Systems and methods for limiting reel adjustment in an agricultural header

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11337371-B2
Application number	US-201916724837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2019
Priority date	Dec 23, 2019
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

An agricultural system includes a frame, a cutter bar assembly configured to move relative to the frame during an operation of the agricultural system, a reel assembly configured to guide crops to the cutter bar assembly during the operation of the agricultural system, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive feedback indicative of a profile of the cutter bar assembly, set a position boundary of the reel assembly based on the feedback, and block movement of the reel assembly to a position beyond the position boundary of the reel assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural system, comprising:
a frame;
a cutter bar assembly configured to move relative to the frame during an operation of the agricultural system;
a reel assembly configured to guide crops to the cutter bar assembly during the operation of the agricultural system; and
a controller configured to:
receive an input indicative of a target position of the reel assembly;
receive feedback indicative of a profile of the cutter bar assembly;
set a position boundary of the reel assembly based on the feedback; and
block movement of the reel assembly to a position beyond the position boundary of the reel assembly.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether the target position is within the position boundary of the reel assembly; and
set a position of the reel assembly to the target position in response to a determination that the target position is within the position boundary.

3. The agricultural system of claim 2 , comprising an extension coupling the reel assembly to the frame and comprising an actuator configured to move the extension relative to the frame, wherein the controller is configured to set the position of the reel assembly to the target position by outputting a signal to instruct the actuator to move the extension relative to the frame.

4. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether the target position is within the position boundary of the reel assembly; and
block movement of the reel assembly to the target position in response to a determination that the target position is beyond the position boundary.

5. The agricultural system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the feedback indicative of the profile of the cutter bar assembly is received from the plurality of sensors, and the feedback comprises a position of the reel assembly relative to the frame, a position of the cutter bar assembly relative to the frame, a condition of a field harvested by the agricultural system, a position of a crop harvested by the agricultural system, or any combination thereof.

6. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback comprises position data of the cutter bar assembly, and the position data is continuously received over a dynamic time interval, over a fixed time interval, from a set starting time, or any combination thereof.

7. The agricultural system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback comprises position data of the cutter bar assembly received over a time interval, and the controller is configured to set the position boundary based on a calculation of the position data received over the time interval, based on a number of times that the position data indicates the cutter bar assembly has moved beyond a first position range, based on a frequency that the position data indicates the cutter bar assembly has moved beyond a second position range, or any combination thereof.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, are configured to cause the processor to:
receive feedback indicative of a profile of a cutter bar assembly of an agricultural system, wherein the cutter bar assembly comprises an arm coupled to a frame, and the arm is configured to move relative to the frame during operation of the agricultural system;
set a position boundary of a reel assembly of the agricultural system based on the feedback, wherein the reel assembly is configured to guide crops to the cutter bar assembly during the operation of the agricultural system;
receive an input indicative of a target position of the reel assembly;
compare the target position with the position boundary; and
block movement of the reel assembly to the target position in response to a determination that the target position is beyond the position boundary.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:
compare a first set position of the reel assembly to the position boundary in response to setting the position boundary of the reel assembly, wherein the first set position is associated with a current position of the reel assembly; and
output a signal to move the reel assembly to a second set position in response to an additional determination that the first set position is beyond the position boundary, wherein the second set position is within the position boundary.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:
receive additional feedback indicative of an updated profile of the cutter bar assembly;
set an additional position boundary of the reel assembly based on the additional feedback;
compare the first set position to the additional position boundary; and
output a signal to set the reel assembly to the first set position in response to a further determination that the first set position is within the additional position boundary.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to output a notification in response to the determination that the target position is beyond the position boundary.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the position boundary comprises a lower position boundary, and the instructions, when executed, are configured to set the position of the reel assembly to the lower position boundary in response to another determination that the target position is below the lower position boundary.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to maintain a current position of the reel assembly in response the determination that the target position is beyond the position boundary of the reel assembly.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, are configured to:
receive additional feedback indicative of an updated profile of the cutter bar assembly;
set an additional position boundary of the reel assembly based on the additional feedback;
compare the target position to the additional position boundary; and
output a signal to move the reel assembly from the current position to the target position in response to an additional determination that the target position of the cutter bar assembly is within the additional position boundary.

15. An agricultural system, comprising:
a frame;
a cutter bar assembly configured to move relative to the frame during an operation of the agricultural system;
a reel assembly comprising a plurality of sections, wherein each section of the plurality of sections is configured to guide crops to the cutter bar assembly during the operation of the agricultural system; and
a controller configured to:
receive feedback indicative of a profile of the cutter bar assembly;
set a respective position boundary for each section of the plurality of sections of the reel assembly based on the feedback;
receive an input indicative of a target position of a selected section of the plurality of sections of the reel assembly;
compare the target position to the respective position boundary for the selected section; and
block movement of the selected section of the reel assembly to the target position in response to a determination that the target position of the selected section of the reel assembly is beyond the respective position boundary of the selected section of the reel assembly.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Hunt Cory Douglas
• Martin Jethro
• Shane Nicholas

Classifications

• A01D75/00

  Accessories for harvesters or mowers · CPC title

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D41/127

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D57/04 Primary

  Arrangements for changing the position of the reels · CPC title

• A01B63/002

  Devices for adjusting or regulating the position of tools or wheels (preventing overstrain A01B61/00; wheels adjustable relatively to the frame for drawn implements A01B3/16; tools or tool holders adjustable relatively to the frame for drawn implements A01B63/24) · CPC title