
AI summary
A guide system for use with breakaway cables of a sprayer boom of an agricultural sprayer is provided that may include multiple guides for the cables. One of the guides may provide a barrier to physical contact between the cables and the other guide or other potential pinch points to eliminate instances of breakaway cable pinching. This may be done by way of a guide tube through which the cable extends, with the guide tube preventing physical contact between the cable and a pair of rollers of a roller guide.