Combination of a towing vehicle and a harvesting machine drawn thereby that operate in a harvesting configuration or a field-end configuration depending upon a situation in which harvesting machine is in

• US 9,468,147 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Usines Claas France S.A.S. (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Usines Claas France S.A.S. (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Chesnier, Frederic, Waechter, Julien
• Primary Examiner(s): Fbin-Kovcs, rpd
• Application Number:
  US14/691,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20150305241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/2, 701/532, 701/93, 56/102.R, 460/1, 100/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/00 Driving mechanisms or parts thereof for harvesters or mowers driving mechanisms for the cutters of mowers or harvesters A01D34/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/08 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A combination of a towing vehicle, such as a tractor, and an agricultural harvesting machine drawn thereby, such as a baler or a self-loading forage wagon, operates to detect whether the harvesting machine is in a harvesting situation (S₁) or in a field-end situation (S₂) by use of a control device. The control device is operated to specify at least one parameter setting for at least one functional device, by which the combination is operated in a harvesting configuration (K₁) or in a field-end configuration (K₂), depending on the situation (S₁, S₂) that is detected.

Claims

1. A combination of a towing vehicle and an agricultural harvesting machine, comprising:

at least one functional device;

means for detecting whether the harvesting machine is in a harvesting situation (S₁) or in a field-end situation (S₂),

wherein the means for detecting includes;

a control device, which is connected to each said at least one functional device, and a sensor assembly;

wherein the control device is configured to specify at least one parameter setting for each said at least one functional device, to control each said at least one functional device and, therefore, the combination in a harvesting configuration (K₁) or in a field-end configuration (K₂), depending on the harvesting situation (S₁) that is detected, the field-end situation (S₂) that is detected or both; and

wherein the sensor assembly is configured to detect at least one of a state (z₁) defined by a steering angle of the towing vehicle, a state (z₂) defined by a position of the harvesting machine, the towing vehicle or both or a state (z₃) defined as a pick-up state of crop into the harvesting machine;

wherein on the basis of the at least one of the states (z₁, z₂, z₃), the control device determines whether the harvesting machine is in the harvesting situation (S₁) or in the field-end situation (S₂).

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the detection as to whether the harvesting machine is in a harvesting situation (S₁) or in a field-end situation (S₂) is carried out depending on one or more operating criteria of the combination.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device detects the applicable situation (S₁, S₂) only if a corresponding state exists for a predefinable minimum period of time.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein a load sensor is assigned to a crop conveying or processing assembly of the harvesting machine to detect the pick-up state (z₃) of crop into the harvesting machine.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the harvesting machine or the towing vehicle comprises a crop detector by which a presence of crop directly in front of the harvesting machine or the tractor or both is detected in order to derive information on an expected pick-up state (z₃) of crop into the harvesting machine.

6. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device carries out an adjustment of one of the following variables:

a ground speed (v) of the combination, a steering angle (z₁) of the towing vehicle, a transmission ratio of the ground drive of the towing vehicle, a speed of the P.T.O. output shaft of the towing vehicle, a transmission ratio of P.T.O. output shaft, a vertical position of the pick-up device, and a drive state of the pick-up device, rotor, feed rake or baling ram of the harvesting machine.

7. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device specifies a ground speed (v₁, v₂) for the combination during the operation in the harvesting configuration (K₁) and during the operation in the field-end configuration (K₂).

8. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device automatically initiates one or more measures upon detection of the field-end situation (S₂) selected from the group consisting of:

specifying the ground speed (v₂), raising the pick-up device, reducing the speed of the P.T.O. output shaft, stopping the drive of the crop conveying or processing assembly and unlocking the steering axle of the harvesting machine in order to bring the combination into the field-end configuration (K₂).

9. The combination according to claim 1, wherein during operation in the field-end configuration (K₂), the control device specifies a ground speed (v₂) for the combination that corresponds to a value that can be defined by an operator or determined by the control device on the basis of characteristics of a headland in each case.

10. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device automatically initiates one or more measures upon detection of the harvesting situation (S₁), the measures including:

specifying the ground speed (v₁), lowering the pick-up device, increasing the speed of the P.T.O. output shaft, starting the drive of the crop conveying or processing assembly and locking the steering axle of the harvesting machine, in order to bring the combination into the harvesting configuration (K₁).

11. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the control device specifies a ground speed (v₁) for the combination during operation in the harvesting configuration (K₁), which depends on continuously detected operating parameters of the harvesting machine and the towing vehicle.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the ground speed (v₁) is selected such that the combination achieves at least one harvesting objective that is specified by the machine operator while ensuring safe operation.

13. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the operating parameters of the harvesting machine are based on at least one variable that characterizes the mechanical load of one or more working assemblies including speed, torque or working pressure, at least one a variable related to the harvesting process including a moisture content of the crop, a crop volume, a bale density, a packet size and a throughput, or both.

14. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the load of the drive engine of the towing vehicle, the current transmission ratio of the ground drive of the towing vehicle or both are taken into account as the operating parameter of the towing vehicle.

15. The combination according to any one of the claim 11, wherein the towing vehicle is a tractor and wherein the agricultural harvesting machine drawn thereby is a baler or a self-loading forage wagon.