Combine harvester and driver assistance system therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11638398-B2
Application number	US-202017015304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2020
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

A driver assistance system for a combine harvester that has a processing stage with an input for a crop flow, a first output for a useful flow and has abundant threshed grains, and a second output for a residual flow with scarce grains. At least one operating parameter of the processing stage is adjustable. The driver assistance system has an actuatable rethreshing device arranged at the second output of the processing stage, a residual grain sensor for detecting a proportion of threshed out grain in the residual flow downstream of the rethreshing device, and an evaluating device that turns the rethreshing device on and off, compares the proportions of threshed out grains in the residual flow when the rethreshing device is turned on and when the rethreshing device is turned off, and to adapt the at least one operating parameter of the processing stage based on the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driver assistance system for a combine harvester that has a processing stage with an input for a crop flow, a first output for a useful flow which is obtained from the crop flow and has abundant threshed grains, and a second output for a residual flow with scarce grains, wherein at least one operating parameter of the processing stage is adjustable, wherein the driver assistance system comprises:
an actuatable rethreshing device configured to be arranged at the second output of the processing stage, wherein the rethreshing device comprises a separating rotor, and a separating grate having a plurality of fixed segments and at least one movable segment, the at least one movable segment being equipped with friction strips and arranged opposite to a threshing bar situated at the separating rotor, wherein the at least one movable segment is movable between an active position configured for threshing grain, and an inactive position,
a residual grain sensor configured for detecting a proportion of threshed out grain in the residual flow downstream of the rethreshing device, and
an evaluating device which is adapted to turn the rethreshing device on and off by moving the at least one movable segment between the active position and the inactive position, to compare the proportions of threshed out grains in the residual flow when the rethreshing device is turned on and when the rethreshing device is turned off, and to adapt the at least one operating parameter of the processing stage based on the comparison.

2. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluating device is adapted to change the at least one operating parameter when the difference in proportions of threshed grains in the residual flow when the actuatable rethreshing device is turned on compared to when the actuatable rethreshing device is turned off exceeds a threshold.

3. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one movable segment is radially adjustable.

4. The driver assistance system according to claim 3 , wherein the radially adjustable segment is adjustable by swiveling around an axis.

5. The driver assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the axis extends adjacent to an edge of the adjustable segment.

6. The driver assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the adjustable segment extends in a circumferential direction of the separating rotor over a portion of a circumference thereof, and wherein the axis extends adjacent to a front edge of the adjustable segment in relation to a rotating direction of the separating rotor.

7. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing stage comprises a threshing stage and a separating stage, and wherein the at least one operating parameter is an operating parameter of the threshing stage or of the separating stage.

8. The driver assistance system according to claim 7 , wherein an input of the separating stage and the second output are located at opposite ends of the separating stage.

9. The driver assistance system according to claim 8 , wherein, with reference to a conveying direction of the crop from the input of the separating stage to the second output, the separating stage has an upstream portion in which the first output is located and a downstream portion in which the rethreshing device is located.

10. The driver assistance system according to claim 8 , wherein the first output is elongated with reference to a conveying direction of the crop from the input of the separating stage to the second output, and wherein a portion of the separating stage in which the actuatable rethreshing device is located overlaps in the conveying direction with a downstream end of the first output.

11. The driver assistance system according to claim 6 , wherein the separating rotor is outfitted with a first type of tool in an upstream portion with reference to the conveying direction and with a second type of tool in a downstream portion with reference to the conveying direction, wherein the second type of tool is absent in the upstream portion.

12. The driver assistance system according to claim 11 , wherein the tools of the second type overlap with the actuatable rethreshing device in the conveying direction.

13. A combine harvester having the driver assistance system according to claim 1 .

14. The driver assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein in the active position of the at least movable segment, a gap between a rear edge of the at least one movable segment and the threshing bar is smaller than a gap between a rear edge of the fixed segments and the threshing bar, as the threshing bar moves past the fixed and movable segments.

Assignees

• Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh

Inventors

• Bussmann Jens

Classifications

• A01F2012/188

  Rethreshing devices · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• Y02P60/14

  Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses · CPC title

• A01F12/18

  Threshing devices · CPC title

• A01F12/52

  Arrangements for returning unthreshed grain to the threshing device · CPC title