Steerable Drawbar for Towed Implement Turning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural towed implements face challenges in navigating tight spaces due to large turning circles, leading to soil compaction and potential collisions with the towing vehicle, as existing solutions do not effectively reduce the turning radius without compromising steering or increasing the risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
A combination of a towing vehicle and a towed device with a control system that actively adjusts the drawbar and wheel angles using actuators, allowing the device to steer outside the curve, thereby matching the turning circle of the towing vehicle and preventing collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the steering angle of the towing vehicle is increased to shorten the headland, then the turning circle is reduced, but the drawbar or implement may collide with the towing vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The drawbar is made dynamically steerable rather than fixed, allowing it to actively change its angle relative to the towing vehicle. The control device receives steering angle information from the towing vehicle and automatically adjusts the drawbar angle to prevent collisions while enabling tight turns. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by allowing aggressive steering without collision risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device continuously monitors the steering angle of the towing vehicle and uses this feedback to automatically adjust the drawbar angle. This closed-loop control ensures that the drawbar is positioned optimally at all times, preventing collisions during tight turns while maintaining operational efficiency. The feedback mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention and ensures reliable collision avoidance.
2Device complexity
If a passively steered device is used, then the structure is simple, but the device describes smaller curves than the towing vehicle requiring larger headlands
Solution Approach 1:
The drawbar transitions from a passive, fixed configuration to an active, dynamically adjustable configuration. The steerable drawbar can change its angle relative to the towing vehicle based on steering conditions, allowing the device to follow the towing vehicle's path more closely. This reduces the headland area required while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle parameter of the drawbar is changed dynamically based on the towing vehicle's steering angle. The control device calculates the optimal drawbar angle and actuates it accordingly, allowing the system to adapt to different steering conditions. This parameter adjustment enables tighter turning circles without requiring complex mechanical steering mechanisms.
3Force
If the drawbar length is increased to accommodate larger towing vehicles, then the towing capacity is improved, but the turning space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drawbar angle is dynamically adjusted based on the steering conditions, allowing a long drawbar to be used for high towing capacity while preventing it from creating excessive turning space requirements. The active steering capability enables the long drawbar to be positioned optimally during turns, reducing the effective turning radius despite the increased length and towing capacity.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
A combination is described of a tractor (10) and an implement (12) which is pulled by the tractor (10), by means of a draw bar (14) coupled to the tractor (10) so as to be pivotable about the vertical axis, is supported on the ground by wheels (28) and comprises a cultivating element (30) for cultivating a field (64). A control device (36) is used to activate a first actuator (40) with which the position of the draw bar (14) in relation to the implement (16) can be changed. The control device (36) activates the first actuator (40) in such a manner that the latter adjusts the draw bar (14) with the effect of moving the implement (16) towards an outside of a curve.