Row unit with integrated pressure source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763380-B2
Application number	US-201514679388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

An agricultural planter includes a plurality of row units attached to a toolbar. The row units include seed meters in seed meter housings for receiving, singulating, and dispensing seed or other particulate. The seed meters include a circular seed disc with a seed path for receiving the seed in the seed meter housing. Integrated with the seed meter, such as at the housing, is an electric pressure source dedicated for providing a pressure differential for the seed meter or meters at a particular location on the planter. The pressure source can be positive or negative to temporarily adhere seed to the seed disc of the meter. A single pressure source can provide the pressure differential to a single meter or to multiple meters or discs at a row unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seed meter for use on a row unit of an agricultural implement, comprising:
a housing;
first and second seed discs rotatably positioned within the housing, with each disc comprising a plurality of apertures comprising a seed path; and
an integrated, electric fluid pressure source positioned at the housing and configured to provide a pressure differential for the seed apertures of the seed path to temporarily adhere a seed;
wherein said first and second seed discs are positioned at least partially forward and aft of one another.

2. The seed meter of claim 1 , wherein said first and second seed discs positioned within the housing to have a generally common dispensing point.

3. The seed meter of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises an electric fan attached to the housing to pull air through the seed apertures of the seed discs.

4. The seed meter of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises an electric fan attached to the housing to push air through the seed apertures of the seed discs.

5. The seed meter of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises a first source dedicated to provide a pressure differential for the first disc, and a second source dedicated to provide a pressure differential for the second disc.

6. The seed meter of claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second sources are positioned at the housing.

7. The seed meter of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises an electric fan and a baffle operatively attached to the fan, wherein the baffle separates the fluid pressure of the fan simultaneously between the first and second discs.

8. The seed meter of claim 2 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises an electric fan and a baffle operatively attached to the fan, wherein the baffle separates the fluid pressure of the fan to only one of the first or second seed discs.

9. The seed meter of claim 8 , wherein the baffle is an automated control valve to selectively provide the fluid pressure between the seed disc that is operating to direct a seed to the ground.

10. The seed meter of claim 1 , further comprising a cyclonic dust separating system attached to the seed meter for the fluid pressure source and configured to reduce debris within the seed meter.

11. The seed meter of claim 10 , wherein the cyclonic dust separating system comprises a cyclone body and drop chute operatively attached to a fan and electric motor of the fluid pressure source.

12. The seed meter of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust cyclonic dust separating system attached to an exhaust of the seed meter to capture exhausting meter air.

13. The seed meter of claim 12 , wherein the exhaust cyclonic dust separating system comprises an exhaust cyclone body, a debris enclosure, and a clean exhaust port.

14. A row unit of an agricultural implement, comprising:
a seed meter comprising at least one housing;
first and second seed discs rotatably positioned within the at least one housing and each disc including a plurality of seed apertures comprising a seed path; and
an integrated, electric fluid pressure source positioned at the row unit and configured to provide a pressure differential for the seed apertures of the seed paths to temporarily adhere a seed;
wherein said first and second seed discs are positioned at least partially forward and aft of one another.

15. The row unit of claim 14 , wherein the electric fluid pressure source provides a negative pressure at the seed apertures for adhering seed.

16. The row unit of claim 14 , wherein the electric fluid pressure source provides a positive pressure at the seed apertures for adhering seed.

17. The row unit of claim 14 , wherein said electric fluid pressure source is mounted on the seed meter housing.

18. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a plurality of row units operatively attached to a toolbar, each of said row units including at least one seed meter housing for substantially enclosing first and second seed discs in a forward and aft manner and configured to singulate and dispense seed; and
an integrated, electric fluid pressure source positioned at the at least one housing and configured to provide a pressure differential for at least a portion of an interior of the at least one seed meter housing to urge seed to temporarily adhere to a seed disc positioned therein.

19. The agricultural implement of claim 18 , wherein the integrated, electric fluid pressure source comprises a positive or negative pressure source.

20. The agricultural implement of claim 18 , further comprising:
a. a cyclonic dust separating system attached to the seed meter for the fluid pressure source and configured to reduce debris within the seed meter; and
b. an exhaust cyclonic dust separating system attached to an exhaust of the seed meter to capture exhausting meter air to reduce seed debris therefrom.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Hahn Dustan
• Wilhelmi Matthew J

Classifications

• A01C7/20

  Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed · CPC title

• A01C7/046 Primary

  with perforated seeding discs · CPC title

• A01C7/0445 Primary

  Seed ejectors · CPC title