Excavation depth self-adaptive control method and device, storage medium and harvester

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of excavating depth self-adaptive control method, device, storage medium and harvester, by detecting the distance variation signal of the vertical distance between the upper surface of ridge at the front of excavating shovel and excavating shovel in the working process of harvester, and according to the distance variation signal control the lifting of excavating shovel, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of ridge at the front of excavating shovel and excavating shovel is kept within the preset distance threshold, so that the actual excavating depth of harvester can be adaptively controlled according to the height of ridge in the process of excavating crops of harvester, so that the actual excavating depth of harvester is always kept substantially consistent, both avoid the problem of actual excavating depth being too shallow and having the risk of damaging target excavation object such as potato when the height of ridge is lower, and avoid the problem of too much soil being excavated when the actual excavating depth of harvester is too deep when the height of ridge is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of crop harvesting equipment technology, and in particular to an adaptive control method, device, storage medium and harvester for digging depth. Background Technology

[0002] In fields where potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and other crops are planted on raised beds, the surface of the raised beds is uneven along its length due to limitations such as terrain and human error.

[0003] Currently, the digging mechanism of harvesters for ridging crops in existing technology is generally fixed on the frame. Some can adjust the digging depth using lifting or angle adjustment devices to adapt to different ridging heights and digging depths. However, this adjustment is limited to the time before digging. Since the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the ground is fixed during digging, it is impossible to adaptively adjust the actual digging depth (i.e., the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the upper surface of the ridging) based on changes in the ridging height. Furthermore, the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridging and the ground changes continuously with the ridging height and terrain. Therefore, when the ridging height is low, the actual digging depth of the harvester is shallow, which risks damaging the target crops such as potatoes. Conversely, when the ridging height is high, the actual digging depth of the harvester is deep, resulting in more excavated soil, which is inconvenient for subsequent separation of crops from the soil.

[0004] Therefore, how to adapt and control the actual digging depth of the harvester according to the height of the ridge during the digging of crops, so that the actual digging depth of the harvester remains basically consistent, is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address one of the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a digging depth adaptive control method, device, storage medium, and harvester, which can detect changes in the height of the ridges in front of the digging shovel and adaptively control the actual digging depth of the harvester based on the height of the ridges, so that the actual digging depth of the harvester always remains basically consistent.

[0006] The first objective of this application is to provide a method for adaptive control of mining depth.

[0007] The aforementioned objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] An adaptive digging depth control method is applied to a harvester for harvesting ridged crops, the harvester being equipped with a digging shovel.

[0009] The adaptive control method for digging depth includes the following steps:

[0010] S1, detect the distance change signal of the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel;

[0011] S2, control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0012] Preferably, in step S2, controlling the raising and lowering of the digging shovel based on the distance change signal includes:

[0013] S21, Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, generate a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel.

[0014] S22, Generate a corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal;

[0015] S23, control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the digging shovel raising and lowering adjustment signal.

[0016] Preferably, the distance change trend signal includes a distance increasing signal and a distance decreasing signal, wherein,

[0017] The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0018] The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than the preset distance threshold.

[0019] Accordingly,

[0020] In step S21, generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold includes:

[0021] S211, when the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel increases and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance increase signal is generated.

[0022] S212, when the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance decrease signal is generated.

[0023] Preferably, the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel;

[0024] In step S22, generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes:

[0025] S221, when the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, the digging shovel lifting control signal is generated;

[0026] S222, when the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, the digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

[0027] The second objective of this application is to provide a digging depth adaptive control device.

[0028] The second objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0029] An adaptive digging depth control device is applied to a harvester for harvesting ridged crops, the harvester being equipped with a digging shovel.

[0030] The adaptive control device for digging depth includes:

[0031] The distance change detection module is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction.

[0032] The digging shovel lifting control module is used to control the lifting of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0033] Preferably, when the digging shovel lifting control module executes the function of controlling the lifting and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, it is specifically used for:

[0034] Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, a distance change trend signal is generated for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel.

[0035] Generate a corresponding digging shovel lifting and lowering adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal;

[0036] The raising and lowering of the digging shovel is controlled according to the raising and lowering adjustment signal of the digging shovel.

[0037] Preferably, the distance change trend signal includes a distance increasing signal and a distance decreasing signal, wherein,

[0038] The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0039] The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than the preset distance threshold.

[0040] Accordingly,

[0041] The step of generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel, based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, includes:

[0042] When the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel increases and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance increase signal is generated.

[0043] The distance reduction signal is generated when the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0044] Preferably, the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel;

[0045] Accordingly,

[0046] The step of generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes:

[0047] When the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, the digging shovel lifting control signal is generated;

[0048] When the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, the digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

[0049] A third objective of this application is to provide a computer-readable storage medium.

[0050] The aforementioned objective three of this application is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0051] A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the adaptive control method for digging depth as described in any one of the first objectives of this application.

[0052] The fourth objective of this application is to provide a harvester.

[0053] The fourth objective of this application is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0054] A harvester is used for harvesting crops planted on raised beds. The harvester includes a frame and a digging shovel fixedly mounted at the front end of the frame. The harvester also includes:

[0055] The mounting bracket is disposed at the front end of the vehicle frame and is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame;

[0056] A digging depth detection component, mounted on the mounting frame, is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a predetermined distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction; and

[0057] A digging depth control component is disposed on the mounting frame. The digging depth control component is communicatively connected to the digging depth detection component. The digging depth control component is used to control the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame according to the distance change signal, so that the digging shovel is synchronously lifted and lowered by the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is maintained within a preset distance threshold. The distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0058] Preferably, the excavation depth detection component includes:

[0059] A skid plate is disposed below the mounting frame and in front of the digging shovel. During the operation of the harvester, at least a portion of the lower surface of the skid plate slides against the upper surface of the ridge.

[0060] A sliding mechanism is provided on the mounting frame, and the skid plate is slidably connected to the mounting frame through the sliding mechanism, so that the skid plate can freely rise and fall in the vertical direction relative to the mounting frame as the height of the upper surface of the ridge changes;

[0061] The detection unit is communicatively connected to the digging depth control component, and the detection unit is used to detect the distance change signal in the vertical direction between the skid and the frame.

[0062] Preferably, the sliding mechanism includes a bracket, a pair of guide pulleys, a slide rod, and a limiting plate.

[0063] The bracket is fixedly connected to the mounting frame. The guide pulley pair includes two pulleys with opposite peripheral walls. The pulleys are rotatably connected to the mounting frame. The slide rod vertically passes through the bracket and is located between the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair. The side wall of the slide rod is slidably engaged with the peripheral walls of the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair. The slide rod can slide freely in the vertical direction within the mounting frame. The lower end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the skid plate, and the upper end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the limiting plate.

[0064] The detection unit includes a mounting plate, two proximity switches, a detection plate, and a mounting bracket. The mounting plate is fixedly mounted on the limiting plate. The two proximity switches are vertically spaced on the mounting plate and are communicatively connected to the digging depth control component. The detection plate is positioned opposite to the detection surfaces of the proximity switches. The detection plate is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket.

[0065] The height of the detection plate is equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the two proximity switches.

[0066] Preferably, the digging depth control component includes a controller, a motor, a auger, a wheel frame, and support wheels, wherein,

[0067] The support wheel is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the wheel frame, which is located below the mounting frame. The output end of the auger is hinged to the wheel frame, and the power input end of the auger is drive-connected to the output shaft of the motor. The motor is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame, and its control signal input end is connected to the signal output end of the controller. The signal input end of the controller is communicatively connected to the digging depth detection component.

[0068] During the operation of the harvester, the support wheel contacts the ground between two adjacent ridges. The controller controls the working state of the motor based on the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the digging shovel, which is output by the digging depth detection component. The motor drives the auger to work, so that the auger drives the mounting frame to lift and lower in the vertical direction.

[0069] In summary, this application discloses an adaptive digging depth control method, device, storage medium, and harvester. During harvester operation, it detects the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the vertical distance between the shovel and the shovel. Based on this distance change signal, it controls the raising and lowering of the digging shovel to maintain the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at the preset distance in front of the shovel and the shovel within a preset distance threshold. This allows the harvester to adaptively control the actual digging depth based on the ridge height during crop digging, ensuring a consistent actual digging depth. This avoids the risk of damage to potatoes or other target crops due to shallow digging depth when the ridge height is low, and also avoids excessive soil excavation due to deep digging depth when the ridge height is high, which would hinder subsequent crop-soil separation. Attached Figure Description

[0070] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0071] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an adaptive control method for mining depth according to an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a digging depth adaptive control device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of a harvester according to one embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of part A in the image;

[0075] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mining depth detection component in one embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the harvesting device in one embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of part B in the image. Detailed Implementation

[0078] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0079] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and systems can be implemented in other ways. The system embodiments described below are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units and modules is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as: multiple units or modules can be combined, or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the various components shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules, and can be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0080] In addition, each functional unit in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, or each unit can be a separate device, or two or more units can be integrated into a single device; each functional unit in the various embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0081] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the following method embodiments can be implemented by program instructions and related hardware. The aforementioned program instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program instructions are executed, they perform the steps of the following method embodiments. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as mobile storage devices, read-only memory (ROM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0082] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0083] like Figure 1As shown, one embodiment of this application provides an adaptive digging depth control method, which is applied to a harvester for harvesting crops planted on raised beds. The harvester is equipped with a digging shovel, and the adaptive digging depth control method includes the following steps:

[0084] S1, detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction;

[0085] When using a harvester to harvest ridged crops (such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc.), the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge and the ground changes constantly with the height of the ridge and the terrain. Therefore, in order to keep the actual digging depth of the harvester (i.e., the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the top surface of the ridge) basically consistent, it is first necessary to detect the distance change signal between the top surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel, so that the actual digging depth of the harvester can be adjusted in real time according to the height of the ridge.

[0086] It should be noted that the preset distance is specifically set according to needs (such as the harvester's travel speed, the adjustment speed of the harvester's digging shovel, etc.). The smaller the preset distance (i.e., the closer the position in front of the digging shovel is to the digging shovel), the more beneficial the detected distance change signal is for adjusting the actual digging depth. However, the smaller the preset distance, the higher the requirement for the adjustment speed of the harvester's digging shovel when the harvester's travel speed is high. If the adjustment speed of the digging shovel is slow, the actual digging position of the digging shovel may have already reached the preset distance or be in front of the preset distance before the digging shovel has been adjusted to the target height. In this case, it is still difficult to ensure the basic consistency of the actual digging depth. Specifically, in this embodiment, the preset distance can be set to 0.5m to 1m according to the harvester's normal travel speed.

[0087] S2, control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0088] After detecting the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction, the harvester controls the raising and lowering of the digging shovel in a timely manner according to the distance change signal during the harvester's movement. This keeps the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel within a preset distance threshold, thus ensuring that the actual digging depth remains basically consistent (i.e. fluctuates within a small range).

[0089] Specifically, the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold. Since different crops or the same crop may be planted at different depths on different plots, the maximum distance threshold and the minimum distance threshold are specifically set according to the required digging depth (corresponding to the planting depth) and the allowable fluctuation range of the digging depth.

[0090] Specifically, when the allowable fluctuation range of excavation depth is small, the maximum distance threshold and the minimum distance threshold can be equal or the difference between them can be set to be small (e.g., within 2cm). Conversely, when the allowable fluctuation range of excavation depth is large, the difference between the maximum distance threshold and the minimum distance threshold can be set to be large (e.g., 3-10cm).

[0091] It should be noted that when the maximum distance threshold and the minimum distance threshold are equal or the difference between them is set to be small, the height adjustment frequency of the digging shovel may be higher, requiring the height adjustment mechanism of the digging shovel to have a faster response speed and adjustment speed.

[0092] In summary, in the above embodiments, by detecting the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the shovel during the operation of the harvester, and controlling the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold. This allows the harvester to adaptively control the actual digging depth according to the height of the ridge during the harvesting process, ensuring that the actual digging depth of the harvester remains basically consistent. This avoids the problem of shallow actual digging depth when the ridge height is low, which may damage the target objects such as potatoes, and also avoids the problem of deep actual digging depth when the ridge height is high, which may result in more excavated soil and make subsequent separation of crops and soil inconvenient.

[0093] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, step S2, controlling the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal includes:

[0094] Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, a distance change trend signal is generated for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel.

[0095] Generate corresponding digging shovel lifting and lowering adjustment signals based on distance change trend signals;

[0096] The raising and lowering of the excavator shovel is controlled by the raising and lowering adjustment signal.

[0097] Specifically, in this embodiment, instead of detecting specific distance change values, a distance change trend signal is generated based on the distance change signal and a preset distance threshold to indicate the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel. Subsequently, the distance change trend signal is used to determine whether the digging shovel needs to be raised or lowered. Based on the determination result, a corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal is generated to control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel. This makes the calculation process before adjusting the lifting and lowering of the digging shovel simpler and faster, effectively improving the response speed of the digging shovel lifting and lowering adjustment, and better ensuring the consistent adaptive control of the digging depth.

[0098] Specifically, based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the distance change trend signal includes a distance increase signal and a distance decrease signal, wherein,

[0099] The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0100] The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than a preset distance threshold.

[0101] Accordingly,

[0102] The method of generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel, based on the distance change signal and a preset distance threshold, includes:

[0103] When the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel has increased and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, a distance increase signal is generated.

[0104] A distance reduction signal is generated when the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0105] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel increases and exceeds a preset distance threshold, it indicates that the relative height of the ridge at the preset distance in front (relative to the height of the digging shovel at the current moment) has increased (i.e., the height of the ridge itself has increased or the terrain in front has become higher). In other words, the height of the digging shovel in the current state is too low, which will cause the harvester's digging shovel to dig too deeply when it travels to the preset distance in front, resulting in a lot of soil being dug up, which is not conducive to the subsequent separation of crops from soil. At this time, a distance increase signal is generated so that the lifting direction of the digging shovel (whether to raise or lower the digging shovel) can be adjusted accordingly based on the distance increase signal to ensure the consistency of the actual digging depth.

[0106] When the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and falls below a preset distance threshold, it indicates that the relative height of the ridge at the preset distance in front (relative to the current height of the digging shovel) has decreased (i.e., the height of the ridge itself has decreased or the terrain in front has become lower). In other words, the current height of the digging shovel is too high, which may cause the harvester's digging shovel to reach the preset distance in front, resulting in insufficient digging depth and the risk of damaging the target objects such as potatoes. At this time, a distance reduction signal is generated so that the lifting direction of the digging shovel (whether to raise or lower the digging shovel) can be adjusted accordingly to ensure the consistency of the actual digging depth.

[0107] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel;

[0108] The step of generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes:

[0109] When the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, a digging shovel lifting control signal is generated;

[0110] When the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, a digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

[0111] In this embodiment, when the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, it indicates that the relative height of the ridge at the preset distance in front has increased, that is, the height of the digging shovel in the current state is too low, which will cause the digging depth to be too large when the digging shovel of the harvester travels to the preset distance in front. At this time, it is necessary to raise the digging shovel so that the distance between the digging shovel and the upper surface of the ridge (actual digging depth) at the preset distance in front is within the preset distance threshold. Therefore, at this time, a digging shovel lifting control signal is generated.

[0112] When the distance change trend signal is a distance decrease signal, it indicates that the relative height of the ridge at the preset distance ahead has decreased. That is, the height of the digging shovel in the current state is too high, which will cause the digging depth to be too small when the digging shovel of the harvester travels to the preset distance ahead. At this time, it is necessary to lower the digging shovel so that the distance between the digging shovel and the upper surface of the ridge (actual digging depth) at the preset distance ahead is within the preset distance threshold. Therefore, a digging shovel descent control signal is generated at this time.

[0113] Correspondingly, in this embodiment, controlling the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the digging shovel raising and lowering adjustment signal specifically includes:

[0114] When the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal is the digging shovel lifting control signal, the digging shovel will be lifted.

[0115] When the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal is the digging shovel lowering control signal, the digging shovel is lowered.

[0116] like Figure 2 As shown in the illustration, this application also provides an adaptive digging depth control device, applied to a harvester for harvesting crops planted on raised beds. The harvester is equipped with a digging shovel.

[0117] The digging depth adaptive control device includes:

[0118] The distance change detection module 201 is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction.

[0119] The digging shovel lifting control module 202 is used to control the lifting of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so as to keep the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0120] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, when the digging shovel lifting control module 202 executes the control of the digging shovel lifting and lowering according to the distance change signal, it is specifically used for:

[0121] Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, a distance change trend signal is generated for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel.

[0122] Generate corresponding digging shovel lifting and lowering adjustment signals based on distance change trend signals;

[0123] The raising and lowering of the excavator shovel is controlled by the raising and lowering adjustment signal.

[0124] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the distance change trend signal includes a distance increase signal and a distance decrease signal, wherein,

[0125] The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0126] The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than a preset distance threshold.

[0127] Accordingly,

[0128] The method of generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel, based on the distance change signal and a preset distance threshold, includes:

[0129] When the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel has increased and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, a distance increase signal is generated.

[0130] A distance reduction signal is generated when the vertical distance between the top surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold.

[0131] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel;

[0132] Accordingly,

[0133] The step of generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes:

[0134] When the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, a digging shovel lifting control signal is generated;

[0135] When the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, a digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

[0136] It should be noted that the digging depth adaptive control device in the above embodiments has the same working principle and technical effect as the digging depth adaptive control method in the above embodiments, and will not be described again here.

[0137] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the adaptive control method for mining depth as described in the above-described method embodiments of this application.

[0138] like Figures 3-7 As shown in the figure, this application provides a harvester for harvesting crops planted on raised beds. The harvester includes a frame 1 and a digging shovel 2 fixedly installed at the front end of the frame 1. The harvester also includes:

[0139] Mounting bracket 3 is located at the front end of the frame 1 and is fixedly connected to the frame 1;

[0140] The digging depth detection component 4, mounted on the mounting frame 3, is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel 2 at a preset distance in front of the shovel 2 in the vertical direction; and

[0141] The digging depth control component 5 is mounted on the mounting frame 3. The digging depth control component 5 is communicatively connected to the digging depth detection component 4. The digging depth control component 5 is used to control the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame 3 according to the distance change signal, so that the digging shovel 2 is lifted and lowered synchronously through the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame 3, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel 2 and the digging shovel 2 is kept within a preset distance threshold. The distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

[0142] In summary, in the above embodiments, during the operation of the harvester, the digging depth detection component 4 detects the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel 2 and the vertical distance between the digging shovel 2 and the digging shovel 2. Based on the distance change signal, the digging shovel 2 is raised and lowered, so that the digging shovel 2 is raised and lowered synchronously by the raising and lowering of the mounting frame 3. This keeps the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel 2 and the digging shovel 2 within a preset distance threshold. Thus, during the harvester's digging of crops, the actual digging depth of the harvester can be adaptively controlled according to the height of the ridge. This ensures that the actual digging depth of the harvester remains basically consistent. This avoids the problem of shallow actual digging depth when the ridge height is low, which may damage the target objects such as potatoes, and also avoids the problem of deep actual digging depth when the ridge height is high, which may result in more excavated soil and make subsequent separation of crops and soil inconvenient.

[0143] Specifically, based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the mining depth detection component 4 includes:

[0144] Skid plate 41 is located below the mounting frame 3 and in front of the digging shovel 2. During the operation of the harvester, at least a portion of the lower surface of skid plate 41 slides and adheres to the upper surface of the ridge.

[0145] The sliding mechanism 42 is mounted on the mounting frame 3. The sliding skid 41 is slidably connected to the mounting frame 3 through the sliding mechanism 42, so that the sliding skid 41 can freely rise and fall in the vertical direction relative to the mounting frame 3 as the height of the upper surface of the ridge changes.

[0146] The detection unit 43 is communicatively connected to the digging depth control component 5. The detection unit 43 is used to detect the distance change signal in the vertical direction between the skid plate 41 and the frame 1.

[0147] Specifically, in this embodiment, during the operation of the harvester, since at least a portion of the lower surface of the skid plate 41 slides and adheres to the upper surface of the ridge, the skid plate 41 will freely rise and fall with the change in the height of the ridge, thereby driving the sliding mechanism 42 to rise and fall freely. The detection unit 43 detects the distance change signal of the vertical distance between the skid plate 41 and the frame 1 in real time, and the distance change signal of the vertical distance between the skid plate 41 and the frame 1 can reflect the change in the relative height of the upper surface of the ridge.

[0148] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the sliding mechanism 42 includes a bracket 421, a pair of guide pulleys 422, a slide rod 423, and a limiting plate 424.

[0149] The bracket 421 is fixedly connected to the mounting frame 3. The guide pulley pair 422 includes two pulleys with opposite peripheral walls. The pulleys are rotatably connected to the mounting frame 3. The sliding rod 423 vertically passes through the bracket 421 and is located between the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair 422. The side wall of the sliding rod 423 is slidably engaged with the peripheral walls of the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair 422. The sliding rod 423 can slide freely in the vertical direction within the mounting frame 3. The two pulleys of the guide pulley pair 422 play the role of clamping, limiting and guiding the sliding rod 423. The lower end of the sliding rod 423 is fixedly connected to the skid plate 41, and the upper end of the sliding rod 423 is fixedly connected to the limiting plate 424. When the sliding rod 423 descends, the limiting plate 424 limits the downward movement of the sliding rod 423, thereby limiting the lowest position of the skid plate 41 and preventing the skid plate 41 from contacting the ground during the non-working process of the harvester, which would affect the movement of the harvester and damage the skid plate 41.

[0150] The detection unit 43 includes a mounting plate 431, two proximity switches 432, a detection plate 433, and a fixing frame 434. The mounting plate 431 is fixedly mounted on the limiting plate 424. The two proximity switches 432 are vertically spaced on the mounting plate 431 and are respectively communicatively connected to the digging depth control component 5. The detection plate 433 is positioned opposite to the detection surfaces of the proximity switches 432. The detection plate 433 is fixedly connected to the fixing frame 434, and the fixing frame 434 is fixedly connected to the mounting frame 434.

[0151] The height of the detection plate 433 is equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the two proximity switches 432.

[0152] In use, when the height of the digging shovel 2 is appropriate (i.e., the actual digging depth is appropriate), both proximity switches 432 can sense the detection plate 433. When the skid plate 41 rises, it drives the proximity switches 432 on the mounting plate 431 to rise via the slide rod 423. This causes the proximity switch 432 above the mounting plate 431 to no longer sense the detection plate 433 (while the proximity switch 432 below the mounting plate 431 can still sense the detection plate 433). At this time, the digging depth control component 5 drives the mounting frame 3 to rise based on the output signals of the two proximity switches 432. The mounting frame 3 then drives the detection plate 433 to rise until the proximity switch 432 below the mounting plate 431 senses the detection plate 433 again, and the proximity switch 432 above the mounting plate 431 can also sense the detection plate 433, indicating that... When the position of the digging shovel 2 on the mounting frame 3 is appropriate, that is, the digging depth is appropriate, when the skid plate 41 descends, the skid plate 41 drives the proximity switch 432 on the mounting plate 431 to descend via the slide rod 423, so that the proximity switch 432 located below the mounting plate 431 can no longer sense the detection plate 433. At this time, the digging depth control component 5 drives the mounting frame 3 to descend according to the output signals of the two proximity switches 432 until the proximity switch 432 located below the mounting plate 431 senses the detection plate 433 again, and the proximity switch 432 located above the mounting plate 431 can also sense the detection plate 433, which means that the position of the digging shovel 2 on the mounting frame 3 is appropriate, that is, the digging depth is appropriate.

[0153] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, the digging depth control component 5 includes a controller (not shown in the figure), a motor 51, a auger 52, a wheel frame 53, and a support wheel 54, wherein,

[0154] Support wheel 54 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of wheel frame 53, which is located below mounting frame 3. The output end of auger jack 52 is hinged to wheel frame 53. The power input end of auger jack 52 is drive-connected to the output shaft of motor 51. Motor 51 is fixedly mounted on mounting frame 3. The control signal input end of motor 51 is connected to the signal output end of controller. The signal input end of controller is communicatively connected to digging depth detection component 4.

[0155] During the operation of the harvester, the support wheel 54 contacts the ground between two adjacent ridges. The controller controls the working state of the motor 51 based on the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel 2 at a preset distance in front of the digging depth detection component 4. The motor 51 drives the screw jack 52 to work, so that the screw jack drives the mounting frame 3 to lift and lower in the vertical direction.

[0156] When the proximity switch 432 located above the mounting plate 431 fails to detect the detection plate 433, the controller controls the motor 51 to rotate in the first preset direction (i.e., forward rotation). The rotation of the motor 51 drives the auger jack 52 to work, thereby increasing the distance between the mounting frame 3 fixedly connected to the auger jack 52 and the wheel frame 53 hinged to the output end of the auger jack 52, thus realizing the lifting of the mounting frame 3, which in turn realizes the lifting of the excavator shovel 2 fixedly connected to the mounting frame 3 via the frame 1.

[0157] When the proximity switch 432 located below the mounting plate 431 fails to detect the detection plate 433, the controller controls the motor 51 to rotate in a second preset direction opposite to the first preset direction (i.e., reverse rotation). The rotation of the motor 51 drives the auger jack 52 to work, thereby reducing the distance between the mounting frame 3 fixedly connected to the auger jack 52 and the wheel frame 53 hinged to the output end of the auger jack 52, thus realizing the descent of the mounting frame 3, which in turn realizes the descent of the excavator shovel 2 fixedly connected to the mounting frame 3 via the frame 1.

[0158] Specifically, in this embodiment, the controller is an MCU controller (i.e., Microcontroller Unit, also known as a single-chip microcomputer), specifically a 51 series single-chip microcomputer, such as the STC89C51 single-chip microcomputer.

[0159] Specifically, the structure of the screw jack 52 is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0160] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0161] Those skilled in the art will further recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0162] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented directly by hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can be located in random access memory (RAM), main memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0163] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope substantially consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An adaptive digging depth control method, applied to a harvester for harvesting ridged crops, wherein the harvester is equipped with a digging shovel, characterized in that, The adaptive control method for digging depth includes the following steps: S1, detect the distance change signal of the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel; S2, control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold; In step S2, controlling the raising and lowering of the digging shovel based on the distance change signal includes: S21, Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, generate a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel. S22, Generate a corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal; S23, control the raising and lowering of the digging shovel according to the raising and lowering adjustment signal of the digging shovel; The distance change trend signal includes a distance increase signal and a distance decrease signal, wherein, The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold. The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than the preset distance threshold. Accordingly, In step S21, generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold includes: S211, when the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel increases and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance increase signal is generated. S212, when the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance decrease signal is generated. The digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel; Accordingly, In step S22, generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes: S221, when the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, the digging shovel lifting control signal is generated; S222, when the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, the digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

2. A digging depth adaptive control device, applied to a harvester for harvesting ridged crops, the harvester being equipped with a digging shovel, characterized in that, The adaptive control device for digging depth includes: The distance change detection module is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction. The digging shovel lifting control module is used to control the lifting of the digging shovel according to the distance change signal, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is kept within a preset distance threshold, wherein the distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold. When the digging shovel lifting control module executes the control of the lifting and lowering of the digging shovel based on the distance change signal, it is specifically used for: Based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, a distance change trend signal is generated for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel. Generate a corresponding digging shovel lifting and lowering adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal; The raising and lowering of the digging shovel is controlled according to the raising and lowering adjustment signal of the digging shovel; The distance change trend signal includes a distance increase signal and a distance decrease signal, wherein, The distance increase signal is used to indicate that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment exceeds the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold. The distance reduction signal is used to characterize the minimum distance threshold at which the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel at the current moment is lower than the preset distance threshold. Accordingly, The step of generating a distance change trend signal for the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel, based on the distance change signal and the preset distance threshold, includes: When the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel increases and is greater than the maximum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance increase signal is generated. When the distance change signal indicates that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel decreases and is less than the minimum distance threshold of the preset distance threshold, the distance decrease signal is generated. The digging shovel lifting adjustment signal includes a digging shovel lifting control signal for controlling the lifting of the digging shovel and a digging shovel lowering control signal for controlling the lowering of the digging shovel; Accordingly, The step of generating the corresponding digging shovel lifting adjustment signal based on the distance change trend signal includes: When the distance change trend signal is a distance increase signal, the digging shovel lifting control signal is generated; When the distance change trend signal is a distance decreasing signal, the digging shovel descent control signal is generated.

3. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the adaptive control method for digging depth as described in claim 1.

4. A harvester employing the adaptive digging depth control method as described in claim 1, used for harvesting ridged crops, the harvester comprising a frame and a digging shovel fixedly mounted at the front end of the frame, characterized in that, The harvester also includes: The mounting bracket is disposed at the front end of the vehicle frame and is fixedly connected to the vehicle frame; A digging depth detection component, mounted on the mounting frame, is used to detect the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge and the digging shovel at a predetermined distance in front of the digging shovel in the vertical direction; and A digging depth control component is disposed on the mounting frame. The digging depth control component is communicatively connected to the digging depth detection component. The digging depth control component is used to control the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame according to the distance change signal, so that the digging shovel is synchronously lifted and lowered by the lifting and lowering of the mounting frame, so that the vertical distance between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the digging shovel is maintained within a preset distance threshold. The distance threshold includes a maximum distance threshold and a minimum distance threshold.

5. The harvester according to claim 4, characterized in that, The excavation depth detection component includes: A skid plate is disposed below the mounting frame and in front of the digging shovel. During the operation of the harvester, at least a portion of the lower surface of the skid plate slides against the upper surface of the ridge. A sliding mechanism is provided on the mounting frame, and the skid plate is slidably connected to the mounting frame through the sliding mechanism, so that the skid plate can freely rise and fall in the vertical direction relative to the mounting frame as the height of the upper surface of the ridge changes; The detection unit is communicatively connected to the digging depth control component, and the detection unit is used to detect the distance change signal in the vertical direction between the skid and the frame.

6. The harvester according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sliding mechanism includes a bracket, a pair of guide pulleys, a slide rod, and a limiting plate. The bracket is fixedly connected to the mounting frame. The guide pulley pair includes two pulleys with opposite peripheral walls. The pulleys are rotatably connected to the mounting frame. The slide rod vertically passes through the bracket and is located between the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair. The side wall of the slide rod is slidably engaged with the peripheral walls of the two pulleys of the guide pulley pair. The slide rod can slide freely in the vertical direction within the mounting frame. The lower end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the skid plate, and the upper end of the slide rod is fixedly connected to the limiting plate. The detection unit includes a mounting plate, two proximity switches, a detection plate, and a mounting bracket. The mounting plate is fixedly mounted on the limiting plate. The two proximity switches are vertically spaced on the mounting plate and are communicatively connected to the digging depth control component. The detection plate is positioned opposite to the detection surfaces of the proximity switches. The detection plate is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket. The height of the detection plate is equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the two proximity switches.

7. The harvester according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The digging depth control component includes a controller, a motor, a jack, a wheel frame, and support wheels. The support wheel is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the wheel frame, which is located below the mounting frame. The output end of the auger is hinged to the wheel frame, and the power input end of the auger is drive-connected to the output shaft of the motor. The motor is fixedly mounted on the mounting frame, and its control signal input end is connected to the signal output end of the controller. The signal input end of the controller is communicatively connected to the digging depth detection component. During the operation of the harvester, the support wheel contacts the ground between two adjacent ridges. The controller controls the working state of the motor based on the distance change signal between the upper surface of the ridge at a preset distance in front of the digging shovel and the vertical distance between the digging shovel and the digging shovel, which is output by the digging depth detection component. The motor drives the auger lifter to work, so that the auger lifter drives the mounting frame to lift and lower in the vertical direction.

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