Variable Length Connecting Link Plunger for Crop Bale Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large square balers with fixed length connecting rods compress crop material multiple times, leading to excessive leaf loss and nutrient loss due to repeated hits from the plunger, as the compression is not synchronized with the addition of crop material.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural harvesting machine with a plunger that decouples its movement from the crank arm during the accumulation phase and extends only after the pre-determined fill condition is reached, using a variable length connecting link or crank arm to ensure the plunger is in a retracted position until additional crop material is transferred to the compression chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fixed length connecting rod is used to drive the plunger, then the compression system operates continuously with every crank arm rotation, but the plunger compresses the same crop material multiple times causing excessive leaf loss and nutrient loss
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod length is made variable rather than fixed, allowing the system to dynamically adjust the plunger position and compression timing based on crop material availability in the baling chamber
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by adjusting the connecting rod length to control when compression occurs - only compressing when sufficient crop material is present, thereby avoiding repeated compression of the same material
2Duration of action of moving object
If the plunger compresses crop material with every crank arm rotation, then continuous compression action is maintained, but additional crop material may not have been added to the baling chamber resulting in compression of insufficient material
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from crop material accumulation detection to control plunger activation - the plunger only compresses when the baling chamber contains sufficient material, synchronizing compression timing with material availability
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for compression by first ensuring sufficient crop material is accumulated in the baling chamber before activating the plunger, rather than compressing immediately with every crank rotation
Data Source
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AI summary
An agricultural harvesting machine (100) for crop material is disclosed. The agricultural harvesting machine comprising: a pre-compression chamber (120) having an accumulation phase in which crop material accumulates until a pre-determined fill condition and a loading phase in which crop material transfers from the pre-compression chamber (120) into a compression chamber (140) when the pre-determined fill condition has been attained; a crank arm (142) connected to a rotational power source; a plunger (146) having an extended position which is located further rearward in a compression chamber (140) than a retracted position, the movement of the plunger (146) being decoupled from the movement of the crank arm (142) during the accumulation phase, and the plunger (146) moving to the extended position following the loading phase; and a connecting link (144) connected between the plunger (146) and the crank arm (142), one of the connecting link (144) and the crank arm (142) having a variable length.