Return Pan Control in a Combine Harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024292788-A1
Application number	US-202418593220-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 1, 2024
Priority date	Mar 2, 2023
Publication date	Sep 5, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A combine harvester comprises a threshing system and a cleaning system. The cleaning system comprises a crop flow sensing system configured to monitor a lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system. The threshing system comprises a return pan configured to guide the threshed and separated grain in a forward direction towards the cleaning system. The combine harvester further comprises a hillside compensation system, configured to control the cleaning system in order to adjust the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system. The hillside compensation system is further configured to control the return pan separately from the cleaning system and depending on the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system.

First claim

1 . A combine harvester comprising
a threshing system for threshing and separating grain from a harvested grain crop; a cleaning system configured to receive the threshed and separated grain from the threshing system, and to remove chaff from the received grain, the cleaning system comprising a crop flow sensing system configured to monitor a lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system; and a hillside compensation system configured to control the cleaning system in order to adjust the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system, wherein the threshing system comprises a return pan configured to guide the threshed and separated grain in a forward direction towards the cleaning system, and wherein the hillside compensation system is configured to control the return pan separately from the cleaning system and depending on the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system.

2 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the threshing system comprises a return pan side-shake module configured to reciprocatingly move the return pan in an at least partially lateral direction, and wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to control the return pan side-shake module separately from the cleaning system and depending on the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system.

3 . The combine harvester of claim 2 , wherein the cleaning system further comprises at least one cleaning sieve, and a cleaning sieve side-shake module configured to reciprocatingly move the cleaning sieve in an at least partially lateral direction, and wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to separately control the cleaning sieve side-shake module and the return pan side-shake module.

4 . The combine harvester of claim 3 , wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to adjust a side shake frequency of the return pan side-shake module independently of a side shake frequency of the cleaning sieve side-shake module.

5 . The combine harvester of claim 3 , wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to adjust a side shake amplitude of the return pan side-shake module independently of a side shake amplitude of the cleaning sieve side-shake module.

6 . The combine harvester of claim 3 , wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to adjust a side shake phase angle of the cleaning sieve side-shake module relative to a side shake phase angle of the return pan side-shake module.

7 . The combine harvester of claim 3 , wherein the crop flow sensing system comprises at least two pressure sensors for monitoring a pressure difference between at least two different lateral positions under the cleaning sieve.

8 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the threshing system further comprises at least one adjustable vane, provided on an upper surface of the return pan, and wherein the hillside compensation system is further configured to adjust an orientation of the adjustable vane for controlling a flow direction of the threshed and separated grain that is guided towards the cleaning system.

9 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning system further comprises a preparation pan, and wherein the crop flow sensing system is further configured to monitor a crop layer thickness in at least two different lateral positions on the preparation pan.

10 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the crop flow sensing system comprises at least two grain loss sensors, installed in at least two different lateral positions behind the cleaning system.

11 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the hillside compensation system comprises a levelling system for adjusting an orientation of the cleaning system relative to the threshing system.

12 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein the cleaning system is pivotable about a pivot axis that lies within a vertical plane that is substantially parallel to a driving direction of the combine harvester and wherein the levelling system is configured to pivot the cleaning system about the pivot axis.

13 . A method of adjusting a lateral distribution of threshed and separated grain on a return pan of a threshing system of a combine harvester, the method comprising
receiving, from a crop flow sensing system of a cleaning system of the combine harvester, a distribution signal representative of a lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system, controlling the cleaning system in order to adjust the lateral distribution of crop on the cleaning system, and based on the distribution signal, controlling an operation of a return pan of the threshing system separately from the cleaning system.

14 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to execute the method of claim 13 .

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Belgium Nv

Inventors

• Missotten Bart M A
• Jongmans Dré W J
• Reubens Sam
• Van Overschelde Pieter
• Verschaeve Bertl
• Tallir Frederik

Classifications

• A01F12/446

  Sieving means · CPC title

• A01D41/1273

  for measuring grain loss · CPC title

• A01D41/1271

  for measuring crop flow · CPC title

• A01F12/184 Primary

  Cleaning means · CPC title

• A01F12/448 Primary

  Sieve adjusting means · CPC title