Tank pressurization control for air carts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11136204-B2
Application number	US-201916708669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2019
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

A pneumatic valve for an agricultural product distribution system includes a fan inlet, a tank outlet, a shuttle, a control pressure inlet, and a diaphragm. The fan inlet is coupled to an air source that supplies an air stream into a primary line, which facilitates distributing a granular product to an agricultural implement by guiding the air stream from a first section to a second section of the primary line, the first section having a larger cross-sectional area than the second section. A tank outlet is fluidly coupled to a storage tank. The control pressure inlet is fluidly coupled to the second section of the primary line or to a meter housing. The diaphragm has a first side that is coupled to the shuttle and is exposed to static pressure in the storage tank and a second side that is exposed to the static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing, and aligns a shuttle hole of the shuttle with the fan inlet when the static pressure in the storage tank is not greater than the static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing by a threshold amount.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A valve assembly for an agricultural product distribution system, wherein the valve assembly is configured to be fluidly coupled between a storage tank and a primary line, wherein the storage tank is configured to store a granular product, wherein the primary line is configured to pneumatically deliver the granular product to an agricultural implement by guiding an air stream from a first section of the primary line with a larger cross sectional area to a second section of the primary line with a smaller cross sectional area, wherein the valve assembly is configured to selectively enable the air stream to flow from the primary line into the storage tank until a first static pressure in the storage tank is greater than a second static pressure in the second section of the primary line or a third static pressure in a meter housing by a threshold amount;
wherein the valve assembly comprises a pneumatic valve, comprising:
a fan inlet configured to be fluidly coupled to an air source configured to supply the air stream to the primary line;
a tank outlet configured to be fluidly coupled to the storage tank;
a shuttle comprising a shuttle hole; and
a control pressue inlet configured to be fluidly coupled to the second section of the primary line or to a meter housing; and
a diaphragm havin a first side and a second side, the first side coupled to the shuttle, wherein the first side of the diaphragm is exposed to the first static presure in the storage tank through the tank outlet, and the second side of the diaphragm is exposed to the second static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing through the control pressure inlet, wherein the diaphragm is configured to move toward the tank outlet such that the shuttle hole is aligned with the fan inlet when the first static pressure in the storage tank is not greater than the second static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing by the threshold amount.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1 , comprising a spring coupled between the second side of the diaphragm and the control pressure inlet, wherein the spring is configured to provide a force that substantially corresponds to the threshold amount.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 , comprising a first housing having a first flange and a second housing having a second flange.

4. The valve assembly of claim 3 , wherein the diaphragm is sandwiched between the first flange and the second flange.

5. The valve assembly of claim 2 , comprising a first washer in contact with the first side of the diaphragm, and a second washer in contact with the second side of the diaphragm.

6. The valve assembly of claim 5 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a first bolt hole configured to receive a bolt extending through the first washer, the diaphragm, the second washer, and an end hole of the shuttle.

7. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle is configured to enable the air stream to flow into the storage tank to increase the first static pressure in the storage tank.

8. The valve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the shuttle comprises an interior passage.

9. The valve assembly of claim 8 , wherein the shuttle comprises one or more second shuttle holes fluidly coupling the interior passage of the shuttle to a volume on the first side of the diaphragm.

10. A valve assembly for an agricultural product distribution system, comprising:
a first housing, comprising:
a fan inlet configured to be fluidly coupled to an air source configured to supply an air stream into a primary line, wherein the primary line is configured to facilitate distributing a granular product to an agricultural implement by guiding the air stream from a first section of the primary line to a second section of the primary line, wherein the first section has a larger cross-sectional area than the second section; and
a tank outlet configured to be fluidly coupled to a storage tank, wherein the storage tank is configured to store the granular product and to facilitate flow of the granular product to the second section of the primary line;

a second housing, comprising a control pressure inlet configured to be fluidly coupled to the second section of the primary line or to a meter housing;
a shuttle disposed within the first housing, wherein the shuttle comprises a shuttle hole; and
a diaphragm, comprising:
a first side coupled to the first housing and the shuttle, wherein the first side of the diaphragm is exposed to a first static pressure in the storage tank through the tank outlet; and
a second side coupled to the second housing, wherein the second side of the diaphragm is exposed to a second static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing through the control pressure inlet;
wherein the diaphragm is configured to move toward the first housing such that the shuttle hole is aligned with the fan inlet when the first static pressure in the storage tank is not greater than the second static pressure in the second section of the primary line or the meter housing by a threshold amount.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10 , comprising a spring coupled between the second side of the diaphragm and the control pressure inlet, wherein the spring is configured to provide a force that substantially corresponds to the threshold amount.

12. The valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first housing comprises a first flange and the second housing comprises a second flange.

13. The valve assembly of claim 12 , wherein the diaphragm is sandwiched between the first flange and the second flange.

14. The valve assembly of claim 13 , comprising a first washer in contact with the first side of the diaphragm, and a second washer in contact with the second side of the diaphragm.

15. The valve assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a first bolt hole configured to receive a bolt extending through the first washer, the diaphragm, the second washer, and an end hole of the shuttle.

16. The valve assembly of claim 10 , wherein the shuttle is configured to enable the air stream to flow into the storage tank to increase the first static pressure in the storage tank.

17. The valve assembly of claim 16 , wherein the shuttle comprises an interior passage.

18. The valve assembly of claim 17 , wherein the shuttle comprises one or more second shuttle holes fluidly coupling the interior passage of the shuttle to a volume on the first side of the diaphragm.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Gervais Joel John Octave
• Henry James Wayne
• Bent Ethan Curtis Stephen
• Millie Stewart Joseph

Classifications

• B65G53/22

  the systems comprising a reservoir, e.g. a bunker · CPC title

• A01C7/102

  Regulating or controlling the seed rate · CPC title

• B65G53/66 Primary

  Use of indicator or control devices, e.g. for controlling gas pressure, for controlling proportions of material and gas, for indicating or preventing jamming of material {(controlling the flow of coal firing systems C21B5/003)} · CPC title

• A01C7/081

  Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means · CPC title