Search

US-12616092-B2 - Harvesting device having an integrated hydraulic tank

US12616092B2US 12616092 B2US12616092 B2US 12616092B2US-12616092-B2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage tank for hydraulic oil, the storage tank being arranged in a hollow frame profile of a frame for a harvesting apparatus.

Inventors

  • Michael Pokriefke
  • Steffen Sudhues
  • Dirk Webermann
  • Dominik Sälker

Assignees

  • CARL GERINGHOFF GMBH & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240529
Priority Date
20230616

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . A harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) comprising of: a frame ( 10 ) made up of a plurality of structural elements ( 8 ), at least one of which is internally hollow, having units ( 100 ) for cutting and/or picking up crops, having units ( 102 ) for conveying the cut and/or picked-up crops downstream, having hydraulic components ( 14 ) for controlling and/or for driving the aforementioned units ( 100 , 102 ), and having a storage tank ( 16 ) for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components ( 14 ), wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is formed, in the internally hollow structural element ( 8 ) of the frame ( 10 ), as a fluid-tight storage tank ( 16 ) for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components ( 14 ), wherein a cavity ( 18 ) formed in the structural element ( 8 ) has a feed line connection ( 24 ) and a suction connection ( 26 ), wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is divided, by a partition ( 22 ) that extends in an at least approximately horizontal plane in a longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ) when the harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) is in a rest position, into a suction chamber ( 28 ) situated below the partition ( 22 ) and a storage chamber ( 30 ) situated above the partition ( 22 ), and the suction connection ( 26 ) opens, via a mouth opening ( 34 ) assigned thereto, into the suction chamber ( 28 ).
  2. 2 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one structural element ( 8 ) is a transverse profile ( 12 ) of the frame ( 10 ).
  3. 3 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is divided into thirds in the longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ), a mouth opening ( 35 ) of the feed line connection ( 24 ) is arranged in the middle third ( 38 ).
  4. 4 . The harvesting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mouth opening ( 34 ) of the suction connection ( 26 ) is situated in the outer third ( 39 ) of the length of the storage tank ( 16 ) in the longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ).
  5. 5 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber ( 30 ), there is arranged a throttle element ( 42 ) which throttles the exchange of hydraulic oil within a storage the storage chamber ( 30 ) and to which there is assigned an adjacent flow transfer opening ( 32 ) through which hydraulic oil situated in parts of the storage chamber ( 30 ) that are separated from one another by the throttle element ( 42 ) can flow when the harvesting apparatus is situated in an oblique pivoted position.
  6. 6 . A harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) comprising of: a frame ( 10 ) made up of a plurality of structural elements ( 8 ), at least one of which is internally hollow, having units ( 100 ) for cutting and/or picking up crops, having units ( 102 ) for conveying the cut and/or picked-up crops downstream, having hydraulic components ( 14 ) for controlling and/or for driving the aforementioned units ( 100 , 102 ), and having a storage tank ( 16 ) for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components ( 14 ), wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is formed, in the internally hollow structural element ( 8 ) of the frame ( 10 ), as a fluid-tight storage tank ( 16 ) for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components ( 14 ), wherein a cavity ( 18 ) formed in the structural element ( 8 ) has a feed line connection ( 24 ) and a suction connection ( 26 ) and the at least one structural element ( 8 ) is a transverse profile ( 12 ) of a frame ( 10 ), wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is divided, by a partition ( 22 ) that extends in an at least approximately horizontal plane when the harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) is in a rest position, into a suction chamber ( 28 ) situated below the partition ( 22 ) and a storage chamber ( 30 ) situated above the partition ( 22 ), and the suction connection ( 26 ) opens, via a mouth opening ( 34 ) assigned thereto, into the suction chamber ( 28 ), wherein the mouth opening ( 34 ) of the suction connection ( 26 ) is arranged so as to be laterally offset with respect to a flow transfer opening ( 32 ) in a first direction (I) with respect to a longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ) of the storage tank ( 16 ), a first throttle element ( 40 ) is arranged in the suction chamber ( 28 ) between the mouth opening ( 34 ) of the suction connection ( 26 ) and the flow transfer opening ( 32 ) and separates the suction chamber ( 28 ) from the storage chamber ( 30 ), and a second throttle element ( 42 ) that divides the storage chamber ( 30 ) is arranged in the storage chamber ( 30 ) so as to be laterally offset with respect to the flow transfer opening ( 32 ) in a second direction (II) with respect to the longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ) of the storage tank ( 16 ).
  7. 7 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the first and/or second throttle element ( 40 , 42 ) has one or more passage openings ( 44 ) in a lower region of the first and/or second throttle element ( 40 / 42 ).
  8. 8 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the flow transfer opening ( 32 ), includes a pivotably mounted throttle flap ( 46 ) that extends through the flow transfer opening ( 32 ) and which is held so as to be movable by the hydraulic oil that flows through the flow transfer opening ( 32 ).
  9. 9 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the pivotability of the throttle flap ( 46 ) is limited in at least one pivoting direction by a stop ( 52 ).
  10. 10 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the movable throttle flap ( 46 ) throttles the hydraulic oil in both possible flow directions.
  11. 11 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ), according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is connected to a snifter valve ( 48 ) that allows air to flow into the storage tank ( 16 ) if the pressure prevailing in the storage tank ( 16 ) undershoots a threshold value.
  12. 12 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank ( 16 ) is connected to a ventilation valve ( 50 ) that opens if the pressure prevailing in the storage tank ( 16 ) overshoots a threshold value.
  13. 13 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of structural elements ( 8 ) of the frame ( 10 ) has, over its extent in the longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ) of the fluid-tight storage tank ( 16 ), two C-shaped profiles ( 20 ) which delimit the storage tank ( 16 ) in the longitudinal extent direction ( 36 ) and which, arranged with their open longitudinal sides facing towards one another, are welded together in the region of abutment over their length, wherein the partition ( 22 ) is placed between, and welded to, the limbs of the mutually facing C-shaped profiles ( 20 ).
  14. 14 . The harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the harvesting apparatus ( 2 ) is a multi-part machine having at least one central frame ( 4 ) and having two attachment frames ( 6 ) arranged laterally with respect to and pivotably connected to the central frame ( 4 ), wherein the structural element ( 8 ) is a central transverse profile ( 12 ) of the central frame ( 4 ).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to German Patent Application DE 10 2023 115 865.1, filed Jun. 16, 2023, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, including without limitation, the specification, claims, and abstract, as well as any figures, tables, appendices, or drawings thereof. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a harvesting device having an integrated hydraulic tank. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background description provided herein gives context for the present disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art. Generic harvesting apparatuses such as grain headers, corn headers, pick-up apparatuses, and the like are already known in a wide variety of designs. Such harvesting apparatuses commonly have hydraulic drives for the various machine functions, which hydraulic drives are commonly also activated and deactivated, and set to desired operating parameters, by means of hydraulic valves. The corresponding hydraulics systems may be connected to the hydraulics circuit of the associated agricultural harvester, though they may also have a dedicated hydraulics system. In order to be able to always supply a sufficient quantity of hydraulic oil to the harvesting header under all operating conditions, harvesting apparatuses are increasingly equipped with dedicated tanks for storing sufficient quantities of hydraulic liquid. An example of such a tank is disclosed in the document German Patent Application No. DE 20 2006 020 018 U1. Such tanks are, however, expensive and take up structural space that is commonly not available without accepting functional disadvantages. For tractors, it is known for frame parts to be designed as hydraulic tanks. For example, German Patent Application No. DE 90 11 297.0 discloses the use of the roll-over bar of a tractor as a hydraulic tank, with the transverse tube serving as an equalizing vessel. Owing to the large structural height of the roll-over bar and the equalization of the liquid levels in the two vertical support tubes via the transverse tube, there is always sufficient hydraulic liquid situated in the support tubes to prevent the oil outlet from running dry. It is known from the document German Patent Application No. DE 203 09 312 U1 to form the vehicle frame of a lawn tractor from oil-tight hollow profiles that are filled with hydraulic oil and form a storage vessel for the hydraulic oil. The vehicle frame is then extended upwards at least one location in order to form an air cushion for the hydraulic oil. The hydraulic oil quantities required in a lawn tractor are, however, very low. The vehicle frame furthermore has a relatively large structural height, owing to which the quantity fluctuations in the tank and different lateral inclinations of the lawn tractor can be easily compensated without the risk of the oil outlet running dry. Since harvesting apparatuses are commonly of very flat construction in order to give the drivers of harvesters a clear view of the harvesting operation, the concept of using a frame part of a header as a hydraulic tank appears incongruous. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a harvesting device having an integrated hydraulic tank. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The following objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments, are not exhaustive and do not limit the overall disclosure. No single embodiment need provide each and every object, feature, or advantage. Any of the objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments disclosed herein can be integrated with one another, either in full or in part. It is a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to improve on or overcome the deficiencies in the art. The present invention relates to a harvesting apparatus having a frame made up of a plurality of structural elements, at least one of which is internally hollow, having units for cutting and/or picking up crops, having units for conveying the cut and/or picked-up crops downstream, having hydraulic components for controlling and/or for driving the aforementioned units, and having a storage tank for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components, wherein the storage tank is formed, in the internally hollow structural element of the frame, as a fluid-tight storage tank for storing the liquid required for the operation of the hydraulic components, wherein the cavity formed in the structural element has a feed line connection and a suction connection. It is the object of the present invention to arrange a tank for hydraulic oil in a harvesting machine, which tank can be implemented inexpensively and takes up little structural space. The tank should furthermore be designed such that the disadvantages described above