Patent EP0339140B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0339140B1
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EP
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Grain loss monitors for harvesting machines
Assignee: CNH Industrial Belgium NV
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Filing: 1988-04-26
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Granted: 1993-09-29
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Expires: 2008-04-26
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Gilbert J. I. Strubbe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:09
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01D; A01D41/00; A01D41/12; A01D41/127; A01D41/1271; A01D41/1272; A01D41/1273; G; G01; G01F; G01F1/00; G01F1/66; G01F1/666
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
A grain loss monitor for a harvesting machine which is operable to separate grain kernels from crop material debris; said grain loss monitor comprising : detector means for detecting a loss of grain from the harvesting machine and including a sensor plate and transducer means (16) operably associated therewith; said sensor plate being disposed for crop material containing grain kernels to impact thereon as it is being discharged from the harvesting machine and said transducer means (16) being operable to convert physical vibrations of the sensor plate, caused by the impacts of said crop material thereon, into an electrical output signals; and circuit means (17 - 34) operable to process said electrical output signals in a manner to express an indication of the amount of grain loss from the harvesting machine, and characterized in that : the transducer means (16) have a resonant frequency in the range of 8 to 25 kHz and the circuit means (17-34) have a frequency domain tuned thereto; said resonant frequency range of the transducer means (16) being selected for the dominance, in this range, of the electrical output signals generated by the impacts of the grain kernels in said crop material on the sensor plate over the electrical output signals generated by the impacts of the debris in this crop material on said sensor plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
A monitor according to claim 1, characterized in that the resonant frequency of the transducer means (16) is in the range of 12 to 25 KHz.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A monitor according to claim 2, characterized in that the transducer means (16) has a resonant frequency of about 15 KHz.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A monitor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transducer means (16) is in the form of a single ceramic crystal transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A monitor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transducer means (16) is in the form of a pair of ceramic crystal transducers provided in series in a single transducer housing; said transducers having resonant frequencies which are situated generally at or adjacent the opposite ends of the selected frequency range.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A monitor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the circuit means (17-34) comprises a high pass filter (17) to which the output of the transducer means (16) is connected.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A monitor according to claim 6, characterized in that the high pass filter (17) is of at least the sixth order.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A monitor according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the high pass filter (17) has a steep gradient in the frequency range of 10 to 15 KHz.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
A monitor according to any of the claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the high pass filter (17) is tuned to the frequency range of the wave fronts of the signals induced in the transducer means (16) by grain kernel impacts on the sensor plate of the detector means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
A monitor according to any of the claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the circuit means (17-34) comprise : - a comparator (18) having a threshold device (19) associated therewith; said comparator (18) being connected to the transducer means (16) via the high pass filter (17) to receive the output therefrom; and - an integrator (23) provided with an adjustable gain control device (24); the output of the integration (23) being applied to indicator means (25; 26).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A monitor according to claim 10, characterized in that the threshold device (19) associated with the comparator (18) is adjustable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
134 words
A monitor according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that : - the high pass filter (17) together with the comparator (18) and the threshold device (19) associated therewith form a signal conditioning circuit; said signal conditioning circuit being provided in the immediate vicinity of the transducer means (16); and - the circuit means (17-34) also comprise a further comparator (21) to which the integrator (23) is coupled and which also has a threshold device (22) associated therewith; said further comparator (21) and associated threshold device (22), said integrator (23), said gain control device (24) and said indicator means (25; 26) together forming an indicator circuit which is provided at a remote location from the signal conditioning circuit and which is coupled thereto by a long lead (20) to receive the signals therefrom.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
A monitor according to any of the claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the indicator means (25; 26) comprise a bank of light emitting diodes (25); the number of diodes (25) energized by the output of the integrator (23) being adjustable by the adjustable gain control device (24) associated with the integrator (23).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
56 words
A monitor according to any of the claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the indicator means (25, 26) comprise a meter (26), the needle of which is energized by the output of the integrator (23) and the position of said needle being adjustable by the adjustable gain control device (24) associated with the integrator (23).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
A monitor according to any of the claims 10 to 14, characterized in that the adjustable gain control device (24) associated with the integrator (23) is the only control to be operated by the operator for setting the monitor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A monitor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ratio of the grain kernel impact detection rate to the straw impact detection rate is in excess of 4.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
A monitor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of channels (14, 15); each channel (14, 15) having a said detector means and a said circuit means (17-34).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
87 words
A monitor according to claim 17 when appended directly or indirectly to claim 12, characterized in that : - two channels (14, 15) are provided; the output signals from the respective integrators (23) of these two channels (14, 15) being averaged and the averaged signals being applied to a third comparator (31) having a threshold device (32) associated therewith; and - alarm means (34) are provided which are energized whenever the output signal from the third comparator (31) exceeds the threshold set by the threshold device (32).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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