Motor-Driven Tying Gear for Consistent Vine Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tying or twisting agricultural items, such as grape vine canes to support structures like wire trellises, are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and lack consistency, affecting the reliability and health of the vine and grape quality.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural tool equipped with a motor-driven gear system, including a main gear and two driving gears, which engages with a robotic arm to automate the process of securing agricultural items to support structures, ensuring consistent and reliable attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual tying or twisting methods are used, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but labor cost and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into functional modules: a motor module for power, a gear module (including main gear and driven gears) for motion transmission, and a tying module with receiving portions for actual binding. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear system automatically engages and disengages based on the tying cycle. The main gear rotates to position receiving portions, and the driven gears transmit motion without requiring external control mechanisms, enabling automated operation while keeping the structure simple.
2Reliability
If manual tying methods are used, then equipment cost is low, but consistency and reliability of attachment decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The main gear pre-positions the receiving portions at specific locations before the tying action occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that agricultural items are consistently captured at the same location in each tying cycle, improving attachment reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tying operations with an automated motor-driven gear system. The motor provides consistent rotational force, and the gear train translates this into precise, repeatable motions of the receiving portions, eliminating human variability in attachment consistency.
3Productivity
If automated tool is implemented, then labor cost decreases, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gear system serves multiple functions: the main gear both transmits motor power and positions the receiving portions, while the driven gears simultaneously drive multiple tying components. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of parts needed, simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the motor, gear train, and tying mechanism into an integrated assembly. The motor shaft directly connects to the main gear, and the driven gears are positioned to simultaneously engage multiple components, merging several functions into a compact unit that is easier to manufacture as a complete assembly.
4Loss of time
If manual tying is used, then time consumption is high, but system complexity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The motor-driven main gear rotates continuously through multiple positions, sequentially positioning different receiving portions for tying operations. This continuous rotation eliminates idle time between tying cycles, as the gear system is always in motion performing useful work, thereby reducing overall tying cycle time.
Data Source
AI summary
An agricultural tool includes a motor, a first driving gear to be driven by the motor, a second driving gear to be driven by the motor, and a main gear including a plurality of openings along a periphery of the main gear. The plurality of openings include a first opening and a second opening. The main gear includes a first receiving portion that defines a first receiving space, and a second receiving portion that defines a second receiving space. The first opening corresponds and is attached to the first receiving space, and the second opening corresponds and is attached to the second receiving space. The first driving gear and the second driving gear engage with the periphery of the main gear to drive the main gear.