Method of evaluating accumulators of planter downforce system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763375-B2
Application number	US-201514798048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2015
Priority date	Jul 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A planter downforce system includes a plurality of hydraulic accumulators. Each of the plurality of hydraulic accumulators is operatively connected to a pressure line associated with a row unit of a planter. A pressure sensor is operatively connected to the pressure line. An orifice is operatively connected to the pressure line to limit flow of fluid within the pressure line to a hydraulic zero-pressure tank. A controller is operatively connected to the pressure sensor and configured to determine accumulator charge pressure of the accumulators.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining accumulator charge of hydraulic accumulators used in a planter downforce system, the method comprising:
increasing channel pressure to a maximum pressure for a plurality of channels fluidly connected to the pressure line, each of the channels associated with one of the hydraulic accumulators;
delaying for a time sufficient to allow the hydraulic accumulators to fill with fluid;
turning off the tractor hydraulic selectable control valve dedicated to down force;
bleeding the pressure line through the orifice dumping fluid to the hydraulic tank;
accumulators, via charge pressure, pushing fluid back through the down force control valve thereby dumping the fluid to the hydraulic zero-pressure tank via the orifice; and
determining pressure with the pressure sensor immediately prior to down force system pressure dropping.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the pressure from the pressure sensor to a processor.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a message on a display operatively connected to the processor, the message indicative of the pressure.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a message on a display operatively connected to the processor, the message indicative of whether or not one or more hydraulic accumulators should be maintenanced.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying a message on a display operatively connected to the processor, the message indicative of whether or not to recharge one or more of the hydraulic accumulators.

Assignees

• Ag Leader Tech
• Ag Leader Tech Inc

Inventors

• Townsend Kurt

Classifications

• F15B1/04

  Accumulators · CPC title

• A01B61/046 Primary

  the device including an energy accumulator for restoring the tool to its working position · CPC title

• G01L19/12

  Alarms or signals · CPC title

• A01C7/205

  comprising pressure regulation means · CPC title

• F15B2211/365

  Directional control combined with flow control and pressure control · CPC title