Agricultural machine comprising an improved device for controlling a shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045480-B2
Application number	US-201515308776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural machine including at least one working tool which can be driven by a drive mechanism which can have a variable drive speed, at least one movable shield which can be moved at least between operational and non-operational positions, and a device for moving the at least one shield, including at least one adjusting actuator and a device for locking the shield. The movement device includes a circuit for controlling the actuator which includes the locking device, which circuit automatically converts a variable input quantity into a control quantity which can adopt a first control value used to prevent the adjusting actuator from being moved out of a first configuration, the input quantity being a value which is a function of or dependent on the drive speed of the drive mechanism or on the working speed of the at least one tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural machine comprising:
a working tool displaced or transposed between a working position and a transport position;
a drive means that drives the working tool and presents a variable drive speed, resulting in a variable working speed of the working tool;
a movable protective means being displaced between an operational position and a non-operational position, wherein the working tool is surrounded or covered at least partly in the operational position and at least partly accessible in the non-operational position;
a displacement device displacing the movable protective means between the operational position and non-operational position, wherein the displacement device includes an adjusting actuator supplied by an external energy delivered from an external energy source; and
a locking device locking the movable protective means in the operational position or the non-operational position,
wherein the displacement device includes a control circuit to control a transposition of the adjusting actuator to a first configuration or a second configuration, wherein the movable protective means is disposed in the operational position in the first configuration and disposed in the non-operational position in the second configuration,
wherein the control circuit integrates the locking device of the movable protective means and controls the adjusting actuator from being disposed in the first configuration when the working tool is disposed in the working position,
wherein the locking device automatically transforms an input quantity into a control quantity of the adjusting actuator, and the control quantity can assume a first control value used to prevent the transposition of the adjusting actuator beyond the first configuration,
wherein the input quantity presents a value of the drive speed of the drive means or a value of the working speed of the working tool,
wherein the control quantity assumes and preserves the first control value if the input quantity presents the value of the drive speed of the drive means or the value of the working speed of the working tool that is higher than a threshold speed.

2. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , when the working tool is displaced from the transport position toward the working position, the adjusting actuator is automatically transposed toward the first configuration by the control circuit.

3. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , when the working tool is in the working position and the control quantity assumes the first control value, the adjusting actuator remains in the first configuration by the control circuit during a subsequent displacement of the working tool toward the transport position or an intermediate position while the control quantity preserves or continues to assume the first control value, wherein the intermediate position is situated between the working position and the transport position.

4. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , the control quantity of the adjusting actuator assumes a second control value when the input quantity presents the value of the drive speed of the drive means or the value of the working speed of the working tool that is lower than or equal to the threshold speed, wherein the second control value is used to control the transposition of the adjusting actuator between the first configuration and the second configuration.

5. An agricultural machine according to claim 4 , when the working tool is transposed or displaced toward the transport position or the intermediate position, the adjusting actuator is automatically transposed toward the second configuration while the control quantity assumes the second value.

6. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein,
the locking device includes a selector means connected to the external energy source to steer maneuvering or functioning of the adjusting actuator under effect of the external energy,
a state of the selector means constitutes the control quantity of the adjusting actuator, and
the selector means can present a first state constituting the first control value of the control quantity and a second state constituting the second control value of the control quantity.

7. An agricultural machine according to claim 6 , wherein,
the adjusting actuator includes a first part configured to receive a flow of the external energy from the external energy source,
the selector means is connected to the first part, and
the first part receives the flow of the external energy from the external energy source when the adjusting actuator is transposed from the first configuration toward the second configuration.

8. An agricultural machine according to claim 6 , wherein,
the selector means includes a non-return means that, when it is active, prevents the flow of the external energy from the external energy source toward the first part of the adjusting actuator, but permits the flow of the external energy in the opposite circulation direction, and
the non-return means is active when the selector means is in the first state.

9. An agricultural machine according to claim 7 , wherein the selector means, in the second state, permits a bidirectional energy flow, both from the external energy source toward the first part and from the first part toward the external energy source.

10. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein the external energy source presents a zero energy potential when the working tool is displaced toward or is disposed in the working position and a non-zero energy potential when the working tool is displaced toward or is disposed in the transport position or in the intermediate position.

11. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusting actuator is a single-effect actuator, which automatically returns to or is automatically disposed in the first configuration in absence of energy potential furnished by the external energy source, or under effect of a return urging force of potential nature, or an elastic force.

12. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , comprising at least two distinct movable protective means which are capable of being displaced together or separately by a common adjusting actuator or by separate respective adjusting actuators.

13. An agricultural machine according to claim 11 , wherein the adjusting actuator is specifically dedicated to displacement of the movable protective means.

14. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein,
the locking device includes a transformer means including a motorized input element,
the motorized input element is connected at least kinematically to the drive means or to the working tool,
the input quantity of the locking device is constituted by a drive speed of the motorized input element, and
the transformer means converts the input quantity into an output quantity, which is used to steer maneuvering of the adjusting actuator under effect of the external energy.

15. An agricultural machine according to claim 1 , wherein,
the locking device comprises a steering device for maneuvering the adjusting actuator under effect of the external energy, and
the steering device is constituted by a sensor means that measures the drive speed of the drive means or the working speed of the working tool, or by a movement transmission member connected kinematically to the drive means and the working tool, or by a converter means transforming the measured drive speed or the working speed into an output quantity.

16. An agricultural machine according to claim 14 , wherein the value of the outpu

Assignees

• Kuhn Sa

Inventors

• Halter Cedric

Classifications

• A01D41/145

  Header lifting devices · CPC title

• A01B71/08

  Means for protecting against dust or the like, or for cleaning agricultural implements (discs for ploughs A01B15/16; lifting or cleaning apparatus for harrows A01B19/10; discs for harrows A01B23/06; screening of rotary driven tilling tools A01B33/12) · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title

• B60R16/027

  between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column {(devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00)} · CPC title

• A01D80/00

  Parts or details of {, or accessories for,} haymakers · CPC title