FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; rule 13)
“AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER HVAC SYSTEMS AND METHODS”
CNH Industrial (India) Pvt. Ltd. of the address: B1-207, Boomerang, Chandivali Farm Road, Near Chandivali Studio, Andheri (East) Mumbai – 400 072, India; Nationality:- India.
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in
which it is to be performed:

AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER HVAC SYSTEMS AND
METHODS
BACKGROUND
[0001] The disclosure relates generally to agricultural vehicles, and more specifically, to systems and methods for coupling agricultural harvester components to agricultural tractor components to form an agricultural harvester.
[0002] Generally, harvesters include multiple drums distributed across a width of the harvester. Each drum is configured to harvest crops along a row as the harvester moves across a field. For example, a drum of a cotton harvester may include a rotor with spindles that revolve about the rotor to remove cotton bolls from cotton plants. The harvested goods (e.g., cotton) and other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage) may be directed through outlets to a bin, baler, or to the field. However, typical self-propelled harvesters may be large and/or expensive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0003] In one embodiment, a system includes a harvester assembly configured to be coupled to a frame of an agricultural vehicle to facilitate conversion of the agricultural vehicle into a harvester. The harvester assembly includes a cabin configured to house an operator and configured to be removeably coupled to the agricultural vehicle at a different location than an agricultural vehicle cabin of the agricultural vehicle, an evaporator assembly mounted on the cabin, wherein the evaporator assembly includes an evaporator, and a plurality of tubes configured to extend from the evaporator assembly, and a first coupling assembly configured to fluidly couple a first tube of the plurality of tubes to an input of a compressor supported on the frame of the agricultural vehicle.
[0004] In another embodiment, a method of converting an agricultural vehicle into a harvester includes disconnecting a first evaporator from a compressor supported on a first

frame of an agricultural vehicle, coupling a harvester cabin supporting configured to house an operator to the first frame of the agricultural vehicle, coupling a second evaporator to the harvester cabin, and coupling the second evaporator to the compressor via a first coupling assembly.
DRAWINGS
[0005] 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:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a harvester configured to harvest rows of a crop, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side view of a harvester assembly and a tractor assembly that may be coupled to one another to form the harvester of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2 and an HVAC system of the tractor assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a cabin and an evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of multiple coupling assemblies of the harvester assembly of FIG. 2 that couple to the HVAC system of FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0011] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for coupling the harvester assembly and the tractor assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] 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.
[0013] 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.
[0014] A harvester collects agricultural product and separates portions of the agricultural product into harvested goods (e.g., cotton) and other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage), as the harvester travels across an agricultural field. The harvested goods and the other agricultural materials are discharged into outlets, such as a harvested goods outlet and a discharge outlet, respectively. Some self-propelled harvesters may be large and/or expensive. Thus, the disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates conversion or modification of another agricultural or work vehicle into a harvester. For example, a tractor may be used throughout the year to carry out various farming operations. As harvesting season approaches, an operator (e.g., farmer) may modify the tractor, such as by coupling harvester components (e.g., one or more drums, a

bin, a cabin) to certain tractor components (e.g., a chassis supporting wheels, an engine, a transmission, and a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning [HVAC] system, a radiator), to form a harvester (e.g., a tractor-mounted harvester or a modified tractor) that may be used to carry out harvesting operations. When the harvesting season ends, the operator may separate the harvester components from the tractor components, and the tractor may again be utilized to carry out the various farming operations.
[0015] As discussed in detail below, the disclosed embodiments provide systems methods for converting or modifying an agricultural vehicle by adding a cabin and an evaporator, which may be coupled to the HVAC system of the agricultural vehicle. For example, the disclosed systems and methods may be used to modify a tractor, such as by coupling harvester components to certain tractor components to form a harvester that may be used to carry out harvesting operations. In some embodiments, the system may include one or more coupling assemblies that are configured to couple the evaporator on the cabin of the harvester to the HVAC system (e.g., air conditioning assembly and/or hot coolant source) of the agricultural vehicle. In some embodiments, the coupling assemblies may include couplings (e.g., quick couplers) that may enable coupling of the HVAC system of the agricultural vehicle to the evaporator of the harvester, while enabling a reduction in leakage or loss of refrigerant during connection and disconnection. Advantageously, the disclosed embodiments may facilitate efficient construction of a relatively small and/or low cost harvester (e.g., compared to some self-propelled harvesters) that also enables higher harvesting capacity and/or increased output of harvested goods compared to harvesting crops by hand, for example. Advantageously, the disclosed system may enable utilization of the HVAC system of the agricultural vehicle to cool and heat the cabin of the harvester, thus increasing efficiency of conversion and a reduction in the cost of conversion.
[0016] While the present disclosure illustrates embodiments of a harvester that includes harvesting components and tractor components to facilitate discussion, it should be understood that the harvester may include components of any of a variety of

agricultural or work vehicles, such as trucks, utility vehicles, or the like. For example, harvester components may be coupled to components of a truck to form a harvester. Furthermore, the conversion kit (e.g., harvester assembly) may be utilized to facilitate HVAC system connection and conversion of any of a variety of agricultural or work vehicles. For example, sprayer components may be coupled to components of a tractor to form a sprayer. Thus, the disclosed conversion kit (e.g., harvester assembly) may be configured to facilitate coupling of a cabin and HVAC components of various types of agricultural or work vehicles to one another to form a particular agricultural or work vehicle.
[0017] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a harvester 10 (e.g., a tractor-mounted harvester or a modified tractor) configured to harvest rows of a crop in an agricultural field. To facilitate discussion, the harvester 10 and its components may be described with reference to a longitudinal axis or direction 12, a vertical axis or direction 14, and a lateral axis or direction 16.
[0018] As shown, the harvester 10 includes multiple drums 18 (e.g., harvesting heads) that utilize one or more rotors to separate harvested goods (e.g., cotton or other agricultural product) from other agricultural materials (e.g., chaff, foliage, stems, debris). The harvester 10 may include an air system that includes a fan 19 configured to blow air to direct the harvested goods through a conduit 20 to a bin 22 (e.g., basket or baler). In some embodiments, the bin 22 may be configured to move (e.g., pivot or rotate) to transfer the harvested goods out of the bin 22 (e.g., to another container or to the agricultural field). In some embodiments, the other agricultural materials may be deposited onto the agricultural field beneath and/or behind the harvester 10.
[0019] As shown, the harvester 10 also includes a cabin 24 configured to house an operator. In the illustrated embodiment, the cabin 24 includes one or more operator interfaces and/or input devices 26 (e.g., switch, knob, light, display, steering wheel, gear shift, lever) that enable the operator to monitor and/or control various functions of the harvester 10, such as ground speed, steering angle, transmission range and/or gear,

operation of the HVAC system, operation of the drums 18, operation of the air system, operation of the bin 22, or the like. As shown, the bin 22 and the cabin 24 are supported on a frame 28 (e.g., harvester frame or chassis). Various other components (e.g., the drums 18 and the conduit 20) may be supported by and/or coupled to the frame 28 to complete the harvester 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the frame 28 supports or includes a cover assembly 30 (e.g., cage assembly) that is configured to cover (e.g., surround or protect) various components, such as an engine, a transmission, and an HVAC system (e.g., air conditioning assembly and a hot coolant source), and a radiator, which are supported on a frame 32 (e.g., tractor frame or chassis). In operation, the harvester 10 may be driven in a direction of travel 40 through the agricultural field using forward wheels 42 and rear wheels 44. It should be appreciated that although two drums 18 are shown in FIG. 1, that the harvester 10 may have any suitable number of drums 18, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more drums 18. It should also be appreciated that the harvester 10 may include tracks in place of front wheels 42 and/or rear wheels 44
[0020] As discussed above, the harvester 10 may include harvester components and tractor components. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the forward wheels 42, the rear wheels 44, the frame 32, and various components supported on the frame 32, such as the engine, the transmission, the HVAC system, and/or the radiator, may form a tractor assembly 48 (e.g., tractor drivetrain assembly) that may be coupled to various other tractor components to form a tractor (e.g., an unmodified tractor). The drums 18, the conduits 20, the bin 22, the cabin 24, the input devices 26, the frame 28, and/or the cover assembly 30 may be part of a harvester assembly 52 (e.g., harvester kit or conversion kit) that may be coupled to the tractor assembly 48 to create or to build the harvester 10. Thus, at certain times of the year, the operator may utilize the tractor to carry out various agricultural operations. However, during a harvesting season, the operator may separate the tractor assembly 48 from other tractor components of the tractor, and then the operator may combine the tractor assembly 48 with the harvester assembly 52 to build the harvester 10 to carry out harvesting operations. At the conclusion of the harvesting season, the operator may separate the tractor assembly 48

from the harvester assembly 52, and then reassemble the tractor components on the tractor assembly 48 to form the tractor to resume the various agricultural operations.
[0021] The harvester assembly 52 (e.g., harvester kit or conversion kit) may include an evaporator assembly 54 that may be positioned on or about the cabin 24. For example, evaporator assembly 54 may be positioned on a roof 56 of the cabin 24 and may be used to cool and/or heat the air temperature in the cabin 24 when in operation. In some embodiments, the evaporator assembly 54 may include an evaporator and a heater core. In some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 may further include one or more coupling assemblies that may be used to couple the HVAC system (e.g., air conditioning assembly and hot coolant source) of the tractor assembly 48 to the evaporator assembly 54. The air conditioning assembly may typically be used to cool the airflow into the cabin 24, while the hot coolant source (e.g., radiator and/or engine) may be used to heat the airflow into the cabin 24. When the harvester assembly 52 is coupled to the tractor assembly 48 to convert the tractor into the harvester 10, the air conditioning system and/or the hot coolant source of the tractor assembly 48 may be used to cool and/or heat the air temperature within the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52. Coupling of the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 to the HVAC system (e.g., air conditioning assembly and hot coolant source) of the tractor assembly 48 may enable a simpler and more cost efficient conversion of the tractor to the harvester 10, while providing cooled and heated air to the operator in the cabin 24 of the harvester 10.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a side view of the tractor assembly 48 and the harvester assembly 52 that may be coupled to one another to form the harvester 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the tractor assembly 48 includes the forward wheels 42, the rear wheels 44, the frame 32, and various components supported on the frame 32, such as an engine 70, a transmission 72, an air conditioning assembly 74, and a radiator 76. The tractor assembly 48 may also include a hot coolant source 77, which may include the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70. When the tractor assembly 48 is not coupled to the harvester assembly 52, the tractor assembly 48 may be coupled to

various other tractor components 78, such as a tractor cover, a tractor cabin 80, a tractor evaporator assembly 82, or the like, to form a tractor 50 (e.g., an unmodified tractor) and to enable the tractor 50 to travel in a forward direction of travel 84 to carry out various agricultural operations (e.g., non-harvesting operations).
[0023] As shown, the harvester assembly 52 includes the drums 18, the conduits 20, the bin 22, the cabin 24, the input devices 26, the frame 28, and the cover assembly 30, among other components. The harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., via fasteners, such as bolts or screws) to form the harvester 10. The harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the tractor assembly 48 via any of a variety of processes or steps. For example, in some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 is partially assembled or fully assembled (e.g., as shown), and then subsequently coupled or mounted onto the tractor assembly 48 to form the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the components of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled individually and/or sequentially to the tractor assembly 48. For example, the frame 28 of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the frame 32 of the tractor assembly 48, then the cover assembly 30 may be coupled to the frame 28, then the bin 22 may be coupled to the frame 28, then the cabin 24 may be coupled to the frame 28, and so on. In some embodiments, the input devices 26 may be coupled (e.g., via cables, linkages, or wires) to corresponding components of the tractor assembly 48 during assembly of the harvester 10 to facilitate operation of the harvester 10. For example, the operator may extend cables between the input devices 26 to the transmission 62 to enable the operator to shift the range and/or the gear using the input devices 26.
[0024] As previously discussed, certain tractor components 78 may be removed from the tractor assembly 48 before the tractor assembly 48 is coupled to the harvester assembly 52, including the cabin 80 and evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50. The cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the frame 28 of the harvester assembly 52 to provide an operation space for the operator of the harvester 10. The cabin 24 may be coupled to the frame 28 in such a position that the cabin 24 is disposed in a

different location than the cabin 80 of the tractor 50. The cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52 may be positioned toward a front end 86 of harvester 10 and positioned forward of the forward wheel 42 when the harvester 10 is in operation, such that the cabin 24 faces the direction of travel 40 of the harvester 10 when in operation. The position of the cabin 24 may enable the operator of the harvester 10 to visualize harvesting operations of the harvester 10.
[0025] As previously discussed, in some embodiments, the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 may be disposed on the cabin 24. The evaporator assembly 54 may be coupled to the air conditioning assembly 74 and/or the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to form an HVAC system for the harvester 10 when in operation. As discussed in detail below, the harvester assembly 52 may include hoses or tubes that may be extended between the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 and the air conditioning assembly 74 and/or hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48. The hoses or tubes may be coupled to the air conditioning assembly 74 and/or the hot coolant source 77 using coupling assemblies to enable cooling and/or heating of the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. The location of the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52 may be farther from the air conditioning assembly 74 of the tractor assembly 48 than the cabin 80 of the tractor 50. As such, the hoses or tubes used to couple the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 may be longer than those used to couple the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the harvester assembly 52, including the cabin 24, showing coupling of the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. The frame 28 of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the frame 32 of the tractor assembly 48. The tractor assembly 48 may include the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., radiator 76 and/or engine 70). When the harvester assembly 52 and the tractor assembly 48 are coupled together,

the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 may be fluidly coupled to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52, thus enabling an HVAC system 79 to cool and heat the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. Coupling of the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 and the evaporator assembly 54 on the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52 may enable efficient conversion of the tractor 50 into the harvester 10, and vice versa. Further, use of the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to cool and heat the cabin 24 of the harvester 10 may enable a cost saving benefit.
[0027] The air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 may be fluidly coupled to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 through tubing 90 (e.g., piping, hoses) of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the tubing 90 may extend from an outlet of the air conditioning assembly 74 to an inlet of the evaporator assembly 54, and from an outlet of the evaporator assembly 54 to an inlet of the air conditioning assembly 74, as discussed in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Similarly, in some embodiments, the tubing 90 may extend from an outlet of the hot coolant source 77 to an inlet of the evaporator assembly 54, and from an outlet of the evaporator assembly 54 to an inlet, such as an inlet of the hot coolant source 77. As previously discussed, in some embodiments, the cabin 24 and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 may be positioned forward of the forward wheels 42 of the harvester 10, and thus, farther from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 than the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50. Thus, the tubing 90 of the harvester assembly 52 may be longer than tubing used to couple the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50. The tubing 90 may be removably coupled to the frame 28 using supports (e.g., support brackets) as the tubing travels to and from the air conditioning assembly 74, the hot coolant source 77, and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. This may enable the relatively lengthy tubing 90 to remain out of the way of any moving parts when the harvester 10 is in operation.

[0028] The tubing 90 may extend a cooling circuit and, in some embodiments, a heating circuit, from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 through the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, when the operator is converting the tractor 50 to the harvester 10 using the harvester assembly 52, the cabin 80 may be removed and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50 may be disconnected from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77. Because the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50 may be closer to the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70), any tubing extending from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 may not be long enough to reach the cabin 24 and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 located farther from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77. Thus, the harvester assembly 52 may include one or more coupling assemblies 92 (e.g., couplers) that may be used to couple the tubing 90 to the tubing or pipes extending from the disconnected air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77, as discussed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 5. The tubing 90 and the coupling assemblies 92 of the harvester assembly 52 may enable the cabin 24 to be positioned a greater distance from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 when operated as harvester 10.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52, including the evaporator assembly 54 and the tubing 90. In some embodiments, the cabin 24 may be coupled to the frame 28 of the harvester assembly 52 such that it is positioned a distance away from the air conditioning assembly 74 and hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48. The air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 may be fluidly coupled to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 to create the HVAC system 79 for the harvester 10 when converting the tractor 50 to the harvester 10 using the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the evaporator assembly 54 may be positioned on the roof 56 of the cabin 24. However, in some embodiments, the evaporator assembly 54 may be

positioned at any other location about or adjacent to the cabin 54 suitable for cooling and heating the air temperature within the cabin 24 of the harvester 10 when in operation.
[0030] In some embodiments, the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 may be coupled to the evaporator assembly 54 on the roof 56 of the cabin 24 via the tubing 90. In some embodiments, the tubing 90 may be relatively long as the cabin 24 and the evaporator assembly 54 may be positioned at a greater distance from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 than the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50. The tubing 90 may couple the air conditioning assembly 74 to the evaporator assembly 54 to complete a cooling circuit 100 for the harvester 10. In some embodiments, in operation, one or more tubes 90 (e.g., pipes, hoses) of the cooling circuit 100 may carry a liquid refrigerant from the air conditioning assembly 74 to the evaporator assembly 54. The refrigerant may flow into an inlet 102 of the evaporator assembly 54 to an evaporator 104. The refrigerant may flow through coils in the evaporator 104, and air passing over the coils may transfer heat to the refrigerant in the coils, causing the refrigerant to vaporize. In some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 may include a blower 106 (e.g., fan) that may be positioned on the roof 56 of the cabin 24. The blower 106 may blow the air over the coils of the evaporator 104 and into the cabin 24. The transfer of heat from the air to the refrigerant in the evaporator 104 may cool the air, and thus, cool the air temperature in the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. From the evaporator 104, the refrigerant may exit the evaporator assembly 54 via an outlet 108 and enter the tubing 90 (e.g., return tubing), which may carry the refrigerant flow back to the air conditioning assembly 74.
[0031] Similarly, in some embodiments, the tubing 90 of the harvester assembly 52 may couple the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to the evaporator assembly 54 to complete a heating circuit 110 of the harvester 10. In some embodiments, in operation, one or more tubes 90 (e.g., pipes, hoses) may carry a hot engine coolant from the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70) to the evaporator assembly 54. The hot coolant may flow into an inlet 112 of the evaporator

assembly 54 to a heater core 114. The hot coolant may flow through the heater core 114, and air passing over the heater core 114 may absorb heat from the coolant in the heater core 114. The blower 106 may blow the air over the heater core 114 and into the cabin 24. The transfer of heat from the hot coolant to the air may heat the air, and thus, raise the air temperature in the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. From the heater core 114, the coolant may exit the evaporator assembly 54 via an outlet 116 and enter the tubing 90 (e.g., return tubing), which may carry the coolant flow back to the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., to flow into the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70).
[0032] The evaporator 104 and the heater core 114 of the evaporator assembly 54 may typically be operated independently. As such, in some embodiments, the harvester assembly 54 may include a valve 118 (e.g., solenoid valve). The valve 118 may be positioned along the tubing 90 carrying the hot coolant from the hot coolant source 77 to the heater core 114 of the evaporator assembly 54. The valve 118 may open and close to control the flow of hot coolant to the heater core 114 from the hot coolant source 77. The valve 118 may be controlled by the operator in the cabin 24 (e.g., via the one or more input devices 26) to heat the air temperature in the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the valve 118 may be disposed on the roof 56 of the cabin 24, or at any other position along the tubing 90 coupling the hot coolant source 77 and the heater core 114 of the evaporator assembly 54 that may carry coolant from the hot coolant source 77.
[0033] The tubing 90 may fluidly couple the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the evaporator 104 and the heater core 114 of the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52, respectively. The tubing 90 coupling the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to the evaporator assembly 54 on the cabin 24 may enable heating and cooling of the air temperature of the cabin 24 of the harvester 10. Further, the tubing 90 along with the coupling assemblies 92 may enable the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48 to be utilized to cool and heat the air temperature of the cabin 24 positioned at a farther distance from the air conditioning assembly 74 and

the hot coolant source 77 than the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50. This in turn may enable a more efficient conversion of the tractor 50 to the harvester 10, and vice versa, as well as a cost saving benefit.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the air conditioning assembly 74 of the tractor assembly 48 showing the tubing 90 and the coupling assemblies 92 that may be used to couple the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. As previously discussed, tractor components 78, such as the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50, may be disconnected from the tractor assembly 48, and the tractor assembly 48 may be coupled to the harvester assembly 52 to form the harvester 10. The tractor assembly 48 may include the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70), which may be fluidly coupled to the cabin 24 and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 to form the HVAC system 79 for the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52 may be positioned at a farther distance from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 than the cabin 80 of the tractor 50, such that the cabin 24 may be positioned forward of the forward wheels 42 when the harvester 10 is in operation.
[0035] As such, the tubing 90 of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to relatively short tubing 130 extending directly from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48. In some embodiments, the tubing 90 of the harvester assembly 52 may be coupled to the tubing 130 extending from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 via the coupling assemblies 92. The coupling assemblies 92 may each include two portions that may be coupled together. In some embodiments, the portions of the coupling assemblies 92 may rotatably couple together via a threaded connection, or may couple through any other type of connection. The coupling assembly 92 may include a first portion 132 that may connect to the tubing 130 extending from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70). The coupling assembly 92 may include a second

portion 134 that may connect to the tubing 90 extending to the evaporator assembly 54 on the cabin 24. The first portion 132 may rotatably, or otherwise, couple to the second portion 134 to fluidly couple the tubing 130 extending from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the tubing 90 extending to the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the first portion 132 and/or the second portion 134 may include a valve, such as a tapered cylinder, that may be sealed when the first portion 132 and the second portion 134 are disconnected. The valve(s) of the first portion 132 and/or the second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92 may open when the first portion 132 and the second portion 134 are coupled together. As such, the valve(s) of the first portion 132 and the second portion 134 of the coupling assemblies 92 may block leakage and loss of refrigerant and/or coolant during connection and disconnection of the harvester assembly 52 and the tractor assembly 48.
[0036] In some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 may include the HVAC system 79. As such, in some embodiments, the HVAC system 79 and the components of the HVAC system 79 discussed below may be coupled to the harvester assembly 52. In such embodiments, the HVAC system 79 may be a standalone HVAC system used for heating and cooling the cabin 24. For example, in such embodiments, the HVAC system 79 may be positioned on or about the cabin 24 to heat and cool the airflow into the cabin 24. The HVAC system 79 may include an electrical motor to drive components of the HVAC system 79.
[0037] As previously discussed, in some embodiments, the tubing 90 may be coupled to the tubing 130 extending from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 via the coupling assemblies 92 to complete the cooling circuit 100 and the heating circuit 110 of the harvester 10. The air conditioning assembly 74 of the tractor assembly 48 may be positioned on or coupled to the frame 32 of the tractor assembly 48. In some embodiments, the cooling circuit 100 may include a compressor 136 and a condenser 138 of the air conditioning assembly 74. The compressor 136 may compress refrigerant vapor returning from the evaporator 104 of the evaporator assembly 54. The

compressor 136 may deliver the refrigerant vapor to the condenser 138. The refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor 136 to the condenser 138 may transfer heat to a fluid passing across the condenser causing the refrigerant vapor to condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 138. The refrigerant liquid from the condenser 138 may be delivered to the distant evaporator 104 of the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the refrigerant liquid may exit the condenser 138 of the air conditioning assembly 74 via a tube 140 (e.g., a relatively short tube 130 extending from the air conditioning assembly 74). The tube 140 may be coupled to the first portion 132 of the coupling assembly 92. The first portion 132 of the coupling assembly 92 may be coupled to the second portion 134, which is coupled to a tube 142 (e.g., a relatively long tube 90 extending to the evaporator assembly 54). The tube 142 may extend from the coupling assembly 92 to the inlet 102 of the evaporator 104 within the evaporator assembly 54.
[0038] As previously discussed, the refrigerant liquid may pass through the evaporator 104 absorbing heat from the surrounding air, and thus, cooling the airflow into the cabin 24. The vapor refrigerant may exit the evaporator 104 via the outlet 108. The outlet 108 may be coupled to a tube 144 (e.g., a relatively long tube 90 extending from the evaporator assembly 54). The tube 144 may be coupled to the second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92. The second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92 may be coupled to the first portion 132 of the coupling assembly, which may be coupled to a tube 146 (e.g., a relatively short tube 130). The tube 146 may be coupled to the compressor 136, thus completing the cooling circuit 100 of the harvester 10. In some embodiments, the cooling circuit 100 of the harvester 10 may include a dryer 148 (e.g., filter dryer, air dryer) along the tube 140 from the condenser to the coupling assembly 92. The dryer 148 may be used to filter or capture moisture and contaminants from circulating through the cooling circuit 100.
[0039] Similarly, as previously discussed, in some embodiments, the tubing 90 may be coupled to the tubing 130 extending from the hot coolant source 77 via the coupling

assemblies 92 to complete the heating circuit 110 of the harvester 10. The radiator 76 of the tractor assembly 48 may be positioned on or coupled to the frame 32 of the tractor assembly 48. In some embodiments, the radiator 76 may be positioned adjacent to the air conditioning assembly 74 and on a side of the air conditioning assembly 74 farthest from the cabin 24 of the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the heating circuit 110 may include the hot coolant source 77 (e.g., the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70) and the heater core 114 of the evaporator assembly 54. The hot coolant source 77 may deliver hot coolant to the heater core 114. In some embodiments, the hot coolant may exit the hot coolant source 77 via a tube 150 (e.g., a relatively short tube 130 extending from the hot coolant source 77). The tube 150 may be coupled to the first portion 132 of the coupling assembly 92. The first portion 132 may be coupled to the second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92, which may be coupled to tube 152 (e.g., a relatively long tube 90 extending to the evaporator assembly 54). The tube 152 may extend from the coupling assembly 92 to the inlet 112 of the heater core 114 within the evaporator assembly 54.
[0040] As previously discussed, the hot coolant may pass through the heater core 114 exchanging heat with the surrounding air, and thus, heating the temperature of the airflow into the cabin 24. The coolant may exit the heater core 114 via the outlet 116. The outlet 116 may be coupled to a tube 154 (e.g., a relatively long tube 90 extending from the evaporator assembly 54). The tube 154 may be coupled to the second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92. The second portion 134 of the coupling assembly 92 may be coupled to the first portion 132 of the coupling assembly, which may be coupled to a tube 156 (e.g., a relatively short tube 130 extending from tractor assembly 48). The tube 156 may be coupled to a component of the tractor assembly 48 (e.g., to the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70), thus completing the heating circuit 110 of the harvester 10. Further, as previously discussed, in some embodiments, the heating circuit 110 may include a valve 118 (FIG. 4) disposed along the tube 152 that may be opened and closed by the operator to control heating of the air temperature in the cabin 24 of the harvester 10.

[0041] In some embodiments, the harvester assembly 52 may include one or more supports 158 (e.g., support brackets) that may be used to couple the tubing 90 to the frame 28 of the harvester assembly 52. The supports 158 may be disposed at any location along the tubing 90 between the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 and the coupling assemblies 92. Further, in some embodiments, the tubes 90 may be coupled together or may run independently between the coupling assemblies 92 and the evaporator assembly 54.
[0042] In some embodiments, the tubes 130 (including tubes 140, 146, 150, and 156) that extend from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 to the coupling assemblies 92 may be shorter in length that the tubes 90 (including tubes 142, 144, 152, and 154) extending between the coupling assemblies 92 and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52. This may be because the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 of the tractor 50 may be positioned adjacent to or near the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48. As previously discussed, the cabin 24 and the evaporator assembly 54 of the harvester assembly 52 may be positioned farther from the air conditioning assembly 74 and the hot coolant source 77 when assembled and operated as harvester 10 (e.g., as compared to the cabin 80 and the evaporator assembly 82 when assembled and operated as the tractor 50). Further, it should be understood that the tubes 90 and the tubes 130 may each contain a single section of tubing or multiple sections of tubing as desired for conversion to the harvester 10 or the tractor 50. In some embodiments, the coupling assemblies 92 of the harvester assembly 52 may couple the tubing 90 directly to other components of the air conditioning assembly 74 of the tractor assembly 48 and/or the hot coolant source 77 of the tractor assembly 48.
[0043] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 170 for modifying the tractor 50 using the harvester assembly 52. In some embodiments, the method 170 may include disconnecting the evaporator assembly (e.g. evaporator assembly 82) of the tractor (e.g., tractor 50) from the air conditioning assembly (e.g., air conditioning

assembly 74) and the hot coolant source (e.g., hot coolant source 77) of the tractor assembly (e.g., tractor assembly 48) (process block 172). In some embodiments, the cabin and the associated evaporator assembly (e.g., cabin 80 and evaporator assembly 82) of the tractor may be removed from the tractor assembly (process block 74). As previously mentioned, the tractor assembly may include the tractor frame (e.g., frame 32), the tractor wheels, the tractor engine (e.g., engine 70), the air conditioning assembly (e.g., air conditioning assembly 74), and the hot coolant source (e.g., hot coolant source 77).
[0044] The harvester frame (e.g., frame 28) may be coupled to the tractor assembly (e.g., tractor assembly 48) (process block 176). The cabin (e.g., cabin 24) of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the frame of the harvester assembly (process block 178). The cabin of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the frame of harvester assembly such that the cabin is located in a different position than the tractor cabin (e.g. cabin 80) relative to the air conditioning assembly and the hot coolant source. In some embodiments, as previously discussed, the cabin of the harvester assembly may be located forward of the forward wheel of the harvester when the harvester is in operation. The evaporator assembly (e.g., evaporator assembly 54) of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the cabin of the harvester assembly (process block 180). In some embodiments, the evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly may be disposed on the roof of the cabin of the harvester assembly.
[0045] The evaporator assembly (e.g., evaporator assembly 54) of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the air conditioning assembly (air conditioning assembly 74) and the hot coolant source (e.g., hot coolant source 77) of the tractor assembly (process block 182). To couple the evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly to the air conditioning assembly of the tractor assembly, inlet tubing and outlet tubing (e.g., tubing 90) of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the evaporator (e.g., evaporator 104) of the evaporator assembly at a first end, and to the second portion (e.g., second portion 134) of the coupling assemblies (e.g., coupling assemblies 92) at a second end. The

tubing (e.g., tubing 130) extending from the inlet and outlet of the air conditioning assembly (e.g., at the compressor and the condenser of the air conditioning assembly) may be coupled to the first portion (e.g., first portion 132) of the coupling assemblies. The first portions and the second portions of the coupling assemblies may be rotatably, or otherwise, coupled together to complete the cooling circuit (e.g., cooling circuit 100) of the harvester (e.g., harvester 10).
[0046] Similarly, in some embodiments, to couple the evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly to the radiator of the tractor assembly, inlet tubing and outlet tubing (e.g., tubing 90) of the harvester assembly may be coupled to the heater core (e.g., heater core 114) of the evaporator assembly at a first end, and to the second portion (e.g., second portion 134) of the coupling assemblies (e.g., coupling assemblies 92) at a second end. The tubing (e.g., tubing 130) extending from an inlet and an outlet of the tractor assembly (e.g. to flow into the radiator 76 and/or the engine 70) may be coupled to the first portion (e.g., first portion 132) of the coupling assemblies. The first portions and the second portions of the coupling assemblies may be rotatably, or otherwise, coupled together to complete the heating circuit (e.g., heating circuit 110) of the harvester (e.g., harvester 10).
[0047] It should be understood that although the steps of the method 170 are discussed in a particular order, the steps may be performed in any order to modify the tractor using the harvester assembly. The tubing (e.g., tubing 90) extending from the evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly, along with the coupling assemblies of the harvester assembly, may enable the cabin (e.g., cabin 94) and the evaporator assembly (e.g., evaporator assembly 54) of the harvester assembly to be positioned in a different location than the cabin (e.g., cabin 80) and the evaporator assembly (e.g., evaporator assembly 82) of the tractor. For example, the cabin and the evaporator assembly of the harvester assembly may be positioned at a farther distance from the air conditioning assembly (e.g., air conditioning assembly 74) and the hot coolant source (e.g., hot coolant source 77) of the tractor assembly. Further, the harvester assembly disclosed herein may enable a simple and low cost conversion kit for modifying the tractor, or another agricultural

vehicle, while further enabling air temperature control of the airflow into the cabin of the harvester.
[0048] While only certain features of the disclosure 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.

CLAIMS:
1. A system, comprising:
a harvester assembly configured to be coupled to a frame of an agricultural vehicle to facilitate conversion of the agricultural vehicle into a harvester, wherein the harvester assembly comprises:
a cabin configured to house an operator and configured to be removeably coupled to the agricultural vehicle at a different location than an agricultural vehicle cabin of the agricultural vehicle;
an evaporator assembly mounted on the cabin, wherein the evaporator assembly comprises an evaporator; and
a plurality of tubes configured to extend from the evaporator assembly; and
a first coupling assembly configured to fluidly couple a first tube of the plurality of tubes to an input of a compressor supported on the frame of the agricultural vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coupling assembly comprises:
a first portion configured to be coupled to the first tube and to a second portion coupled to the input of the compressor, wherein the second portion is configured to block fluid flow through the input of the compressor unless the first portion and the second portion are coupled to one another.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the harvester assembly comprises a second coupling assembly configured to fluidly couple a second tube of the plurality of tubes to an output of a condenser supported on the frame of the agricultural vehicle.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the evaporator assembly comprises a heater core, the harvester assembly comprises a second coupling assembly configured to fluidly couple a second tube of the plurality of tubes to a hot coolant source supported on

the frame of the agricultural vehicle, and the harvester assembly comprises a valve disposed along the second tube and configured to control a flow of fluid from the hot coolant source to the heater core.
5. The system of claim 1, comprising the frame of the agricultural vehicle, wherein the cabin is coupled to the frame at a located forward of the front axle supporting front wheels relative to a forward direction of travel of the harvester.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural vehicle is a tractor.
7. A method of converting an agricultural vehicle into a harvester, comprising:
disconnecting a first evaporator from a compressor supported on a first frame of an agricultural vehicle;
coupling a harvester cabin supporting configured to house an operator to the first frame of the agricultural vehicle;
coupling a second evaporator to the harvester cabin; and
coupling the second evaporator to the compressor via a first coupling assembly.
8. The method of claim 7, comprising:
disconnecting an agricultural vehicle cabin from a first location of the first frame, wherein coupling the harvester cabin to the first frame comprises coupling the harvester cabin to a second location of the first frame, different from the first location of the first frame.
9. The method of claim 7, comprising coupling a heater core to the harvester
cabin, and fluidly coupling a hot coolant source supported on the first frame to the heater
core using a second coupling assembly.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein coupling the compressor to the second evaporator comprises:
coupling a first end of a first tube to an outlet of the evaporator; coupling a second end of the first tube to a first portion of the first coupling assembly; and
coupling the first portion to a second portion of the first coupling assembly that is supported on an end of a compressor tube that extends to the compressor.