Agricultural working machine

• US 9,334,827 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Seelke, Carsten, Ellermann, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Gimie, Mahmoud
• Application Number:
  US14/021,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20140081555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 701/102, 701/50, 701/54, 701/84, 701/36
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/02 for implements mounted on tractors
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/112 to control draught load, i.e. tractive force
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 45/00 Electrical control not provided for in groups F02D41/00 - F02D43/00

Abstract

An agricultural working system includes a self-propelled agricultural working machine equipped with an attachment in the form of a soil-management device such as a plow, a cultivator, or a harrow, a drive unit that acts as a drive train on land wheels, a control arrangement and a user interface and display unit associated with the control arrangement (5). The control arrangement ascertains the torque loads that occur during the working operation for at least one drive-train component, for example, drive shafts of the land wheels and provides at least one control function on the basis of the ascertained torque loads.

Claims

1. An agricultural working system comprising a self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a), the self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a) comprising:

at least one attachment (1b);

a drive unit (2) which acts via a drive train (3) on land wheels (4);

a control arrangement (5); and

a user interface and display unit (6) associated with the control arrangement (5);

wherein the control arrangement (5) ascertains torque loads that occur during the working operation for at least one drive-train component (3a-k) of the land wheels (4) and provides at least one control function on the basis of the ascertained torque loads,

wherein a drive configuration associated with the working machine (1a) in the working operation influences the torque loads in the drive train (3) via the drive configuration, and

wherein the associated breaking loads are stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5) for at least one drive-train component (3a-k),

wherein the control arrangement (5) compares the ascertained torque loads with the particular breaking loads and, on the basis of the comparison, determines an evaluation, optimization or both of the drive configuration in terms of the objective of a low likelihood of breakage, and

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque loads, an evaluation, optimization or both, of the drive configuration, or, outputs an operator notification regarding the evaluation, optimization or both, in terms of at least one objective, performs the ascertained optimization of the drive configuration or both.

2. The working system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the control arrangement (5) is a machine control disposed in the working machine (1a).

3. The working system according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement (5) ascertains, on the basis of the torque-induced torsional flexing of the at least one drive-train component (3a-k), the torque load related to this drive-train component (3a-k).

4. The working system according to claim 1,

wherein a design-based load collective, to which a nominal service life of the drive train (3) corresponds, is stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5),

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque load, an actual load collective for the drive train (3),

wherein the control arrangement (5) compares the actual load collective with the design-based load collective and, on the basis of the comparison, determines an evaluation, optimization or both of the drive configuration in terms of the objective of a nominal service life,

wherein the drive configuration comprises the ballasting of the drive machine (1a),

wherein the evaluation, optimization or both relate to the ballasting,

wherein the drive configuration comprises the level of the traction point between the working machine and the attachment (1b),

wherein the evaluation, optimization or both relates to the level of the traction point,

wherein the drive configuration comprises the tire pressures of the tires (4), and

wherein the evaluation and/or optimization relates to the tire pressures of the tires (4).

5. The working system according to claim 1,

wherein parameters of predetermined operating situations are stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5), and

wherein the control arrangement (5) outputs an operator notification regarding the determination of an operating situation, counteracts the operating situation by changing the drive configuration or both.

6. The working system according to claim 5, wherein the control arrangement (5) detects any of the group consisting of:

a torque load of the drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4) that is one-sided relative to the machine longitudinal axis (13) as the “

tilting situation”

operating situation, and wherein the control arrangement (5) detects a rising, cyclic torque load having a predetermined amplitude at the drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4) as the “

power hopping”

operating situation,

an occurrence of an overrun load via the ascertained torque load at the drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4) as the “

override”

operating situation,

an increasing torque load within a predetermined scope as the “

clogged situation”

operating situation of the attachment (1b), and

a combination.

7. The working system according to claim 1,

wherein in the event that at least one trailer is used in the working operation, the control arrangement (5) actuates appropriate braking of the at least one trailer if there is a change in the ascertained torque load of the drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4) from a tensile load to a thrust load, in order to prevent the train from buckling.

8. The working system according to claim 1,

wherein setpoint performance data for the drive unit (2) are stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5),

wherein an actual power output of the drive unit (2) is determined on the basis of the ascertained torque load and is compared with the setpoint performance data, and

wherein the control arrangement (5) outputs an operator notification regarding the particular deviation and/or stores the ascertained deviation.

9. The working system according to claim 1,

wherein a setpoint torque distribution to individual drive shafts (3a-k) is stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5), and

wherein the control arrangement (5) changes the drive configuration on the basis of the ascertained torque load in order to achieve the torque distribution by actuating an operating brake, a controllable transmission, or the like.

10. The working system according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement (5) changes the drive configuration during braking operation on the basis of the ascertained torque load such that neither a torque load nor a braking torque load occurs at the drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4).

11. The working system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one differential lock (3d, 3h) that is switched by the control arrangement (5), and

wherein the control arrangement (5) locks, releases or locks and releases the differential lock (3d, 3h) exclusively in a state in which the ascertained torque loads at the two sub-drive trains associated with the differential lock permit this.

12. The working system according to claim 1, wherein the control arrangement (5) provides an operating time counter function for the drive train (3), for individual drive-train components (3a-k) or both and stores, in addition to the operating time, the torque load that is ascertained.

13. The agricultural working system of claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment (1b) is a soil-management device selected from the group consisting of a plow, a cultivator and a harrow.

14. The agricultural working system of claim 1, wherein the control arrangement (5) ascertains torque loads that occur during the working operation for drive shafts (3e, f, i, j) of the land wheels (4).

15. The agricultural working system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the control arrangement (5) is embodied as telemetry-based control.

16. The working system according to claim 1, wherein the torque-induced torsional flexing is determined by using at least one rotation sensor (8a) of an antilock braking system.

17. An agricultural working system comprising a self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a), the self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a) comprising:

at least one attachment (1b);

a drive unit (2) which acts via a drive train (3) on land wheels (4);

a control arrangement (5); and

a user interface and display unit (6) associated with the control arrangement (5);

wherein the control arrangement (5) ascertains torque loads that occur during the working operation for at least one drive-train component (3a-k) of the land wheels (4) and provides at least one control function on the basis of the ascertained torque loads,

wherein a drive configuration associated with the working machine (1a) in the working operation influences the torque loads in the drive train (3) via the drive configuration,

wherein the associated breaking loads are stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5) for at least one drive-train component (3a-k),

wherein the control arrangement (5) compares the ascertained torque loads with the particular breaking loads and, on the basis of the comparison, determines an evaluation, optimization or both of the drive configuration in terms of the objective of a low likelihood of breakage, and

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque loads, an evaluation, optimization or both, of the drive configuration, or, outputs an operator notification regarding the evaluation, optimization or both, in terms of at least one objective, performs the ascertained optimization of the drive configuration or both,

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque load, an actual load collective for the drive train (3),

wherein the actual load collective is permanently stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5) at least in sections while the design-based load collective is being exceeded by the actual load collective, and

wherein, if the design-based load collective is exceeded by the actual load collective, the control arrangement (5) requires acknowledgement by the operator before permitting operation to continue.

18. A control arrangement for an agricultural working system comprising a self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a), the self-propelled agricultural working machine (1a) comprising:

at least one attachment (1b);

a drive unit (2) which acts via a drive train (3) on land wheels (4), and

a user interface and display unit (6);

wherein the control arrangement (5) ascertains the torque loads that occur during the working operation for at least one drive-train component (3a-k) of the land wheels (4) and provides at least one control function on the basis of the ascertained torque loads;

wherein a drive configuration associated with the working machine (1a) in the working operation influences the torque loads in the drive train (3) via the drive configuration;

wherein the associated breaking loads are stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5) for at least one drive-train component (3a-k),

wherein the control arrangement (5) compares the ascertained torque loads with the particular breaking loads and, on the basis of the comparison, determines an evaluation, optimization or both of the drive configuration in terms of the objective of a low likelihood of breakage, and

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque loads, an evaluation, optimization or both, of the drive configuration, or, outputs an operator notification regarding the evaluation, optimization or both, in terms of at least one objective, performs the ascertained optimization of the drive configuration or both.

19. The control arrangement according to claim 18,

wherein the control arrangement (5) determines, on the basis of the ascertained torque load, an actual load collective for the drive train (3),

wherein the actual load collective is permanently stored in a data memory (10) of the control arrangement (5) at least in sections while the design-based load collective is being exceeded by the actual load collective, and

wherein, if the design-based load collective is exceeded by the actual load collective, the control arrangement (5) requires acknowledgement by the operator before permitting operation to continue.