Baler mass flow sensing assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10477775-B2
Application number	US-201514855153-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A crop sensing system for a baler includes a compression system for forming a bale and a feed system for picking up crop from a surface and conveying the crop to the compression system. The crop sensing system includes a sensor arrangement having at least one sensor being coupled to at least one of the compression system or the feed system, wherein the at least one sensor generates a signal corresponding to a crop load on the at least one of the compression system or the feed system. The crop sensing system includes a control unit configured to receive the signal from the sensor arrangement and calculate crop mass data based on at least the signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A crop sensing system for a baler comprising:
a compression system for forming a bale;
a feed system for picking up crop from a surface and conveying the crop to the compression system;
a sensor arrangement including at least one sensor being coupled to at least one of the compression system or the feed system, the at least one sensor configured to generate signals over a duration of time which correspond to a series of instantaneous crop loads on the at least one of the compression system or the feed system; and
a control unit configured to receive the signals from the sensor arrangement over the duration of time and calculate crop mass flow rate based on at least the signals and the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the signals,
wherein the baler includes a loading fork having a range of motion for passing crop from a pre-compression chamber into the compression system, wherein the at least one sensor is a first sensor coupled to the loading fork, wherein the signals are first signals from the first sensor, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a second sensor coupled to the pre-compression chamber and configured to generate a second signal, and wherein the control unit is configured to calculate the crop mass flow rate based on at least 1) the first signals from the first sensor corresponding to crop loads on the loading fork and the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the first signals and 2) the second signal from the second sensor corresponding to the crop load on the pre-compression chamber.

2. The crop sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-compression chamber includes a feed pan at least partially defining the pre-compression chamber, and wherein the second sensor is coupled to the feed pan for measuring a crop load generally normal to the feed pan.

3. The crop sensing system of claim 2 , wherein the control unit calculates the crop mass flow rate at least in part by integrating the first signal from the first sensor over at least a portion of the range of motion of the loading fork over the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the first signal and based on the crop load on and generally normal to the feed pan.

4. The crop sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates the crop mass flow rate at least in part by integrating the first signal from the first sensor over at least a portion of the range of motion of the loading fork over the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the first signal.

5. The crop sensing system of claim 1 further comprising:
a display device; and
a global positioning system in communication with the control unit and configured to generate location data, wherein the control unit pairs the location data with corresponding crop mass data in real time, wherein the display device displays a geospatial representation of the location and crop mass data.

6. A crop sensing system for a baler comprising:
a first conveyor including a bale chamber in which a bale is formed and moved;
a second conveyor positioned to pick up crop from a surface and convey the crop toward the bale chamber;
at least one sensor coupled to at least one of the first conveyor or the second conveyor, and configured to generate signals over a duration of time which correspond to a series of instantaneous crop loads on the at least one of the first conveyor or the second conveyor; and
a controller configured to receive the signals from the sensor over the duration of time and calculate crop mass flow rate based on at least the signals and the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the signals,
wherein the second conveyor includes a loading fork having a range of motion for passing crop from a pre-compression chamber into the bale chamber, wherein the at least one sensor is a first sensor coupled to the loading fork, wherein the signals are first signals from the first sensor, further comprising a second sensor coupled to the pre-compression chamber and configured to generate a second signal, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the crop mass flow rate based on at least 1) the first signals from the first sensor corresponding to the crop load on the loading fork and the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the first signals and 2) the second signal from the second sensor corresponding to the crop load on the pre-compression chamber.

7. The crop sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the controller calculates the crop mass flow rate at least in part by integrating the first signals from the first sensor over at least a portion of the range of motion of the loading fork over the duration of time recorded in conjunction with the first signals.

8. The crop sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a crop mass at least in part by integrating or summing the signals from the sensor over at least a portion of the range of motion of the loading fork, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate crop mass flow rate based at least in part on the calculated crop mass.

Assignees

• Deere & Co
• Univ Iowa State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Lang Eric R
• Askey Jeffrey

Classifications

• B30B9/301

  Feed means · CPC title

• A01F15/10

  Feeding devices for the crop material {e.g. precompression devices} · CPC title

• B30B9/3078

  with precompression means · CPC title

• B30B9/3007

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• A01F15/0825 Primary

  Regulating or controlling density or shape of the bale · CPC title