Tilted Crop Sensor Window for Self-Cleaning Combine Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Agricultural harvesters face issues with crop material sensors becoming blocked by substances like crop material, dust, and dirt, leading to inaccurate monitoring of crop quality due to reduced transparency of sensor windows.

Innovation Solution

A crop material sensor arrangement is positioned at an angle relative to the flow path, with an adjustable sensor window and optional deflector to maintain transparency by allowing crop material to clean the window, and a controller adjusts the angle and position based on operating conditions to enhance cleaning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the sensor window is positioned parallel to the flow path for optimal monitoring, then the monitoring accuracy is improved, but the sensor window becomes blocked by crop material, dust, and dirt

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop material monitoring accuracyVSAvoidsensor window transparency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor window is positioned at an angled orientation (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the horizontal flow path of crop material, transforming the static parallel positioning into a dynamic angular configuration that allows crop material to slide along the surface rather than accumulate, maintaining transparency while enabling monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of crop material contact into a beneficial self-cleaning mechanism by angling the sensor window so that the flowing crop material naturally wipes the surface, transforming potential blockages into a cleaning action that maintains transparency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If the sensor window is tilted at an angle to prevent blockages, then the sensor window transparency is maintained, but the monitoring precision may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesensor window transparencyVSAvoidcrop material monitoring accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

A transparent window acts as an intermediary between the sensor and the crop material flow, allowing optical monitoring to occur through the window while the angled positioning enables self-cleaning, mediating between the need for contactless monitoring and the need for surface cleanliness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If manual cleaning of the sensor window is performed frequently to maintain transparency, then the monitoring accuracy is maintained, but the operational time and maintenance complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrop material monitoring accuracyVSAvoidmanual cleaning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor window performs self-service cleaning by utilizing the kinetic energy of the flowing crop material to automatically wipe its surface at an angled orientation, eliminating the need for external cleaning mechanisms or manual intervention and reducing maintenance time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

The sensor arrangement maintains higher transparency, reducing the need for manual cleaning and ensuring accurate crop material analysis by minimizing blockages and wear.

Implementation Method 1

The sensor window is arranged such that an angle is formed between a plane defined by the sensor window and a tangential projection that extends from a component of the combine harvester that influences the flow path immediately upstream of the sensor window

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentUS12457930B2Combine harvester with tilted crop material sensor arrangement

Publication Date: 2025.11.04 BLUE LEAF I P INC

AI summary

A combine harvester includes a crop material sensor arrangement having a crop material sensor configured to monitor crop material downstream of a threshing and separating system of the combine, and having a sensor window through which the crop material sensor monitors the crop material. The sensor window is arranged adjacent to a flow path of the crop material such that crop material flows past the sensor window as it flows along the flow path, and the sensor window is arranged such that an angle is formed between a plane defined by the sensor window and a tangential projection that extends from a component of the combine harvester that influences the flow path immediately upstream of the sensor window. This ensures that the camera window remains sufficiently clean to allow the crop material sensor to monitor crop material through the window.