Drive system having hydraulic power transmission for a harvesting header of a harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791673-B2
Application number	US-201815886301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A drive system for a harvesting header of a harvester includes a drive motor, and a drive train connected between the drive motor and one or more driven elements of the harvesting header. The drive train has a variable-displacement hydraulic pump arranged on board the harvester and a hydraulic motor connected in a closed circuit to the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic motor is mounted on the harvesting header and detachably connected by hydraulic coupling connections to the hydraulic pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive system for a harvesting header of a harvester, comprising:
a drive motor, and
a drive train connected between the drive motor and a driven element of the harvesting header, the drive train having a variable-displacement hydraulic pump arranged on board the harvester and either a harvester-side hydraulic motor or a header-side hydraulic motor connected in a closed circuit to the hydraulic pump;
wherein the harvesting header includes a code readable by a control unit of the harvester,
the control unit is operable to open a valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the header-side hydraulic motor if it is recognizable on the basis of information associated with the code that the harvesting header includes the header-side hydraulic motor mounted on the harvester header and detachably connect by coupling connections to the hydraulic pump for driving the harvesting header; and
the control unit is operable to open a valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the harvester-side hydraulic motor if it is recognizable on the basis of information associated with the code that the harvesting header is not equipped with the header-side hydraulic motor for driving the harvesting header.

2. The drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure line running from the hydraulic pump to the header-side hydraulic motor including a first coupling connection, and
a pressure line returning from the header-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump including a second coupling connection, wherein the first and second coupling connections are each mounted on a respective common bracket on the harvesting header and on the harvester.

3. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is operable to bring the valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the header-side hydraulic motor into a position connecting the harvester-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump if the harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code, or to command the harvester-side hydraulic motor designed as a servomotor to assume a zero position if the harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code.

4. The drive system according to claim 3 , wherein the coupling connections are disconnected from the hydraulic pump by the valve in the position thereof that connects the harvester-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump.

5. A harvester, comprising:
a harvesting header;
a drive motor;
a drive train connected between the drive motor and a driven element of the harvesting header, the drive train having a variable-displacement hydraulic pump arranged on board the harvester and either a harvester-side hydraulic motor or a header-side hydraulic motor connected in a closed circuit to the hydraulic pump;
wherein the harvesting header includes a code readable by a control unit of the harvester;
wherein the control unit is operable to open a valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the header-side hydraulic motor if it is recognizable on the basis of information associated with the code that the harvesting header includes the header-side hydraulic motor mounted on the harvester header and detachably connect by coupling connections to the hydraulic pump for driving the harvesting header; and
the control unit is operable to open a valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the harvester-side hydraulic motor if it is recognizable on the basis of information associated with the code that the harvesting header is not equipped with the header-side hydraulic motor for driving the harvesting header.

6. The harvester according to claim 5 , wherein the harvesting header comprises a pick-up having a transverse auger and a tine rotor, and the header-side hydraulic motor is drivingly connected to the transverse auger.

7. The harvester according to claim 6 , wherein the header-side hydraulic motor is arranged inside the transverse auger or designed as a radial piston motor.

8. The harvester according to claim 6 , wherein the tine rotor is driven via a hydrostatic transmission drivable by the transverse auger.

9. The harvester according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a pressure line running from the hydraulic pump to the header-side hydraulic motor including a first coupling connection, and
a pressure line returning from the header-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump including a second coupling connection, wherein the first and second coupling connections are each mounted on a respective common bracket on the harvesting header and on the harvester.

10. The harvester according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is operable to bring the valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the header-side hydraulic motor into a position connecting the harvester-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump if the harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code, or to command the harvester-side hydraulic motor designed as a servomotor to assume a zero position if the harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code.

11. The harvester according to claim 10 , wherein the coupling connections are disconnected from the hydraulic pump by the valve in the position thereof that connects the harvester-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump.

12. A harvester comprising:
a frame;
a harvesting header detachably coupled to the frame;
a variable-displacement hydraulic pump arranged on board the frame, and either a header-side hydraulic motor of the harvesting header or a harvester-side hydraulic motor provided on the frame connected in a closed circuit to the hydraulic pump;
a valve;
a control unit operable to read a code from the harvesting header and open the valve to provide hydraulic fluid to the header-side hydraulic motor on the basis of information associated with the code indicating that the harvesting header includes the header-side hydraulic motor; and
wherein the control unit is operable to open the valve to provide hydraulic fluid to the harvester-side hydraulic motor to drive the harvesting header when the harvesting header is not equipped with the header-side hydraulic motor.

13. The harvester according to claim 12 , wherein the control unit is operable to bring the valve arranged between the hydraulic pump and the header-side hydraulic motor into a position connecting the harvester-side hydraulic motor to the hydraulic pump if the second harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code, or to command the harvester-side hydraulic motor designed as a servomotor to assume a zero position if the second harvesting header is not furnished with a respective code.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Schmoening Christoph
• Bohrer Stefan

Classifications

• A01D89/005

  Drives · CPC title

• A01F29/14

  Drives · CPC title

• A01D41/142 Primary

  Header drives · CPC title

• A01B59/064

  for connection to the front of the tractor · CPC title

• A01D69/03

  fluid · CPC title