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EP-4736614-A1 - SEED METER ASSEMBLY, AGRICULTURAL PLANTING MACHINE AND METHOD WITH SUCH

EP4736614A1EP 4736614 A1EP4736614 A1EP 4736614A1EP-4736614-A1

Abstract

A seed meter assembly (24) for an agricultural planting machine (10) is disclosed. The seed metering assembly (24), comprising a vacuum chamber housing (28) defining a vacuum chamber (30); a seed meter housing (32); and a seed metering member (26) mounted for rotation with respect to the seed meter housing (32); wherein at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is movably mounted relative to the seed meter housing (32); and wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is movable in response to a vacuum force (98) operable to adhere seeds to the seed metering member (26). Further, an agricultural planting machine (10) with such, and a method of operating such meter assembly is disclosed.

Inventors

  • GARNER, ELIJAH B.

Assignees

  • Deere & Company

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251008

Claims (15)

  1. A seed meter assembly (24) for an agricultural planting machine (10), comprising: a vacuum chamber housing (28) defining a vacuum chamber (30); a seed meter housing (32); and a seed metering member (26) mounted for rotation with respect to the seed meter housing (32); wherein at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is movably mounted relative to the seed meter housing (32); and wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is movable in response to a vacuum force (98) operable to adhere seeds to the seed metering member (26).
  2. The seed meter assembly (24) of Claim 1, wherein an internal volume of the seed meter assembly (24) is variable in proportion to the movement of the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28).
  3. The seed meter assembly (24) of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is axially movably mounted so as to be movable in an axial direction (62) of meter axis (A) of the seed metering member (26) in response to the vacuum force (98).
  4. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 3, wherein the vacuum chamber housing (28) includes a first rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (68) and a second rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (70), wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) includes the first rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (68), wherein the first rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (68) is movably connected to the second rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (70) such that the first rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (68) moves with respect to the second rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (70) in response to the vacuum force (98).
  5. The seed meter assembly (24) of Claim 4, wherein the movement of the first rigid vacuum chamber housing portion (68) changes the volume of the vacuum chamber (30).
  6. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 5, further comprising a flexible vacuum chamber housing portion (72) operable to facilitate movement of the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) in response to the vacuum force (98).
  7. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 6, wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) includes the entire vacuum chamber housing (28).
  8. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is mechanically coupled so as to exert a force on the seed metering member (26) when the at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing (28) is acted upon by the vacuum force (98).
  9. The seed meter assembly (24) of Claim 8, wherein the force counteracts the vacuum force (98) acting on the seed metering member (26).
  10. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 9, wherein the seed meter housing (32) defines a gullet (40) through which metered seeds pass from the seed metering member (26) to a downstream seed delivery mechanism (42).
  11. The seed meter assembly (24) of one of the Claims 1 to 10, further comprising a spring (60) biasing the seed metering member (26) towards the seed meter housing (32).
  12. An agricultural planting machine (10), comprising a seed meter assembly (24) according to one of the claims 1 to 11.
  13. A method of operating a seed meter assembly (24) with counteracting a vacuum force (98) for adhering seeds to a seed metering member (26) of a seed meter assembly (24) of one of the claims 1 to 11, the method further comprising: mounting the seed metering member (26) for rotation with respect to the seed meter housing (32); and movably mounting at least a portion of a vacuum chamber housing (28) relative to the seed meter housing (32) so as to be movable in response to the vacuum force (98).
  14. The method of Claim 13, further comprising configuring the at least a portion of a vacuum chamber housing (28) to apply a counteracting force on the seed metering member (26) when the vacuum force (98) is activated.
  15. The method of Claim 13 or 14, further comprising pre-tensioning the seed metering member (26) against the seed meter housing (32) using a spring (60).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to an agricultural planting machine, such as a row crop planter for agricultural applications. The disclosure also relates to a seed meter assembly for the agricultural planting machine. BACKGROUND Seed meters are used for singulating and metering seeds for planting. A plurality of seed meters may be mounted to an agricultural planting machine for planting more than one row of crop at a time. SUMMARY In some pneumatic seed metering systems, it may be advisable to adjust the hub height of the element that supports the main metering member when crop changes occur, for example while changing from a corn seed bowl to a soybean bowl or to a canola seed bowl. Adjustment may be done by hand. Hub-height adjustment may be performed to get the right fit of the metering member against the meter housing due to slight differences in molding processes, or machining, etc. Additionally, different crops may call for different degrees of rigor in getting this fit tuned. For example, smaller seeds may encounter more challenges when there is spacing from looseness between the metering member and the meter housing, so it may be more time-consuming to adjust the hub height when smaller seeds are being metered. Furthermore, when the pneumatics are activated, the vacuum force on the seed metering member for adhering seeds thereto may act to pull the metering member away from the meter housing, creating a gap therebetween when the metering assembly is activated which may be disruptive to seed flow. On the other hand, when the metering member is adjusted too tightly to the housing, excessive power consumption, meter stalling, and/or excessive wear may result. Thus, the operator may spend time trying to find a balance. The number of row units on a planting machine may be high (e.g., from 16 to 72 or possibly more), so it may be time-consuming to adjust the hub-height in every seed meter every time a crop change is performed. In one aspect, the disclosure may relate to a seed meter assembly having an improved fit between the metering member and the meter housing. In another aspect, the disclosure may relate to a seed meter assembly that, without manual adjustment, provides an improved fit between the metering member and the meter housing. In another aspect, the disclosure may relate to a seed meter assembly that counteracts a vacuum force on the seed metering member that may act to separate the seed metering member from the meter housing. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a seed meter assembly may include a vacuum chamber housing defining a vacuum chamber. The seed meter assembly may also include a seed meter housing and a seed metering member mounted for rotation with respect to the seed meter housing. At least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing may be movably mounted relative to the seed meter housing. The at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing may be movable in response to a vacuum force operable to adhere seeds to the seed metering member. According to another aspect of the present disclosure is a method of counteracting a vacuum force for adhering seeds to a seed metering member. The method may include mounting the seed metering member for rotation with respect to a seed meter housing. The method may also include movably mounting at least a portion of a vacuum chamber housing relative to the seed meter housing so as to be movable in response to the vacuum force. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an agricultural planting machine may include a seed meter assembly. The seed meter assembly may include a vacuum chamber housing defining a vacuum chamber, a seed meter housing, and a seed metering member mounted for rotation with respect to the seed meter housing. At least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing may be movably mounted relative to the seed meter housing. The at least a portion of the vacuum chamber housing may be movable in response to a vacuum force operable to adhere seeds to the seed metering member. Other features and aspects will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description, claims, and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying figures. FIG. 1 is a top view of an agricultural planting machine having a plurality of row units.FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of a seed meter assembly of one of the row units of the agricultural planting machine of FIG. 1.FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the seed meter assembly of FIG. 2 in a first position.FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the seed meter assembly of FIG. 2 in a second position.FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another implementation of the seed meter assembly of FIG. 2. Like reference numerals may be used to indicate like elements throughout the several figures. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before any implementations of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to