Header control for returning to height or float control
AssigneeCase Corporation
InventorsDale W. Panoushek, Jeffrey S. Milender
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a control system for controlling the position of the harvesting implement of an agricultural vehicle. The system includes transducers for monitoring the position of the implement relative to the vehicle, the location of the implement relative to the surface supporting the vehicle, and the force required to support the implement. The system also includes an implement positioning mechanism, a user interface for selecting position, location and force setpoints, and a controller coupled to the transducers, positioning mechanism and user-interface. Based upon the signals produced by the transducers and the setpoints set at the user-interface, the controller controls the positioning mechanism to position the implement.
Claims34
In an agricultural vehicle for operation on a surface and including a positioner for moving an implement relative to the vehicle in response to an electric control signal, a multiple-transducer implement positioning system comprising:
- a first transducer mechanically coupled to the implement to produce a position signal representative of the location of the implement relative to the vehicle;
- a second transducer mechanically coupled to the implement to produce a location signal representative of a relationship of the implement relative to the surface;
- and
- a control circuit coupled to the first and second transducers and configured to control the positioner based upon the position signal while the implement is at first locations relative to the vehicle and based upon the location signal while the implement is located at a location relative to the vehicle which is not one of the first locations.
An agricultural vehicle for operation on a surface, the vehicle comprising:
- a support structure for supporting the components of the vehicle;
- at least four wheels for movably supporting the vehicle on the surface and mechanically coupled to the support structure, at least one of the wheels being powered to move the vehicle in a first direction;
- an implement configured to harvest plant related matter when the vehicle moves in the first direction, the implement being movably supported by the support structure at the front-most end of the vehicle relative to the first direction;
- an implement positioner coupled to the frame to move the implement relative to the vehicle in response to an electric control signal;
- a first transducer mechanically coupled to the implement to produce a position signal representative of the location of the implement relative to the vehicle;
- a second transducer mechanically coupled to the implement to produce a location signal representative of a relationship of the implement relative to the surface;
- and
- a control circuit coupled to the first and second transducers and configured to apply electrical control signals to the positioner based upon the position signal while the implement is at first locations relative to the vehicle and based upon the location signal while the implement is located at a location relative to the vehicle which is not one of the first locations.
In an agricultural vehicle for operation on a surface and including means for moving an implement relative to the vehicle in response to an electric control signal, a multiple-transducer implement positioning system comprising:
- first transducer means for producing a position signal representative of the location of the implement relative to the vehicle;
- second transducer means for producing a location signal representative of a relationship of the implement relative to the surface;
- and
- means for controlling the means for moving based upon the position signal while the implement is at first locations relative to the vehicle and based upon the location signal while the implement is located at a location relative to the vehicle which is not one of the first locations, the means for controlling being coupled to the first and second transducer means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.