Agricultural machine having dedicated multi-section fan unit

• US 7,946,368 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deer & Company, Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Vandike, Nathan R., Sheidler, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/172,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.4, 180/68.3, 180/89.1, 180/89.17, 180/68.2, 553/853, 552/94, 123/198.E, 123/41.49, 123/41.11, 123/590
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1252 Anti-dust devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/0216 arranged in series, e.g. pre- and main filter in series
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/086 Dust removal by flushing, blasting, pulsating or aspirating flow, washing or the like; Mechanical dust removal, e.g. by using scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/164 Heavy duty vehicles, e.g. trucks, trains, agricultural or construction machines
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/16 Combinations of two or more pumps ; Producing two or more separate gas flows
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans

Abstract

A fan unit for an agricultural machine includes a fan housing configured to define a plurality of fan chambers. Each fan chamber of the plurality of fan chambers has a respective air inlet port and a respective air outlet port. A shaft is rotatably mounted to the fan housing. The shaft has an axis of rotation that intersects the plurality of fan chambers. A plurality of fans is attached to the shaft for rotation with the shaft. Each fan of the plurality of fans is located in a separate respective fan chamber of the plurality of fan chambers.

Claims

1. An agricultural machine, comprising:

an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft;

an air cleaner system including an air cleaner and an air pre-cleaner coupled to said air cleaner, said air cleaner system being coupled in fluid communication with said internal combustion engine for supplying combustion air to said internal combustion engine, said air pre-cleaner having a first vacuum port;

a cooling package in fluid communication with said internal combustion engine, said cooling package including a radiator having an air inlet and an air outlet, a rotary screen mounted at said air inlet of said radiator, and a vacuum duct having a vacuum opening and a second vacuum port, said vacuum opening of said vacuum duct being positioned adjacent said rotary screen; and

a fan unit coupled in fluid communication with said air pre-cleaner and said cooling package, said fan unit including;

a fan housing configured to define a plurality of fan chambers, each fan chamber of said plurality of fan chambers having a respective air inlet port and a respective air outlet port, wherein a first air inlet port of a first fan chamber of said plurality of fan chambers is connected in fluid communication with said first vacuum port of said air pre-cleaner, and wherein a second air inlet port of a second fan chamber of said plurality of fan chambers is connected in fluid communication with said second vacuum port of said cooling package;

a shaft rotatably mounted to said fan housing, said shaft being rotatably coupled to said crankshaft of said internal combustion engine; and

a plurality of fans attached to said shaft for rotation with said shaft, wherein a first fan of said plurality of fans is located in said first fan chamber and a second fan of said plurality of fans is located in said second fan chamber.

2. The agricultural machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first fan and said second fan is a centrifugal type fan.

3. The agricultural machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first fan and said second fan is a cross-flow blower type fan.