Vacuum hose coupling with quick lock feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030796-B2
Application number	US-201514788287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

An agricultural planter includes a chassis, a pneumatic system carried by the chassis, and a row unit carried by the chassis. The row unit includes a unit body, a metering unit carried by the unit body, a flexible coupling locked onto the port by an inner lip formed on an inner surface of the coupling. The metering unit includes a port with a channel formed within the port. The coupling has a sliding region formed on an outer surface of the coupling. The row unit also includes a locking ring bound within the sliding region of the coupling. The locking ring is slidable across the sliding region between a locked position and an unlocked position, such that the locking ring prevents the coupling from deforming to allow the inner lip off the port in the locked position. The row unit also includes a hose connecting the pneumatic system to the channel of the port through the coupling.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural planter, comprising:
a chassis;
a pneumatic system carried by the chassis;
at least one row unit carried by the chassis, the row unit including:
a unit body;
a metering unit carried by the unit body;
a port with a channel formed therein connected to the metering unit and having a spaced-apart free end;
a hose connected to the pneumatic system and having a free end which extends near to the row unit; and
a flexible coupling configured to be positioned over the free end of the port and the free end of the hose,
wherein the flexible coupling, when positioned over the free end of the port and the free end of the hose, positions each free end near each other, the flexible coupling including an inner separation lip which provides a separation between the free end of the port and the free end of the hose, such that the free end of the port and the free end of the hose are each positioned near opposite sides of the inner separation lip of the flexible coupling, so that neither any portion of the free end of the port nor the free end of the hose directly contacts or overlaps each other, the flexible coupling releasably coupling the port and the hose together to permit airflow from the pneumatic system therethrough.

2. The agricultural planter according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible coupling further comprises
an inner lip formed on an inner surface of the flexible coupling which assists in holding flexible coupling to an outer surface of the free end of the port, the flexible coupling including a locking projection formed on an outer surface of the flexible coupling, a coupling lip and a sliding region formed on the outer surface; and
a locking ring bound within the sliding region of the flexible coupling, the locking ring being slidable across the sliding region between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking ring preventing the flexible coupling from deforming to allow the inner lip of the flexible coupling off of the free end of the port while in the locked position,
wherein the port includes a flared portion, and the flared portion of the port has a flared diameter which seals against the inner surface of the flexible coupling, and wherein the sliding region is defined between the coupling lip and an enlarged diameter portion of the flexible coupling.

3. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the locking ring is in the locked position when the locking ring is placed between the locking projection and the coupling lip.

4. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the port has a port lip formed thereon, the coupling lip being pressed against the port lip.

5. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the flared portion forms an airtight seal between the outer surface of the port and the flexible coupling.

6. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the port has a ramped portion and a port lip formed thereon, the inner lip of the flexible coupling locking onto the port between the ramped portion and the port lip.

7. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the port has at least one ramped projection and a port lip formed thereon, the inner lip of the flexible coupling locking onto the port between the at least one ramped projection and the port lip.

8. The agricultural planter according to claim 7 , wherein the port has a plurality of ramped projections formed circumferentially spaced from one another on the port.

9. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible coupling has an inner threaded portion interacting with threadings of the hose.

10. The agricultural planter according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible coupling has a split end with at least two segments, at least one of the segments including at least one of the inner lip and a coupling lip portion.

11. A locking mechanism for a metering unit of a row unit of an agricultural implement, the locking mechanism comprising:
a metering unit carried by the row unit;
a port with a channel formed therein connected to the metering unit and having a spaced-apart free end;
a hose connected to a pneumatic system and having a free end which extends near to the metering unit; and
a flexible coupling configured to be positioned over the free end of the port and the free end of the hose;
wherein the flexible coupling, when positioned over the free end of the port and the free end of the hose, positions each free end near each other, the flexible coupling including an inner separation lip which provides a separation between the free end of the port and the free end of the hose, such that the free end of the port and the free end of the hose are each positioned near opposite sides of the inner separation lip of the flexible coupling, so that neither any portion of the free end of the port nor the free end of the hose directly contacts or overlaps each other, the flexible coupling releasably coupling the port and the hose together to permit airflow from the pneumatic system therethrough.

12. The locking mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the flexible coupling further comprises
an inner lip formed on an inner surface of the flexible coupling which assists in holding the flexible coupling to an outer surface of the free end of the port, the flexible coupling including a locking projection formed on an outer surface of the flexible coupling, a coupling lip and a sliding region formed on the outer surface; and
a locking ring bound within the sliding region of the flexible coupling, the locking ring being slidable across the sliding region between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking ring preventing the flexible coupling from deforming to allow the inner lip of the flexible coupling off of the free end of the port while in the locked position,
wherein the port includes a flared portion, and the flared portion of the port has a flared diameter which seals against the inner surface of the flexible coupling, and
wherein the sliding region is defined between the coupling lip and an enlarged diameter portion of the flexible coupling.

13. The locking mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the locking ring is in the locked position when the locking ring is placed between the locking projection and the coupling lip.

14. The locking mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the flared portion forms an airtight seal between the flexible coupling and the outer surface of the port.

15. The locking mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the port has a ramped portion and a port lip formed thereon, the inner lip of the flexible coupling locking onto the outer surface of the port between the ramped portion and the port lip of the outer surface.

16. The locking mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the port has at least one ramped projection and a port lip formed thereon, the inner lip of the flexible coupling locking onto the outer surface of the port between the at least one ramped projection and the port lip of the outer surface.

17. The locking mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the flexible coupling has an inner threaded portion.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Chad M

Classifications

• A01C7/046 Primary

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/082 Primary

  Ducts, distribution pipes or details thereof for pneumatic seeders · CPC title

• F16L21/08

  with additional locking means (F16L21/06 takes precedence; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00) · CPC title

• F16L21/007 Primary

  clamped by a wedging action (F16L27/00, F16L37/092, F16L37/122, F16L37/123, F16L37/15, F16L37/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• A01C7/042

  using pneumatic means · CPC title