# US 11,109,529 B2 · Height control system for a front harvesting attachment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,109,529 B2 - Document ID: US11109529B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/353,052 - Filed: 2019-03-14 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-03 - Assignees: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH - Applicants: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH - Inventors: Christian Fuechtling; Andreas Wielenberg; Udo Beschorn; Thomas Hinz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11109529B2 ## CPC - A01D 34/283: {Adjustment of the cutter bar in a vertical plane, i.e. to adjust the angle between the cutter bar and the soil} - A01D 34/04: with cutters at the front - A01D 34/14: Knife-bars - A01D 41/141: {Automatic header control} - A01D 34/246: {Hydraulic lifting devices} - A01D 41/14: Mowing tables - A01D 41/145: {Header lifting devices} - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING ## Abstract A height control system for a front harvesting attachment, comprising a frame, at least one crop pick-up device, and a ground-conforming cutterbar which is situated on a plurality of supporting arms that can pivot about a horizontal axis and are articulated on the frame. The supporting arms can be pivoted, originating from a desired position to be set before the start of a harvesting operation, between an upper end position, which delimits a deflection of the supporting arms in the direction of the crop pick-up device, and a lower end position, wherein the upper end position has a first clearance and the lower end position has a second clearance from the desired position, wherein the desired position can be adapted, during the harvesting operation, to changing harvesting conditions and/or operating conditions depending on a deflection of the cutterbar, in order to minimize the first clearance and maximize the second clearance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A height control system for a front harvesting attachment, comprising: a frame, at least one crop pick-up device arranged on the frame, and a ground-conforming cutterbar which is situated on a plurality of supporting arms that can pivot about at least one horizontal axis and are articulated on the frame, wherein the supporting arms are connected to an actuator system that is designed to pivot the supporting arms, originating from a desired position (SP) to be set before a start of a harvesting operation, between an upper end position, which delimits a deflection of the supporting arms in a direction of the crop pick-up device, and a lower end position, wherein the upper end position has a first clearance and the lower end position has a second clearance from the desired position, wherein the height control system has a control device that is configured for adapting the desired position (SP), during the harvesting operation, to changing harvesting conditions and/or operating conditions depending on a deflection of the cutterbar, in order to minimize the first clearance and maximize the second clearance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The height control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adaptation of the desired position (SP) takes place cyclically during the harvesting operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The height control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first clearance between the desired position (SP) and the upper end position is selected to be greater, the greater the deflection of the cutterbar is as a result of ground unevenness. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The height control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first clearance and of the second clearance with respect to one another relative to the desired position (SP) to be set before the start of a harvesting operation is approximately 1:1 to approximately 1:1.5. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The height control system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first clearance is approximately 90 mm to 115 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The height control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein system is configured to reduce the first clearance to approximately 40 mm during the harvesting operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The height control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor system situated on the front harvesting attachment, the sensor system being configured to detect the deflection of the cutterbar during the harvesting operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The height control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor system is designed as at least one shaft which is rotatably mounted in a bearing point and extends, at least in sections, parallel to the frame, wherein the shaft is connected to one of the supporting arms by a lever system and to at least one sensor for detecting movement conveyed by the lever system onto the shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The height control system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a freewheel disposed at every bearing point, the freewheel providing for a rotation of the shaft only as a result of a deflection of the supporting arm in the direction of the upper end stop. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The height control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control device is configured for evaluating the deflection detected by the at least one sensor system and for adaptably adjusting the desired position (SP). ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A self-propelled harvesting machine comprising a front harvesting attachment that is configured to be controlled by a height control system designed as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 12 A method for operating a height control system for a front harvesting attachment, wherein the front harvesting attachment comprises a frame, at least one crop pick-up device, and a ground-conforming cutterbar which is situated on a plurality of supporting arms that can pivot about at least one horizontal axis and are articulated on the frame, wherein the supporting arms are connected to an actuating device that is designed to pivot the supporting arms during the harvesting operation, originating from a desired position (SP) which was set before the start of a harvesting operation, between an upper end position, which delimits a deflection of the supporting arms in a direction of the crop pick-up device, and a lower end position, wherein the upper end position has a first clearance and the lower end position has a second clearance from the desired position (SP), the method comprising adapting with a control device the desired position (SP) during the on-going harvesting operation, to changing harvesting conditions and/or operating conditions depending on a deflection of the cutterbar, in order to minimize the first clearance and maximize the second clearance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the steps of cyclically detecting the deflection of the cutterbar with the aid of at least one sensor system and evaluating the deflection with the control device in order to minimize the first clearance from the desired position (SP) depending on the deflection in a direction of the upper end position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control device selects the first clearance between the upper end stop and the desired position (SP) based on a degree of unevenness of a territory to be worked, so that the greater the unevenness, the greater the first clearance between the upper end stop and the desired position (SP). ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the degree of unevenness of a territory to be worked is inferred based on the detected deflection.