Dyanmic supplemental downforce control system for planter row units
AssigneePrecision Planting LLC
InventorsDerek A. Sauder, Jeremy J. Hodel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dynamic supplemental downforce control system for a planter row unit. The system includes closed-loop feedback circuit that cooperates with a downforce actuator to dynamically control fluid flow to the downforce actuator to maintain balance between the actual gauge wheel downforce and a desired gauge wheel downforce during planting operations.
Claims19
A dynamic supplemental downforce control system for a planting implement having a plurality of row units, comprising:
- a downforce actuator associated with a gang of row units comprising multiple ones of the plurality of row units, each of said row units generating an actual gauge wheel downforce Fa during planting operations, said downforce actuator disposed to operably change said actual gauge wheel downforce Fa of said gang of row units when actuated;
- a control module for defining a desired gauge wheel downforce Fd;
- and
- a valve in fluid communication with said downforce actuator and associated with said gang of row units.
A dynamic supplemental downforce control system for a planting implement having a plurality of row units generating an actual gauge wheel downforce Fa during planting operations, the dynamic supplemental downforce control system comprising:
- a downforce actuator disposed to operably change the actual gauge wheel downforce Fa when actuated on a gang of row units comprising multiple ones of said plurality of row units;
- and
- a valve operably connected to said downforce actuator, said valve mounted to one of said row units comprising said gang of row units, said valve configured to modify a pressure in said downforce actuator in order to modify said actual gauge wheel downforce Fa to a desired gauge wheel downforce Fd.
A dynamic supplemental downforce control system for a plurality of row units, each of the plurality of row units generating an actual gauge wheel downforce Fa during planting operations, the dynamic supplemental downforce control system comprising:
- a downforce actuator disposed to operably change the actual gauge wheel downforce Fa of said plurality of row units when said downforce actuator is actuated;
- and
- a closed-loop feedback circuit comprising a valve to which a desired gauge wheel downforce Fd and said actual gauge wheel downforce Fa are communicated for controlling fluid flow to said downforce actuator to bring said actual gauge wheel downforce Fa closer to said desired gauge wheel downforce Fd, wherein said valve is mounted to one of the plurality of row units to which said downforce actuator is associated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.