Self-propelled forage harvester with automatic chopping system

US11185013B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Christoph Heitmann · Warendorf, DE
• Ingo Bönig · Gütersloh, DE
• Carsten Grove · Beelen, DE
• Alexander Kirchbeck · Drensteinfurt, DE
• Bastian Kriebel · Munster, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 26, 2019
• Grant date: Nov 30, 2021
• Expiry date: Apr 12, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A01D61/00
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A self-propelled forage harvester is disclosed. The forage harvester includes a feed device, a chopping device comprising a cutterhead equipped with cutting blades and a shear bar for comminuting harvested material, a drive, and a driver assistance system for controlling at least the chopping device. The driver assistance system includes a memory for saving data and a computing device for processing the data saved in the memory, wherein the chopping device and the driver assistance system in combination form an automatic chopping system in that the computing device continuously determines a compaction of the comminuted harvested material using harvested material parameters during a harvesting process in order to autonomously ascertain and specify a cutting length to be adapted for maintaining nearly constant compactability.