Combine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143133-B2
Application number	US-201515520220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

There are provided an engine controlling section for controlling a rotational speed of an engine, a horizontal posture controlling section for rendering a vehicle body frame to a horizontal posture by controlling a posture changing mechanism configured to change a posture of the vehicle body frame by an operation of an actuator utilizing power from the engine, a yield measuring section for measuring a yield of grains stored in a grain tank based on measurement result of a load cell configured to measure a weight of the grain tank, an activation operational tool for outputting an activation signal for activating yield measurement by the yield measuring section, and a yield controlling section configured to provide the engine controlling section with a high speed rotation instruction for driving the engine at a rated rotational speed in response to the activation signal and also to provide the horizontal posture controlling section with a horizontal posture instruction for rendering the vehicle body frame to the horizontal posture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combine comprising:
a vehicle body frame mounting an engine;
an engine controlling section for controlling a rotational speed of the engine;
a posture changing mechanism for varying a posture of the vehicle body frame by an operation of an actuator that uses power from the engine;
a horizontal posture controlling section for setting the vehicle body frame to a horizontal posture by controlling the posture changing mechanism;
a grain tank mounted on the vehicle body frame and configured to store grains conveyed from a threshing device;
a load cell for measuring a weight of the grain tank;
a yield measuring section for measuring a yield of the grains stored in the grain tank based on a measurement result of the load cell;
an activation operational tool that outputs an activation signal for activating a yield measurement by the yield measuring section; and
a yield controlling section configured to provide a high-speed rotation instruction for causing the engine to be driven at a rated rotational speed to the engine controlling section, in response to the activation signal and configured also to provide a horizontal posture instruction for setting the vehicle body frame to a horizontal posture to the horizontal posture controlling section by an operation of the posture changing mechanism.

2. The combine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a working state determining section for determining whether the combine is under a working state or a non-working state;
a working managing section for setting a non-working mode in which the engine controlling section is provided with a low-speed rotation instruction for driving the engine at a zero-load rotational speed if the working state determining section determines that the combine is under the non-working state, and setting a working mode in which the engine controlling section is provided with the high-speed rotation instruction if the working state determining section determines that the combine is under the working state; and
wherein the yield controlling section, when receiving the activation signal, provides the high-speed rotation instruction to the engine controlling section, with priority over the working managing section, irrespectively of a mode set by the working managing section.

3. The combine of claim 2 , wherein there is provided an accelerator operational tool configured to provide the engine controlling section with a desired rotational speed instruction for causing the engine to be driven at a desired rotational speed when the function of the working managing section is deactivated.

4. The combine of claim 2 , wherein if the yield measurement by the activation signal is completed during execution of control by the yield controlling section with priority over the working managing section, the priority of the yield controlling section over the working managing section is cancelled.

5. The combine of claim 1 , wherein:
a grain discharging device for discharging grains stored in the grain tank to the outside is provided; and
in response to the activation signal, at least one of the following is effected: (i) a power shutoff to a reaping work device, (ii) a return of the reaping work device to a non-working position, and (iii) fixing a movable device constituting the grain discharging device.

6. The combine of claim 1 , wherein:
a grain discharging bottom screw is provided at a bottom portion of the grain tank and a contacting portion is provided outside downwardly of a portion in the grain tank where the bottom screw is located; and
the load cell has a detecting portion configured to come into contact with the contacting portion at a position higher than the vehicle body frame and the load cell is mounted and supported on a load cell mounting portion provided at a position lower than the vehicle body frame.

7. The combine of claim 6 , wherein the contacting portion has a downwardly oriented contacting face which comes into direct contact with an upper face of the detecting portion.

8. A combine comprising:
a vehicle body frame;
a grain tank mounted on the vehicle body frame and having a downwardly narrowed shape, the grain tank being configured to store grains conveyed from a threshing device;
a grain discharging bottom screw provided at a bottom portion of a downwardly narrow portion inside the grain tank; and
a load cell configured to measure a weight of the grain tank;
wherein a contacting portion is provided outside downwardly of a position where the bottom screw is located in the grain tank; and
the load cell has a detecting portion configured to come into contact with the contacting portion at a position higher than the vehicle body frame and the load cell is mounted and supported on a load cell mounting portion provided at a position lower than the vehicle body frame.

9. The combine of claim 8 , wherein the contacting portion has a downwardly oriented contacting face which comes into direct contact with an upper face of the detecting portion.

10. The combine of claim 8 , wherein a front wall of the grain tank includes a front portion supporting plate for supporting a front end side of the bottom screw and the contacting portion is attached to a lower end of the front portion supporting plate.

11. The combine of claim 8 , wherein:
the grain tank is configured to be position changeable between a storing position preset on the vehicle body frame and a non-storing position displaced laterally outside of the storing position relative to a vehicle body of the combine;
a guiding face is provided on the vehicle body frame;
the contacting portion comes into contact with the detecting portion when the grain tank is located at the storing position; and
the grain tank includes a guide roller that rolls on the guiding face while supporting a weight of the grain tank to guide the grain tank from the non-storing position side to the storing position side.

12. The combine of claim 11 , wherein the guiding face defines a recess portion in which the guide roller drops at the storing position.

13. The combine of claim 11 , wherein:
a front wall of the grain tank includes a front portion supporting plate for supporting a front end side of the bottom screw;
a cutout portion that is upwardly recessed is provided at a lower edge side of the front portion supporting plate; and
a supporting shaft of the guide roller is supported as being fitted in the cutout portion.

14. The combine of claim 11 , wherein:
the guiding face is configured to cover the load cell at a position lower than an upper face of the detecting portion; and
the guiding face defines an opening for exposing an upper face of the detecting portion therethrough.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ikeda Hiroshi
• Inoue Hirotsugu
• Hamanishi Tadashi

Classifications

• A01D69/00

  Driving mechanisms or parts thereof for harvesters or mowers (driving mechanisms for the cutters of mowers or harvesters A01D34/00) · CPC title

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• A01D41/1208

  Tanks for grain or chaff (for threshing machines A01F12/60) · CPC title

• G01G19/12

  having electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• G01G17/00

  Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property (determining weight by measuring volume G01F) · CPC title