Seed meter with vacuum producing device and controlled outlet pressure

#The present disclosure relates generally to agricultural equipment, and more specifically, to agricultural planters with seed meters having a vacuum producing device for loading seeds and an outlet pressure for directing the seeds to the soil.

#Agricultural planters typically have seeders that use positive air pressure to push or load seeds onto a seed disk. Additionally, the same positive pressure that is used to load the seeds onto the seed disk is then used to dislodge or eject the seeds into a seed outlet for directing the seed to a specific area in the furrow. In seeders where positive air pressure is used to direct seeds to the furrow, the seeds usually travel at a relatively high speed when compared to vacuum seeders. The high speed can cause seeds to bounce after hitting the furrow, thus resulting in non-ideal or non-uniform placement of seed on farmland.

#Vacuum seeders usually struggle in creating enough vacuum for loading seeds onto seed disks since vacuum seeders share a same vacuum producing device across multiple seeders. Since vacuum is shared across multiple seeders, the vacuum should be generated over a large distance. Vacuum seeders also rely on gravity when directing seeds to the furrow which can result in imprecise seed placement. The present disclosure is directed to solving problems related to vacuum seeders.

#The foregoing and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a first seed meter, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a second seed meter, according to some implementations of the present disclosure;

#While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a first seed meter 100, according to some implementations of the present disclosure. The seed meter 100 includes a vacuum producing device 102, a seed disk 104, and a passive valve 108. The seed meter 100 receives a seed at an input side and expels the seed from an output side. In FIG. 1, seed 106a represents the received seed at the input side, and seed 106b represents the expelled seed from the output side. The vacuum producing device 102 generates a vacuum pressure 110 at the input side of the seed meter 100. The vacuum pressure 110 facilitates loading the seed on the seed disk 104.

#The vacuum producing device 102 can include an impeller and a servo or motor for controlling the rotational speed of the impeller. The seed disk 104 includes a flat surface with holes such that the vacuum pressure 110 generated at the input side of the seed meter 100 by the vacuum producing device 102 loads the seed into one of the holes of the seed disk 104. An actuator rotates the seed disk 104, and the vacuum pressure 110 prevents the seed from dislodging from the hole of the seed disk 104. The seed disk 104 rotates such that when the seed lodged in the hole of the seed disk 104 reaches a certain location within the seed meter 100, the seed experiences a pulling force from the outlet pressure 112. The pulling force dislodges the seed from the hole of the seed disk 104, and as the seed travels a distance, the pulling force becomes a pushing force such that the outlet pressure 112 pushes the dislodged seed towards the soil.