Wear Tool Height Calibration via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current agricultural machinery lacks a precise and simplified method for calibrating the height of wear tools, leading to inefficient soil preparation, increased energy consumption, and reduced tool life due to improper depth adjustment, which affects sowing quality and yield.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a wear tool in contact with a reference surface, measuring its position, determining a theoretical vertical component, and creating a correspondence curve to adjust the tool's height, allowing for precise calibration while the operator remains on the tractor, reducing calibration time and user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual adjustment method is used, then the structure is simple, but the calibration time is long and precision is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement and adjustment with an automated system that uses sensors to detect tool position and a control unit to calculate and guide adjustments. The control unit automatically determines the vertical component and guides the adjustment mechanism, eliminating the need for operators to manually measure soil depth and repeatedly adjust the tool height.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-calibration by using the wear tool itself as the measurement reference. The sensor detects the tool's position relative to the ground, and the control unit processes this data to automatically determine the vertical component, allowing the system to calibrate itself without external measurement devices or manual intervention.
2Device complexity
If manual adjustment method is used, then the device is simple, but the measurement precision is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces imprecise manual measurement with an automated sensing system. A sensor mounted on the wear tool continuously detects the tool's vertical position and distance from the ground, providing precise digital data. The control unit processes this data to calculate the vertical component with high accuracy, eliminating human measurement errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by using the sensor to monitor the wear tool's position in real-time. The control unit receives this position data, compares it with the desired depth, and automatically guides the adjustment mechanism to achieve the target depth, ensuring precise measurement and control throughout the calibration process.
3Ease of operation
If hydraulic adjustment with indicator is used, then the adjustment is automated, but the working depth knowledge is not precise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hydraulic system with a simple adjustment mechanism guided by automated control. Instead of relying on hydraulic indicators that provide approximate positions, the system uses a sensor to directly measure the wear tool's vertical position and a control unit to calculate the exact vertical component, providing precise depth knowledge regardless of the adjustment mechanism type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines the vertical component using the wear tool's own position data detected by the sensor, rather than relying on indirect hydraulic indicator readings. This self-measurement approach provides accurate working depth knowledge directly from the tool's actual position, eliminating the imprecision of indicator-based systems.
4Ease of operation
If no adjustment is made, then the operation is simple, but the energy consumption increases and tool life reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the correct working depth by measuring the wear tool's vertical position and calculating the vertical component, then guides the adjustment mechanism to achieve optimal depth without operator intervention. This automated calibration ensures the tool works at the precise depth needed for efficient soil preparation, avoiding excessive energy consumption from overly deep tillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor continuously monitors the wear tool's position and provides feedback to the control unit, which adjusts the tool height to maintain optimal working depth. This closed-loop control ensures the tool operates at the energy-efficient depth for soil preparation, preventing both excessive depth (which increases energy use) and insufficient depth (which reduces effectiveness).
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a method for vertically calibrating a wear tool (20; 120) of an agricultural machine, the agricultural machine comprising said wear tool, the method comprising the steps of: - bringing the wear tool into contact with a reference surface (5; 45); - measuring the value (A2; A4) of a position variable (A; L; H) related to the positioning of the wear tool when it is in contact with the reference surface; - determining the theoretical vertical positioning component (P2; P4) of the wear tool according the measured value (A2; A4), based on a reference curve (f1); - determining a correspondence curve (f2) between a vertical positioning component (P(A)) of the wear tool and the position variable, by shifting the reference curve by a value (ΔP) equal to the theoretical vertical component.