Devices and methods for automated concave covers
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsRana Shakti Singh, Nathan R. Vandike, Shivani Magdum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are devices and methods for automated concave covers. A harvesting machine of the present invention may include at least one concave cover that is movable between at least two positions. The harvesting machine may include an electronic control system having sensor(s), processor(s), at least one memory, and actuator(s). The electronic control system may receive information from sensor(s), determine a current position of the concave cover, and determine whether to move the concave cover to a different position. If it is determined to move the concave cover to a different position, actuator(s) may be directed to initiate movement. Also provided is a computer-implemented method.
Claims17
A harvesting machine, comprising:
- a) a threshing section including a rotor, a concave, and at least one concave cover movable between at least two positions;
- and
- b) an electronic control system including at least one sensor, at least one processor, at least one memory, and at least one actuator, the electronic control system operable to:
- i) receive information from said at least one sensor,
- ii) determine which of said at least two positions said concave cover is in,
- iii) determine whether to move said concave cover to another of said at least two positions based on said information received from said at least one sensor, and
- iv) if it is determined to move said concave cover to another of said at least two positions, direct said at least one actuator to initiate movement of said concave cover;
- and
- wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of an unthreshed grain sensor configured to detect unthreshed grain, a tailings sensor configured to detect at least one of the content or amount of tailings, a weed sensor configured to detect a characteristic of one or more weeds in a crop, a feedrate sensor configured to detect the feedrate of a material entering the harvesting machine, a residue sensor configured to detect at least one characteristic of a residue produced by the harvesting machine, a dust sensor configured to detect at least one characteristic of a dust produced by the harvesting machine, and a coverage area sensor configured to detect at least one characteristic of an area to be harvested by the harvesting machine.
A computer-implemented method of controlling a concave cover of a harvesting machine performing a harvesting operation, said concave cover movable between at least two positions, the method comprising:
- a) detecting one or more conditions of said harvesting operation;
- b) determining a current position of said concave cover;
- c) determining whether to move said concave cover to a different position based on the detected conditions;
- and
- d) if it is determined to move said concave cover to a different position, directing an actuator to execute movement of said concave cover;
- e) wherein said conditions are selected from the group consisting of:
- i) unthreshed grain,
- ii) a characteristic of tailings in a tailings system of said harvesting machine,
- iii) a characteristic of one or more weeds in a crop,
- iv) a feedrate of material into said harvesting machine,
- v) a characteristic of a residue produced by said harvesting machine,
- vi) a characteristic of a dust produced by said harvesting machine, and
- vii) a coverage area to be harvested by said harvesting machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.