Air distribution system for a pneumatic conveying system

• US 10,676,291 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Hui, Ka Po Catherine, Roberge, Martin J., Denis, Joel Jean-Claude, Carlton, Owen Robert, Thompson, Dennis George
• Primary Examiner(s): Dillon, Jr., Joseph A
• Application Number:
  US15/872,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20180134504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 406181, 406182, 406183, 137561 A, 111175
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 53/34 Details

Abstract

A plenum of distributing a flow of air from an air source includes ports extending from a face element of a body. The ports are configured to direct the flow of air out of the plenum, and the ports are arranged on the face element in a first row having first length, a second row having a second length, and a third row having a third length. The first row is positioned proximate to the top element, the third row is positioned proximate to the bottom element, and the second row is positioned between the first row and the third row. In addition, the second length is greater than the first length and the third length, and a shape of the face element is configured to accommodate the first length of the first row, the second length of the second row, and the third length of the third row.

Claims

1. A plenum configured to distribute a flow of air from an air source, comprising:

a body having an inlet configured to receive the flow of air from the air source and a face element, wherein a shape of the face element is substantially hexagonal, and a baffle assembly disposed within the body and configured to control the flow of air through the plenum;

a plurality of outlet ports extending from the face element, wherein each outlet port of the plurality of outlet ports is configured to direct the flow of air to an agricultural implement; and

a pressurization port extending from the face element and configured to direct the flow of air substantially to a tank only.

2. The plenum of claim 1, wherein the plurality of outlet ports and the pressurization port are arranged on the face element in a first row of ports and a second row of ports, and the ports of the first row are laterally offset from the ports of the second row.

3. The plenum of claim 1, wherein the plurality of outlet ports and the pressurization port are arranged on the face element in three rows.

4. The plenum of claim 3, wherein a middle row of the three rows is longer than each of the other two rows of the three rows.

5. The plenum of claim 1, wherein the pressurization port is laterally centered on the face element.

6. The plenum of claim 1, wherein the inlet is positioned at a first end of the body, and the face element is positioned on a second end of the body, opposite the first end.

7. The plenum of claim 1, wherein the baffle assembly disposed within the body includes at least one baffle and an adjustment assembly.

8. The plenum of claim 1, comprising a flow restrictor configured to be disposed within one port of the pressurization port and the plurality of outlet ports, wherein the flow restrictor includes an internal passage having a minimum cross-sectional area less than a minimum internal cross-sectional area of the one port.

9. An agricultural product distribution system, comprising:

an air source configured to supply a flow of air;

a tank configured to store an agricultural product for distribution by an agricultural implement;

a metering system configured to control a flow of the agricultural product from the tank to the agricultural implement via a plurality of distribution hoses; and

a plenum fluidly coupled to the air source, wherein the plenum comprises;

a body having an inlet configured to receive the flow of air from the air source and a face element, wherein a shape of the face element is substantially hexagonal, and a baffle assembly disposed within the body and configured to control the flow of air through the plenum;

a plurality of outlet ports extending from the face element, wherein each outlet port of the plurality of outlet ports is configured to direct the flow of air to the agricultural implement via a respective distribution hose of the plurality of distribution hoses; and

a pressurization port extending from the face element and configured to direct the flow of air substantially to the tank only via a pressurization hose.

10. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of outlet ports and the pressurization port are arranged on the face element in a first row of ports and a second row of ports, and the ports of the first row are laterally offset from the ports of the second row.

11. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of outlet ports and the pressurization port are arranged on the face element in three rows.

12. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 11, wherein a middle row of the three rows is longer than each of the other two rows of the three rows.

13. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 9, wherein the pressurization port is laterally centered on the face element.

14. The agricultural product distribution system of claim 9, wherein the inlet is positioned at a first end of the body, and the face element is positioned on a second end of the body, opposite the first end.