Unequal Linkage Soil Tillage Element for Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing soil cultivation units face challenges in maintaining a stable position in the ground while avoiding obstacles with minimal damage, as they often deflect and increase force when encountering resistance, leading to potential damage to the tillage element.
Innovation Solution
The soil cultivation unit features handlebars of different lengths that pivot and divert forces, positioning the center of gravity below an instantaneous pole, allowing for evasive movements with a decreasing evasive force, and includes a prestressing element to guide the tillage element back into position, ensuring stable operation and minimizing damage from obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the soil tillage element is held rigidly in position, then stable running position is maintained, but damage occurs when encountering obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the tillage element movable through a linkage mechanism with unequal links. The element can pivot and move dynamically when encountering obstacles rather than being rigidly fixed. The unequal link lengths create different movement characteristics during normal operation versus obstacle avoidance, allowing the system to adapt its rigidity dynamically.
Solution Approach 2:
The tillage element is segmented from the frame through the linkage mechanism, allowing independent movement. The element can pivot relative to the frame when hitting obstacles, while the frame remains stable. This segmentation enables the front element to avoid damage while the rear frame maintains overall stability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the tillage element is allowed to move freely to avoid obstacles, then damage is reduced, but stable running position is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions between stable and movable states dynamically. During normal operation, the unequal linkage maintains a stable running position. When obstacles are encountered, the linkage allows controlled movement for obstacle avoidance, then returns to stable position afterward. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stability and obstacle avoidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The tillage element automatically responds to obstacles through the mechanical linkage without external control. When resistance is encountered, the element self-adjusts its position through pivoting motion, and the prestressing element provides automatic restoring force. This self-service mechanism maintains stability while enabling obstacle avoidance.
3Device complexity
If equal length links are used, then simple structure is maintained, but evasive force increases during obstacle avoidance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using unequal length links in the four-bar linkage mechanism. The first link has a different length than the second link, creating asymmetric motion characteristics. This asymmetry reduces the evasive force required during obstacle avoidance compared to equal-length links, while maintaining relatively simple structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The link lengths are specific parameters that are optimized to reduce evasive force. By changing the length parameters of the links from equal to unequal, the mechanical advantage during obstacle avoidance is improved, reducing the force required while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Ease of operation
If the center of gravity is positioned above the instantaneous center, then evasive movement is easier, but stable running position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The center of gravity position is optimized to provide dynamic stability. During normal operation, the CG position above the instantaneous center facilitates easy evasive movement when obstacles are encountered. The unequal linkage mechanism ensures that this favorable CG position does not compromise stable running position during normal operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of evasive movement and running stability.
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 design maintains a stable running position with minimal force variation, effectively avoiding obstacles and reducing the risk of damage to the tillage element, ensuring consistent performance across varying soil conditions.
Implementation Method 1
at least one prestressing element, which exerts a force and in particular generates torque, to return the soil tillage element into an initial position
Implementation Method 2
the forces exerted on the soil tillage element are diverted rearward into the frame by the at least one forward-facing link
Implementation Method 3
the center of gravity of the forces exerted by the ground and in particular any tip of the soil tillage device are arranged below an instantaneous center of gravity located in front of the soil tillage element in the direction of movement
Data Source
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AI summary
Soil cultivation unit, in particular for ridge formation, with a soil cultivation element (4) having a front part (8) in particular having a point (6) and at least one adjoining lateral guide area (10), which is in particular designed as a ridge forming or ridging element, as well as with two links (16) and a support frame (18) designed as a frame, to which the soil cultivation element (4) is pivotally connected by means of the links (16), wherein the links (16) are designed to be of different lengths at least for a movement from a first operating position, in which at least one of the links (16) and preferably both links (16) point forward from the frame, to a second operating position, as well as agricultural implement which is designed as a self-propelled or towed implement.