System and method for sensing harvested crop levels within an agricultural harvester

An agricultural harvester, comprising:

• a harvesting implement;
• a threshing and separating assembly configured to thresh and separate the harvested crop provided by the harvesting implement;
• a crop tank extending vertically between a top end and a bottom end, the crop tank being configured to receive the harvested crop from the threshing and separating assembly;
• a sensor configured to emit a sensor beam into the crop tank for reflection off of a top surface of the harvested crop, a current crop level being defined by the top surface of the harvested crop within the crop tank;
• and
• a reflection panel positioned within the crop tank, the reflection panel defining a convex shape, the reflection panel being configured to diffuse the sensor beam as the sensor beam reflects off of the reflection panel, wherein the reflection panel is positioned at a minimum detectable crop level within the crop tank, the reflection panel being further configured to reflect the sensor beam when the current crop level is vertically below a minimum detectable crop level, the minimum detectable crop level being defined by a minimum crop level within the crop tank at which the top surface of the harvested crop is contacted by the sensor beam, wherein the reflection panel is positioned above a bottom surface of the crop tank and not in direct contact with the bottom surface of the crop tank.

A method for sensing a current crop level within a crop tank of an agricultural harvester, the method comprising:

• emitting, with a sensor, at least one sensor beam within the crop tank for reflection off of a top surface of harvested crop contained within the crop tank, a current crop level within the crop tank being defined by the top surface of the harvested crop;
• receiving, with the sensor, a first reflected sensor beam corresponding to the at least one sensor beam as reflected off of the top surface of harvested crop when the current crop level in the crop tank is vertically above a minimum detectable crop level for the crop tank, the minimum detectable crop level being defined by a minimum crop level within the crop tank at which the top surface of the harvested crop is contacted by the sensor beam;
• and
• receiving, with the sensor, a second reflected sensor beam corresponding to the at least one sensor beam as reflected off of a reflection panel positioned at the minimum detectable crop level within the crop tank when the current crop level is vertically below the minimum detectable crop level, the reflection panel being convex such that the reflection panel diffuses the at least one sensor beam as it reflects off of the reflection panel.