Upstream Blower Layout for Wildlife-Safe Mowing and Harvesting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing green space maintenance and harvesting methods cause significant harm to small organisms like insects, bees, spiders, and small mammals due to high movement and rotational speeds of machine tools, and current protective measures are inefficient or prone to breakdowns.

Innovation Solution

A device arrangement using a blower to generate a gaseous fluid stream that blows away small organisms from the working area upstream of the machine tool, with adjustable outlets and guiding elements to direct the airflow transversely or obliquely, ensuring efficient protection without damaging the organisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high movement rates and rotational speeds are used for machine tools, then productivity is improved, but small organisms are harmed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidharm to small organisms
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blower is positioned upstream of the machine tool to blow away small organisms from the working area before the machine tool passes through. This preliminary action removes vulnerable organisms from the path of the high-speed rotating blades, allowing high productivity to be maintained without harming small creatures like insects, bees, and spiders.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If scraper rakes and scraper combs are used to protect small creatures, then protection is provided, but the device complexity increases and breakdowns occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of small creaturesVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the protection function from complex mechanical structures like scraper rakes and combs, replacing them with a simpler blower system. The blower uses airflow to remove small organisms from the working area, achieving protection without the mechanical complexity and breakdown-prone components of scraper devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical protection system (scraper rakes and combs) is replaced with a pneumatic system (blower). Instead of using mechanical elements to physically block or remove organisms, the invention uses a stream of air to blow organisms away from the working area, simplifying the device structure while maintaining protection effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If double-knife cutter bars are used, then some small creatures are protected, but the productivity decreases and clipping shredding is less effective

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of small creaturesVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The blower performs a preliminary action by removing small organisms from the working area before the cutting operation occurs. This allows the use of more productive cutting mechanisms like rotary mowers and mulchers without the need for protective double-knife cutter bars, thereby maintaining both high productivity and effective clipping shredding while still protecting small creatures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution effectively protects approximately 90-95% of insects and small organisms by blowing them away from the machine tool's path, allowing for efficient and gentle operation without harm.

Implementation Method 1

a blower (48) for blowing away small organisms (50) from a section (52) of a working area (46) located upstream of a working section (36) of the machine tool (22) in the working direction (44) by means of a stream of blowing air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid stream:

Data Source

PatentEP4054312B1Arrangement of equipment, working vehicle and method in particular for maintaining green areas, mowing, soil tillage, or harvesting raw or cereal crops
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 FISCHER MASCHBAU GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4054312B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4054312B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4054312B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement of equipment (15) with an implement (16) which has a machine tool (22) for a working operation selected from the group comprising maintenance of green areas, mulching. mowing, soil tillage, harvesting coarse fodder, harvesting cereal crops and spraying, and which has an active portion (36) which can be moved in a working direction (44) through a working region (46). The arrangement of equipment (15) includes a blower (18) for blowing small creatures (50) out of a portion (52) of the working region (46) preceding the active portion (36) of the machine tool (22) in the working direction (44).