Header height control system with multiple height sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10111380-B2
Application number	US-201715839513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A header system includes a frame; a cutter carried by the frame; a cutter sensor associated with the cutter which outputs a cutter height signal; a gauge wheel carried by the frame behind the cutter; a wheel sensor associated with the gauge wheel which outputs a wheel position signal; and a controller electrically coupled to the cutter height sensor and the wheel sensor. The controller is configured to: receive the cutter height signal; receive the wheel position signal; compare the cutter height signal and the wheel position signal to determine a terrain irregularity is present; and activate one or more actuators to adjust the frame in response to determining the terrain irregularity is present.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A header system, comprising:
a frame;
a cutter carried by said frame;
a cutter height sensor associated with said cutter and configured to output a cutter height signal;
a gauge wheel carried by said frame behind said cutter;
a wheel sensor associated with said gauge wheel and configured to output a wheel position signal; and
a controller electrically coupled to said cutter height sensor and said wheel sensor, said controller configured to:
receive said cutter height signal;
receive said wheel position signal;
compare said cutter height signal to said wheel position signal to determine that a terrain irregularity is present; and
activate at least one actuator of an actuator system to adjust said frame in response to said determining that said terrain irregularity is present.

2. The header system according to claim 1 , wherein said wheel sensor includes an arm pivotally coupled to a mount and connected to said gauge wheel, said arm having a current angular position relative to said mount, said arm defining a neutral angular position relative to said mount, said wheel sensor being configured to output a wheel angle signal with a magnitude corresponding to a deviation of said current angular position of said arm relative to said neutral angular position.

3. The header system according to claim 2 , wherein said cutter height sensor is configured to output said cutter height signal with a magnitude corresponding to a height of said cutter from a ground surface.

4. The header system according to claim 3 , wherein said controller is further configured to determine said terrain irregularity is present when a difference between said magnitude of said wheel angle signal and said magnitude of said cutter height signal exceeds a predetermined value.

5. The header system according to claim 4 , further comprising said at least one actuator system electrically coupled to said controller and configured to adjust at least one of a height and a tilt angle of said frame, wherein said controller is further configured to determine which at least one actuator of said actuator system to activate based on said determined difference between said magnitude of said wheel angle signal and said magnitude of said cutter height signal.

6. The header system according to claim 1 , further comprising said actuator system electrically coupled to said controller and configured to adjust at least one of a height and a tilt angle of said frame.

7. The header system according to claim 6 , wherein said controller is configured to activate at least one actuator of said actuator system further in order to maintain a desired cutter height and a desired cutter angle of said cutter relative to a ground surface.

8. The header system according to claim 6 , wherein said tilt angle is at least one of a fore-aft tilt angle and a lateral tilt angle and said actuator system includes at least one of a fore-aft actuator configured to adjust said fore-aft tilt angle of said frame and a lateral actuator configured to adjust said lateral tilt angle of said frame.

9. A header system, comprising:
a frame;
a cutter carried by said frame;
a gauge wheel carried by said frame behind said cutter;
a wheel sensor associated with said gauge wheel and configured to output a wheel overload signal when said wheel sensor detects said gauge wheel is displaced to a stroke end; and
a controller electrically coupled to said wheel sensor, said controller configured to:
detect said wheel overload signal; and
activate at least one actuator of an actuator system to adjust said frame in response to receiving said wheel overload signal.

10. The header system according to claim 9 , further comprising said actuator system electrically coupled to said controller and configured to adjust at least one of a height and a tilt angle of said frame.

11. The header system according to claim 10 , wherein said actuator system includes a fore-aft actuator configured to adjust a fore-aft tilt angle of said frame and said controller is configured to activate said fore-aft actuator to adjust said fore-aft tilt angle of said frame until said gauge wheel is no longer displaced to said stroke end.

12. The header system according to claim 10 , wherein said actuator system further includes a height actuator configured to adjust said height of said frame and said controller is configured to activate said height actuator to adjust said height of said frame until said gauge wheel is no longer displaced to said stroke end.

13. The header system according to claim 9 , wherein said wheel sensor includes an arm pivotally coupled to a mount and connected to said gauge wheel, said arm having a current angular position relative to said mount, said arm defining a gauge wheel overload position relative to said mount, said wheel sensor being configured to output said overload signal when said current angular position of said arm reaches said gauge wheel overload position.

14. The header system according to claim 9 , wherein said header system includes a cutter height sensor associated with said cutter and configured to output a cutter height signal corresponding to a height of said cutter to said controller.

15. The header system according to claim 14 , wherein said controller is further configured to store a desired height of said cutter and to activate said at least one actuator of said actuator system to adjust said frame until said height of said cutter is equal to said desired height and said wheel overload signal is not detected by said controller.

16. The header system according to claim 14 , wherein said controller is further configured to store a desired cutter angle of said cutter and to activate said at least one actuator of said actuator system to adjust said frame until a cutter angle of said cutter is equal to said desired cutter angle and said wheel overload signal is not detected by said controller.

17. The header system according to claim 14 , wherein said controller is further configured to store a desired height and a desired cutter angle of said cutter and to activate said at least one actuator of said actuator system to adjust said frame until said height is equal to said desired height, a cutter angle of said cutter is equal to said desired cutter angle, and said wheel overload signal is not detected by said controller.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Long Zachary
• Cook Joel T

Classifications

• A01D34/006 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements · CPC title

• A01D41/127

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D41/145

  Header lifting devices · CPC title

• A01D41/141 Primary

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D75/287

  acting on the mowing table (A01D75/285 takes precedence) · CPC title