Patent Description:
An agricultural harvester known as a "combine" is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating, and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field and a feeder housing which transports the crop material into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves, and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. The threshing rotor is provided with rasp bars that interact with the crop material in order to further separate the grain from the crop material, and to provide positive crop movement. Once the grain is threshed, the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system. The cleaning system includes a cleaning fan which blows air through oscillating sieves to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material, such as straw, from the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out the rear of the combine. Clean grain is transported to a grain tank onboard the combine.

A typical header generally includes a frame, a pair of end dividers at the lateral ends of the frame, a floor such as a deck, a cutter to remove crop material from the field, and a conveyor to transport the cut crop material to the feeder housing for further downstream processing in the combine. Generally, the components of a header are specifically optimized to harvest a particular kind of crop. For instance, the header may be in the form of a draper header which has a cutter bar, a draper belt, and a rotating reel with tines or the like in order to harvest a bushy or fluffy crop, such as soy beans or canola. Alternatively, the header may be in the form of a corn header which includes an auger and row units with snouts, gathering chains, and stalk rolls in order to harvest corn.

Some headers may additionally include a lighting system for lighting portions of the header during operation thereof in low-light conditions. For example, the header may include one or more lights that light up the conveyor of the header, thereby illuminating the flow of crop material. Generally, an operator must manually turn on and off the lights from within the cab of the combine. As can be appreciated, manually operating the lighting system may undesirably increase the number of controls the operator must manage. Additionally, the requisite wiring and switches in the cab for operating the lighting system may increase the cost of the agricultural vehicle.

What is needed in the art is a cost-effective and automatic lighting system for a header.

Patent publication document <CIT> discloses a combine harvester provided with lights mounted on the cabin of the harvester, and configured to change from a first lighting configuration to a second lighting configuration depending on the operating state of the harvester.

The invention is related to a header for an agricultural vehicle in accordance with the appended claims.

In an embodiment formed in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a header for an agricultural vehicle including a frame having lateral ends and an automatic lighting system having at least one light connected to the frame and at least one sensor connected to the frame and configured for sensing a level of light and providing a signal indicative of the level of light. The header also includes an electronic control unit operably connected to the at least one light and the at least one sensor. The electronic control unit being configured for automatically operating the at least one light upon receiving the signal of the at least one sensor. The automatic lighting system comprises four lights located on the frame, two lights being respectively located at the lateral ends of the frame for illuminating an area behind the frame, and two lights being respectively located inwardly of the lateral ends of the frame for illuminating the frame.

One possible advantage of the exemplary embodiment of the agricultural header is that oversight by the operator can be reduced because the lighting system of the header is automatically controlled.

Another possible advantage of the exemplary embodiment of the agricultural header is that cost may be reduced because the automatic control of the lighting system eliminates the standard wiring and in-cab switches needed to manually operate the lighting system.

The terms "forward", "rearward", "left" and "right", when used in connection with the agricultural harvester and/or components thereof are usually determined with reference to the direction of forward operative travel of the harvester, but they should not be construed as limiting. The terms "longitudinal" and "transverse" are determined with reference to the fore-and-aft direction of the agricultural harvester and are equally not to be construed as limiting.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to <FIG>, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of an agricultural vehicle <NUM> in the form of a combine <NUM>. However, the agricultural vehicle <NUM> may be in the form of any desired agricultural vehicle <NUM>, such as a windrower. The agricultural vehicle <NUM> generally includes a chassis <NUM>, ground engaging wheels and/or tracks <NUM>, a feeder housing <NUM>, and a prime mover <NUM>. The combine <NUM> may also include a header <NUM>, a separating system <NUM>, a cleaning system <NUM>, a discharge system <NUM>, an onboard grain tank <NUM>, and an unloading auger <NUM>.

The threshing system <NUM> may be of the axial-flow type, and thereby may include an axially displaced threshing rotor <NUM> which is at least partially enclosed by a rotor housing <NUM>. The rotor housing <NUM> can include a rotor cage and perforated concaves. The cut crop is threshed and separated by the rotation of rotor <NUM> within the rotor housing <NUM> such that larger elements, for example stalks, leaves, and other MOG is discharged out of the rear of agricultural vehicle <NUM> through the discharge system <NUM>. Smaller elements of crop material, such as grain and non-grain crop material, including particles lighter than grain, such as chaff, dust and straw, may pass through the perforations in the concaves and onto the cleaning system <NUM>.

The cleaning system <NUM> may include a grain pan <NUM>, a sieve assembly which can include an optional pre-cleaning sieve <NUM>, an upper sieve <NUM> (also known as a chaffer sieve), a lower sieve <NUM> (also known as a cleaning sieve), and a cleaning fan <NUM>. The grain pan <NUM> and pre-cleaning sieve <NUM> may oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to transport the grain and finer non-grain crop material to the upper sieve <NUM>. The upper sieve <NUM> and lower sieve <NUM> are vertically arranged relative to each other, and may also oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to spread the grain across sieves <NUM>, <NUM>, while permitting the passage of clean grain, by gravity, through openings in the sieves <NUM>, <NUM>. The fan <NUM> may provide an airstream through the sieves <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to blow non-grain material, such as chaff, dust, and other impurities, toward the rear of the agricultural vehicle <NUM>.

The cleaning system <NUM> may also include a clean grain auger <NUM> positioned crosswise below and toward the front end of the sieves <NUM>, <NUM>. The clean grain auger <NUM> receives clean grain from each sieve <NUM>, <NUM> and from a bottom pan <NUM> of the cleaning system <NUM>. The clean grain auger <NUM> conveys the clean grain laterally to a generally vertically arranged grain elevator <NUM> for transport to the grain tank <NUM>. The cleaning system <NUM> may additionally include one or more tailings return augers <NUM> for receiving tailings from the sieves <NUM>, <NUM> and transporting these tailings to a location upstream of the cleaning system <NUM> for repeated threshing and/or cleaning action. Once the grain tank <NUM> becomes full, the clean grain therein may be transported by the unloading auger <NUM> into a service vehicle.

The header <NUM> is removably attached to the feeder housing <NUM>. The header <NUM> generally includes a frame <NUM>, a cutter bar <NUM> that severs the crop from a field, a rotatable reel <NUM> rotatably mounted to the frame <NUM>, which feeds the cut crop into the header <NUM>, and a conveyor <NUM>, e.g. an auger <NUM> with flighting, that feeds the severed crop inwardly from each lateral end of the frame <NUM> toward feeder housing <NUM>. The header <NUM> may be in the form of any desired header, such as a draper header or a corn header. As can be appreciated, the header <NUM> may be at least partially lifted or carried by the feeder housing <NUM>, which typically includes an actuating system with one or more hydraulic cylinders.

Referring now collectively to <FIG>, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of an automatic lighting system <NUM> for the header <NUM>. The automatic lighting system <NUM> generally includes at least one light <NUM>, at least one sensor <NUM> for sensing a level of light surrounding the header <NUM>, and an electronic control unit (ECU) <NUM>, e.g. a controller <NUM> with a memory <NUM>. The controller <NUM> automatically operates the light(s) <NUM> upon communicating with the sensor(s) <NUM>.

The light(s) <NUM> may be connected to the frame <NUM> of the header <NUM> at any desired location. As shown, the automatic lighting system <NUM> includes four lights <NUM> with two lights <NUM> being attached to the lateral ends of the frame <NUM>, for illuminating an area behind the frame <NUM>, and two lights <NUM> being attached inwardly from the lateral ends of the frame <NUM>, for illuminating the frame <NUM> where crop enters and flows through the header <NUM>. However, it should be appreciated that the automatic lighting system <NUM> may include any number of lights <NUM> for illuminating any desired area located on or around the header <NUM>. Each light <NUM> may be in the form of any desired light, such as an incandescent light bulb or light emitting diode (LED).

The automatic lighting system <NUM> includes a pair of sensors <NUM> in the form of left and right sensors <NUM> that are respectively located at the left and right ends of the header <NUM>. However, the automatic lighting system <NUM> may include only one or more than two sensors <NUM>. The sensor(s) <NUM> may be located at any desired location on the frame <NUM> of the header <NUM>. Each sensor <NUM> may be located on a top surface, an inside surface, or an outside surface at a respective lateral end of the frame <NUM>. Alternatively, the sensor(s) <NUM> may be positioned near the front of the header <NUM>, where the header <NUM> engages crop, or at a middle portion of the header <NUM>. It is noted that having two sensors <NUM> at the left and right ends of the header <NUM> prevents any interruption of the automatic lighting system <NUM> when the shadow of the agricultural vehicle <NUM>, in dusk or dawn lighting conditions, undesirably shades one of the sensors <NUM>. Each sensor <NUM> may be in the form of an ambient light sensor <NUM> for sensing the ambient light at any desired location within or around the header <NUM> and providing a corresponding signal. The ambient light sensor <NUM> may be in the form of any desired photosensor which may sense light and/or electromagnetic radiation. Each ambient light sensor <NUM> may have a preset threshold of the level of light which is indicative of low-light conditions. As used herein, the term "preset threshold of the level of light" may refer to any level or amount of ambient light at which an operator may desire an improved visibility to see the header <NUM> and/or surrounding areas thereof. The preset threshold of light may be the known level of light at which low-light conditions exist, for example during dusk, dawn, and/or nighttime. As can be appreciated, each sensor <NUM> may sense any form of light, such as light which is emitted from the sun and/or any other artificial light source. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor(s) <NUM> may be located on the agricultural vehicle <NUM>. Each sensor located on the agricultural vehicle <NUM> may provide feedback which is closely representative to sensor(s) <NUM> located on the header <NUM>.

According to a further aspect of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sensor(s) <NUM> may detect the ambient light emitted from the lights of the agricultural vehicle <NUM>, and the controller <NUM> may correspondingly turn on the light(s) <NUM> upon the sensor(s) <NUM> indicating that the lights of the agricultural vehicle <NUM> have already turned on. Automatically turning on the light(s) <NUM> of the header <NUM> when the lights of the agricultural vehicle <NUM> are turned on may be beneficial if improved visibility is desired even when ambient low-light conditions do not exist or when there is no option to manually turn on the light(s) <NUM>, as with some older model agricultural vehicles.

The controller <NUM> may be operably connected to the light(s) <NUM> and sensor(s) <NUM>. The controller <NUM> may automatically activate or deactivate the light(s) <NUM> upon the sensor(s) <NUM> reading that the ambient light is below or above the preset threshold of light, respectively. The controller <NUM> may be in the form of any desired analog or digital control unit. The memory <NUM> may be in the form of any desired tangible computer readable medium, and the memory <NUM> may store any desired information, such as the preset threshold value of ambient light which is indicative of low-light conditions. The controller <NUM> may interface with and/or be incorporated into existing hardware and/or software of the header <NUM> and/or agricultural vehicle <NUM>. In other words, the controller <NUM> may be a separate unit as part of the automatic lighting system <NUM> and/or be integrated with the header <NUM> and/or agricultural vehicle <NUM>. For instance, the header <NUM> may have a dedicated header controller which controls specific header-related functions, and the controller <NUM> may either be in the form of the dedicated header controller or be incorporated as part of the dedicated header controller.

According to another aspect of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the controller <NUM> may account for the rotational movement of the reel <NUM>. In certain lighting conditions, the reel <NUM> may periodically block or prevent the sensor(s) <NUM> from sensing the ambient light. For example, the rotational speed of the reel <NUM> may be proportionate to one or more frequencies which may interfere with the sensor(s) <NUM> and thereby cause periodic shadowing of the sensor(s) <NUM>. To mitigate the effect of this periodic shadowing, the controller <NUM> may calculate an adjusted input for filtering out the interreference caused by the reel <NUM>. For example, the controller <NUM> may communicate with a speed sensor <NUM> of the reel <NUM>, use the measured speed of the reel <NUM> to calculate a corresponding frequency of the reel <NUM>, and then filter out the frequency of the reel <NUM> from the signal(s) of the sensor(s) <NUM>. It should be appreciated that the reel speed sensor <NUM> may be operably coupled to the controller <NUM> by a wired or wireless connection. For instance, the reel speed sensor <NUM> may communicate to the controller <NUM> via a connected bus network.

Referring now to <FIG>, there is shown a flowchart of a method <NUM> for operating the agricultural vehicle <NUM>, and more particularly the automatic lighting system <NUM>, in various lighting conditions, such as in low-light conditions. The method <NUM> may include an initial step of providing the header <NUM> with the automatic lighting system <NUM> as described above (at block <NUM>). The method <NUM> includes a step of sensing the level of ambient light by the sensor(s) <NUM> (at block <NUM>). The method <NUM> may also include a step of automatically activating the light(s) <NUM>, by the controller <NUM>, upon the sensor(s) <NUM> sensing that the level of light is below a preset threshold of light (at block <NUM>). The method <NUM> may then include a step of automatically deactivating the light(s) <NUM>, by the controller <NUM>, upon the sensor(s) <NUM> sensing that the level of light is above the preset threshold of light (at block <NUM>). Further, the method <NUM> may include another step of filtering interference, by the controller <NUM>, upon the reel <NUM> blocking the sensor(s) <NUM>. Herein, the controller <NUM> may identify the frequency of the rotating reel <NUM> and filter out any interference in the signal(s) of the sensor(s) <NUM> caused by the frequency of the reel <NUM>. It should be appreciated that the automatic lighting system <NUM> may automatically turn on or off the light(s) <NUM> depending upon a set time of day. Additionally, if the agricultural vehicle <NUM> includes a user interface, e.g. a control panel or switch, the operator may input a control command to operate the automatic lighting system <NUM>.

It is to be understood that the steps of the method <NUM> are performed by the controller <NUM> upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on the tangible computer readable medium <NUM>, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the controller <NUM> described herein, such as the method <NUM>, is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The controller <NUM> loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the controller <NUM>, the controller <NUM> may perform any of the functionality of the controller <NUM> described herein, including any steps of the method <NUM> described herein.

Claim 1:
A header (<NUM>) for an agricultural vehicle (<NUM>), comprising:
a frame (<NUM>) comprising lateral ends;
an automatic lighting system (<NUM>),
the automatic lighting system (<NUM>) comprising at least one light (<NUM>) and at least one sensor (<NUM>); and
an electronic control unit (<NUM>) operably connected to the at least one light (<NUM>) and the at least one sensor (<NUM>), and the electronic control unit (<NUM>) being configured for automatically operating the at least one light (<NUM>) upon receiving the signal of the at least one sensor (<NUM>)
characterized in that
the at least one light (<NUM>) is connected to the frame (<NUM>) and the at least one sensor (<NUM>) is connected to the frame (<NUM>) and configured for sensing a level of light and providing a signal indicative of the level of light; and in that
the automatic lighting system (<NUM>) comprises four lights (<NUM>) located on the frame (<NUM>), two lights (<NUM>) being respectively located at the lateral ends of the frame (<NUM>) for illuminating an area behind the frame (<NUM>), and two lights (<NUM>) being respectively located inwardly of the lateral ends of the frame (<NUM>) for illuminating the frame (<NUM>).