# US 10,945,368 B2 · Combine harvester and grain yield management system for combine harvester > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,368 B2 - Document ID: US10945368B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/776,370 - Filed: 2016-12-20 - Published: 2019-06-20 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-25 - Assignees: Kubota Corporation - Applicants: Kubota Corporation - Inventors: Mao Ueda; Kazuhiro Takahara; Yoshimasa Ando - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945368B2 ## CPC - A01D 41/1272: {for measuring grain flow} - A01D 41/1208: {Tanks for grain or chaff (for threshing machines A01F12/60)} - A01D 41/127: Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines - A01F 12/46: Mechanical grain conveyors - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - A01F: PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE (devices for topping or skinning onions or flower bulbs A23N15/08) ## Abstract A combine harvester includes: a grain conveyance mechanism for conveying grains from a threshing apparatus to a grain tank; a grain discharge apparatus provided in an end area of the grain conveyance mechanism, the grain discharge apparatus having a discharge case provided with a grain discharge opening, and a discharge rotor rotatably arranged in the discharge case; a pressed portion that is subjected to a pressing force applied by grains immediately before the grains are discharged by the discharge rotor; a load detector for detecting the pressing force exerted on the pressed portion; and a yield evaluator for evaluating the amount of conveyed grain based on a detection signal from the load detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A combine harvester comprising: a threshing apparatus; a grain tank for accumulating grains threshed by the threshing apparatus; a grain conveyance mechanism for conveying grains from the threshing apparatus to the grain tank; a pressed portion that is subjected to a pressing force applied by grains in a conveyance path in the grain conveyance mechanism; a load detector for detecting the pressing force exerted on the pressed portion; a yield evaluator for evaluating an amount of conveyed grain based on a detection signal from the load detector, a grain discharge apparatus provided in an end area of the grain conveyance mechanism, the grain discharge apparatus having a discharge case provided with a grain discharge opening, and a discharge rotor rotatably arranged in the discharge case, wherein the pressed portion is subjected to a pressing force applied by grains before the grains are discharged by the discharge rotor, and wherein the yield evaluator evaluates the amount of conveyed grain per rotation cycle of the discharge rotor, based on the detection signal from the load detector in the rotation cycle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the pressed portion is subjected to a pressing force applied by grains before the grains are discharged by the discharge rotor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein a plate-shaped member that serves as the pressed portion is attached to the discharge case at a position forward of the grain discharge opening in a direction in which grains are conveyed, and wherein the pressing force applied by grains passing between the discharge rotor and the pressed portion is exerted on the pressed portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein the plate-shaped member is formed as a pressure sensitive plate extending in a rotational direction of the discharge rotor, and the load detector is a load cell provided in the pressure sensitive plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein the plate-shaped member spans one end portion and another end portion of the grain discharge opening in a rotation axis direction of the discharge rotor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The combine harvester according to claim 2, wherein the discharge case is a cylindrical body having a cylindrical portion with a center that is a rotation axis of the discharge rotor, the cylindrical body extending along the rotation axis, the grain discharge opening is provided in a portion of an inner circumferential face of the cylindrical body, and the pressed portion is provided in a circumferential face portion of the inner circumferential face, the circumferential face portion being located forward of the grain discharge opening in a rotational direction of the discharge rotor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the yield evaluator evaluates the amount of conveyed grain per unit of travel distance by integrating a largest value of the detection signal from the load detector obtained every rotation cycle, during a period of time it takes for the combine harvester to travel the unit of travel distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the discharge rotor is a rotary blade constituted by a rotary shaft and a blade provided on the rotary shaft, and the rotary blade has a grain pushing face for pushing out grains in a rotational direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The combine harvester according to claim 8, further comprising: a rotation angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of the rotary blade, wherein the rotation angle sensor is a sensor that detects a specific point in a circumferential direction of the rotary blade, and the yield evaluator calculates a rotation cycle of the discharge rotor based on the specific point in the circumferential direction, and regards a period, in which a largest value of the detection signal from the load detector is generated in the rotation cycle of the discharge rotor, as a periode valuated by the yield evaluator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The combine harvester according to claim 9, wherein, at a time point near a middle point in a period from when a pulse signal that is based on the detection signal from the rotation angle sensor is generated until the next pulse signal is generated, the blade passes the pressed portion, and the detection signal from the load detector takes its largest value.