Seal for a seed metering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842071-B2
Application number	US-201815995556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A seed metering system for metering a plurality of seeds includes a meter housing having a front side and a rear side opposite and attached to the front side, a seed inlet defined within the front side of the meter housing, and a seed disk positioned within and rotatable relative to the meter housing. The seed disk has a first side in facing relation to the front side of the meter housing and a second side in facing relation to the rear side of the meter housing. The seed metering system further includes a seal in contact with the front side of the meter housing and the first side of the seed disk.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seed metering system for metering a plurality of seeds, the seed metering system comprising:
a meter housing having a front side and a rear side opposite and attached to the front side;
a seed inlet defined within the front side of the meter housing;
a seed disk positioned within and rotatable relative to the meter housing, the seed disk having a first side in facing relation to the front side of the meter housing and a second side in facing relation to the rear side of the meter housing; and
a seal in contact with the front side of the meter housing and the first side of the seed disk.

2. The seed metering system of claim 1 , wherein the seal extends around at least a portion of a periphery of the meter housing.

3. The seed metering system of claim 2 , wherein the meter housing includes a seed outlet, and wherein the seal terminates at the seed outlet.

4. The seed metering system of claim 1 , wherein the seal includes a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer is a rigid back plate and the second layer is a compressible elastomeric foam.

5. The seed metering system of claim 4 , wherein the seal further comprises a low friction coating dissimilar to and adjacent the second layer and in contact with the first side of the seed disk.

6. The seed metering system of claim 1 , wherein the seed disk includes an axis of rotation and a plurality of seed openings configured to receive seeds from the seed inlet, and wherein the plurality of seed openings are located radially between the axis of rotation and the seal.

7. The seed metering system of claim 1 , wherein the seal is attachable to the front side of the meter housing and the seed disk is rotatable relative to the seal.

8. The seed metering system of claim 7 , wherein the seal includes a rigid back plate with a snap engagement feature, wherein the snap engagement feature is attachable to the front side of the meter housing.

9. The seed metering system of claim 8 , wherein the seal further includes a compressible elastomeric foam layer fixed to the rigid back plate.

10. The seed metering system of claim 7 , wherein one of the seal and the front side of the meter housing includes a flexible prong to engage with an aperture of the other one of the seal and the front side of the meter housing.

11. The seed metering system of claim 7 , wherein the seed disk is attachable to the rear side of the meter housing.

12. A seed meter comprising:
a meter housing having a first side and a second side opposite and attached to the front side;
a seed disk mounted within and rotatable relative to the meter housing; and
a seal comprising:
a first layer in contact with the first side of the meter housing;
a second layer fixed to the first layer; the second layer having a higher compressibility than the first layer; and
a low friction coating applied to the second layer,
wherein the low friction coating is configured to contact the seed disk.

13. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein the low friction coating contacts a planar face of the seed disk, the planar face being normal to the axis of rotation of the seed disk.

14. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein the first layer includes a snap engagement feature configured to attach to the first side of the meter housing.

15. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein the meter housing includes a seed outlet, and wherein the seal includes a first end positioned adjacent to the seed outlet and a second end positioned adjacent the seed outlet, the second end opposite the first end.

16. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein the seed disk is rotatable relative to the seal.

17. The seed metering system of claim 8 , wherein the snap engagement feature includes one of a raised perimeter forming a geometric shape or a post, and wherein the front side of the meter housing includes the other of the raised perimeter or the post configured to engage the snap engagement feature.

18. The seed metering system of claim 8 , wherein the snap engagement feature includes thin-wall sections configured to flex when the snap engagement feature is axially inserted into an aperture on the front side of the meter housing.

19. The seed metering system of claim 14 , wherein the snap engagement feature includes one of a raised perimeter forming a geometric shape or a post, and wherein the first side of the meter housing includes the other of the raised perimeter or the post configured to engage the snap engagement feature.

20. The seed metering system of claim 14 , wherein the snap engagement feature includes thin-wall sections configured to flex when the snap engagement feature is axially inserted into an aperture on the first side of the meter housing.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Garner Elijah B
• Wolfs Beth A
• Dhobale Dnyanesh

Classifications

• A01C7/0443

  Seed singulators · CPC title

• A01C7/046 Primary

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/105 Primary

  Seed sensors · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C7/082

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