Access door with integral crop deflector for a combine harvester and method of manufacturing the same

1 . An access door for a combine harvester, comprising:

a body having a top, a bottom, a first side, and a second side, the body including a height defined between the top and the bottom and a width defined between the first side and the second side;

a plurality of ribs integrally formed in an inner surface of the body for adding rigidity thereto;

a deflector integrally formed with the body and protruding from the inner surface of the body, the deflector comprising a top surface;

a ridge integrally formed in the body, the ridge intersecting the plurality of ribs and defining a cut line for forming a smaller access door from the body, the smaller access door retaining the deflector;

wherein, the deflector comprises a width that is less than or equal to the width of the body;

wherein, the body is defined within a first plane and the top surface is defined within a second plane, the second plane being disposed at an angle less than 90° from the first plane.

2 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the body, plurality of ribs and deflector are formed of plastic.

3 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the angle is between 5° and 85°.

4 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the body has a height greater along the first side than along the second side.

5 . The door of claim 1 , further comprising a seal positioned along at least one of the top, the bottom, the first side and the second side.

6 . The door of claim 1 , further comprising a flange formed along the bottom of the body.

7 . The door of claim 1 , wherein the ridge comprises one or more ridges, and wherein the one or more ridges are angularly oriented to the plurality of ribs.

8 . The door of claim 1 , further comprising at least one handle and one latch coupled to the body, the at least one handle being coupled to the body on a side opposite of the deflector.

9 . The door of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ribs extend along the inner surface of the body to the top surface of the deflector.

10 . A method of manufacturing an access door for a combine harvester, comprising:

providing a material from which the door is to be formed;

placing the material in a mold having a shape and size of the access door;

performing a molding process with the material in the mold; and

manufacturing the access door from the material during the molding process, wherein the molding step comprises:

forming a body of the access door having a top, a bottom, a first side, and a second side;

integrally forming a deflector and a plurality of ribs with an inner surface of the body, the deflector including a top surface;

forming the top surface of the deflector to be oriented at an angle less than 90° from the body; and

forming a ridge in the body, the ridge intersecting the plurality of ribs and defining a cut line for forming a smaller access door from the body, the smaller access door retaining the deflector.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ridge extends the width of the body.

12 . A method of manufacturing an access door for a combine harvester, comprising:

providing a material from which the door is to be formed;

placing the material in a mold having a shape and size of the access door;

performing a molding process with the material in the mold; and

manufacturing the access door from the material during the molding process, wherein the molding step comprises:

forming a body of the access door having a top, a bottom, a first side, and a second side;

integrally forming a deflector and a plurality of ribs with an inner surface of the body, the deflector including a top surface;

forming a width of the deflector to be approximately the same as a width of the body;

forming the top surface of the deflector to be oriented at an angle less than 90° from the body;

forming at least one ridge integrally in the body during the molding process, the at least one ridge extending the width of the body;

removing a first portion of the body by cutting along the at least one ridge from the first side to the second side; and

forming a second access door with a remaining portion of the body, the second access door having a height that is less than a height of the body before the removing step.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

removing a second portion from the remaining portion of the body by cutting along a second ridge formed therein; and

forming a third access door after the second portion is removed, the third access door having a height that is less than the height of the second access door.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

forming a flange in the bottom of the body; and

installing a seal around at least a portion of the top, the first side and the second side of the body.

15 . The access door of claim 1 , wherein the width of the deflector is substantially the same as the width of the body.

16 . The access door of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of ribs are not formed in any portion of the deflector.

17 . The access door of claim 16 , wherein the deflector is positioned along a lower portion of the body.

18 . The access door of claim 1 , wherein the ridge comprises a first ridge and a second ridge, the first ridge defining a first cut line for forming a first access door from the body and the second ridge defining a second cut line for forming a second access door from the body, the first access door having a smaller height than the second access door.

19 . The access door of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs are partially formed in the deflector and outwardly extend from the top surface of the deflector toward the top of the body.

20 . The method of claim 10 , wherein integrally forming the ridge in the body comprises forming a first ridge and forming a second ridge, the first ridge defining a first cut line for forming a first access door from the body and the second ridge defining a second cut line for forming a second access door from the body, the first access door having a smaller height than the second access door.