US 2026/0020518 A1 · SEED CONVEYOR

Abstract

Disclosed herein are tank assemblies, and particularly tank assemblies including conveyors for the transfer of granular materials, such as seeds. Such conveyors can include a conduit through which the granular material is moved, and a rotatable auger configured to move the seeds through the conduit. Also disclosed herein are control systems and methods for the operation of the tank assemblies and particularly the conveyors disclosed herein. According to certain aspects of the disclosure, the control methods may implement signals from one or more sensors to monitor the level of the granular material in the tank assemblies, and control signals to operate the conveyors to arrive at targeted levels of granular material in the tank assemblies.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A tank assembly for a work vehicle, comprising:

a first tank attached to and in communication with a granular material applicator;
a second tank attached to and in communication with the granular material applicator;
a first sensor associated with the first tank and a second sensor associated with the second tank;
and
a conveyor connecting the first tank to the second tank and configured to move a granular material between the first tank and the second tank.

2 more elements

A method for controlling a state of a granular material within a granular material applicator comprising a first tank, a second tank, and a conveyor extending between the first tank and the second tank, the method comprising:

measuring a first granular material quantity of the first tank;
measuring a second granular material quantity of the second tank;
obtaining a granular material target state;
calculating an empirical granular material state based on the measured first granular material quantity and the measured second granular material quantity;
comparing the empirical granular material state to the target granular material state;
driving the conveyor to convey a portion of the first granular material quantity to the second tank or the second granular material quantity to the first tank when the empirical granular material state is different from the granular material target state, such that the difference between the empirical granular material state and the granular material target state is reduced.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Seed conveyor

Life of this patent

Seed conveyor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20