US 12,284,948 B2
Cross vented residue disposal system for an enclosed combine body
Corwin M. Puryk, Bettendorf, IA (US); Volker Fuchs, Bettendorf, IA (US); Peter Mischler, Kaiserslautern (DE); Gregor Diessner, Schweigen-Rechtenbach (DE); Martin Rittershofer, Kaiserslautern (DE); and Oliver Klein, Saarlouis (DE)
Assigned to DEERE & COMPANY, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/358,348.
Application 16/705,915 is a division of application No. 15/621,160, filed on Jun. 13, 2017, granted, now 10,499,566.
Application 18/358,348 is a continuation of application No. 16/705,915, filed on Dec. 6, 2019, granted, now 11,744,177.
Prior Publication US 2023/0363310 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. A01F 12/40 (2006.01); A01D 41/12 (2006.01); A01D 41/127 (2006.01); A01D 90/06 (2006.01); A01F 12/44 (2006.01); B07B 1/52 (2006.01)
CPC A01F 12/40 (2013.01) [A01D 41/1243 (2013.01); A01D 41/1276 (2013.01); A01D 90/06 (2013.01); A01F 12/444 (2013.01); B07B 1/528 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A combine harvester, comprising:
a housing including a rear hood and opposite side walls configured to define an interior of the housing, the rear hood comprising a rearmost edge;
a blower disposed in the interior of the housing, the blower configured to generate an airflow along a primary flow path;
a cleaning system disposed in the interior downstream of the blower, the cleaning system configured to separate residue from a crop material, where the residue is moved via the airflow from the blower;
a chopper rotor assembly disposed within the interior downstream of the blower, the chopper rotor assembly comprising a chopper rotor and a plurality of blades coupled to a hub of the chopper rotor, where the plurality of blades are rotatably driven about a pivot axis formed by the hub for chopping the residue as the residue is received via the airflow; and
a chopper housing disposed within the interior of the housing, the chopper housing defining an inlet opening of the chopper rotor assembly and a first outlet spaced downstream from the chopper rotor assembly;
wherein the primary flow path divides into a first flow path and a second flow path, the first flow path defined through the chopper rotor between the inlet and the first outlet, and the second flow path defined between the inlet and a second outlet;
wherein the first flow path directs a first portion of the residue through the interior to the first outlet, the first flow path directing the first portion of the residue to the chopper rotor assembly to be engaged by the chopper rotor;
wherein the second flow path directs a second portion of the residue through the interior to the second outlet, the second flow path bypassing the chopper rotor;
wherein the rearmost edge of the rear hood is located upstream of the pivot axis;
wherein an air gap is defined between the rear hood and the chopper rotor, the second flow path directing the second portion of the residue through the air gap;
wherein each of the plurality of blades comprises an outer tip, where during rotation a path followed by the outer tip of each of the plurality of blades defines a circumferential boundary, the second flow path defined between the rear hood and the circumferential boundary.