Active header control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016113200-A1
Application number	US-201514857382-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combine harvester with a chassis, an implement coupled to the chassis, and a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system includes plural hydraulic cylinders coupled to the chassis and operative to cause movement of the implement, and a cylinder circuit coupled to the plural hydraulic cylinders. The cylinder circuit includes an actuable valve configured to enable hydraulic fluid flow through the plural hydraulic cylinders to enable the movement of the implement and a control system. The control system includes one or more sensors, each configured to provide a signal based on a motion of the chassis, and a controller configured to receive the signals from the one or more sensors and cause actuation of the actuable valve to cause the plural hydraulic cylinders to move the implement based on the signals to counter the motion of the chassis.

First claim

1 . An agricultural machine, comprising:
a chassis; an implement mechanically coupled to the chassis; a hydraulic system, comprising:
one or more hydraulic cylinders, each comprising a first port, a second port, and a piston and rod assembly that is bi-directionally moveable between the first and second ports based on hydraulic fluid flow, each hydraulic cylinder coupled to the chassis and operative to cause movement of the implement; and
a cylinder circuit coupled to the first and second ports of the one or more hydraulic cylinders, the cylinder circuit comprising an actuable valve that is switchably configurable to enable a change in the hydraulic fluid flow to enable the movement of the implement; and
a control system, comprising:
one or more sensors, each configured to provide a signal based on a motion of the chassis; and
a controller configured to receive the signals from the one or more sensors and cause actuation of the one or more hydraulic cylinders based on the signals to move the implement to counter the motion of the chassis.

2 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors provide information corresponding to chassis pitch, wherein the controller is configured to cause actuation of the one or more hydraulic cylinders to lower the implement when one end of the chassis pitches downward.

3 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors provide information corresponding to chassis pitch, wherein the controller is configured to cause actuation of the one or more hydraulic cylinders to raise the implement when one end of the chassis pitches upward.

4 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise accelerometers.

5 . The agricultural machine of claim 4 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a first sensor and a second sensor, respectively, connected directly or indirectly to the chassis, the first sensor proximal to a front axle and the second sensor proximal to a rear axle.

6 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors provide information corresponding to chassis roll motion, and wherein the controller is further configured to cause actuation of an actuable valve of another cylinder circuit that is coupled to one or more other hydraulic cylinders proximal to a lateral tilt frame coupled to the chassis based on the signals to raise one end of the implement relative to the other end to counter the rolling motion of the chassis.

7 . The agricultural machine of claim 6 , further comprising one or more additional sensors proximal to the one or more other hydraulic cylinders, the one or more additional sensors providing the controller relative positions of the one or more pistons of the respective other hydraulic cylinders with respect to each associated cylinder barrel or information to derive the relative positions in the respective cylinder barrels.

8 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural machine comprises a combine harvester and the implement comprises a header.

9 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or a combination of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, one or more laser devices, a radar device, or a global navigation satellite system device.

10 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional sensors proximal to the one or more hydraulic cylinders, the one or more additional sensors providing the controller relative positions of the respective pistons in each associated cylinder barrel or information to derive the relative positions of the pistons in the respective cylinder barrels.

11 . The agricultural machine of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause actuation of the one or more hydraulic cylinders based on the relative positions with respect to the associated cylinder barrels and a neutral or set position of the pistons.

12 . The agricultural machine of claim 1 , wherein the actuable valve comprises a valve actuator that receives signals from the controller, the valve actuator enabling a change in spool or poppet position in the actuable valve.

13 . A method, comprising:
controlling hydraulic fluid flow through at least one hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder comprising a first port, a second port, and a piston and rod assembly that is bi-directionally moveable between the first and second ports based on the hydraulic fluid flow, the hydraulic cylinder operatively coupled to an implement; receiving information about motion of a chassis to which the implement is coupled; and causing the hydraulic fluid flow to change through the hydraulic cylinder based on the information to cause movement of the implement, wherein the movement is countering the motion of the chassis.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the information corresponds to chassis pitch.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein based on the information corresponding to a downward pitching motion of one end of the chassis, the causing the hydraulic fluid flow change causes the implement to be lowered.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein based on the information corresponding to an upward pitching motion of one end of the chassis, the causing the hydraulic fluid flow change causes the implement to be raised.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising a lateral tilt frame coupled to one or more other hydraulic cylinders and at least one other cylinder circuit comprising an actuable valve that controls the hydraulic fluid flow through the one or more other hydraulic cylinders, wherein the information corresponds to chassis rolling motion, and wherein based on the information corresponding to the chassis rolling motion, causing hydraulic fluid flow change to cause the implement to be rolled to counter the chassis rolling motion.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the information comprises receiving the information from one or more sensors.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving information about a relative piston position with respect to a cylinder barrel of the hydraulic cylinder and causing the hydraulic fluid flow to change based on the information and a neutral or set position of the piston.

20 . A combine harvesters comprising:
a chassis; an implement coupled to the chassis; a hydraulic system, comprising:
plural hydraulic cylinders coupled to the chassis and operative to cause movement of the implement; and
a cylinder circuit coupled to the plural hydraulic cylinders and comprising an actuable valve configured to enable hydraulic fluid flow through the plural hydraulic cylinders to enable the movement of the implement; and
a control system, comprising:
one or more sensors, each configured to provide a signal based on a motion of the chassis; and
a controller configured to receive the signals from the one or more sensors and cause actuation of the actuable valve to cause the plural hydraulic cylinders to move the implement based on the signals to counter the motion of the chassis.

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Gofron Marian
• Tippery Steven R

Classifications

• A01D41/141 Primary

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01B73/00

  Means or arrangements to facilitate transportation of agricultural machines or implements, e.g. folding frames to reduce overall width (arrangements of lifting devices for soil working implements A01B63/00) · CPC title

• A01D41/145

  Header lifting devices · CPC title

• A01D41/1274 Primary

  for drives · CPC title

• A01D41/02

  Self-propelled combines · CPC title