Tire inflation system for use with an agricultural implement

• US 7,302,837 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Wendte, Keith W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J.
• Application Number:
  US11/236,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 731/46, 731/465, 340/442, 340/443
• US Class Current: 73/146.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/002 by monitoring conditions other than tyre pressure or deformation

Abstract

A central tire inflation system for an agricultural implement that is linked to a work vehicle for movement in a field. The central tire inflation system includes a database of soil conditions corresponding to location, an implement load sensor, a location determiner, a processor, and tire inflation controller. The processor determines the proper inflation of implement tires based on factors including the soil conditions and implement load.

Claims

1. A tire inflation system for an agricultural implement or implements supported by inflatable tires and attached to a vehicle for movement, the system comprising:

at least a first sensor supported by the agricultural implement to sense at least a first implement load characteristic and to generate at least a first load signal;

a processor receiving the first load signal and generating tire inflation control signals as a function of at least the first load signal;

a tire inflation controller receiving the inflation control signal and regulating the implement tire pressure as a function of the inflation control signals wherein the control signals tend to decrease the tire pressure as the magnitude of the load signal increases; and

a soil characteristic determiner that generates soil characteristic signals as the implement is moved through a field, the soil characteristic signals indicating at least one soil condition proximate the implement, the processor generating tire inflation control signals as a function of at least the first load signal and the soil characteristic signals;

wherein the soil characteristic determiner includes at least one of a soil moisture sensor, a soil bulk density sensor, a compaction layer sensor, a soil conductivity sensor, a soil profile sensor and an inclinometer.

2. A tire inflation system for an agricultural implement or implements supported by inflatable tires and attached to a vehicle for movement, the system comprising:

at least a first sensor supported by the agricultural implement to sense at least a first implement load characteristic and to generate at least a first load signal;

a processor receiving the first load signal and generating tire inflation control signals as a function of at least the first load signal;

a tire inflation controller receiving the inflation control signal and regulating the implement tire pressure as a function of the inflation control signals wherein the control signals tend to decrease the tire pressure as the magnitude of the load signal increases; and

a soil characteristic determiner that generates soil characteristic signals as the implement is moved through a field, the soil characteristic signals indicating at least one soil condition proximate the implement, the processor generating tire inflation control signals as a function of at least the first load signal and the soil characteristic signals;

wherein the soil characteristic determiner includes a database and a location determiner, the database storing condition characteristics corresponding to a field in which the implement is to be used, the characteristics correlating at least the one condition with field locations, the location determiner for determining the location of the implement within the field during operation, the processor using the implement location and the database to identify the soil characteristics proximate the implement.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the implement includes at least one axle to which at least one of the implement tires is mounted, the sensor including at least one of a load cell on the axle, at least one load cell on an implement product bin, a bale volume sensor, a bulk fill sensor, a sprayer level sensor and down pressure sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the implement includes a ground engaging component that increases the load on the implement tires when the component engages the ground.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the implement includes at least one carrying wheel coupled to a hydraulic cylinder and the sensor is a hydraulic pressure sensor sensing the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the implement includes at least one gauge wheel coupled to a hydraulic cylinder and wherein the sensor is a hydraulic pressure sensor sensing the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the location determiner includes a GPS receive.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the vehicle is also supported by inflatable vehicle tires and wherein the system is also for regulating the vehicle tire pressure, the system further including a vehicle load determiner for identifying at least one vehicle load characteristic and generating a vehicle load signal, wherein the processor also receives a vehicle load signal and generates a vehicle tire inflation control signals as a function of the vehicle load signal.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle tire inflation control signals tend to increase the tire pressure as the magnitude of the vehicle load signal increases.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is supported by the vehicle.

11. A central tire inflation system for an agricultural implement that is linked to a work vehicle for movement through a field where the implement is supported by inflatable tires, the system for regulating implement tire pressure, the system comprising:

a predefined and pre-stored database storing soil condition characteristics corresponding to locations within a field in which the implement is to be used wherein the database indicates at least first and second different soil conditions corresponding to first and second different locations within the field;

at least a first load sensor mounted to the implement for sensing at least a first load characteristic associated with the implement and generating a first load characteristic signal;

a location determiner for determining the location of the implement in the field as the implement is moved through the field and for generating location signals;

a processor receiving the location signals and identifying soil conditions proximate the implement by accessing the database, the processor also receiving the first load characteristic signal and generating inflation control signals as a function of the soil conditions proximate the implement and the first load condition signal; and

a tire inflation controller receiving the inflation control signals and regulating the implement tire pressure as a function of the inflation control signals.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the implement includes at least one axle to which at least one of the implement tires is mounted, the sensor including at least one of a load cell on the axle, at least one load cell on an implement product bin, a bale volume sensor, a bulk fill sensor, a sprayer tank level sensor and a down pressure sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the implement includes a ground engaging component that increases the load on the implement tires when the component engages the ground and wherein the processor generates control signals that tend to increase or decrease tire pressure as the magnitude of the load signal is increased.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one soil characteristic includes at least one of a soil moisture level, a soil bulk density level, a soil compaction level, a soil conductivity level, a soil profile and a grade inclination.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the location determiner includes a GPS receiver.

16. A method for regulating pressure in tires of an implement that is attached to a vehicle for movement, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least a first implement load characteristic;

providing a predefined and pre-stored database storing soil condition characteristics corresponding to locations within a field in which the implement is to be used wherein the database indicates at least first and second different soil conditions corresponding to first and second different locations within the field;

receiving global positioning data and using the data to identify the location of the implement within a field;

using the location information and the database to determine soil condition proximate the implement; and

generating tire inflation control signals as a function of both the soil condition proximate the implement and the at least a first load characteristic, wherein the control signals tend to decrease the tire pressure as the magnitude of the load characteristic increases.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the implement includes at least one wheel coupled to a hydraulic cylinder and wherein the step of sensing at least one load characteristic includes sensing the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder.

18. A method for use with an agricultural implement that is linked to a work vehicle for movement through a field where the implement is supported by inflatable tires, the method for regulating implement tire pressure, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a predefined and pre-stored database storing soil condition characteristics corresponding to locations within a field in which the implement is to be used wherein the database indicates at least first and second different soil conditions corresponding to first and second different locations within the field;

sensing at least a first load characteristic associated with the implement and generating a first load characteristic signal;

determining the location of the implement in the field as the implement is moved through the field;

identifying soil conditions proximate the implement by accessing the database and identifying the conditions associated with the determined location;

generating inflation control signals as a function of the soil conditions proximate the implement and the first load condition signal; and

regulating the implement tire pressure as a function of the inflation control signals.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the implement includes at least one axle to which at least one of the implement tires is mounted, the sensor including at least one of a load cell on the axle, at least one load cell on an implement product bin, a bale volume sensor, a bulk fill sensor, a sprayer level sensor, down pressure sensor and a hydraulic fluid level sensor.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of determining the location includes using a GPS system to determine the location.