Plough

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11602094-B2
Application number	US-202016849359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

A plough comprising: a plough body; an actuator mechanism that is configured to adjust a pitch angle of the plough body; and a controller. The controller is configured to: determine an actuator-control-signal for setting the pitch angle of the plough body based on control-data; and provide the actuator-control-signal to the actuator mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plough comprising:
a beam;
a plough body;
an actuator mechanism that is configured to adjust a pitch angle of the plough body relative to the beam; and
a controller that is configured to:
determine an actuator-control-signal for setting the pitch angle of the plough body based on control-data; and
provide the actuator-control-signal to the actuator mechanism.

2. The plough of claim 1 , wherein the plough body is rotatable about an axis that is transverse to the direction of travel of the plough.

3. The plough of claim 1 , wherein the control-data comprises vertical-force-data, which is representative of an upwards or downwards force experienced by the plough body as it is working in a field.

4. The plough of claim 3 , further comprising a force-sensor associated with the plough body, wherein the force-sensor is configured to provide the vertical-force-data.

5. The plough of claim 3 , further comprising a ground-engaging-wheel-sensor associated with a ground-engaging wheel of the plough, wherein the ground-engaging-wheel-sensor is configured to provide the vertical-force-data.

6. The plough of claim 3 , further comprising:
a hitch for coupling the plough to an agricultural vehicle; and
a hitch-sensor associated with the hitch, wherein the hitch-sensor is configured to provide the vertical-force-data.

7. The plough of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to:
receive sensor-signals from more than one of a force-sensor, a ground-engaging-wheel-sensor, and a hitch-sensor; and
combine those signals in order to determine the vertical-force-data.

8. The plough of claim 1 , wherein the control-data comprises depth-control-data that is representative of an instruction to change the depth of the plough body relative to a ground surface on which the plough is operating.

9. The plough of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the actuator-control-signal based on the depth-control-data in order to:
increase the pitch angle of the plough body if the depth-control-data represents an instruction to increase the depth of the plough body relative to a ground surface; and
decrease the pitch angle of the plough body if the depth-control-data represents an instruction to decrease the depth of the plough body relative to a ground surface.

10. The plough of claim 1 , wherein the control-data comprises field-location-data that represents one or more properties of a field in which the plough is operating.

11. The plough of claim 10 , wherein the field-location-data comprises one or more of:
(i) field-boundary-location-data that defines the boundaries of the field that is to be ploughed,
(ii) headland-boundary-location-data that defines the location of one or more headlands in the field that is to be ploughed, and
(iii) obstacle-location-data that defines the locations of obstacles in the field.

12. The plough of claim 1 , wherein:
the actuator-control-signal is configured to set the pitch angle of the plough body such that an upwards or downwards force experienced by the plough body is higher than a lower-force-threshold and/or lower than an upper-force threshold;
the upper-force-threshold represents a maximum downwards force on the plough body, and/or
the lower-force threshold represents a minimum downwards force on the plough body or a maximum upwards force on the plough body.

13. The plough of claim 1 , further comprising:
a frame;

wherein:
the plough body is connected to the frame by the beam;
the plough body is rotatably connected to the beam; and
the actuator mechanism is configured to adjust the pitch angle of the plough body by rotating it relative to the beam.

14. A computer-implemented method of operating a plough, the plough comprising:
a beam;
a plough body;
a computer configured to execute the computer-implemented method;
an actuator mechanism that is configured to adjust a pitch angle of the plough body relative to the beam;

wherein the method, when executed, comprises:
determining an actuator-control-signal for setting the pitch angle of the plough body based on control-data; and
providing the actuator-control-signal to the actuator mechanism.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Hertzog Daniel
• Linderson Bengt Per-Inge
• Wallin Per Dennis
• Nilsson Carl Ola Fredrik
• Svensson Robert
• Nåhdin Rickard Karl Gustav

Classifications

• A01B63/112 Primary

  to control draught load, i.e. tractive force · CPC title

• A01B79/005 Primary

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• A01B3/462 Primary

  Alternating ploughs with frame rotating about a vertical axis · CPC title

• A01B3/34

  with parallel plough units used alternately · CPC title

• A01B61/048

  the connection or the energy accumulator being active in two opposite directions, e.g. for reversible plows · CPC title