IP Library Granted Patent US 11,452,260
Granted Patent B2
US 11,452,260 · App. 17/438,285 · Granted Sep 27, 2022

Agricultural vehicle with adjustable lift height based on header identification

Inventors: Jeffrey B. Fay (Oxford, PA); Mary Beth Sullivan (Lititz, PA); Gregory T. Fasick (Hatfield, PA)
Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
A01D41/141A01B63/008A01B63/10A01D41/145A01D34/006A01D34/008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,452,260
App. No.
17/438,285
Granted
Sep 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An agricultural vehicle includes a chassis ( 16 ), a lift arm ( 18 ) movably coupled to the chassis ( 16 ), a lift actuator ( 21 ) coupled to the lift arm ( 18 ), a header ( 14 ) coupled to the lift arm ( 18 ), and a controller ( 120 ) operably coupled to the lift actuator ( 21 ). The controller ( 120 ) is configured to: receive a header type signal corresponding to a header type of the header; define a lift height limit of the header based at least partially on the received header type signal, the lift height limit being a first height limit when a first header type signal is received or a second height limit when a second header type signal is received; and output a lift signal to the lift actuator ( 21 ) to vertically displace the header ( 14 ). Header vertical displacement is limited to the first height limit if the first header type signal is received or the second height limit if the second header type signal is received.

Claims (31)

1. An agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a chassis;

at least one lift arm movably coupled to the chassis;

at least one lift actuator coupled to the at least one lift arm and configured to vertically displace the at least one lift arm;

a header coupled to the at least one lift arm such that vertical displacement of the at least one lift arm vertically displaces the header; and

a controller operably coupled to the at least one lift actuator, the controller being configured to:

receive a header type signal corresponding to a header type of the header, the header type including a first header type and a second header type different from the first header type, the received header type signal being one of a plurality of header type signals comprising at least a first header type signal and a second header type signal, the first header type signal corresponding to the first header type and contains a maximum header height for the first header type, the second header type signal corresponding to the second header type and contains a maximum header height for the second header type that is different than the maximum header height for the first header type;

define a lift height limit of the header based at least partially on the received header type signal, the defined lift height limit being a first height limit when the first header type signal is received or a second height limit when the second header type signal is received, the first height limit being greater than the second height limit, the first height limit being less than the maximum header height for the first header type, and the second height limit being less than the maximum header height for the second header type; and

output a lift signal to the at least one lift actuator to vertically displace the header, wherein vertical displacement of the header is limited to the first height limit if the first header type signal is received or to the second height limit if the second header type signal is received.

2. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the header is operably coupled to the controller and configured to output the header type signal to the controller.

3. The agricultural vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller comprises a header type pin slot and the header comprises a header type signal pin electrically coupled to the header type pin slot, the header being configured to output the header type signal to the controller via the header type signal pin.

4. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a display operatively coupled to the controller.

5. The agricultural vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the display is configured to output a user-defined lift height limit signal to the controller, the controller being configured to define the lift height limit based at least partially on the user-defined lift height limit signal.

6. The agricultural vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the display is configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying a plurality of header choice icons, each of the header choice icons corresponding to a respective header type signal that is output to the controller upon being selected.

7. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lift actuator is configured to vertically displace the at least one lift arm to a maximum lift arm height, the header being at a maximum header height when the at least one lift arm is at the maximum lift arm height.

8. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first height limit is approximately 90% to 100% of the maximum header height of the first header type.

9. The agricultural vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the second height limit is approximately 65% to 85% of the maximum header height of the second header type.

10. The agricultural vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first header type signal corresponds to the header type being a draper-type header and the second header type signal corresponds to the header type being a disc-type header or a sickle-type header.

11. A method of adjusting a header height of a header of an agricultural vehicle, the agricultural vehicle comprising a chassis, at least one lift arm movably coupled to the chassis and the header, at least one lift actuator coupled to the at least one lift arm, and a controller operably coupled to the at least one lift actuator, the method being performed by the controller and comprising:

receiving a header type signal corresponding to a header type of the header, the header type including a first header type and a second header type different from the first header type, the received header type signal being one of a plurality of header type signals comprising at least a first header type signal and a second header type signal, the first header type signal corresponding to the first header type and contains a maximum header height for the first header type, the second header type signal corresponding to the second header type and contains a maximum header height for the second header type that is different than the maximum header height for the first header type;

defining a lift height limit of the header based at least partially on the received header type signal, the defined lift height limit being a first height limit when the first header type signal is received or a second height limit when the second header type signal is received, the first height limit being greater than the second height limit, the first height limit being less than the maximum header height for the first header type, and the second height limit being less than the maximum header height for the second header type; and

outputting a lift signal to the at least one lift actuator to vertically displace the header, wherein vertical displacement of the header is limited to the first height limit if the first header type signal is received or to the second height limit if the second header type signal is received.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the header is operably coupled to the controller and configured to output the header type signal to the controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controller comprises a header type pin slot and the header comprises a header type signal pin electrically coupled to the header type pin slot, the header being configured to output the header type signal to the controller via the header type signal pin.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the agricultural vehicle further comprises a display operatively coupled to the controller.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the display is configured to output a user-defined lift height limit signal to the controller, the controller being configured to define the lift height limit based at least partially on the user-defined lift height limit signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the display is configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying a plurality of header choice icons, each of the header choice icons corresponding to a respective header type signal that is output to the controller upon being selected.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one lift actuator is configured to vertically displace the at least one lift arm to a maximum lift arm height, the header being at a maximum header height when the at least one lift arm is at the maximum lift arm height.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first height limit is approximately 90% to 100% of the maximum header height of the first header type.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second height limit is approximately 65% to 85% of the maximum header height of the second header type.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first header type signal corresponds to the header type being a draper-type header and the second header type signal corresponds to the header type being a disc-type header or a sickle-type header.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2022
From: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
To: BLUE LEAF I.P., INC.
Reel/Frame 061987/0305 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2021
From: FASICK, GREGORY T.; FAY, JEFFREY B., II; SULLIVAN, MARY BETH
To: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 057450/0750 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62816393 · Mar 11, 2019
Related Publication 20220039317A1 · Feb 10, 2022