Towable Agricultural Implement Having Automatic Steering System

• US 20110112721A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Charles, Prickel, Marvin, Wendte, Keith, Wang, Guoping, Posselius, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,849,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/005 operated from tractor steering system
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 13/04 for individually-pivoted wheels

Abstract

A steering system for a towable implement includes a steering sensor, an implement steering controller, a steering control valve, a steering cylinder, and an implement steering mechanism that steers the implement. The steering sensor measures, directly or indirectly, the angular position of the steerable wheels of the implement. The implement steering controller processes feedback from the steering sensor and with a desired steering angle, outputs a steering control signal that is input to the steering control valve. The steering control valve controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to the steering cylinder, which, in turn, powers the implement steering mechanism to turn the wheels of the implement. The steering system may be operated in various control modes, such as, a transportation steering mode, a corner and 180 turn steering mode, a swath tracking steering mode, crab steering mode, and a manual steering mode, which allows manual control of the steering system.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement adapted to be towed by a prime mover, comprising:

an implement frame having an axle supporting a pair of wheels and a hitch point for hitching the frame to the prime mover, each wheel pivotable about a pivot axis;

a steering sensor that measures angular position of the wheels relative to their respective pivot axes, and provides a feedback signal;

a steering controller operative to receive the feedback signal, process the feedback signal with a desired steering angle, and provide a steering control signal; and

a steering device that turns the wheels according to the steering control signal.

2. The implement of claim 1 wherein the steering device includes a hydraulically controlled steering cylinder operative to receive hydraulic fluid and a steering control valve operative to control hydraulic fluid flow to the steering cylinder according to the steering control signal.

3. The implement of claim 2 wherein the steering cylinder includes a rod that is displaced as a function of pressure across the steering cylinder, and wherein the steering sensor includes a cylinder steering sensor associated with the steering cylinder to measure displacement of the rod.

4. The implement of claim 1 wherein the implement frame includes a steering wheel axle to which the pair of steering wheels are mounted, and wherein the steering sensor includes a rotary steering sensor mounted to measure the angular position of the wheels.

5. The implement of claim 1 further comprising a towing angle sensor mounted to the frame approximate the hitch point and operative to provide a field position feedback signal.

6. The implement of claim 5 wherein the towing angle sensor is a sensor operative to measure angular displacement.

7. The implement of claim 6 wherein the towing angle sensor is one of rotary position sensor, a linear sensor and an inertial sensor.

8. The implement of claim 1 further comprising a GPS receiver mounted to the frame and operative to provide a field position feedback signal.

9. The implement of claim 1 wherein the steering controller is configured to cause movement of the implement frame in one of a plurality of operating modes, wherein the plurality of operating modes include:

a transportation steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to follow the prime mover;

a cornering steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels in a cornering maneuver at a predefined field position;

a swath tracking steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to track predetermined swaths in a farm field; and

a crab steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device based on steering command signals received from a steering controller of the prime mover.

10. The implement of claim 1 further comprising an operator input control for providing manual control signals to the steering controller.

11. An agricultural implement configured to be towed by a prime mover, comprising:

a steerable implement frame having an axle supporting a pair of steerable wheels;

a steering device operative to steer the steerable wheels; and

a steering controller operative to provide control signals to the steering device to steer the steerable wheels selectively according to one of a plurality of operating modes, wherein the operating modes include;

a transportation steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to follow the prime mover;

a cornering steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels in a cornering maneuver at a predefined field position;

a swath tracking steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to track predetermined swaths in a field; and

a crab steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device based on steering command signals received from a steering controller of the prime mover.

12. The implement of claim 11 further comprising a steering sensor that measures angular position of the wheels relative to their respective pivot axes, and provides a feedback signal to the steering controller and wherein the steering controller receives the feedback signal, process the feedback signal with a desired steering angle, and provides a steering control signal to the steering device.

13. The implement of claim 12 wherein the steering device includes a hydraulically controlled steering cylinder operative to receive hydraulic fluid and a steering control valve operative to control hydraulic fluid flow to the steering cylinder according to the steering control signal.

14. The implement of claim 13 wherein the steering cylinder includes a rod that is displaced as a function of pressure across the steering cylinder, and wherein the steering sensor includes a cylinder steering sensor associated with the steering cylinder to measure displacement of the rod.

15. The implement of claim 12 wherein the implement frame includes a steering wheel axle to which the pair of steering wheels are mounted, and wherein the steering sensor includes a rotary steering sensor mounted to measure the angular position of the wheels.

16. The implement of claim 12 further comprising a towing angle sensor mounted to the frame and operative to provide a field position feedback signal.

17. The implement of claim 16 wherein the towing angle sensor is one of rotary position sensor and an inertial sensor.

18. The implement of claim 12 further comprising a GPS receiver mounted to the frame and operative to provide a field position feedback signal.

19. An agricultural implement configured to be towed by a prime mover, comprising:

an implement frame supported above a field surface by a set of wheels;

a steering device operative to auto-steer the wheels;

a towing angle sensor that measures angular displacement between the implement frame and the prime mover and provides a towing angle feedback signal;

a steering sensor that measures angular position of the set of wheels and provides a wheel angle feedback signal; and

a steering controller that receives the towing angle feedback signal and the wheel angle feedback signal, and provides a steering control signal to the steering device to control auto-steering of the set of wheels based on one of a plurality of steering control modes.

20. The agricultural implement of claim 19 wherein the plurality of steering control modes includes:

a transportation steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to follow the prime mover;

a cornering steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels in a cornering maneuver at a predefined field position;

a swath tracking steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device to cause the steering device to turn the wheels so as to track predetermined swaths in a field; and

a crab steering mode wherein the steering controller provides control signals to the steering device based on steering command signals received from a steering controller of the prime mover.