METHOD FOR DETERMINING A CONDITION OF HARVESTED CROP CONVEYED BY A ROOT CROP CONVEYOR

Abstract

A method is provided in which measurement data that characterize at least one condition of at least one root crop conveyed by the root crop conveyor device are measured by at least one measuring device. Result data which are dependent at least on the measurement data are then calculated by an evaluation device. The result data serve, indirectly or directly, for the adjustment of the root crop conveyor. The result data or a signal dependent thereon are/is then provided by the evaluation device.

Claims

1. A method for determining a characteristic of harvested material conveyed by a root crop conveyor device, the method comprising the following steps: measuring, by at least one measuring device, measurement data that characterize at least one condition of at least one root crop conveyed by the root crop conveyor device, calculating, by an evaluation device, result data which are dependent at least on the measurement data and are suitable for adjustment of the root crop conveyor device, providing, by the evaluation device, the result data or a signal dependent thereon.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation device, on the basis of the measurement data, determines information relating to the presence and/or to the degree of mechanical damage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control device adjusts the root crop conveyor device in dependence on the result data.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control device adjusts a circulation speed, a rotational speed, a pitch, a gap width and/or a height of at least one conveying element and/or of at least one separating element of the root crop conveyor device relative to a machine frame, and/or a driving speed of the root crop conveyor device.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement data are measured at least in part by an optical sensor of the measuring device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the evaluation device calculates the result data in dependence on a light scattering.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the root crop is irradiated by a laser in order to generate a reflection of light.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the laser emits radiation with a wavelength of between 400 and 1400 nm.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement data are measured at least in part by a tactile sensor of the measuring device which is to be moved toward the root crop.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the result data are dependent on a force increase and/or a pressure increase over a distance which a sensing element of the tactile sensor travels in contact with the root crop.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the root crop, prior to the measurement, is spatially separated from a stream of harvested material.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the root crop is separated from the stream of harvested material after it has traveled at least two thirds of a conveying section of the root crop conveyor device extending from a loading end to a discharge end and/or after it has been transferred to a conveying element which extends up to the discharge end or is arranged directly upstream of a bunker.

13. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the measurement data are measured by different sensors of the measuring device and/or at least one sensor of the measuring device is moved relative to the root crop and/or relative to the machine frame between two measurements.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the result data are calculated in dependence on measurement data of different measurements.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one measurement takes place per minute and/or the provision of the result data or the adjustment in dependence on the result data takes place not more than one minute after the underlying measurement or at least one of the underlying measurements.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the evaluation device assigns the measurement data, or at least a characteristic value dependent thereon, to location data and/or batch data.

17. A root crop conveyor device comprising: a measuring device configured to measure root crops, said measing device including an optical sensor and/or a tactile sensor, and being configured to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

18. The root crop conveyor device as claimed in claim 17, further including a measuring-conveying element associated with the measuring device, the measuring-conveying element being configured to convey the root crop from the conveying section to a measuring chamber of the measuring device, inside which the root crop is arranged during the measurement, and/or away from the measuring chamber.

19. The root crop conveyor device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a separating element is arranged between the measuring chamber and the conveying section of the root crop conveyor device, wherein when the separating element is in a closed position, it delimits the conveying section with respect to the measuring chamber and in an open position is configured to allow the at least one root crop to pass from the conveying section to the measuring device.

20. A root crop harvester having a root crop conveyor device as claimed in claim 17.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the different measurements are carried out by measuring devices arranged in different portions of the conveying section.

22. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the root crop, prior to the measurement, is fixed in the region of the sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference char-acters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of a first root crop conveyor device according to the invention with a separating element in a closed position.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows the partial plan view according to FIG. 1 with the separating element in an open position.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first root crop conveyor device according to section line A-A from FIG. 2.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a sectional view analogous to FIG. 3 of a second root crop conveyor device according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the first root crop conveyor.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a further sectional view of the first root crop conveyor device according to section line B-B from FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of a third root crop conveyor.

[0051] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the third root crop conveyor device according to section line C-C from FIG. 7.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a partial plan view of the third root crop conveyor.

[0053] FIG. 10 is a further sectional view of the third root crop conveyor device according to section line D-D from FIG. 9.

[0054] FIG. 11 is a schematic flow chart of a first method according to the invention.

[0055] FIG. 12 is a schematic flow chart of a second method according to the invention.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a side view of a root crop harvester according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] The features explained below of the exemplary embodiments according to the invention can also be subject-matter of the invention individually or in combinations other than those shown or described. Where expedient, parts that are functionally have the same effect are provided with identical reference signs.

[0058] The root crop conveyors 2 according to FIGS. 1 to 10 each have a conveying section 8, which during operation moves a stream of harvested material 22, which includes root crops 6, in a conveying direction 9. Each of the root crop conveyors 2 shown comprises a measuring device 4 for measuring measurement data 50 that characterize a condition of the conveyed root crops 6.

[0059] The first and second root crop conveyors 2 each have a separating element 14 which is arranged between the conveying section 8 and a measuring-conveying element 12. The separating element 14 can be transferred from a closed position (FIG. 1) into an open position (FIG. 2). In the open position, at least one root crop 6 passes onto the measuring-conveying element 12, which conveys the root crop 6 to the measuring device 4 and, after the measurement, away from the measuring device 4 in the measuring-conveying direction 13.

[0060] Inside the measuring device 4, the first and third root crop conveyors 2 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 8) have an optical sensor 18. The optical sensor measures light reflected by at least one root crop 6 in a measuring chamber 10. As an alternative to the optical sensor 18, the second root crop conveyor device 2 has a tactile sensor 20, which is movable inside the measuring chamber 10 in a movement direction 21 (see FIG. 4).

[0061] The root crop harvester 29 according to FIG. 13 has a root crop conveyor device 2. The conveying section 8 of the root crop harvester 29 extends from loading end 28, which is defined by the lifting blade, to a bunker 24. Upstream of the bunker 24 there is arranged a conveying element 26 in the form of a sorting table, above which the measuring device 4 is arranged. The root crop harvester 29 comprises a machine frame 16 on which the movable components described above are movably arranged.

[0062] Two embodiments of the method according to the invention are illustrated by FIGS. 11 and 12. According to FIG. 11, measurement data 50 are recorded by four measuring devices 4a, 4b, 4c, which are arranged at different locations along the conveying section 8 of the root crop harvester 29 (see a to d, top). On the basis of the measurement data, an evaluation device 30 and a control device 32 calculate result data 52 for adjustment of the root crop harvester 29. For the calculation of the result data 52, stored data 51, which include rules, algorithms and limit values, are used. By means of the result data 52, specifically a lifting depth 42, a driving speed 44 and a further parameter 40 of the conveying section 8 are adjusted.

[0063] FIG. 12 shows an extended embodiment of the method according to the invention. Further data can here be taken into account for the calculation of the result data 52. Specifically, a lifting strategy 55 is to be specified by the operator; in addition, weather and soil data 53 are taken into account. Moreover, extraneous material data 57, which in particular include a quantity of clods, are taken into account. These values also have an active influence 59 on the relationship between the parameters adjusted by the result data 52 and the fill levels, influenced thereby, at the start 61 of the traveling screen, at the end 63 of the traveling screen, the pressure of the separating devices 65 and blockage values 67. The last-mentioned parameters, as well as the actual values 69 that are directly associated with the adjusted parameters 40, 42, 44, are included as measurement data 50 in the further control.