Baler plunger-position sensor assembly and method
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsEric R. Lang, Darin L. Roth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor assembly and method is described for determining the position of a reciprocating plunger of a baler. A first sensor may detect at least one location of a crank arm driving the plunger as the crank arm rotates. A second sensor may detect a rotation of a crank gear that drives the rotation of the crank arm. A controller may determine a position of the reciprocating plunger relative to a baling chamber based upon, at least in part, the detected crank arm location and the detected rotation of the crank gear.
Claims20
A sensor assembly for a baler, the baler having a reciprocating plunger for compressing gathered material into bales within a baling chamber, the reciprocating plunger being driven by a crank arm, the crank arm being rotated around a crank arm axis by a crank gear, the sensor assembly comprising:
- a first sensor detecting at least one location of the crank arm as the crank arm rotates around the crank arm axis;
- and
- a second sensor detecting a rotation of the crank gear;
- and
- a controller determining a position of the reciprocating plunger relative to the baling chamber based upon, at least in part, the detected at least one location of the crank arm by the first sensor and the detected rotation of the crank gear by the second sensor.
A computer-implemented method of controlling a baling operation for a baler, the baler having a reciprocating plunger for compressing gathered material into bales within a baling chamber, the reciprocating plunger being driven by a crank arm, the crank arm being rotated around a crank arm axis by a crank gear, the method comprising:
- determining, by one or more computing devices, at least one location of the crank arm as the crank arm rotates around the crank arm axis based upon, at least in part, data from a crank arm sensor;
- determining, by the one or more computing devices, a rotation of the crank gear based upon, at least in part, a crank gear sensor;
- and
- determining, by the one or more computing devices, a position of the reciprocating plunger relative to the baling chamber based upon, at least in part, the determined at least one location of the crank arm and the determined rotation of the crank gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.