Field Profile Sensing for Ground-Engaging Tool Failure Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Operators face challenges in detecting the failure of ground-engaging tools, such as shear bolts and leveling disks, during agricultural operations, leading to inefficient field preparation and reduced yields.

Innovation Solution

An agricultural system equipped with a field profile sensor and a computing system that monitors the profile of the field behind the implement, determining tool failure based on deviations from expected profiles and initiating control actions to mitigate the issue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If ground-engaging tools are used for tillage operations, then field preparation is performed, but tool failures go undetected due to poor visibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool operation reliabilityVSAvoidtool status information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

A field profile sensor acts as an intermediary device positioned behind the ground-engaging tools to detect and report their operational status. The sensor captures field profile data that indirectly indicates tool condition, allowing operators to monitor tool performance without direct visual contact, thus resolving the visibility problem while maintaining reliable operation detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated electronic sensing system. The field profile sensor and computing system substitute for human operators attempting to visually detect tool failures, using electromagnetic sensing and data processing to automatically identify when tools fail to engage the field properly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If operators manually monitor ground-engaging tools, then tool failures can be detected, but extensive field portions are already worked before detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure detection accuracyVSAvoidtime to detect failure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The field profile sensor continuously monitors field conditions in advance, detecting tool failures as soon as they occur rather than waiting for manual inspection. By positioning the sensor behind the tools and having it continuously capture field profile data, the system proactively identifies failures before they propagate through the field, eliminating the time delay between failure occurrence and detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The computing system receives field profile data from the sensor and provides immediate feedback about tool operational status. When the sensor detects anomalies indicating tool failure, the system automatically notifies operators, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that rapidly communicates failure information without requiring manual field inspection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If field profile sensors and computing systems are added to detect tool failures, then timely detection is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefailure detection capabilityVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the monitoring function from the main tillage implement by using a separate, dedicated field profile sensor positioned behind the tools. This extraction allows the detection system to operate independently with specialized sensing capabilities while keeping the primary tillage equipment simple and focused on its core function of soil preparation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The field profile sensor creates a digital copy or representation of the field surface conditions behind the tools. By measuring and recording field profile data, the sensor generates information that mirrors the physical state of tool engagement, allowing virtual monitoring of tool performance without adding complex mechanical sensing mechanisms to the tools themselves

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12276088B2Agricultural system and method for detecting failure of a ground-engaging tool of an agricultural implement

Publication Date: 2025.04.15 CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC

AI summary

An agricultural system for detecting failure of a ground-engaging tool of an agricultural implement includes a ground-engaging tool supported on an agricultural implement, with the ground-engaging tool being configured to engage a field during an agricultural operation of the agricultural implement within the field. The system further includes a field profile sensor configured to generate data indicative of a profile of an aft portion of the field located rearward of the ground-engaging tool relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural implement. Additionally, the system includes a computing system configured to monitor the profile of the aft portion of the field during the agricultural operation based at least in part on the data generated by the field profile sensor and determine that the ground-engaging tool failed based at least in part on the profile of the field.