ROW UNIT WITH INTEGRATED PRESSURE SOURCE

• US 20150282422A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Hahn, Dustan, Wilhelmi, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,763,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/046 with perforated seeding discs
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed

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.

Claims

1. A seed meter for use on a row unit of an agricultural implement, comprising:

a housing;

at least one seed disc rotatably positioned within the housing and including a plurality of seed 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.

2. The seed meter of claim 1, further comprising first and second seed discs rotatably positioned within the housing, with each disc comprising the plurality of apertures.

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 to reduce seed debris that may contain components that may harm the environment.

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;

at least one seed disc rotatably positioned within the at least one housing and 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 path to temporarily adhere a seed.

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 at least one seed meter 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 that may contain components that may harm the environment.