MIRRORED INDUCTOR SEGMENT PAIRS OF AN INDUCTOR BOX OF AN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT

• US 20140193211A1
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Connors, Michael J., Flamme, David D., Johnson, Chad M., Long, Scott A., MacDonald, Grant T., Prickel, Marvin A., Roberge, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 406/117
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/081 Seeders depositing seeds in rows using pneumatic means

Abstract

An agricultural product delivery system for an agricultural implement includes an inductor box with an agricultural product inlet configured to receive an agricultural product, an air inlet configured to receive an airflow, a plurality of mixing chambers, and a plurality of air bypass channels. Each mixing chamber is configured to mix the agricultural product and a respective first portion of the airflow. The plurality of air bypass channels is configured to guide a respective second portion of the airflow from the air inlet to a respective mixing chamber of the plurality of mixing chambers. The plurality of bypass channels includes inside air bypass channels that contact adjacent inside air bypass channels, and outside air bypass channels that are arranged adjacent to an exterior inductor box wall.

Claims

1. An agricultural product delivery system, comprising:

an inductor box comprising;

an agricultural product inlet configured to receive agricultural product;

an air inlet configured to receive an airflow;

a plurality of mixing chambers each configured to mix the agricultural product and a respective first portion of the airflow; and

a plurality of air bypass channels each configured to guide a respective second portion of the airflow from the air inlet to a respective mixing chamber of the plurality of mixing chambers, wherein the plurality of air bypass channels comprises;

inside air bypass channels each in contact with an adjacent inside air bypass channel; and

outside air bypass channels each arranged adjacent to an exterior inductor box wall.

2. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1, wherein each outside air bypass channel comprises an outer wall configured to contact the exterior inductor box wall and an inner wall spaced a channel-width from the outer wall, each inside air bypass channel comprises a first wall and a second wall spaced the channel-width from the first wall, and the first wall is configured to contact the first wall of an adjacent air bypass channel.

3. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 2, wherein a width of a gap between adjacent second walls is approximately 2 to 5 times the channel-width.

4. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1, wherein the agricultural product inlet is configured to receive agricultural product in a first direction, each air bypass channel of the plurality of air bypass channels is configured to guide the respective second portion of the airflow in a second direction, and the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

5. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1, wherein each of the inside air bypass channels is a mirror image of the adjacent inside air bypass channel relative to an interface with the adjacent inside air bypass channel.

6. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1, wherein the inductor box comprises a plurality of inductor segments, and each inductor segment of the plurality of inductor segments comprises one of the plurality of mixing chambers and one of the plurality of air bypass channels.

7. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 6, wherein each inductor segment is a mirror image of an adjacent inductor segment relative to an interface with the adjacent inductor segment.

8. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 7, wherein each inductor segment of the plurality of inductor segments comprises a delivery port coupled to the mixing chamber, the delivery port is arranged along a delivery axis, and the air bypass channel is arranged along a bypass axis laterally offset from the delivery axis.

9. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 1, wherein a geometry of each air bypass channel comprises a D-shape, a C-shape, a semicircular shape, or any combination thereof.

10. An agricultural product delivery system for an agricultural implement, comprising:

an inductor box comprising;

an agricultural product supply chamber configured to receive agricultural product;

an air supply chamber configured to receive an airflow for conveying the agricultural product through the inductor box;

a first inductor segment comprising a first air bypass channel configured to guide a first portion of the airflow from the air supply chamber through the agricultural product supply chamber, wherein the first air bypass channel comprises a first channel wall; and

a second inductor segment adjacent to the first inductor segment, wherein the second inductor segment comprises a second air bypass channel, the second air bypass channel is configured to guide a second portion of the airflow from the air supply chamber through the agricultural product supply chamber, the second air bypass channel comprises a second channel wall, and the second channel wall contacts the first channel wall.

11. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 10, comprising a first interface between the first inductor segment and the second inductor segment, wherein the second inductor segment is a mirror image of the first inductor segment relative to the first interface.

12. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 11, wherein the first inductor segment comprises a first delivery port configured to deliver a first mixed output comprising the first portion of the airflow and the agricultural product to a first conduit, the first delivery port is positioned along a first delivery axis, and the first air bypass channel is positioned along a first channel axis laterally offset from the first delivery axis,

wherein the second inductor segment comprises a second delivery port, and the second delivery port is a mirror image of the first delivery port relative to the first interface.

13. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 10, comprising:

a third inductor segment adjacent to the first inductor segment, wherein the third inductor segment comprises a third air bypass channel configured to guide a third portion of the airflow from the air supply chamber through the agricultural product supply chamber, wherein the third air bypass channel comprises;

a third channel wall spaced a gap-width from a fourth channel wall of the first air bypass channel; and

a fifth channel wall spaced a channel-width from the third channel wall, wherein the fifth channel wall contacts a sixth wall, and the sixth wall comprises an end wall of the inductor box or a seventh channel wall of a fourth air bypass channel,

wherein the fourth channel wall is spaced the channel-width from the first wall, the gap-width is greater than the channel-width.

14. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 13, wherein the third inductor segment is a mirror image of the first inductor segment relative to a second interface between the first inductor segment and the third inductor segment, and the second interface bisects the gap-width.

15. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 10, wherein a first geometry of the first air bypass channel comprises a D-shape, a C-shape, a semicircular shape, or any combination thereof.

16. An agricultural product delivery system for an agricultural implement, comprising

an inductor box comprising:

an air supply chamber configured to receive an airflow; and

a first inductor segment pair arranged within the inductor box and configured to receive a portion of the airflow, wherein the first inductor segment pair comprises;

a first inductor segment comprising a first mixing chamber, and a first air bypass channel coupled to the first mixing chamber and to the air supply chamber;

a second inductor segment comprising a second mixing chamber, and a second air bypass channel coupled to the second mixing chamber and to the air supply chamber, wherein the second inductor segment comprises a mirror image of the first inductor segment relative to a first interface between the first inductor segment and the second inductor segment; and

a gap between the first air bypass channel and the second air bypass channel across the first interface, wherein the gap is configured to receive the agricultural product for distribution to the first mixing chamber and to the second mixing chamber.

17. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 16, wherein the inductor box comprises a second inductor segment pair, wherein the second inductor segment pair is a mirror image of the first inductor segment pair relative to a second interface between the first inductor segment pair and the second inductor segment pair.

18. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 17, wherein the first air bypass channel of the first inductor segment pair contacts the second air bypass channel of the second inductor segment pair.

19. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 16, wherein the inductor box comprises a plurality of the first inductor segment pairs adjacent to one another within the inductor box and in fluid connection with the air supply chamber.

20. The agricultural product delivery system of claim 16, wherein a gap-width of the gap is approximately 2 to 5 times a channel-width of the first air bypass channel.