Wind Guard Assembly With Crop Return Surface for Grass Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural harvester pickup assemblies suffer from crop material accumulation on wind guard rollers and inefficiencies in directing crop into the inlet, leading to unnecessary loss and operational challenges.
Innovation Solution
A wind guard assembly with a shield return surface and guidance plate that redirects falling crop back to the pickup unit, along with a belt drive system and improved auger and wind guard lifting mechanisms to maintain consistent crop intake and prevent blockages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the feeding auger is used to direct crop into the inlet, then crop intake is achieved, but crop material accumulates on the wind guard roller causing functional problems
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful accumulation area on the wind guard roller is eliminated by removing the roller itself and replacing it with a return surface that directs crop back to the pickup unit, preventing crop material from accumulating in the first place
Solution Approach 2:
A return surface is introduced as an intermediary element between the feeding auger and the ground, which redirects falling crop material back to the pickup unit instead of allowing it to accumulate on the wind guard roller
2Reliability
If the wind guard and feeding auger are raised for manual removal of unwanted objects, then blockages are cleared, but operational time is lost and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wind guard assembly is made dynamically movable relative to the pickup assembly frame, allowing it to be raised for clearing blockages and then automatically returned to its operational position, enabling quick recovery without manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service blockage clearance by allowing the operator to raise the wind guard for manual removal of objects and then automatically lower it back into position, eliminating the need for prolonged manual intervention and reducing safety risks
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the wind guard shield is added to cover the pickup assembly, then crop flow path is shielded from wind influence, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wind guard shield is designed to perform multiple functions: shielding the crop flow path from wind influence, providing structural support for the return surface, and serving as part of the overall frame structure, thereby reducing the need for additional separate components
Data Source
AI summary
A pickup assembly for an agricultural harvester includes a pickup assembly frame, a pickup unit carried by the pickup assembly frame and configured to pick up crop from a field, a feeding auger, and a wind guard assembly. The wind guard assembly includes a wind guard frame with a top section and a front section, the top section being pivotably coupled to the pickup assembly frame, the front section extending downwards from the top section. A wind guard shield is carried by the wind guard frame to cover at least a portion of a top and a front of the pickup assembly. Additionally, the pickup assembly includes a wind guard shield return surface, extending downward and rearward from the front section of the wind guard frame and configured to guide crop falling of the feeding auger back to the pickup unit.