System and method for detecting accumulations of field materials between ground engaging components of an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11058045-B2
Application number	US-201816173098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

In one aspect, a system for detecting accumulations of field materials between ground engaging components of an agricultural implement may include first and second ground engaging components configured to rotate relative to soil within a field as the implement is moved across the field. The first and second ground engaging components may be spaced apart from each other along an axial direction of the shaft. The system may also include a sensor configured to detect field materials within a detection zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components and above the axis of rotation in a vertical direction of the agricultural implement. Furthermore, the system may include a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, with the controller configured to determine a parameter associated with an accumulation of the field materials between the first and second ground engaging components based on data received from the sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting accumulations of field materials between ground engaging components of an agricultural implement, the system comprising:
first and second ground engaging components configured to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to soil within a field as the agricultural implement is moved across the field, the first and second ground engaging components being spaced apart from each other along an axial direction corresponding to the axis of rotation;
a sensor configured to detect field materials within a detection zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and above the axis of rotation in a vertical direction of the agricultural implement; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to determine a parameter associated with an accumulation of the field materials within a flow zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and below the axis of rotation in the vertical direction based on data received from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft, the first and second ground engaging components being coupled to the shaft, the detection zone being defined above the shaft in the vertical direction, the flow zone being defined below the shaft in the vertical direction.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is an amount of the field materials detected within the detection zone.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a frequency at which the field materials are detected within the detection zone.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is a period of time across which the field materials are detected within the detection zone.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to monitor the determined parameter relative to a threshold value and initiate a control action associated with removing the accumulation of field materials when the monitored parameter exceeds or falls below the threshold value.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural implement that the field materials have accumulated between the first and second ground engaging components.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the control action comprises adjusting an operating parameter of the agricultural implement.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operating parameter comprises at least one of a downforce applied to or a penetration depth of the first and second ground engaging components.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ground engaging components comprise first and second discs, respectively.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor corresponds to one of a vision-based sensor, a RADAR sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

12. A tillage implement, comprising:
a frame;
a shaft coupled to the frame, the shaft being positioned below the frame along a vertical direction of the tillage implement;
first and second discs configured to rotate relative to soil within a field as the tillage implement is moved across the field, the first and second ground engaging components being coupled to the shaft and spaced apart from each other along an axial direction of the shaft;
a sensor mounted on the frame and configured to detect field materials within a detection zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and above the shaft in the vertical direction; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to determine a parameter associated with an accumulation of the field materials within a flow zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and below the shaft in the vertical direction based on data received from the sensor.

13. A method for detecting accumulations of field materials between ground engaging components of an agricultural implement, the agricultural implement comprising first and second ground engaging components configured to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to soil within a field as the agricultural implement is moved across the field, the first and second ground engaging components being spaced apart from each other along an axial direction corresponding to the axis of rotation, the method comprising:
receiving, with a computing device, data from a sensor configured to detect field materials within a detection zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and above the axis of rotation in a vertical direction of the agricultural implement;
determining, with the computing device, a parameter associated with an accumulation of the field materials within a flow zone defined directly between the first and second ground engaging components in the axial direction and below the axis of rotation in the vertical direction based on the received data; and
when the determined parameter exceeds or falls below a threshold value, initiating, with the computing device, a control action associated with removing the accumulation of field materials.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first and second ground engaging components are coupled to a shaft, the detection zone being defined above the shaft in the vertical direction, the flow zone being defined below the shaft in the vertical direction.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is an amount of the field materials detected within the detection zone.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is a frequency at which the field materials are detected within the detection zone.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the parameter is a period of time across which the field materials are detected within the detection zone.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural implement that the field materials have accumulated between the first and second ground engaging components.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control action comprises adjusting an operating parameter of the agricultural implement.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Harmon Joshua David

Classifications

• A01B71/08 Primary

  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

• A01B63/008

  Vertical adjustment of tools (A01B63/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01B15/16

  Discs; Scrapers for cleaning discs; Sharpening attachments · CPC title

• A01B35/28

  Rotating tools; Mounting rotating tools · CPC title