Spreader system for an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026007096-A1
Application number	US-202519261095-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2025
Priority date	Jul 8, 2024
Publication date	Jan 8, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

The spreader system includes two spreader rotors configured to rotate about upright rotation axes and to eject residue crop material centrally between the spreader rotors in a direction tangential to the spreader rotors. A deflector configuration including a first and second curved deflector blade is arranged to deflect crops ejected respectively by the first and second rotor, into respective first and second ejection directions. The deflector blades are pivotable about upright pivot axes, to adjust the ejection directions. A sensing arrangement is configured to sense local spreading patterns in a first and second adjustable sensing direction, measure the angular positions of the deflector blades by suitable measuring devices, and adjust the first and second sensing directions so as to correspond to the first and second ejection directions of the crop residue. A control unit is configured to receive signals representative of the local spreading patterns and of the angular positions.

First claim

1 . A crop residue spreader system for use in a self-propelled agricultural harvester and for spreading crop residue in an area behind the harvester, the crop residue spreader system comprising:
a housing, first and second spreader rotors configured to rotate relative to the housing about upright rotation axes so as to eject crop residue in a central area between the spreader rotors, a deflector mechanism comprising first and second curved deflector blades arranged to deflect crop residue ejected respectively by said first and second spreader rotors, wherein the deflector blades are pivotable about respective upright pivot axes, to thereby adjust respective first and second angular positions of the first and second deflector blades, said first and second angular positions determining respective first and second ejection directions of crop residue deflected respectively by the first and second deflector blades, a radar-based transmitter/receiver arrangement for sensing a spreading pattern of said crop residue, wherein the transmitter/receiver arrangement comprises measurement devices for measuring said first and second angular positions of the first and second deflector blades, and a control unit configured to receive signals representative of said spreading pattern from the transmitter/receiver arrangement and process said signals, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive and process signals representative of said angular positions, wherein the transmitter/receiver arrangement is further configured to:
(a) sense local spreading patterns in first and second adjustable sensing directions,
(b) adjust said first and second sensing directions so as to correspond to said first and second ejection directions of the crop residue, and
(c) process signals representative of said local spreading patterns and of said angular positions in a manner enabling to obtain a spreading pattern in a deposition area when the deflector blades are pivoted back and forth cyclically.

2 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter/receiver arrangement comprises first and second radar sensors mounted in fixed positions relative respectively to said first and second deflector blades.

3 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second deflector blades are mounted upright on respective first and second pivotable supports, and wherein the first and second radar sensors are mounted on an underside of the respective first and second pivotable supports.

4 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the transmitter/receiver arrangement comprises first and second radar sensors mounted in fixed positions relative to the housing, first and second mirror plates are mounted in fixed positions relative respectively to the first and second deflector blades, and the first and second radar sensors are positioned and the first and second mirror plates are shaped and positioned in such a way that: within a given range of a pivotal position of the deflector blades, waves emitted by the first and second sensors are reflected by the respective first and second mirror plates, thereby producing first and second mirror-reflected waves, said first and second mirror-reflected waves propagate respectively into said first and second sensing directions.

5 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 4 , wherein the first and second deflector blades are mounted upright on respective first and second pivotable supports, and wherein the first and second mirror plates are mounted on the underside of the respective first and second pivotable supports.

6 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the transmitter/receiver arrangement comprises first and second beamforming radar sensors mounted in fixed positions relative to the housing, and wherein the control unit is configured to control a direction of first and second combined waves emitted respectively by the first and second beamforming radar sensors, the control unit is further configured to direct the first and second combined waves into said first and second sensing directions corresponding respectively to said first and second ejection directions.

7 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit is furthermore configured to control first and second angular ranges (a) defining said respective first and second local spreading patterns.

8 . The crop residue spreader system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control operational parameters of one or both of the spreader rotors and/or of one or both of the deflector blades as a function of said spreading pattern in said deposition area.

9 . An agricultural harvester comprising the crop residue spreader system according to claim 1 .

10 . A method for monitoring a spreading pattern of crop residue particles spread out by a crop residue spreader system, the method comprising the steps of:
pivoting first and second deflector blades back and forth cyclically to thereby spread out the particles in a deposition area, measuring an angular position of the deflector blades at sequential instances during one or more cycles of said pivoting of the deflector blades, at said sequential angular positions, sensing local spreading patterns of the crop residue particles, combining the sensed spreading patterns with the measured angular positions to obtain a spreading pattern in the deposition area.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising controlling operational parameters of spreader rotors associated with the deflector blades and/or of one or both of the deflector blades as a function of said spreading pattern in said deposition area.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising calculating a density map of spread-out residue based on the sensed spreading patterns and measured corresponding positions with GPS.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Belgium Nv

Inventors

• Deruyter Lucas
• Jongmans Dre
• Leenknegt Arno
• Missotten Bart
• Tallir Frederik
• Vandewalle Bert
• Vanlerberghe Jasper
• Verschaeve Bertl
• Van Overschelde Pieter
• Eeckeloo Stefaan
• Styns Steven

Classifications

• A01D41/1243 Primary

  Devices for laying-out or distributing the straw · CPC title

• A01D41/127 Primary

  Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines · CPC title

• A01D41/1271

  for measuring crop flow · CPC title