CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Application Serial No. 62/461,669, entitled "SENSOR COVER AND BALLAST SYSTEMS AND METHODS," filed February 21, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The disclosure relates generally to work vehicles, and more particularly, to sensor cover and ballast systems and methods for a work vehicle.

[0003] Generally, work vehicles (e.g., tractors, harvesters, trucks, skid steers, or other prime movers) may be operated at worksites (e.g., agricultural fields or contstruction sites) that have a variety of obstacles and other terrain features. In some cases, an operator may control the work vehicle to follow certain paths and to avoid obstacles. However, the operator may have limited visibility of obstacles surrounding the work vehicle. Some work vehicles may be controlled by a control system (e.g., without operator input, with limited operator input, etc.) during certain phases of operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0004] Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the present disclosure are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of the system and/or methods disclosed herein. Indeed, the systems and/or methods may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0005] A first embodiment includes a system for use with a work vehicle. The system includes a ballast assembly having a housing configured to support a ballast, a sensor assembly having one or more sensors, a sensor cover configured to surround the ballast assembly and the sensor assembly, and a linkage assembly configured to couple the ballast assembly, the sensor assembly, and the sensor cover to one another.

[0006] A second embodiment includes a system having a ballast assembly, a sensor cover configured to surround one or more sensors and the ballast assembly, a linkage assembly configured to couple the sensor cover to the ballast assembly, and a support assembly configured to couple the ballast assembly to a frame of a work vehicle.

[0007] A third embodiment includes a method including the step of coupling a ballast assembly comprising a housing configured to support a ballast, a sensor assembly comprising one or more sensors, and a sensor cover configured to surround the housing of the ballast assembly and the one or more sensors of the sensor assembly to one another via a linkage assembly to form a sensor-ballast package for use with a work vehicle.

DRAWINGS

[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a work vehicle that includes a system having a sensor cover surrounding a sensor assembly and a ballast assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the sensor assembly and the ballast assembly of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; [0012] FIG. 4 a rear perspective view of the sensor assembly and the ballast assembly of FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a linkage member overlying a plate that is coupled to a housing of the ballast assembly of FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the linkage member of FIG. 5 coupled to the plate, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating installation of the sensor cover of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure

[0016] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view illustrating installation of the sensor cover of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of a cover bracket of the sensor cover coupled to the linkage member of FIG. 5, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional top view illustrating installation of the sensor cover of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 11 is cross-sectional top view of the cover bracket of the sensor cover coupled to the linkage member of FIG. 5, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 12 is a rear view of the sensor cover of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a clip that may be utilized to attach a rear panel to a body portion of the sensor cover of the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and [0022] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a method of assembling the system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0024] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and/or environmental conditions are not exclusive of other parameters/conditions of the disclosed embodiments.

[0025] Work vehicles, such as agricultural vehicles (e.g., tractors, harvesters, etc.) or construction vehicles (e.g., bulldozers, front loaders, skid steers, etc.), may move about and carry out operations at a worksite (e.g., agricultural field or construction site). For example, a tractor may move about a field to tow implements or perform other work tasks. In some cases, an operator may sit in an operator cab and control the work vehicle based on the operator's visual observation of surrounding terrain features. However, visibility of surrounding terrain features may be limited. As noted above, some work vehicles may be controlled by a control system (e.g., without operator input, with limited operator input, etc.) during certain phases of operation. For example, a controller may instruct a steering control system and/or a speed control system of the work vehicle to automatically or semi-automatically guide the work vehicle along a guidance swath within a field or other work area.

[0026] Thus, it may be desirable to include one or more sensors on the work vehicle (e.g., at the front of the work vehicle) to provide information regarding terrain features to the operator and/or to the controller to facilitate avoidance of obstacles, for example. It may also be desirable to include a ballast (e.g., weight) at the front of the work vehicle to provide stability to the work vehicle. Accordingly, the present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods that include a sensor cover configured to surround a sensor assembly and a ballast assembly. For example, the sensor assembly, the ballast assembly, and the sensor cover may be coupled to one another (e.g., via one or more linkage members, brackets, or plates, as well as via one or more fasteners, such as bolts or other threaded fasteners). The disclosed embodiments may provide a compact assembly that may be efficiently installed and/or removed from the work vehicle to enable the sensor assembly to monitor terrain features and/or to enable the ballast assembly to stabilize the work vehicle.

[0027] To facilitate clarity, certain examples in the present disclosure are described in relation to autonomously controlled work vehicles in the agricultural context. However, it should be appreciated that the embodiments and techniques described herein are not limited to autonomous work vehicles or to the agricultural context. In fact, the embodiments and techniques described in the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitable type of work vehicle and in any suitable context, such as tractors controlled by an operator and/or trucks operated in a construction context, for example.

[0028] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a work vehicle 10, such as a tractor, that may include a system 12 (e.g., sensor and ballast system, weighted sensor system) having a sensor cover 14 surrounding a sensor assembly and a ballast assembly. In some embodiments, the work vehicle 10 may be an autonomous vehicle that includes a control system configured to automatically guide the agricultural vehicle 10 through a work area, such as an agricultural field (e.g., along a forward direction of travel 16) to facilitate operations (e.g., planting operations, seeding operations, application operations, tillage operations, harvesting operations, etc.). For example, the control system may automatically guide the work vehicle 10 along a guidance path through the agricultural field without input from an operator and based at least in part on data obtained by the sensor assembly positioned within the sensor cover 14. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the work vehicle 10 may be controlled by an operator based at least in part on data obtained by the sensor assembly positioned within the sensor cover 14 (e.g., via visual or audible indications of the data provided to the operator, such as via an operator interface within a cab 18 of the work vehicle 10).

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the work vehicle 10 includes a chassis 20 that may be configured to house or support a motor (e.g., diesel engine, etc.), a hydraulic system (e.g., including a pump, valves, reservoir, etc.), and other components (e.g., an electrical system, a cooling system, etc.) that facilitate operation of the work vehicle 10. In addition, the chassis 20 is configured to support the cab 18 and wheels 22. The wheels 22 may be driven to rotate by the motor and/or by component(s) of the hydraulic system (e.g., hydraulic motor(s), etc.). While the illustrated work vehicle 10 includes wheels 22, it should be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, the work vehicle may include tracks or a combination of wheels and tracks. As shown, the sensor cover 14 is the forward-most component of the work vehicle 10 and is positioned forward (e.g., relative to the forward direction of travel 16) of the chassis 20, the wheels 22, and the cab 18. To facilitate discussion, the work vehicle 10 and the components therein may be described with reference to the forward direction of travel 16, a longitudinal axis or direction 24, a vertical axis or direction 26, and a lateral axis or direction 28.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the system 12 having the sensor cover 14. As shown, the sensor cover 14 includes a body portion 30 (e.g., opaque housing) and a window portion 32 (e.g., optically transparent window or lens). The body portion 30 may be configured to surround and/or protect various components within the sensor cover 14, and the window portion 32 may be configured to allow transmission of light, radio waves, or the like to enable detection of terrain features about the work vehicle 10.

[0031] As discussed in more detail below, the system 12 may include a sensor assembly 60 having one or more sensors configured to detect properties of the agricultural field and to send signals to a controller to facilitate autonomous control of the work vehicle 10 and/or to provide an indication to an operator of the work vehicle 10, for example. The one or more sensors may be any sensors suitable to acquire data indicative of the properties of the agricultural field. For example, the sensors may include one or more light detection and ranging (lidar) sensors, radio detection and ranging (radar) sensors, image sensors (e.g., RGB camera sensors, stereo camera sensors, etc.), infrared (IR) sensors, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor assembly 60 includes at least one radar sensor 36 and at least one lidar sensor 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the radar sensor 36 is positioned within the body portion 30 and rearward of the window portion 32 (e.g., relative to the forward direction of travel 16) of the sensor cover 14, while the lidar sensor 38 is positioned on an outer surface of the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14 and vertically above the radar sensor 36. However, it should be understood that the radar sensor 36 and the lidar sensor 38 may be in any suitable location to acquire data indicative of the properties of the agricultural field.

[0032] As shown, the sensor cover 14 is positioned proximate to a hitch 40 (e.g., front hitch) that is configured to couple to an implement (e.g., tillage implement or the like) and/or a rotary attachment 42 (e.g., a power take-off [PTO] attachment) that is configured to couple to and transfer mechanical power to a drive shaft of an implement (e.g., a mower or the like). In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the hitch 40 is supported within a groove 44 (e.g., recess) formed along a rearward edge 46 of an upper portion 48 (e.g., top panel or wall) of the sensor cover 14. Such a configuration may stabilize the sensor cover 14 and/or provide a compact system, for example. [0033] As shown, a support assembly 55 is provided to couple the components of the system 12 to the work vehicle 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the support assembly 55 includes an arm 50 that is coupled to a support member 52 (e.g., support frame) via one or more fasteners 54 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts), and the support member 52 is coupled to a frame 56 via one or more fasteners 58 (e.g., threaded fasteners such as bolts). In some embodiments, the frame 56 may be part of the chassis 20 and/or may be supported by and/or coupled to the chassis 20 (e.g., via one or more linkage members and/or fasteners). As discussed in more detail below, the arm 50 extends into the sensor cover 14 and is coupled to a housing of the ballast assembly within the sensor cover 14. It should be understood that two arms 50 may be positioned on laterally opposite sides of the work vehicle 10, and each of the arms 50 may be coupled to the support member 52 and the housing of the ballast assembly.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the sensor assembly 60 and a ballast assembly 62 that may be positioned within the sensor cover 14, and FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62 coupled together via a linkage member 88 (e.g., primary linkage member or bracket). In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor assembly 60 includes multiple radar sensors 36 supported on a bracket 64 (e.g., sensor-supporting bracket or linkage member). For example, the radar sensors 36 and/or other sensors may be coupled to the bracket 64 via one or more fasteners (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts). In some embodiments, the bracket 64 is a one-piece bracket that extends from one lateral side to the other lateral side of a housing 66 (e.g., ballast housing). As shown, a first radar sensor 36, 70 is oriented at a first angle relative to the forward direction of travel 16 to emit radar waves toward a first lateral side of the work vehicle 10, a second radar sensor 36, 74 is oriented to emit radar waves generally in the forward direction of travel 16, and a third radar sensor 36, 74 is oriented at a second angle relative to the forward direction of travel 16 to emit radar waves toward a second lateral side of the work vehicle 10. Thus, the multiple radar sensors 36 may monitor a wide area (e.g., along the lateral axis 28) in front of the work vehicle 10. As noted above, the sensor assembly 60 may include any sensors suitable to acquire data indicative of the properties of the agricultural field, such as one or more lidar sensors, radar sensors, image sensors, IR sensors, and the like, which may be positioned within the sensor cover 14 and/or coupled to an outer surface of the sensor cover 14, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, the ballast assembly 62 includes the housing 66 configured to contain or support a ballast (e.g., heavy material, such as gravel, sand, stone, or the like). The housing 66 may include a lid 68 to enable adjustment of a weight of the ballast assembly 62. In certain embodiments, at least some of the sensors of the sensor assembly 60 may be positioned forward of the housing 66 of the ballast assembly 62 (e.g., relative to the forward direction of travel 16).

[0035] In certain embodiments, the bracket 64 may be coupled to the housing 66 of the ballast assembly 62 and/or to the arms 50 located on laterally opposite sides of the work vehicle 10, such as via one or more linkage members and/or fasteners (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, each arm 50 is coupled to or includes an end portion 80 (e.g., hook or fastening portion) configured to receive a pin 82 (e.g., fastener) extending from a plate 84 (e.g., ballast- supporting plate or linkage member), which is coupled to the housing 66 of the ballast assembly 62 via one or more fasteners 86 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts). In the illustrated embodiment, the linkage member 88 is coupled to the bracket 64 and the plate 84, thereby joining the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62 to one another to form a sensor-ballast assembly or package (e.g., a weighted sensor assembly or package).

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the linkage member 88 overlying the plate 84, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the linkage member 88 coupled to the plate 84. Although not illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 for image clarity, it should be understood that the bracket 64 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) may be coupled to the bracket linkage member 88, such as via fasteners (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts) positioned through openings 90 formed in the linkage member 88. As shown, the plate 84 may be coupled to the housing 66 via one or more fasteners 92 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts), and the linkage member 88 may be coupled to the plate 84 and/or the housing 66 via one or more fasteners 94 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts) that may be positioned through respective openings 96, 98 formed in the linkage member 88 and the plate 84. [0037] FIG. 7 is a side view of the system 12 during installation of the sensor cover 14. As shown, the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14 defines an opening 100 (e.g., rearward-facing opening) that is configured to receive and/or to surround the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62. To apply the sensor cover 14 about the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62, the sensor cover 14 may be moved along the longitudinal axis 24 (e.g., opposite the forward direction of travel 16) until the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62 are positioned within the sensor cover 14 and/or until a cover bracket of the sensor cover 14 contacts a corresponding portion (e.g., a laterally-extending portion 120) of the linkage member 88.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the sensor cover 14 having a cover bracket 110 aligned with the linkage member 88, and FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the cover bracket 110 coupled to the linkage member 88. Additionally, FIG. 10 is a top cross-sectional view of the sensor cover 14 having the cover bracket 110 aligned with the linkage member 88, and FIG. 11 is a top cross-sectional view of the cover bracket 110 coupled to the linkage member 88. As shown, the cover bracket 110 may be positioned on or extend from an interior surface (e.g., within the opening 100) of the sensor cover 14. In some embodiments, the cover bracket 110 and the sensor cover 14 may be integrally formed (e.g., one-piece), or the cover bracket 110 may be coupled to the sensor cover 14 (e.g., via threaded fasteners, such as bolts). In the illustrated embodiment, the cover bracket 110 is positioned proximate to the rearward edge 46 of the sensor cover 14 and laterally inwardly from a side portion 114 (e.g., side panel or side wall) of the sensor cover 14. As shown, the cover bracket 110 includes openings 116 that are configured to align with openings 118 formed in the laterally-extending portion 120 (e.g., a portion that extends laterally outwardly from a longitudinally-extending portion 122 that is coupled to the plate 84 and to the bracket 64) of the linkage member 88. One or more fasteners 124 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts) may be positioned through the openings 116, 118 to couple the cover bracket 114 and the linkage member 88 to one another. It should be understood that at least one additional cover bracket 110 may be positioned on a laterally opposite side of the sensor cover 14 to couple to another linkage member 88 in the same manner. As shown, the linkage member 88 contacts and is coupled to the plate 84 via fasteners 94, to the bracket 64 via fasteners 123 (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts), and to the cover bracket 1 10 via fasteners 124. In the illustrated embodiment, the plate 84 is coupled to the housing 66 via fasteners 92.

[0039] Thus, the linkage member 88 may contact and/or couple to the bracket 64 that supports the sensors (e.g., the radar sensors 36) of the sensor assembly 60, the plate 84 that is coupled to the housing 66 and the arm 50, and/or the cover bracket 1 10 that is coupled to the sensor cover 14. The linkage member 88, in conjunction with various other linkage members, brackets, plates, and fasteners, may form a linkage assembly configured to couple the sensor assembly 60, the ballast assembly 62, and/or the sensor cover 14 to one another to form the system 12 for use with the work vehicle 10. It should be understood that the various components (e.g., the linkage member 88, the bracket 64, the plate 84, and/or the cover bracket 110) may have any of a variety of configurations. For example, certain components may be integrally formed with one another (i.e., one-piece) and/or have different geometries to facilitate coupling the sensor assembly 60, the ballast assembly 62, and/or the sensor cover 14 to one another to form the system 12.

[0040] FIG. 12 illustrates a rear portion 130 (e.g., rear panel or wall) of the sensor cover 14, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a clip 132 (e.g., clip-style mount) that may be utilized to couple the rear portion 130 to the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14. In some embodiments, after positioning the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14 about the sensor assembly 60 and the ballast assembly 62, the rear portion 130 may be coupled to the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14 to protect the components within the sensor cover 14 (e.g., from dust, objects, or the like), for example. The rear portion 130 may be coupled to the body portion 30 via one or more clips 132 positioned about a lip 134 (e.g., inwardly extending lip) at the rear edge 46 of the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14. In particular, the clips 132 may be configured to receive and/or clip onto the lip 134, and the clips 132 may include openings 136 configured to receive fasteners (e.g., threaded fasteners, such as bolts) to facilitate coupling the rear portion 130 to the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the rear portion 130 may be formed of multiple panels that are individually applied at various locations of the sensor cover 14 (e.g., two panels applied at opposite lateral sides).

[0041] FIGS. 5-13 depict certain steps that may be utilized to efficiently assemble the system 12 on the work vehicle 10. It should be understood that some or all of the components of the system 12 may be efficiently removed or added to the work vehicle 10 at various times. For example, in some cases, an operator may operate the work vehicle without the system 12 when an implement is coupled to the hitch 40 or to the rotary attachment 42. However, the operator may add the ballast assembly 62 to stabilize the work vehicle 10 during certain operations (e.g., when towing implements behind the work vehicle 10), and the operator may add the sensor assembly 60 and the sensor cover 14 prior to autonomous operations or when operating the work vehicle 10 under certain conditions (e.g., limited visibility, difficult terrain, or the like). The system 12 may therefore provide a compact and flexible system that provides stability and enables monitoring when operating the work vehicle 10.

[0042] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 150 of assembling the system 12 for use with the work vehicle 10. The method 150 includes various steps represented by blocks. Although the flow chart illustrates the steps in a certain sequence, it should be understood that the steps may be performed in any suitable order, certain steps may be omitted, and certain steps may be carried out simultaneously, where appropriate. It should be understood that the various features disclosed above with respect to FIGS. 1 -13 may be incorporated and/or utilized with the steps of the method 150. While the method 150 is described with reference to the work vehicle 10 to facilitate discussion, it should be understood that the steps of the method 150 may be applied to various types of work vehicles.

[0043] The method 150 generally includes the steps of coupling the sensor cover 14, the sensor assembly 60, and the ballast assembly 62 to one another and to the work vehicle 10. This may be achieved in various ways, including via the steps 152- 160 discussed in more detail below. For example, in certain embodiments, the method 150 may begin by coupling the ballast assembly 62 to the work vehicle 10, in step 152. As discussed above, in some embodiments, the ballast assembly 62 may include the housing 66 configured to support a heavy material to provide a weight (e.g., a counterbalance weight) at the front of the work vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the housing 66 of the ballast assembly 62 may be coupled to the work vehicle 10 via the plate 84 and the support assembly 55, which may include the arms 50, the support member 52, the frame 56, as well as various fasteners that couple these components of the support assembly 55 to one another, for example.

[0044] In step 154, the linkage assembly 88 may be coupled to the plate 84 and/or the housing 66 of the ballast assembly 62, such as via one or more fasteners 94 that may be positioned through respective openings 96, 98 formed in the linkage member 88 and the plate 84. In step 156, the bracket 64 supporting the sensor assembly 60 may be coupled to the linkage assembly 88, such as via fasteners positioned through respective openings (including the openings 90 illustrated in FIG. 5) formed in the linkage member 88 and the bracket 64.

[0045] In step 158, the sensor cover 14 may be coupled to the bracket linkage assembly 88, such as via one or more fasteners 124 that may be positioned through respective openings 116, 118 formed in the cover bracket 110 and the laterally- extending portion 120 of the linkage member 88. In step 160, the rear portion 130 may be coupled to the body portion 30 of the sensor cover 14, such as via one or more clips 132.

[0046] As noted above, the steps of coupling the sensor cover 14, the sensor assembly 60, and the ballast assembly 62 to one another and to the work vehicle 10 may be achieved in various ways. For example, in some embodiments, the sensor cover 14 and the sensor assembly 60 may be coupled to one another (e.g., via a suitable bracket or fastener), and then the sensor cover 14 with the sensor assembly 60 attached thereto may be attached to the ballast assembly 62, such as via the cover bracket 110, the plate 84, and the linkage member 88. In some embodiments, the sensor cover 14, the sensor assembly 60, and the ballast assembly 62 may be coupled to one another (e.g., via the linkage member 88), and then the entire package (e.g., the sensor cover 14, the sensor assembly 60, and the ballast assembly 62) may be coupled to the work vehicle 10, such as via the support assembly 55. [0047] While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.