Cotton picking machine lubrication system

Abstract

A lubrication system for a cotton harvester having multiple cotton picking units includes: a pump configured to provide lubrication to the multiple cotton picking units of the cotton harvester via a distributor; a sensor configured to generate a circulation signal based on an operating cycle of the distributor; and a volume module configured to receive the circulation signal from the sensor and determine a total grease volume based on the circulation signal. The lubrication system further includes a grease injection module configured to: receive the total grease volume from the volume module; increment a timing value based on operating parameters of the cotton harvester; and generate a pump control signal based on the total grease volume or the timing value to control the operation of the pump.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 634,578, filed April 16, 2024. The entire disclosure of the above-cited application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the control of lubrication systems, and more specifically, to the control of grease injection systems in cotton harvesters. Background Technology

[0003] A cotton harvester is an agricultural machine designed to harvest cotton plants in a field. A cotton harvester may include one or more headers or units for performing the harvesting operation. Each of these headers or units includes multiple picking spindles and strippers for harvesting the cotton plants. The stripper column has multiple strippers for removing the harvested cotton from the picking spindles. The strippers are discs that can be encased in rubber or polyurethane and are rotatably driven at a speed much greater than that of the picking spindles. In a conventional cotton harvester row unit, the picking spindles move below the bottom surface of the strippers, causing the cotton to be released from the spindles and stripped. In some conventional systems, the stripper drive system is mechanically driven separately from the picking spindle drive system, or at least the two systems are mechanically coupled to each other. This mechanical coupling of the stripper drive system and the picking spindle drive system allows for maintaining a speed relationship and also enables proper functioning when the system is operating in harvesting mode. In other words, the picking spindles can operate in the desired direction of travel. In other systems, the stripper drive system and the picking spindle drive system can be controlled independently.

[0004] The background description provided herein is for the purpose of giving a general overview of the background of this disclosure. Within the scope described in this background section, the work of the currently named inventors and descriptions that may not conform to the prior art at the time of submission are neither expressly nor implicitly acknowledged as prior art to this disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A lubrication system for a cotton harvester having multiple cotton picking units includes: a pump configured to supply lubricant to the multiple cotton picking units of the cotton harvester via a distributor; a sensor configured to generate a circulation signal based on an operating cycle of the distributor; and a volume module configured to receive the circulation signal from the sensor and determine a total grease volume based on the circulation signal. The lubrication system further includes a grease injection module configured to: receive the total grease volume from the volume module; increment a timing value based on operating parameters of the cotton harvester; and generate a pump control signal based on the total grease volume or the timing value to control the operation of the pump.

[0006] Among other features, the grease injection module is configured to reset the timing value and begin incrementing the timing value in response to determining that the cotton harvester has started.

[0007] Among other features, the grease injection module is configured to reset the timing value and begin incrementing the timing value in response to determining that the grease injection operation is complete.

[0008] Among other features, the grease injection module is configured to compare the timing value with a first stored value and to operate the pump in response to determining that the timing value is equal to or greater than the first stored value.

[0009] Among other features, the grease injection module is configured to compare the total grease volume with a second storage value, and to stop the pump in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second storage value.

[0010] Among other features, the lubrication system includes an error module configured to: receive a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; receive a pump control signal from the grease injection module; and determine the state of the lubrication system based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

[0011] In a further feature, the grease injection module is configured to stop the pump in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

[0012] Among other features, the lubrication system includes an error module configured to: receive the circulation signal; receive the pump control signal from the grease injection module; and determine the state of the lubrication system based on the circulation signal and the pump control signal.

[0013] In a further feature, the error module is configured to display the status of the lubrication system on the display of the cotton harvester.

[0014] A method for controlling a lubrication system of a cotton harvester includes: receiving a circulation signal from a sensor of the lubrication system; determining a total grease volume based on the received circulation signal; incrementing a timer based on operating parameters of the cotton harvester; generating a pump control signal based on the total grease volume or the timer; and providing the pump control signal to a pump of the lubrication system.

[0015] Among other features, the method includes resetting the timing value in response to determining that the cotton harvester has been started.

[0016] Among other features, the method includes resetting the timing in response to determining that a grease injection operation of the lubrication system has been completed.

[0017] Among other features, the method includes: comparing the timing with a first value; and operating the pump in response to determining that the timing is equal to or greater than the first value.

[0018] Among other features, the method includes: comparing the total grease volume with a second value; and stopping the pump in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second value.

[0019] Among other features, the method includes: receiving a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; and determining the state of the lubrication system based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

[0020] In a further feature, the method includes: stopping the pump of the lubrication system in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

[0021] Among other features, the method includes determining the state of the lubrication system based on the circulation signal and the pump control signal.

[0022] In a further feature, the method includes: displaying the determined state of the lubrication system to the operator of the cotton harvester.

[0023] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions for controlling a lubrication system of a cotton harvester. The instructions include: receiving a circulation signal from a sensor of the lubrication system; determining a total grease volume based on the received circulation signal; incrementing a timer based on operating parameters of the cotton harvester; generating a pump control signal based on the total grease volume or the timer value; and providing the pump control signal to a pump in the lubrication system.

[0024] Among other features, the instruction includes resetting the timing in response to determining that the cotton harvester has been started.

[0025] Among other features, the instruction includes resetting the timing in response to determining the completion of the grease injection operation of the lubrication system.

[0026] Among other features, the instructions include: comparing the timing with a first value; and operating the pump in response to determining that the timing is equal to or greater than the first value.

[0027] Among other features, the instruction includes: comparing the total grease volume with a second value; and stopping the pump in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second value.

[0028] Among other features, the instructions include: receiving a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; and determining the state of the lubrication system based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

[0029] In a further feature, the instruction includes: stopping the pump of the lubrication system in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

[0030] Among other features, the instructions include: determining the state of the lubrication system based on the cycle signal and the pump control signal.

[0031] In a further feature, the instruction includes: displaying the determined status of the lubrication system to the operator of the cotton harvester.

[0032] The further applicable scope of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0033] This disclosure will be more fully understood through detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 This is a side view of an exemplary work vehicle that includes a grease injection control system based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary lubrication system for multi-row tabletop agricultural machinery.

[0036] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a grease injection control system based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 4 It is by Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation performed by the grease injection control system.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a grease injection error module based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 6 It is by Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating exemplary operations performed by an implementation of the cyclic monitoring module.

[0040] Figure 7 It is by Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating exemplary operations performed by an implementation scheme for a pressure monitoring module.

[0041] Figure 8 This is a functional block diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of a grease injection control system based on the principles of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 9 It is by Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary operation performed by the grease injection control system.

[0043] In the accompanying drawings, reference numerals may be reused to identify similar and / or identical elements. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Figure 1 An exemplary cotton harvester 15, such as a cotton harvester, is illustrated. The cotton harvester 15 includes a chassis 20. The chassis 20 illustrated is supported by a front ground engagement member 25 and a rear ground engagement member 30. Although the front ground engagement member 25 and the rear ground engagement member 30 of the cotton harvester 15 are depicted as wheels, other support members, such as tracks, are contemplated. The cotton harvester 15 is adapted to move through a field 35 to harvest cotton. An operator station 40 is supported by the chassis 20.

[0045] Operator interface 45 is located in operator station 40. In some embodiments, operator interface 45 includes a display screen, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) screen, an organic LED (OLED) screen, or a CRT display. The display screen of operator interface 45 can present various features and / or parameters of cotton harvester 15 via a graphical user interface (GUI). In various embodiments, operator interface 45 may include one or more user input devices, such as buttons, switches, touch screens, and / or levers. The operator of cotton harvester 15 can adjust various operating parameters of cotton harvester 15 via operator interface 45, for example, by actuating one or more of the user input devices.

[0046] The power module 50 can be supported under the chassis 20. The power module can be an engine 55 that drives a hydraulic motor 60 or a mechanical drive 65 to power the variable pitch fan 70. The operator can set the minimum power for the power module 50 from the operator interface 45. The operator can also set the minimum engine speed from the operator interface 45. The water tank, lubricant tank, and fuel tank, generally indicated by 75, can be supported on the chassis 20.

[0047] The harvesting structure 80 can be connected to the chassis 20. The harvesting structure 80 is configured to remove cotton from the field 35 and includes multiple cotton picking units 90.

[0048] Air duct system 95 can be connected to harvesting structure 80. Circular module builder 105 can be connected to air duct system 95. Circular module builder 105 includes accumulator 110, which is configured to receive cotton harvested by cotton picking unit 90.

[0049] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The feeder 115 can be connected to the chassis 20. The feeder 115 is configured to receive cotton from the accumulator 110. The feeder 115 includes a plurality of rollers 120 configured to compress the cotton and transfer it to the baler 125 of the circular module builder 105.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the cotton harvester 15 includes a lubrication system 200 and a grease control module 150. The lubrication system 200 supplies lubricant (e.g., grease) to one or more cotton harvesting units 90 of the cotton harvester 15. The operator interface 45, the lubrication system 200, and the grease control module 150 can exchange data (e.g., parameters and commands) via a network 175 (such as a controller area network (CAN)). The network 175 may include one or more data buses.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a lubrication system 200 is shown. The lubrication system 200 includes a lubrication or grease pump system 202 for supplying lubricant to one or more headers or cotton picking units 90 of the cotton harvester 15. Figure 2 In system 200, multiple cotton harvesting units 90 are shown. Specifically, six cotton harvesting units 90 are shown. For example, the agricultural machinery includes a first harvesting unit 216, a second harvesting unit 218, a third harvesting unit 220, a fourth harvesting unit 222, a fifth harvesting unit 224, and a sixth harvesting unit 226. Lubrication system 200 is designed to supply lubricant from pump system 202 to each cotton harvesting unit 90, as described below.

[0052] Pump system 202 includes pump 204 and reservoir 206. Reservoir 206 stores lubricant and is fluidly connected to pump 204. Pump 204 supplies lubricant to supply line 244. Pressure relief valve 208 is located downstream of pump 202 and is fluidly connected to reservoir 206 via return line 246. In other embodiments, pressure sensors and pressure switches may be used. In some embodiments, pressure relief valve 208, along with pressure switches and / or pressure sensors, may be used.

[0053] like Figure 2As shown, lubricant is supplied via supply line 244 through filter 262 or a screen. Pressure sensor 260 and pressure switch 264 are located downstream of pump 204 along supply line 244. Pressure switch 264 is located upstream of filter 262 and is configured to detect flow blockage or restriction in filter 262. Pressure sensor 260 is located downstream of filter 262 and is configured to sense the pressure of fluid or lubricant in supply line 244. In other embodiments, other arrangements of pressure switch 264 and pressure sensor 260 are also possible. For example, in some embodiments, pressure sensor 260 and pressure switch 264 may be located upstream of filter 262. In other embodiments, pressure sensor 260 and pressure switch 264 may be located downstream of filter 262. In yet another embodiment, one or more pressure sensors 260 and pressure switches 264 may be present upstream and / or downstream of filter 262. Figure 2 Although not shown, each pressure sensor 260 and pressure switch 264 can communicate with a controller or control system (e.g., grease injection control module 150) to transmit signals to that controller or control system.

[0054] Lubricant is supplied via pump 204 and supply line 244 to a primary distributor 210 located downstream of pump system 202. The primary distributor 210 (also referred to as a progressive distributor) is configured to sequentially distribute lubricant to each cotton picking unit 90. More specifically, the primary distributor 210 is configured to distribute a specific volume of lubricant to the first picking unit 216, then to the second picking unit 218, the third picking unit 220, and so on. During operation, the primary distributor 210 ensures that in each cycle, each picking unit receives the same volume of lubricant as the other picking units. Therefore, Figure 2 The lubrication system 200 is not a limited lubrication system. Instead, the primary dispenser 210 includes a sensor (such as a proximity switch 212) configured to count cycles. The proximity switch 212 can be used to determine how much or what volume of lubricant is dispensed to each harvester unit. Furthermore, the proximity switch 212 can be used to determine how many cycles are needed to achieve a threshold or sufficient amount of lubrication at each harvester unit. The proximity switch 212 is unaffected by temperature changes in the lubricant; instead, it counts or detects the number of cycles that dispense lubricant to each harvester unit.

[0055] Multiple fluid lines or hoses are connected to the primary distributor 210 to supply fluid downstream of the primary distributor 210 and to one of the multiple cotton picking units 90. For example, a first fluid line 248 is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to a first picking unit 216. A second fluid line 250 of the multiple fluid lines is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to a second picking unit 218. A third fluid line 252 of the multiple fluid lines is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to a third picking unit 220. A fourth fluid line 254 of the multiple fluid lines is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to a fourth picking unit 222. A fifth fluid line 256 of the multiple fluid lines is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to a fifth picking unit 224. The sixth fluid line 258 of the multiple fluid lines is connected to the primary distributor 210 and supplies lubricant to the sixth harvester unit 226.

[0056] Multiple check valves can also be combined into different fluid lines downstream of the primary distributor 210. For example, a first check valve is fluid-contained between the primary distributor 210 and a first fluid line 254. The first check valve is configured to prevent lubricant backflow into the primary distributor 210. Similarly, a second check valve is fluid-contained between the primary distributor 210 and a second fluid line 256. A third and fourth check valve 406 are fluid-contained between the primary distributor 210 and third and fourth fluid lines 258 and 248, respectively. Furthermore, a fifth and sixth check valve are fluid-contained between the primary distributor 210 and fifth and sixth fluid lines 250 and 252, respectively. Thus, each of the multiple fluid lines is fluid-contained to a different port associated with the primary distributor 210. The primary distributor 210 may include additional ports to which fluid lines or hoses are not connected. For example, in Figure 2 In one implementation, the first port 240 and the second port 242 are blocked, preventing lubricant from being distributed from the primary dispenser 210 through either port.

[0057] As lubricant is distributed to each cotton picking unit 90 via the primary distributor 210, lubricant is supplied to secondary distributors via corresponding fluid lines (e.g., first fluid line 254). In one embodiment, each picking unit includes its own secondary distributor. In other embodiments, two or more picking units may be fluidly coupled to the same secondary distributor. In some embodiments, the secondary distributor is the same or shared for each of the picking units. In other embodiments, the secondary distributor is the same for at least two or more cotton picking units 90.

[0058] In several embodiments, the primary distributor is specific to a particular agricultural machine and the number of harvester units coupled to that machine. For example, in one embodiment, an agricultural machine with four harvester units may utilize one primary distributor, while an agricultural machine with six harvester units may utilize different primary distributors. In some embodiments, each machine may include only one primary distributor and multiple secondary distributors for each harvester unit. In other embodiments, each machine may include two or more primary distributors. In a further embodiment, the agricultural machine may include multiple primary distributors and multiple secondary distributors in its lubrication system. Figure 2 In the diagram, each cotton picking unit is shown as including its own secondary distributor.

[0059] Figure 3 This is a functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a grease control system 300. The grease control system 300 includes a grease injection control module 350, a proximity switch 212, a pump 204, and a display 45. The grease control system 300 may include a pressure sensor 260 and / or a pressure switch 264. The grease injection control module 350 is an embodiment of the grease injection control module 150 and may include a grease volume module 360, a grease injection error module 370, and an automatic grease injection module 380.

[0060] In various examples, the grease injection control module 350 can be as follows: Figure 1 The example illustrates a standalone module in the cotton picker 15. In other examples, at least one of the grease volume module 360, grease error module 370, and automatic grease module 380 may be implemented independently or together with one or more other modules or controllers of the cotton picker 15 (e.g., a front-end domain (FED) controller).

[0061] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3The grease control module 350 controls the operation of the pump 204 of the lubrication system 200 to grease the cotton picking unit 90 of the cotton picker 15. The automatic grease module 380 generates a pump control signal based on the time elapsed since the cotton picker 15 was started or the last grease application to the picking unit, and the total volume of grease distributed by the primary distributor 210. The automatic grease module outputs this pump control signal to the pump 204.

[0062] The grease volume module 360 ​​receives signals from the proximity switch 212 and pump control signals output by the automatic grease dispensing module 380. The grease volume module 360 ​​stores values ​​representing the volume of grease dispensed in each cycle of the primary dispenser 210. In some embodiments, the volume for each cycle is a fixed value. In other embodiments, the volume for each cycle is set to an initial value, for example, at the factory, and the volume for each cycle can be updated by the operator of the cotton harvester 15, for example, via the display 45. In response to determining that the pump control signal indicates that the pump 204 is operating, the grease volume module 360 ​​calculates the total volume of grease dispensed by the primary dispenser 210 based on the signals received from the proximity switch 212 and the stored volume values ​​for each cycle. The grease volume module 360 ​​outputs the calculated total grease volume to the automatic grease dispensing module 380.

[0063] The grease filling error module 370 receives signals from proximity switch 212, one or more signals indicating the pressure of grease in lubrication system 200, and pump control signals output by automatic grease filling module 380. In some embodiments, the grease filling error module 370 receives signals from pressure sensor 262. In other embodiments, the grease filling error module 370 receives signals from pressure switch 264. In still other embodiments, the grease filling error module 370 receives signals from both pressure sensor 262 and pressure switch 264.

[0064] The lubrication error module 370 determines the status of the lubrication system 200 based on the received signals. The lubrication error module 370 can present the determined status to the operator of the cotton harvester 15 via the display 45. The lubrication error module 370 can also output a lubrication diagnostic fault code (DTC) based on the determination that the lubrication system 200 is operating in an erroneous state.

[0065] The automatic grease injection module 380 may include a timer (not shown) representing the elapsed time since the cotton harvester 15 was started or since the last completed grease injection operation of a harvesting unit, for example, since the automatic grease injection module 380 last cycled pump 204 on and off. In some embodiments, the automatic grease injection module 380 increments the timer only while the cotton harvester 15 is harvesting cotton. For example, the automatic grease injection module 380 may receive signals from one or more cotton harvesting units 90 and increment the timer in response to a received signal indicating that one or more of the cotton harvesting units 90 are in operation.

[0066] The automatic grease application module 380 stores a value representing the grease application interval (i.e., the time period between grease application operations). The grease application interval can be set to an initial value, for example, at the factory, and this interval can be updated by the operator of the cotton harvester 15, for example, via the display 45. It also stores a value representing the total amount of grease associated with a complete grease application operation (i.e., the amount of grease to be distributed across all cotton harvesting units 90 of the cotton harvester 15). In various embodiments, the total amount of grease is a fixed value. In some embodiments, the total amount of grease is set to an initial value, for example, at the factory, and this total amount of grease can be updated by the operator of the cotton harvester 15, for example, via the display 45.

[0067] In various implementations, the automatic grease injection module 380 can stop the current grease injection operation or prevent / delay future grease injection operations based on input from the operator of the cotton harvester 15. For example, in response to receiving an override command from the operator, for example via display 45, the automatic grease injection module 380 generates a control signal to stop pump 204 (if it is currently on) and resets the timing.

[0068] The automatic grease dispensing module 380 can present information associated with the grease dispensing control system 300 to the operator of the cotton harvester 15. For example, the automatic grease dispensing module 380 can make the display 45 show the time until the next automatic grease dispensing operation, the current grease dispensing interval, the current operating status of the pump 204, the amount of grease being dispensed, or a combination thereof.

[0069] Figure 4 This is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method of controlling a lubrication system (such as lubrication system 200) of a cotton harvester 15. In one exemplary embodiment, control may be performed by a grease control module 350. In other embodiments, control may be performed by a front-end domain (FED) of the cotton harvester 15 or another controller.

[0070] After the cotton harvester 15 is started, control begins. Figure 4 At 405, the control sets the diagnostic fault codes (DTCs) associated with the lubrication system 200 (Grease_DTC, Grease_DTC) to "false". Control continues to 410, where the control resets the timer. For example, the automatic grease module sets the Grease_Timer to zero. Control continues to 415.

[0071] At 415, the control increments the timer. At 420, the control determines whether the timer is greater than or equal to the grease interval value. For example, the automatic grease module 380 compares the grease timer with the stored grease interval. If yes, the control moves to 425; otherwise, the control returns to 415.

[0072] At 425, the control sets the total grease volume (grease_vol) to zero; for example, the grease volume module 360 ​​resets the total volume of grease distributed by the primary dispenser 210. At 425, the control also activates the grease pump; for example, the automatic grease module 380 generates a pump control signal to turn on pump 204. The control then proceeds to 430.

[0073] At 430, control updates the total grease volume (grease_vol). For example, the grease volume module 360 ​​updates the total volume of grease dispensed by the primary dispenser 210 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 212 and the stored per-cycle volume value. Control continues to 435.

[0074] At 435, control determines whether the lubrication system is operating in an erroneous state. For example, the automatic grease injection module 380 determines whether the grease error module 370 is outputting (Grease_DTC). If yes, control moves to 440, where the grease pump is stopped, and then control ends. Otherwise, control proceeds to 445.

[0075] At 445, control determines whether the total grease volume (grease_vol) is equal to or greater than the set grease amount. For example, the automatic grease injection module 380 compares the total volume of grease output by the grease volume module 360 ​​with the total amount of grease stored for a complete grease injection operation. If yes, control proceeds to 450; otherwise, control returns to 430.

[0076] At 450, the grease pump is stopped. For example, the automatic grease injection module 380 generates a pump control signal that shuts down pump 204. Then, control returns to 410.

[0077] Figure 5 This is a functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the grease injection error module 370. The grease injection error module 370 includes a circulation monitoring module 510 and a pressure monitoring module 520. The circulation monitoring module 510 receives a signal from a proximity switch 212 and a pump control signal output by the automatic grease injection module 380. In response to determining that the pump control signal indicates that the pump 204 is running, the circulation monitoring module 520 determines whether the proximity switch 212 is sending a periodic circulation signal. If no, the circulation monitoring module 510 generates a grease injection DTC. The absence of a periodic circulation signal from the proximity switch 212 when the pump 204 is on can indicate a leak, such as a leak in the supply line 244.

[0078] The pressure monitoring module 520 receives signals from pressure sensor 260, pressure switch 264, or both, indicating the pressure of grease in the lubrication system 200, as well as a pump control signal output by the automatic grease injection module 380. In response to determining that the pump control signal indicates pump 204 is on, the pressure monitoring module 520 compares the grease pressure with both a low threshold and a high threshold. A grease pressure measured while pump 204 is running below the low threshold may indicate a leak, such as a leak in the fluid line connected between the primary distributor 210 and one of the cotton picking units 90. A grease pressure measured while pump 204 is running above the high threshold may indicate a blockage or congestion in one or more of the cotton picking units 90 or in the associated piping.

[0079] Figure 6 This is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method for determining the malfunction state of the lubrication system of a cotton harvester 15 based on the output of a proximity switch, such as for a lubrication system 200 and a proximity switch 212. In one exemplary embodiment, control may be performed by a cycle monitoring module 510. In other embodiments, control may be performed by a front-end domain (FED) of the cotton harvester 15 or another controller.

[0080] After the grease pump (e.g., pump 204) of the cotton harvester 15 is started, control begins at 610. At 610, the control sets the cycle error flag (Cycle_Error) to "false". Control continues to 620, where it determines whether a proximity signal has been detected. For example, the cycle monitoring module 510 determines whether a signal has been received from the proximity switch 212. If yes, control proceeds to 630; otherwise, control moves to 640.

[0081] At point 640, the control sets the cycle error flag (Cycle_Error) to "true" and displays the error status of the lubrication system 200 to the operator. At point 640, the control also sets the Grease_DTC to "true". For example, the cycle monitoring module 510 generates a grease DTC signal. Then, the control terminates.

[0082] At 630, the control determines whether the grease pump is running. For example, the circulation monitoring module 510 determines whether the pump control signal received from the automatic grease injection module 380 indicates that the pump 204 is on. If yes, the control returns to 620; otherwise, the control ends.

[0083] Figure 7 This is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method for determining the fault state of the lubrication system (such as lubrication system 200) of a cotton harvester 15 based on measured grease pressure. In one exemplary embodiment, control may be performed by a pressure monitoring module 520. In other embodiments, control may be performed by a front-end domain (FED) controller of the cotton harvester 15 or another controller.

[0084] After the grease pump (e.g., pump 204) of the cotton harvester 15 is started, control begins at 710. At 710, control sets both the low pressure error flag (Low_Error) and the high pressure error flag (High_Error) to "false". Control continues to 720, where control measures the grease pressure (Grease_Pressure) associated with the lubrication system 200. For example, pressure monitoring module 520 receives signals from pressure sensor 206 and / or pressure switch 264. Control proceeds to 730.

[0085] At 730, the control determines whether the measured grease pressure (Grease_Pressure) is less than or equal to a preset low pressure threshold. If yes, the control moves to 740; otherwise, it proceeds to 750. At 740, the control sets the low pressure flag (Low_Error) to true. The control then proceeds to 760, where it displays an error status of the lubrication system 200 to the operator and sets the Grease_DTC (Grease_DTC) to true. For example, the pressure monitoring module 520 displays the error status on the display 45 and generates a grease DTC signal. The control then terminates.

[0086] Returning to 750, the control determines whether the measured grease pressure (Grease_Pressure) is greater than or equal to a preset high pressure threshold. If yes, the control moves to 770; otherwise, the control proceeds to 780. At 770, the control sets the high pressure flag (High_Error) to true, and then the control proceeds to 760.

[0087] At 780, control determines whether the grease pump is running. For example, pressure monitoring module 520 determines whether the pump control signal received from automatic grease injection module 380 indicates that pump 204 is on. If yes, control returns to 720; otherwise, control ends.

[0088] Figure 8 This is a functional block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a grease control system 800. The grease control system 800 includes a grease injection control module 850, a proximity switch 212, a pump 204, and a display 45. The grease control system 800 also includes a pressure sensor 260 and / or a pressure switch 264. The grease injection control module 850 is an embodiment of the grease injection control module 150 and may include a grease volume module 360, a grease injection error module 370, an automatic grease injection module 880, and a manual grease injection module 890.

[0089] In various examples, the grease control module 850 can be as follows: Figure 1 The example illustrates a standalone module in the cotton picker 15. In other examples, at least one of the grease volume module 360, grease error module 370, automatic grease module 880, and manual grease module 890 may be implemented independently or together with one or more other modules or controllers of the cotton picker 15 (e.g., a front-end domain (FED) controller).

[0090] The manual grease module 890 controls the manual operation of the pump 204 of the lubrication system 200 to grease the cotton picking unit 90 of the cotton picker 15, for example, in the morning. The manual grease module 890 generates pump control signals based on operator input received via a tether. The tether is personal to the cotton picker, remote, wired, or wireless, and allows the operator to control various features and functions of the cotton picker 15, including issuing manual grease commands when outside the operator station 40 (e.g., when the operator is on the ground near the cotton picker 15). In some embodiments, the manual grease module 890 may receive manual grease commands from the operator via the cotton picker's display 45.

[0091] In response to receiving a manual grease injection command from the operator, the manual grease injection module 890 generates a pump control signal to operate the pump 204. In some embodiments, the manual grease injection module 890 continues to generate the pump control signal to operate the pump 204 as long as the operator commands manual grease injection, for example, as long as the operator presses the grease injection button on the tether. In other embodiments, the manual grease injection module 890 generates the pump control signal to operate the pump 204 until a preset time period has elapsed. In still other embodiments, the manual grease injection module 890 generates the pump control signal to operate the pump 204 until a specific amount of grease has been dispensed.

[0092] The manual grease module 890 can present information related to the manual grease operation to the operator of the cotton harvester 15. For example, the manual grease module 890 can make the display 45 show the status of the manual grease operation, the current operating status of the pump 204, the amount of grease being dispensed, or a combination thereof.

[0093] The automatic grease injection module 880 performs all the same operations and functions as the automatic grease injection module 380 described above. For example, the automatic grease injection module 880 generates a pump control signal based on the time elapsed since the cotton harvester 15 was started or the last grease injection in the harvesting unit, and the total volume of grease distributed by the primary distributor 210. In some embodiments, the automatic grease injection module 890 may reset the grease injection interval timer in response to determining that the operator has commanded a manual grease injection operation.

[0094] Figure 9 This is a flowchart depicting another exemplary method of controlling a lubrication system (such as lubrication system 200) of a cotton harvester 15. In one exemplary embodiment, control may be performed by a grease control module 850. In other embodiments, control may be performed by a front-end domain (FED) of the cotton harvester 15 or another controller.

[0095] After the cotton harvester 15 is started, control begins. Figure 9 At 905, the control sets the diagnostic fault code (DTC) (Grease_DTC) associated with the lubrication system 200 to "false". Control continues to 910, where the control resets the timer (Grease_Timer). For example, the automatic grease module 850 sets the timer to zero. Control continues to 915.

[0096] At 915, the control increments the timer (Grease_Timer). At 920, the control determines whether the operator of the cotton harvester 15 has commanded manual grease application. For example, the manual grease module 890 receives a signal from the tether indicating a manual grease application operation. If yes, the control moves to 925; otherwise, the control proceeds to 930.

[0097] At 925, control executes manual grease injection of the cotton picking unit 90, setting the diagnostic fault codes (DTCs) associated with the lubrication system 200 (Grease_DTC) to "false". For example, the manual grease injection module 890 generates a pump control signal commanding the pump 204 to start, and the grease error module resets all error flags and stops generating any grease DTCs. In some embodiments, control returns to 920 after 925, and the manual grease injection operation has no effect on timing, for example, the Grease_Timer is not reset to zero. In other embodiments, control returns to 910 after 925, and the Grease_Timer is reset.

[0098] At 930, control determines whether the timer is greater than or equal to the set grease interval value. For example, the automatic grease module 880 compares the grease timer with the stored grease interval. If yes, control moves to 935; otherwise, control returns to 915.

[0099] At 935, the control sets the total grease volume (grease_vol) to zero; for example, the grease volume module 360 ​​resets the total volume of grease distributed by the primary dispenser 210. At 935, the control also activates the grease pump; for example, the automatic grease module 880 generates a pump control signal to turn on pump 204. The control then proceeds to 940.

[0100] At 940, control updates the total grease volume (Grease_Vol). For example, the grease volume module 360 ​​updates the total volume of grease dispensed by the primary dispenser 210 based on the signal from the proximity sensor 212 and the stored per-cycle volume value. Control continues to 945. At 945, control determines whether the lubrication system is operating in an erroneous state. For example, the automatic grease module 880 determines whether the grease error module 370 is outputting (Grease_DTC). If yes, control moves to 950; otherwise, control proceeds to 955. At 950, control stops the grease pump. For example, the automatic grease module 880 generates a pump control signal to stop pump 204. Control then returns to 910.

[0101] At 955, control determines whether the total grease volume (grease_vol) is equal to or greater than the set grease amount. For example, the automatic grease injection module 880 compares the total volume of grease output by the grease volume module 360 ​​with the total amount of grease stored and associated with the complete grease injection operation. If yes, control proceeds to 950; otherwise, control returns to 940.

[0102] The foregoing description is merely illustrative and is not intended in any way to limit this disclosure, its application, or its use. The broad teachings of this disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although this disclosure includes specific examples, its true scope is not limited thereto, as other modifications will become apparent upon examination of the drawings, specification, and appended claims. It should be understood that one or more steps of the method may be performed in a different order (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of these features described with respect to any embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented in and / or combined with features of any other embodiment, even if such combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions between one or more embodiments remain within the scope of this disclosure.

[0103] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including “connection,” “joint,” “link,” “adjacent,” “near,” “on top of,” “above,” “below,” and “arranged.” Unless explicitly described as “direct,” when describing the relationship between the first and second elements in the foregoing disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship in which no other intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements, or an indirect relationship in which one or more intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements (spatially or functionally).

[0104] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted as logic expressed using non-exclusive logical OR (A or B or C), and should not be interpreted as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C". The term "subset" does not necessarily require an appropriate subset. In other words, a first subset of a first set can be congruent to (equal to) the first set.

[0105] In the accompanying drawings, the direction of the arrows typically indicates the flow of information of interest (e.g., data or instructions). For example, when components A and B exchange various types of information, but the information sent from component A to component B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from component A to component B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is being sent from component B to component A. Furthermore, for information sent from component A to component B, component B may send a request for or confirmation of receipt of the information to component A.

[0106] In this application, the terms "module" or "controller" are replaced by the term "circuit" as defined below. The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include the following: application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital discrete circuit; digital, analog, or mixed-signal analog / digital integrated circuit; combinational logic circuit; field-programmable gate array (FPGA); (shared, dedicated, or group) processor circuitry that executes code; (shared, dedicated, or group) memory circuitry that stores code executed by the processor circuitry; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the foregoing, such as in a system-on-a-chip.

[0107] Some or all of the hardware characteristics of a module can be defined using a hardware description language, such as IEEE Standard 1364-2005 (commonly referred to as "Verilog") and IEEE Standard 1076-2008 (commonly referred to as "VHDL"). Hardware description languages ​​can be used to fabricate and / or program hardware circuits. In some implementations, some or all of the module's characteristics can be defined by a language such as IEEE 1666-2005 (commonly referred to as "SystemC"), which encompasses both code and hardware description as described below.

[0108] The term "code" as used above can include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and can refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term "shared processor circuitry" covers a single processor circuitry that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuitry" covers processor circuitry combined with additional processor circuitry to execute some or all of the code from one or more modules. The reference to "multiprocessor circuitry" covers multiprocessor circuitry on a discrete die, multiprocessor circuitry on a single die, multicore of a single processor circuitry, multithreading of a single processor circuitry, or a combination thereof. The term "shared memory circuitry" covers a single memory circuitry that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuitry" covers memory circuitry combined with additional memory to store some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0109] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium." As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" does not cover transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (e.g., on a carrier wave); therefore, the term "computer-readable medium" can be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (e.g., flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (e.g., static random access memory circuits, or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (e.g., analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0110] The apparatus and methods described in this application can be implemented, partially or completely, by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions contained in a computer program. The aforementioned function blocks and flowchart elements serve as software specifications that can be translated into a computer program through the routine work of skilled technicians or programmers.

[0111] A computer program includes processor-executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium. A computer program may also include stored data or depend on stored data. A computer program may encompass a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of a special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of a special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0112] Computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation); (ii) assembly code; (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler; (iv) source code executed by an interpreter; (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time (JIT) compiler, etc. As an example only, source code may be written using syntax from languages ​​including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, JavaScript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5th revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python®.

[0113] Unless the phrase “apparatus for…” or, in the case of a method claim, the phrase “operation for…” or “step for…” is used to explicitly describe the element, the element described in the claim is not intended to be an apparatus plus a functional element as defined in 35 U.S.SC §122(f).

Claims

1. A lubrication system for a cotton harvester having multiple cotton picking units, the lubrication system comprising: A pump configured to provide lubrication to multiple cotton picking units of the cotton harvester via a distributor; A sensor configured to generate a cyclic signal based on the operating cycle of the distributor; A volume module configured to receive the cyclic signal from the sensor and determine the total oil volume based on the cyclic signal; as well as The grease injection module is configured as follows: Receive the total oil volume from the volume module; Increment the timing value based on the operating parameters of the cotton harvester; and A pump control signal is generated based on the total oil volume or the timing value to control the operation of the pump.

2. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein, The grease injection module is configured to reset the timing value and begin incrementing the timing value in response to determining that the cotton harvester has started.

3. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein, The grease injection module is configured to reset the timing value and begin incrementing the timing value in response to determining that the grease injection operation is complete.

4. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein, The grease injection module is configured to compare the timing value with a first stored value, and to run the pump in response to determining that the timing value is equal to or greater than the first stored value.

5. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein, The grease injection module is configured to compare the total grease volume with a second storage value, and to stop the pump in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second storage value.

6. The lubrication system according to claim 1, further comprising an error module, the error module being configured to: Receive a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; Receive the pump control signal from the grease injection module; and The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

7. The lubrication system according to claim 6, wherein, The grease injection module is configured to stop the pump in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

8. The lubrication system according to claim 1, further comprising an error module, the error module being configured to: Receive the cyclic signal; Receive the pump control signal from the grease injection module; and The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the circulation signal and the pump control signal.

9. The lubrication system according to claim 8, wherein, The error module is configured to display the status of the lubrication system on the display of the cotton harvester.

10. A method for controlling the lubrication system of a cotton harvester, the method comprising: Receive circulation signals from the sensors of the lubrication system; The total oil volume is determined based on the received circulation signal; The timing increment is based on the operating parameters of the cotton harvester; A pump control signal is generated based on the total oil volume or the timing. as well as The pump control signal is provided to the pump of the lubrication system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The timing value is reset in response to determining that the cotton harvester has started.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The timer is reset in response to determining that the grease injection operation of the lubrication system has been completed.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Compare the timing with the first value; and The pump is operated in response to determining that the timing is equal to or greater than the first value.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Compare the total oil volume with the second value; as well as The pump stops in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second value.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising: Receive a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; as well as The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: The pump of the lubrication system is stopped in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the circulation signal and the pump control signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: The determined status of the lubrication system is displayed to the operator of the cotton harvester.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions for controlling a lubrication system of a cotton harvester, the instructions comprising: Receive circulation signals from the sensors of the lubrication system; The total oil volume is determined based on the received circulation signal; The timing increment is based on the operating parameters of the cotton harvester; A pump control signal is generated based on the total oil volume or the timing value; as well as The pump control signal is provided to the pump of the lubrication system.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: The timer is reset in response to determining that the cotton harvester has started.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: The timer is reset in response to determining that the grease injection operation of the lubrication system has been completed.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: Compare the timing with the first value; and The pump is operated in response to determining that the timing is equal to or greater than the first value.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: Compare the total oil volume with the second value; as well as The pump stops in response to determining that the total grease volume is equal to or greater than the second value.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: Receive a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure of the lubrication system; as well as The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the pressure signal and the pump control signal.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions further include: The pump of the lubrication system is stopped in response to determining that the state of the lubrication system corresponds to an error state.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further include: The state of the lubrication system is determined based on the circulation signal and the pump control signal.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions further include: The determined status of the lubrication system is displayed to the operator of the cotton harvester.

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