Systems and methods for monitoring the installation status of a shank attachment member of an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944028-B2
Application number	US-201916540315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2019
Priority date	Aug 14, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A system for monitoring an installation status of shank attachment members of agricultural implements may include a shank assembly. The shank assembly may have a shank and at least one mounting element configured to couple the shank to a portion of an agricultural implement. The system may further include a shank attachment member coupled to the shank and a signal transmission device provided in operative association with the shank attachment member. The system may further include an antenna provided in operative association with the shank assembly, where the antenna is configured to receive wireless signals transmitted by the signal transmission device. Additionally, the system may include a controller communicatively coupled to the antenna and configured to determine an installation status of the shank attachment member based at least in part on the wireless signals received by the antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring an installation status of shank attachment members of agricultural implements, the system comprising:
a shank assembly comprising:
a shank extending between a proximal end and a distal end, the shank having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion including the proximal end, the lower portion including the distal end; and
at least one mounting element configured to couple the proximal end of the shank to a frame of an agricultural implement;

a shank attachment member coupled to the distal end of the shank;
a biasing member configured to bias the shank assembly relative to the frame toward a working position such that the shank attachment member and the lower portion of the shank are positioned at least partially below a ground surface of a field and the upper portion of the shank is disposed above the ground surface when the shank assembly is in the working position;
a signal transmission device supported by the shank attachment member, the signal transmission device configured to transmit wireless signals;
an antenna configured to receive the wireless signals transmitted from the signal transmission device, the antenna being positioned on the upper portion of the shank such that the antenna is above the ground surface of the field when the shank assembly is in the working position; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the antenna, the controller configured to determine an installation status of the shank attachment member based at least in part on the wireless signals received by the antenna from the signal transmission device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the shank attachment member is detached from the shank based on a lack of wireless signals received by the antenna.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust an operation of an agricultural implement based at least in part on the installation status of the shank attachment member.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal transmission device comprises an RFID tag.

5. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of shank assemblies coupled to the frame, each shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies comprising:
a shank extending between a proximal end and a distal end, the shank having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion including the proximal end, the lower portion including the distal end; and
at least one mounting element configured to couple the proximal end of the shank to a portion of the frame such that a respective shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies is pivotal relative to the frame independently of others of the plurality of shank assemblies toward and away from a working position;

a plurality of shank attachment members, each shank attachment member of the plurality of shank attachment members being coupled to the distal end of the shank of a respective shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies, a respective shank attachment member of the plurality of shank attachment members and the lower portion of the shank of the respective shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies being positioned at least partially below a ground surface of a field and the upper portion of the shank of the respective shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies being positioned above the ground surface when the respective shank assembly is in the working position;
a signal transmission device supported by at least one shank attachment member of the plurality of shank attachment members, the signal transmission device configured to transmit wireless signals;
an antenna configured to receive the wireless signals transmitted from the signal transmission device, the antenna being positioned on the at least one mounting element or on the upper portion of the shank of the respective shank assembly to which the at least one shank attachment member is coupled such that the antenna is above the surface of the field when the respective shank assembly of the plurality of shank assemblies is in the working position; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the antenna, the controller configured to determine an installation status of the at least one shank attachment member based at least in part on the wireless signals received by the antenna from the signal transmission device.

6. The implement of claim 5 , wherein the signal transmission device comprises an RFID tag.

7. The implement of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of shank attachment members comprises tillage points.

8. A method for monitoring an installation status of shank attachment members of an agricultural implement, the agricultural implement comprising a shank assembly having a shank extending between a proximal end and a distal end, the shank having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion including the proximal end, the lower portion including the distal end, the shank assembly further having at least one mounting element configured to couple the proximal end of the shank to a frame of the agricultural implement, the agricultural implement further comprising a shank attachment member coupled to the distal end of the shank, and the agricultural implement additionally comprising a biasing member configured to bias the shank relative to the frame toward a working position such that the shank attachment member and the lower portion of the shank are positioned at least partially below a ground surface of a field and the upper portion of the shank is positioned above the ground surface when the shank is in the working position, the method comprising:
receiving, with a computing device, wireless signals from a signal transmission device supported by the shank attachment member via an antenna positioned on the upper portion of the shank or on the at least one mounting element such that the antenna is above the ground surface of the field when the shank is in the working position;
identifying, with the computing device, an installation status of the shank attachment member based at least in part on the received wireless signals; and
initiating, with the computing device, a control action when it is identified that the shank attachment member is detached from the shank.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control action comprises controlling an operation of the agricultural implement to adjust an operating parameter of the agricultural implement when it is identified that the shank attachment member is detached from the shank.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural implement when it is identified that the shank attachment member is detached from the shank.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural implement of a location within the field at which it was determined that the shank attachment member became detached from the shank.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein receiving the wireless signals from the signal transmission device comprises receiving radio signals from an RFID tag.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Glovier Scott

Classifications

• A01B35/225 Primary

  the tools being adapted to allow the chisel point to be easily fitted or removed from the shank · CPC title

• A01B76/00 Primary

  Parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, not provided for in groups A01B51/00 - A01B75/00 · CPC title

• A01B15/04

  Shares · CPC title

• A01B23/02

  Teeth; Fixing the teeth · CPC title

• A01B15/06

  Interchangeable or adjustable shares · CPC title