Systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling downforce of an agricultural implement
AssigneeKinze Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsScott W. Leimkuehler, David Schulte, Shawn Mack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A downforce system adjusts the amount of downforce being applied to a row unit of an agricultural implement. The downforce system is controlled to increase or decrease the force on the row unit. A load is sensed at the row unit and compared to either or both of a user defined target and a lower threshold that can be based, at least in part, upon a percentage of a value. When the load is determined to be below the lower threshold, the user defined amount is increased at a rate of change until the load is above the threshold, at which point the increase is stopped, and reduced, if necessary.
Claims18
A method of controlling a downforce assembly for use with a row unit of an agricultural implement, the method comprising:
- setting a user defined target of an amount of downforce load for a row unit;
- sensing a load of the row unit;
- comparing the sensed load with a lower threshold;
- when the sensed load is below the lower threshold, adding a mean shift value to the user defined target by a rate of change to move the sensed load to above the lower threshold;
- and
- decreasing the mean shift value towards zero at a rate of change when the sensed load is above the lower threshold.
A system for controlling an amount of downforce applied to a row unit of an agricultural implement, the system comprising:
- a downforce actuator coupled to a row unit to apply an amount of down force to the row unit;
- a sensor associated with the row unit to sense an amount of force being applied to the row unit and at least partially based upon the ground acting on the row unit;
- and
- a controller in communication with the downforce actuator and the sensor, said controller receiving said sensed amount of load being applied to the row unit, and wherein said controller configured to:
- compare the sensed load with a user defined target and a lower threshold;
- when the sensed load is below the lower threshold, adding a mean shift value to the user defined target by a rate of change to move the sensed load to above the lower threshold;
- and
- decrease the mean shift value towards zero at a rate of change when the sensed load is above the lower threshold.
A method of controlling the amount of downforce applied to a row unit of an agricultural implement, the method comprising:
- sensing a load of the row unit;
- communicating the sensed load to a controller, wherein the controller:
- compares the sensed load with a user defined target and a lower threshold;
- and
- when the sensed load is below the lower threshold, adding a mean shift value to the user defined target by a rate of change to move the sensed load to above the lower thresholds;
- capping the added mean shift value at a mean shift limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.