Patents Assigned to CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
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Publication number: 20220346314Abstract: A screening device and a self-propelled harvester with a screening device is disclosed. The screening device includes at least one suction nozzle that has an elongated hollow body with at least one suction opening which extends sectionally in the longitudinal direction and transverse direction of the hollow body, and is connected by at least one air duct in the interior of the hollow body to a connection arranged in the hollow body for connecting to a vacuum source. The suction opening is positioned facing a screen of the screening device. The air duct has a cross-sectional shape that increases in the vertical direction toward the connection starting from an outer end of the suction nozzle. An inner contour facing the suction opening of the air duct has a contour that substantially corresponds to an airfoil.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Philipp Topmöller, Thomas Tiggemann, Roger Helmut Koitzsch, Norbert Vorwerk
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Patent number: 11485434Abstract: A harvester and a method for harvesting a crop is disclosed. The harvester includes two track drives positioned on opposite ends of a front axle of the harvester, each of the track drives including two main wheels that are arranged successively in the driving direction of the harvester, at least one auxiliary wheel positioned between the main wheels, and at least one track that surrounds the main wheels. The auxiliary wheel can interact with a bottom section of the track so that the forces to be deflected via the particular track drive into ground can be deflected at least proportionately using the auxiliary wheel. To reduce the shearing forces into the ground when the harvester turns, a control unit, depending on the steering angle of the harvester, controls a lifting unit to lift a front main wheel of a particular track drive from its home position to a lifted position.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2020Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Andreas Silies, Sascha Rackow, Wolfgang Meier
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Patent number: 11470776Abstract: An agricultural work machine, in particular a harvester, has a header for performing agricultural work and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for detecting a crop stream in and/or around the header and an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the crop stream detected via sensor. The control device is configured to detect regions of like characteristics, components of the header and properties of the crop stream and is configured to use that which has been detected for open loop control and/or closed loop control of process sequences in the agricultural work machine.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2019Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Marvin Barther, Dennis Neitemeier, Frédéric Fischer, Boris Kettelhoit
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Patent number: 11464166Abstract: An agricultural harvesting machine, particularly a combine harvester or a forage harvester, has a supporting frame, a cutting mechanism, an inclined conveyor and a driver's cab. The cutting mechanism is arranged at the supporting frame by the inclined conveyor. The driver's cab is arranged at the supporting frame with the intermediary of at least one damper unit. At least one camera is arranged in an interior of the driver's cab. The camera is oriented to the cutting mechanism and/or to the inclined conveyor through a front windshield of the driver's cab. The camera is arranged in an operative area of a cleaning device of the front windshield so that a detection area of the camera can be optically acquired at least through a portion of the operative area of the cleaning device.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2019Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Dennis Neitemeier, Marvin Barther, Frédéric Fischer, Boris Kettelhoit
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Publication number: 20220304235Abstract: A draper for an agricultural machine is disclosed. The draper includes a middle segment and two side segments, each with a frame, a flexible cutter bar, that is arranged or positioned on support arms pivotably articulated to the frame, as well as one or more continuously circulating conveyor devices arranged or positioned behind the cutter bar. The one or more conveyor device comprises a first guide roller that is arranged or positioned on the middle segment, and a second guide roller that is arranged or positioned at the end on the particular side segment around which the endless conveyor belt circulates. The two side segments are each pivotably connected to the middle segment by a frame joint about a pivot axis running substantially horizontally. The particular side segment has a belt guiding unit with a guide roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2022Publication date: September 29, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventor: Christian Füchtling
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Publication number: 20220225568Abstract: A system and method for determining a broken grain fraction of a quantity of grains is disclosed. The system includes at least one camera and a computing unit, with the camera configured to create an image of the quantity of grains, and with the computing unit configured to evaluate, using artificial intelligence, the image to determine broken grains in the image, and to determine, based on the broken grains, the broken grain fraction of the quantity of grains in the image.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2022Publication date: July 21, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Torben Töniges, Frédéric Fischer, Boris Kettelhoit, Johann Witte
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Publication number: 20220229412Abstract: Creating NIR sensor calibration models and their use in agricultural work machines is disclosed. A database structure, such as a database structure system, for creating calibration models for an NIR sensor system is used. The database structure includes raw data of the NIR spectra of one or both of plant material and other substances. The raw data are generated by one or more NIR sensor systems assigned to an agricultural work machine. The one or more NIR sensor systems transmit the raw data via an interface for the data traffic with at least one data processing unit external to the agricultural work machine. The database structure comprises one or more calibration models and the raw data, generates user-specific calibration models by using the saved raw data and/or calibration models, and provide user-specific calibration models to a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2021Publication date: July 21, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Björn Stremlau, Carsten Grove, Michael Roggenland, Frank Claussen, Maximilian von Nordheim, Jeremias Hagel, Jörg Wesselmann
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Patent number: 11388858Abstract: An agricultural work machine has a crop collection arrangement for separating and collecting crops from field vegetation, which crop collection arrangement has at least one crop cutting device, a crop conveying device arranged downstream thereof and a crop intake device arranged downstream thereof, and having a control device which has at least one sensor unit for optically detecting a crop flow, an image processing unit for processing images which are generated by the sensor unit based on the optically detected crop flow, and a data output unit for displaying the images processed by the image processing unit. The image processing unit generates a velocity characteristic map and a directional change characteristic map based on the images generated by the sensor unit. The two characteristic maps are utilized jointly or each individually by the control device to control processes in the agricultural work machine and/or in the crop collection arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2019Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Marvin Barther, Dennis Neitemeier, Frédéric Fischer, Boris Kettelhoit
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Patent number: 11382274Abstract: A separator arrangement has an inlet head housing, a feed drum and two axial separating rotors projecting by one end portionwise into the inlet head housing. The inlet head housing has planar inlet portions which extend over the width of the respective axial separating rotor and between which is arranged a ramp-shaped housing portion extending paraxial to the conveying direction of the axial separating rotors and which assists in dividing a harvested material flow into partial flows to be fed to the axial separating rotors. At least one separating element is associated with the ramp-shaped housing portion and has a base body which extends perpendicular to the surface of the housing portion and which has an end face formed as a cutting edge. A coating comprising a wear-resistant second material is arranged on the end face and extends substantially medially in the longitudinal direction of the end face.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2020Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Markus Pellmann, Jens Bussmann, Bernd Holtmann
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Publication number: 20220174873Abstract: A self-propelling combine and a method for operating a self-propelling combine are disclosed. The combine includes an axial spreader, which generates a residual flow of material and supplies the residual flow of material to a downstream distribution device that discharges the residual flow of material from the combine. The axial separator in the end-side material delivery region has at least one guide element that may be moved by an actuator, thereby affecting a distribution of the exiting residual flow of material over the supply width of the distribution device. The distribution of the residual flow of material is detected by at least one sensor unit, and when a deviation from a target distribution is detected, the guide element is adjusted. A control device receives and uses a signal representing a side wind used to automatically adjust of the at least one guide element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2021Publication date: June 9, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Philipp Topmöller, Andreas Brand, Christian Beulke, Manuel Elpmann, Jens Bußmann
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Patent number: 11310962Abstract: A harvesting machine has a crop tank and a conveyor screw inside the tank which extends from a material inlet opening on a wall of the crop tank into the interior of the crop tank. The conveyor screw comprises at least one proximal portion adjacent to the material inlet opening and one distal portion spaced apart from the material inlet opening at least by the proximal portion. The proximal portion and distal portion are rotatable around conveying axes running in different directions. The conveyor screw can be operated in a work position in which the conveying axis of the distal portion is oriented to be steeper than the conveying axis of the proximal portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventor: Jonas Brandmeier
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Patent number: 11304366Abstract: A knife blade for a cutting apparatus has two cutting edges which are arranged at a substantially triangular cutting portion extending longitudinal to a fastening portion, wherein the cutting edges have areas with different tooth pitches from tooth pitches in other areas.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Felix Herter, Norbert Kiffmeier
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Patent number: 11304367Abstract: An agricultural working machine with a driver assistance system is disclosed. The driver assistance system controls driving functions of the agricultural working machine and at least one working assembly of the agricultural working machine in the context of performing a work process. The driver assistance system accesses a set of rules in the form of control strategies to control the at least one work assembly according to a specific control strategy. The driver assistance system includes an interface to communicate with an external computer unit, which is remote from the agricultural working machine, and through which data can be exchanged between the driver assistance system and the external computer unit. For example, the driver assistance system receives data from the external computer unit via the interface during the work process of the agricultural working machine, and selects the control strategy for performing the work process based on the data.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2019Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Axel Schröder, Arthur Berger, Lennart Meyer, Sascha Dieckmeyer, Carsten Grove
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Patent number: 11304369Abstract: A combine harvester has multiple working mechanisms for carrying out specific treatment subprocesses of an overall treatment process for processing crop, and a driver assistance system for controlling the working mechanisms, which includes a memory for storing data and a computing device for processing the data stored in the memory, wherein the driver assistance system, together with the particular working mechanisms provided for carrying out the treatment subprocesses, forms independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms which are utilized for optimizing the control of the working mechanisms for carrying out the treatment subprocesses, wherein a process supervisor is assigned to the driver assistance system for controlling individual automated adjusting mechanisms and a data exchange of the automated adjusting mechanisms with one another.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2019Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Bastian Bormann, Henner Voecking, Andreas Wilken, Joachim Baumgarten, Christoph Bussmann, Stefan Teroerde, Arthur Berger, Sascha Dieckmeyer
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Patent number: 11297767Abstract: An agricultural work machine for performing an agricultural work process is disclosed. The agricultural work machine includes working units and a driver assistance system for controlling the working units to achieve one or more quality criteria. The driver assistance system may set parameters to control the working units in order to satisfy the criteria. Further, the driver assistance system includes a graphical user interface through which an operator may change the setting of one of the quality criteria. Responsive to the change, the driver assistance system may determine the expected effects on other quality criteria. In addition, the driver assistance system may visually highlight the expected effects on the graphical user interface.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventor: Thomas Rademacher
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Publication number: 20220099584Abstract: An agricultural machine is disclosed that includes an NIR sensor configured to detect NIR spectra of plant material and output them as raw data, an evaluation unit configured to derive at least one parameter of the plant material in real time from the raw data, and an interface for the data traffic with at least one data processing unit outside of or external to the agricultural machine that is configured to transmit the raw data to the data processing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Björn Stremlau, Carsten Grove, Michael Roggenland, Frank Claussen, Maximilian von Nordheim, Jeremias Hagel, Jörg Wesselmann
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Patent number: 11284566Abstract: A combine harvester for carrying out an agricultural harvesting process has a plurality of working units and a driver assistance system for controlling at least some of the working units. The combine harvester accommodates as working units a chaff cutter for comminuting harvested produce and a produce distributing arrangement in the rear area of the combine harvester downstream of the chaff cutter for distributing harvested produce on the field soil in adjustable throw directions. The respective throw direction comprises vector components of a horizontal throw direction and a vertical throw direction. The driver assistance system is adapted to optimize the control of the produce distributing arrangement by at least one of the substrategies including “throw direction correction” and/or “inclination-dependent produce distribution” and/or “produce distribution in longitudinal direction” and/or “produce distribution in transverse direction” with respect to at least one optimization criterion.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Bastian Bormann, Andreas Wilken, Christopher Vieregge, Stefan Teroerde, Christoph Heitmann, Klaus Schaefer
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Patent number: 11284564Abstract: A combine harvester has multiple working mechanisms for carrying out specific treatment subprocesses of an overall treatment process for processing crop and a driver assistance system for controlling the working mechanisms, which includes a memory for storing data, a computing device for processing the data stored in the memory, and a graphical user interface. The driver assistance system, together with the particular working mechanisms provided for carrying out the treatment subprocesses, forms independently operating automated adjusting mechanisms which are utilized for optimizing the control of the working mechanisms for carrying out the treatment subprocesses. A process supervisor is assigned to the driver assistance system for controlling individual automated adjusting mechanisms and a data exchange of the automated adjusting mechanisms with one another.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2019Date of Patent: March 29, 2022Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Bastian Bormann, Henner Voecking, Andreas Wilken, Joachim Baumgarten, Christoph Bussmann, Stefan Teroerde, Arthur Berger, Sascha Dieckmeyer
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Publication number: 20220084191Abstract: A device and a method for determining a portion of broken grain and/or non-grain components in a stream of harvested material is disclosed. The device includes a camera to generate images of the stream of harvested material and an evaluation unit to estimate the portion in an image supplied by the camera. The evaluation unit includes a first-order classifier to estimate a first parameter of the stream of harvested material, and a plurality of second-order classifiers assigned to various values of the first parameter to estimate the portion in a stream of harvested material that has the assigned parameter value. The evaluation unit, with assistance of the first-order classifier, estimates a value of the first parameter using a first number of images of the camera, and then selects the second-order classifier assigned to the value of the first parameter to estimate the portion with assistance of the selected second-order classifier.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2021Publication date: March 17, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Frédéric Fischer, Johann Witte, Boris Kettelhoit, Torben Töniges
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Publication number: 20220071091Abstract: A forage harvester with at least one work assembly is disclosed. The forage harvester has a corn cracker to process grain components and a driver assistance system. The driver assistance system controls the corn cracker by adjusting the machine parameters of the corn cracker. In particular, the driver assistance system has an optimization model which includes a multidimensional characteristic map that represents a relationship between a processing quality of the grain components and at least three parameters that comprise an input parameter representing a current harvesting process state and at least one machine parameter of the corn cracker as an output parameter. Thus, the driver assistance system determines the output parameter in the control routine during the harvesting process based on the varying input parameter from the optimization model and adjusts it in the corn cracker to achieve a uniform given processing quality of the grain components during the harvesting process.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Applicant: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbHInventors: Christoph Heitmann, Sven Carsten Belau, Ingo Bönig, Jan Meyer zu Hörste