COMBINE HARVESTER FAN HOUSING ASSEMBLY

• US 20190327899A1
• Filed: 04/29/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Wold, Matthew T., Carter, Kenneth J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,694,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 12/444 Fanning means
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 12/446 Sieving means
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/4213 suction ports

Abstract

A combine harvester fan housing assembly may include a fan enclosure formed as a single unitary body out of a polymeric material. The fan enclosure may include a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a first axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a fan therethrough and a second axial inlet opening and a discharge duct extending from the spiral duct. The combine harvester fan housing assembly may further include an inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the Inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.

Claims

1. A combine harvester fan housing assembly comprising:

a fan enclosure formed as a single unitary body out of a polymeric material, the fan enclosure comprising

a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a first axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a fan therethrough and a second axial inlet opening; and

a discharge duct extending from the spiral duct; and

an inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the Inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.

2. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the fan enclosure further comprises a rib projecting outwardly from an along an outer perimeter of the spiral duct.

4. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet ring comprises ring sections individually releasably mountable to the fan enclosure.

5. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the second axial opening is sized to axially receive the fan therethrough, the assembly further comprising a second inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.

6. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 1 further comprising a second discharge duct extending from between the spiral duct and the discharge duct.

7. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 6 further comprising a first discharge duct extension extending from the discharge duct and a second discharge duct extension extending from the second discharge duct.

8. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 7, wherein the first discharge duct extension and the second discharge duct extension are formed as part of the single unitary body of the fan enclosure.

9. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 1, wherein one of the fan enclosure and the inlet ring comprises a detent and wherein the other of the fan enclosure and inlet ring comprises a catch releasably snapped into engagement with the detent.

11. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the fan enclosure further comprises a rib projecting outwardly from and along an outer perimeter of the spiral duct.

13. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the Inlet ring comprises ring sections individually releasably mountable to the fan enclosure.

14. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the second axial opening is sized to axially receive the fan therethrough, the assembly further comprising a second inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the Inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of blade ends of the fan.

15. The combine harvester of claim 1 further comprising a first discharge duct extension extending from the first discharge duct and a second discharge duct extension extending from the second discharge duct.

16. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein the inlet ring comprises a continuous polymeric ring extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the inlet ring is flexible such that the first end and the second end are spreadable by at least 0.5 inches.

17. The combine harvester of claim 1, wherein one of the fan enclosure and the inlet ring comprises a detent and wherein the other of the fan enclosure and inlet ring comprises a catch releasably snapped into engagement with the detent.

3. The combine harvester fan housing assembly of claim 3 further comprising a mounting portion projecting from the rib, the mounting portion having a mounting opening.

12. The combine harvester of claim 3 further comprising a mounting portion projecting from the rib, the mounting portion having a mounting opening.

10. A combine harvester comprising:

a chaffer;

a sieve below the chaffer;

a series of fan assemblies, each of the fan assemblies comprising;

a fan having blades rotatable about an axis, the fan having a first diameter defined by blade ends;

a fan enclosure formed as a single unitary body out of a polymeric material, the fan enclosure comprising;

a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, the fan, about a first axial inlet opening and a second axial inlet opening, the first axial inlet opening having a second diameter greater than the first diameter of the fan;

a first discharge duct extending from the spiral duct in a direction towards the sieve; and

a second discharge duct extending from between the spiral duct and the first discharge duct in a direction towards the chaffer; and

an inlet ring releasably mounted to the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the inlet ring projecting into the first axial opening by an extent so as to extend radially inward of the blade ends of the fan.

18. A method for providing a fan assembly in a cleaning shoe of a combine harvester having a chaffer and a sieve, the method comprising:

blow molding a fan enclosure as a single unitary body, the fan enclosure comprising

a spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a first axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a fan therethrough and a second axial inlet opening;

a discharge duct extending from the spiral duct in a direction towards the sieve; and

axially inserting the fan through the first axial inlet opening, the fan having a diameter defined by blade ends; and

following insertion of the fan through the first axial inlet the fan enclosure about the first axial opening, the inlet ring having an inner ring diameter less than the diameter of the fan.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

blow molding a second fan enclosure, the second fan enclosure comprising;

a second spiral duct spiraling about an axis, a third axial inlet opening sized to axially receive a second fan therethrough and a fourth axial inlet opening;

a second discharge duct extending from the second spiral duct in a direction towards the sieve; and

serially mounting the fan and the second fan onto a driveshaft, the second fan having the diameter;

while the fan and the second fan are mounted onto the drive shaft and prior to the releasable mounting of the inlet ring to the fan enclosure;

passing the second fan through the first axial inlet opening, through the second axial inlet opening and through the third axial inlet opening to within the second fan enclosure; and

passing the fan through the first axial inlet opening to within the fan enclosure;

wherein following positioning of the fan in the fan enclosure and the second fan in the second fan enclosure, releasably mounting the inlet ring about the first axial inlet opening, releasably and releasably mounting a third inlet ring about the third axial inlet opening, wherein the second inlet ring and the third inlet ring each has an inner ring diameter less than the diameter of each of the fan and the second fan.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the fan enclosure that is blow molded as a single unitary body further comprises a second discharge duct extending from between the spiral duct and the discharge duct.