In order to enhance the mechanized harvesting of corn in hilly and mountainous areas and address the limitations of traditional corn harvesters in hilly and mountainous areas, such as high center of gravity, excessive grain loss, low bract stripping rates, and inefficient structural design, a 4YZ-4 self‑propelled corn harvester was developed specifically for these challenging terrains. The design incorporated TRIZ theory to optimize critical components, including the frame,lifting mechanism, and grain recovery system. To resolve the physical contradiction between the stability and ground clearance requirements of the machine, a staggered frame structure was designed. SolidWorks Simulation was used to analyze the static stress of the frame to confirm that the stress values were within a safe range. Additionally, an “object‑field” model was developed to optimize ear lifting and impurity removal, resulting in a mechanism that combined absorption and air‑blowing techniques. In order to separate grain from bract, a reverse‑rotation grain recovery mechanism with was devised. Field experiment showed that under optimal parameter configurations, the 4YZ-4 corn harvester achieved a grain loss rate of 0.18%, an ear loss rate of 1.74%, a bract stripping rate of 98.17%, and a stalk segment length qualification rate of 97.31%. These results indicated that the harvester effectively performed mechanized maize harvesting in hilly and mountainous regions, thereby exhibiting excellent stability, reliability, and compliance with design requirements.