Spout-Mounted Time-of-Flight Sensing for Grain Cart Fill Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The unloading of grain from combines into grain carts is a manual operation that is inefficient and lacks automation, leading to potential overfilling and spillage during the harvesting process.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising time-of-flight sensors mounted on the combine spout to measure grain height in the grain cart, coupled with GPS and processing circuitry to determine fill levels and provide operator feedback or automated control for efficient filling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual operation is used to unload grain from combine to grain cart, then the operator can control the unloading process, but the operation is inefficient and lacks automation leading to potential overfilling and spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated optical sensing system. Time-of-flight sensors mounted on the combine spout automatically measure grain height in the cart, eliminating the need for manual visual assessment and control, thereby increasing both automation level and productivity simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the unloading process to self-regulate through automated feedback. The sensors continuously monitor grain fill level and provide real-time data to control the unloading operation, allowing the system to automatically adjust and prevent overfilling without human intervention
2Loss of time
If the combine operator manually monitors grain cart fill level, then some control is maintained, but the process is slow and requires frequent repositioning of machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous real-time feedback through time-of-flight sensors that constantly measure grain height during unloading. This immediate feedback allows the system to respond dynamically to fill level changes, eliminating delays associated with manual monitoring and reducing the need for frequent machine repositioning
Solution Approach 2:
The automated sensing system enables continuous monitoring of grain fill level throughout the entire unloading process without interruption. This continuous action provides uninterrupted real-time information, allowing for seamless operation and minimizing idle time between filling cycles
3Manufacturing precision
If manual unloading operation is used, then equipment complexity is low, but the manufacturing precision and fill level accuracy are insufficient leading to overfilling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces imprecise manual visual assessment with precise optical time-of-flight sensing technology. This substitution dramatically improves fill level measurement accuracy by providing objective, quantifiable data, while the modular sensor design keeps the added complexity manageable and integrated into the existing spout structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and automated grain cart filling, minimizing spillage and optimizing grain transport by adjusting the combine and grain cart positions based on real-time fill data.
Implementation Method 1
Time of flight grain cart fill sensor with combined spout as scanning head
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for sensing and analyzing filling of a grain cart while receiving grain from a combine. Time-of-flight sensors may be mounted on a grain spout (or nozzle) extending from the combine over the grain cart during operation. The sensors provide signals indicative of distances of surfaces of accumulating grain from the sensors, and these distances may be determined by onboard processing circuitry. A third sensor may detect a spout-to-ground distance to help compute the grain level information. Other parameters such as cross-sectional areas, volumes, and locations in the cart may be determined based on the sensed signals. Open or closed loop control of cart and/or combine positioning may be provided based on the signals.