Agricultural vehicle with automated repositioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9769986-B2
Application number	US-201514667793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment, an agricultural vehicle may include first and second harvesting devices connected to the agricultural vehicle. The agricultural vehicle may include a sensor which detects whether the agricultural vehicle is traveling in an operational or non-operational direction. The agricultural vehicle may include a lift controller in communication with the sensor and the first and second harvesting devices. The lift controller may automatically reposition the first and second harvesting devices into non-operating positions when the lift controller determines an intention to move the agricultural vehicle in a non-operational direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural vehicle comprising:
a frame member;
a harvesting header connected to the frame member of the agricultural vehicle having forward and reverse directions;
a merger device connected to the frame member of the agricultural vehicle;
a lift controller in communication with a direction sensor, a header sensor configured to detect a position of the harvesting header, and a merger sensor configured to detect the position of the merger device, the lift controller automatically repositioning the harvesting header and the merger device into non-operating positions when the lift controller determines an intention to move the agricultural vehicle in the reverse direction, and the header sensor and merger sensor indicate the harvesting header and the merger device are in an operation condition, the lift controller delaying the repositioning of the merger device until after the harvesting header has commenced repositioning, and the lift controller repositioning the harvesting header and the merger device into their operating positions when the lift controller determines an intention to move the agricultural vehicle in the forward direction;
a direction input device which controls the direction of the agricultural vehicle, the direction sensor which detects the position of the direction input device, the lift controller determining the intention to move the agricultural vehicle in the reverse direction based upon the position of the direction input device communicated by the direction sensor; and
a device selector which pre-selects one or more of the harvesting header and merger device that the lift controller automatically repositions, the device selector selectively activating and deactivating the automatic repositioning functionality of the lift controller.

2. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the merger device is positioned under the frame member of the agricultural vehicle and between a front and a rear ground engaging apparatus.

3. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift controller delays the repositioning of the merger device for a specific length of time after the harvesting header has commenced repositioning.

4. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift controller delays the repositioning of the merger device until the harvesting header reaches a specific position relative to the agricultural vehicle.

5. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift controller completely repositions the harvesting header relative to the agricultural vehicle before commencing the repositioning of the merger device.

6. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deflector connected to the agricultural vehicle, wherein the device selector pre-selects one or more of the harvesting header, merger device, and deflector that the lift controller automatically repositions.

7. The agricultural vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device selector pre-selects the harvesting header and merger device that the lift controller automatically repositions.

8. The agricultural vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device selector pre-selects the merger device and deflector that the lift controller automatically repositions.

9. The agricultural vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device selector pre-selects the harvesting header and deflector that the lift controller automatically repositions.

10. The agricultural vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the device selector pre-selects the harvesting header, merger device, and deflector that the lift controller automatically repositions.

11. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift controller communicates with a power-take-off sensor to detect one of whether a power-take-off shaft is rotating and a rotational speed of a power-take-off shaft to indicate whether the harvesting header and merger device are in the operation condition.

12. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lift controller further communicates with a transmission sensor comprising one or more speed sensors to measure speeds of transmission shafts of the agricultural vehicle and determine the intention to move the agricultural vehicle in the reverse direction.

13. A method of repositioning a harvesting device connected to an agricultural vehicle comprising:
pre-selecting a harvesting header and a merger device for automatic repositioning;
determining whether there is an intent to move the agricultural vehicle in a reverse direction via detecting a position of a direction input device by a sensor;
determining the positions of the harvesting header and merger device, and if the harvesting header and merger device are in their respective operating positions, then automatically repositioning of the harvesting header and merger device to non-operating positions based at least in part upon the intent to move the agricultural vehicle in the reverse direction, and delaying the repositioning of the merger device until after the harvesting header commences repositioning;
determining whether there is an intent to move the agricultural vehicle in the forward direction via detecting the position of the direction input device by the sensor; and
automatically repositioning the harvesting header and merger device into their respective operating positions.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of automatically repositioning includes delaying the repositioning of the merger device for a specific length of time after the harvesting header has commenced repositioning.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of automatically repositioning includes delaying the repositioning of the merger device until the harvesting header reaches a specific position relative to the agricultural vehicle.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of automatically repositioning includes completely repositioning the harvesting header relative to the agricultural vehicle before commencing the repositioning of the merger device.

17. The method of claim 13 , where the step of pre-selecting further comprises pre-selecting a deflector for automatic repositioning.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining the positions of the harvesting header and merger devices further comprises detecting one of whether a power-take-off shaft is rotating and a rotational speed of a power-take-off shaft to indicate whether the harvesting header and merger device are in the operation condition.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining whether there is an intent to move the agricultural vehicle further comprises measuring speeds of transmission shafts of the agricultural vehicle.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Rotole David V

Classifications

• A01D41/141

  Automatic header control · CPC title

• A01D75/185 Primary

  Avoiding collisions with obstacles · CPC title

• A01D43/00 Primary

  Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing (A01D37/00, A01D39/00, A01D41/00, take precedence) · CPC title