EP3634107A1

EP3634107A1 - Material distributor device for farm machines

Info

Publication number: EP3634107A1
Application number: EP18729208.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Enrico Bragatto; Massimo Zubelli; Andrea Bedosti
Original assignee: Matermacc SpA
Current assignee: Matermacc SpA
Priority date: 2017-06-08
Filing date: 2018-05-21
Publication date: 2020-04-15
Also published as: CN109005804A; WO2018224901A1; IT201700063111A1

Abstract

A material distributor device (100, 100') for a farm machine (10), comprising: a chamber (110) provided with an inlet (105) and an outlet (106) for the material to be distributed, pneumatic means for generating a vacuum inside the chamber (110); a rotating distributor element (120) accommodated in the chamber (110) and adapted to receive the material due to the effect of the vacuum and to transport it from the inlet (105) to the outlet (106) of the chamber (110) where the distributor device (100, 100') comprises an electric motor (100, 200') configured for rotating the rotating distributor element (120) with a rotation speed (ω) that depends on the advancement speed (v) of the farm machine (10) and on the quantity of product to be distributed.

Description

MATERIAL DISTRIBUTOR DEVICE FOR FARM MACHINES

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a material distributor device for farm machines, in particular for the distribution of seeds over the ground.

STATE OF THE ART

As is known, the use of pulled or self-propelled farm machines for the distribution of material such as for example, fertilizer or seeds is common in automated farming.

A typical example of such farm machines are precision seed drills - machines adapted to deposit one seed at a time and made so that the distance between two seeds deposited on the ground is constant.

In precision seed drills, this serves to ensure that the plants grow at an equal distance from one another so that each plant has a sufficient quantity of soil available for growing.

In particular, it is known in the field to predefine a specific quantity of seeds in terms of seeds per m² according to the type of cultivation.

Precision seed drills comprise a plurality of seeding units supported by a frame that rests on the ground by means of at least one wheel and is connected to a motor for pulling the seeder itself.

Each seeding unit comprises at least one distributor device provided with a chamber that has an inlet and an outlet for the seeds to be distributed and is put into fluid connection with pneumatic means for the generation of a vacuum inside the chamber itself.

Depending on the embodiments, the pneumatic means may consist of a fan mechanically connected to a power plug of the motor, and of a pneumatic pump, or of a Venturi system.

Moreover, a distributor element is accommodated inside the chamber, which element is adapted to receive the material due to the effect of the vacuum and to transport it from the inlet to the outlet of the chamber up to releasing a predetermined quantity of granular material into a conveyor conduit that is adapted to bring the granular material in proximity of the ground on which it is to be deposited. According to a known embodiment, the rotation shaft of the distributor disc is connected to mechanical drive means adapted to take the motion from the wheels of the farm machine or from other motion transforming means so as to define the distance between the seeds dispensed along the advancement direction according to the advancement speed of the farm machine.

If it is required to use the distributor device for a different cultivation, it is known to modify the quantity of seeds defined in terms of seeds per m² to be sown by acting on the rotation speed of the distributor disc, for example by means of a mechanical change in speed.

One problem of such known embodiments is given by the fact that since the distance between the seeds on the ground depends on the rotation speed of the distributor disc, the seeding precision is affected by undesired variations of such rotation speed, variations that may depend on the fact that the mechanical drive of the movement becomes less precise over time due to the occurrence of mechanical plays between the components or for other reasons.

Another disadvantage of the known systems is given by the fact that they are rather cumbersome precisely because they are made with mechanical drive members.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the mentioned drawbacks of the known technique by increasing the seeding precision.

It is a further object of the invention to make a material distributor device for farm machines having a contained volume.

It is another object of the invention to accommodate the motor in a protected area from water and dust or to protect it from knocks against objects, for example in the case of manoeuvres at the end of the field with regards to more external seeders.

Such objects are achieved by the features of the invention indicated in the independent claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention particularly makes available a material dis- tributor device for a farm machine, comprising: a chamber provided with an inlet and an outlet for the material to be distributed; pneumatic means for generating a vacuum inside the chamber; a rotating distributor element accommodated in the chamber and adapted to receive the material due to the effect of the vacuum and to transport it from the inlet to the outlet of the chamber.

According to the invention, the distributor device comprises an electric motor configured for rotating the rotating distributor element with a rotation speed that depends on the advancement speed of the farm machine.

Due to such a solution, it may be avoided to use a mechanical drive that connects the distributor disc to the farm machine, thus avoiding problems due to the occurrence of mechanical plays or other factors that limit the seeding accuracy.

Moreover, by avoiding mechanical drives of the motion of the farm machine to the distributor disc, but rather using the aforesaid electric motor, undesired volumes are avoided thus obtaining a more compact and affordable device with respect to the known technique.

According to one aspect of the invention, the electric motor is controllable by means of a control unit that receives a signal representative of the advancement speed of the farm machine from an encoder placed on a wheel of the farm machine.

This embodiment has the advantage given by the fact that the electric motor may be controlled with increased precision.

Another aspect of the invention provides for the rotation speed set on the rotating distributor element to be calculated according to the advancement speed of the farm machine and of the material to be distributed.

One advantage of such solution is that it avoids using a mechanical speed shift for operating on the distributor disc.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is a direct drive electric motor.

One advantage of such embodiment is that such motors do not require speed reduction elements. According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is completely contained inside the chamber.

One advantage of such embodiment is that it allows seeders to be made with reduced seed inter-rows. Indeed, applications exist of seed distributors activated by electric motors, but they are completely external to the distributor or are partially external to the distributor, thus creating an increased transverse volume that is advantageously avoided with the present invention.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the rotor of the electric motor is keyed onto a pulling disc fixed to the rotating distributor element.

One advantage of such embodiment is that the rotor of the electric motor acts directly on the rotating distributor element of the distributor.

In particular, the use of a direct drive motor (without reducer) allows accommodating the electric motor inside the chamber of the distributor. This allows containing the transverse size of the seeding distributor in the direction of the rotation axis of the disc. This construction detail allows making seeders with electrically-operated seeding distributors with very close seeding inter-rows. As is known, a direct drive electric motor does not need a speed reducer. Accordingly, an electric motor may be used that has an inner stator and a rotor that is external with respect to the stator and is connected to the rotating distributor element, or in an alternative embodiment, an electric motor may be used that has an external stator and a rotor that is internal with respect to the stator and is connected to the rotating distributor element. The rotor in any case is to be connected to the rotating part of the motor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent after reading the following description provided by way of a non-limiting example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

- figure 1 is a sectional view of the device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

- figure 2 is an exploded view of the device in figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a second exploded view of the device in figures 1 and 2; and - figure 4 is a sectional view of a device according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

IMPROVED METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

With particular reference to such drawings, a distributor device is indicated as a whole with 100, such distributor device being intended to be associated with a farm machine, typically a seeder, that comprises an internally hollow casing 101 adapted to define therein a chamber 1 10 adapted to house a distributor disc 120 of the material to be distributed, as will be described better below.

The casing 101 is defined by a first half-shell 102 and by a second half-shell 103 configured to be joined to each other to define the chamber 1 10.

In particular, each half-shell 102, 103 is defined by a substantially concave body and is adapted to be arranged with the concavity facing the other half- shell 102, 103.

Moreover, each half-shell 102, 103 comprises a peripheral flange 104 adapted to be coupled and fixed by means of suitable fixing means (in themselves known) to the peripheral flange 104' of the other half-shell 102, 103, for example by means of the interposition of a sealing gasket.

In use, the casing 101 is arranged in a vertical position in which the plane of the peripheral flanges 104, 104' is substantially parallel to the vertical; from now on, the terms upper and lower will be used in reference to such position. The first half-shell 102 comprises a loading hopper 105 obtained in an upper portion thereof and associated with a tank containing seeds (not depicted for simplicity), above the device 100 for the inlet of the seeds into the chamber 1 10.

The loading hopper 105 is defined by a slide 1 15 facing toward the lower portion of the first half-shell 102.

The first half-shell 102 further comprises a lower projection adapted to define, in combination with a corresponding part of the second half-shell 103, and outlet channel 106 of the seeds from the chamber 1 10 toward the ground. The outlet channel 106 of the seeds is connected to a tube (not shown) provided with an end that is distal from the chamber 1 10 and for releasing the seed into a furrow created previously.

Moreover, the first half-shell 102 comprises a through hole 107, for example made in an upper portion of the first half-shell 102 thereof, for the inlet of atmospheric air sucked by means of suitable pneumatic means which are in themselves known.

The through hole 107 is advantageously connected, by means of a suitable tube, to a filter that is external with respect to the casing 101 .

Moreover, the first half-shell 102 may comprise a further opening occluded by a holed grid 107B that allows the passage of air between the inside and the outside of the chamber 1 10 (in particular, the suction of the air into the chamber 1 10) during the operation of the distributor device 100.

The second half-shell 103 comprises an opening 108, for example made in a peripheral portion of the second half-shell 103 itself, to which there are connected said pneumatic means for generating a vacuum inside the chamber 1 10, as will be described better below.

Preferably, the opening 108 is made in a position such as to be distal with respect to the outlet channel 106 when the two half-shells 102, 103 are joined to each other so that the opening 108 itself and the outlet channel 106 are different and separate from each other.

The distributor device 100 comprises a distributor disc 120 of the material accommodated inside the chamber 1 10 and adapted to pick the material and to transport it from the loading hopper 105 to the outlet channel 106.

The distributor disc 120 is accommodated in the chamber 1 10 so as to lie on a plane parallel to the plane of the flanges 104, 104' and occupies substantially the whole volume of the chamber 1 10 on said plane, i.e. the edges of the distributor disc are substantially in line with the inner walls of the chamber 1 10.

Moreover, the distributor disc 120 is accommodated inside the chamber 1 10 substantially at the flanges 104, 104', i.e. at a distance from the bottoms of the concavities of the half-shells 102, 103.

In particular, the distributor disc 120 divides the chamber 1 10 into two compartments 1 1 1 , 1 12, of which a first compartment 1 1 1 communicating with the loading hopper 105 and the outlet channel 106 and a second compartment 1 12 communicating with the opening 108.

The distributor disc 120 is for example, defined by a disc, for example made of metal or of plastic material, comprising a first series of through holes 122, 123 arranged circumferentially with respect to the distributor disc 120 itself. In particular, the distributor disc 120 comprises a series of first holes 122 arranged proximal to the edge of the distributor disc 120 itself, and a series of second holes 123 arranged distal from the edge of the disc with respect to the first holes 122.

The first holes 122 are equidistant from one another and have a smaller diameter than the minimum dimension of the material to be distributed, for example of the seeds. Similarly, also the second holes 123 are equidistant from one another.

At least a part of the first holes 122 (for example, at least one) overlap a deviation channel (not depicted for simplicity) for the air sucked by the pneumatic means, which communicates with the opening 108 and is provided in the second half-shell 103 when the distributor disc 120 is accommodated in the chamber 1 10.

In particular, each first hole 122 is adapted to overlap the deviation channel during the rotation of the distributor disc 120 about its own axis.

The distributor disc 120 is pivotally accommodated in the chamber 1 10 and, according to one embodiment of the invention, an electric motor 200 is used for the rotation of the distributor disc 120.

Preferably, the electric motor 200 is a motor consisting of only two functional elements: a stator 210 and a rotor 220 that is exterior to the stator 210.

The motor 200 therefore does not have motion reducing elements and is activated by means of power supply (see the plug 230) such as to cause an electromagnetic force in the stator 210 which is adapted to put the rotor 220 into rotation.

The rotor 220 of the electric motor 200 is keyed directly to a pulling disc 124, which is in turn fixed to the distributor disc 120 by means of the interposition of a sealing gasket. The pulling disc 124 comprises for example, a spoke that is integral with the rotor 220 of the electric motor 200 and is provided with a plurality of pegs 125 arranged circumferentially and projecting along the direction parallel to the rotation axis 121 and adapted to fix the distributor disc 120 to the pulling disc 124 along a common rotation axis 121 and with the distributor disc 120 facing toward the first half-shell 102 and the pulling disc 124 facing toward the second half-shell 103.

The pegs 125 are adapted to be inserted into the second holes 123 of the distributor disc 120 so as to hold the distributor disc 120 itself for example, by interference.

In particular, the pegs 125 are adapted to project from the distributor disc 120 toward the first half-shell 102.

The pulling disc 124 has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the distributor disc 120 and in particular, the first holes 122 of the distributor disc 120 project past the peripheral edge of the pulling disc 124.

The device 100 may further comprise a selector device 140 comprising a substantially flat body arranged between the first and the second half-shell 102, 103 and partially overlapping an outer portion of the distributor disc 120, in particular overlapping the surface of the distributor disc 120 facing toward the first half-shell 102.

Moreover, the selector device 140 is hinged to the casing with the possibility of performing small rotations about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the flanges 104, and comprises means for adjusting the position of the selector device 140 with respect to the distributor disc 120 such as for example, an eccentric pin 141 accommodated in a respective slot.

The selector device 140 comprises a serrated edge 142 facing toward the inside of the chamber and arranged proximal to the first holes 122 of the distributor disc 120. The serrated edge 142 is adapted to strike the seeds pulled by the distributor disc 120 so as to limit the number of seeds pulled, as will be described better below.

The device 100 further comprises pneumatic means for the generation of a vacuum inside the chamber 1 10, which comprise a suction conduit 130 associated with the chamber 1 10 at the second opening 108 for the pneumatic means.

The suction conduit 130 is defined for example, by a flexible rubber hose having a first end fixed to the second opening 108 of the chamber 1 10 and a second end to suitable pneumatic means which in themselves are known. The rotation of the distributor disc is therefore caused by the activation of the electric motor 200, which is in turn connected to a control unit 450 that is configured to activate said electric motor 200 so as to accurately adjust the distance between the seeds dispensed along the advancement direction according to the advancement speed of the farm machine on which the distributor device 100 is mounted.

To obtain such result, there is mounted, on a wheel 300 of the farm machine 10, an encoder 240 provided with a wheel 242 and with respective holes 244 adapted to pass in rotation in front of a reader 246 that communicates the value of the rotation speed of the wheel 300 during the advancement of the farm machine 10 and accordingly allows the control unit 450 to determine the advancement speed v of the farm machine 10.

A processor program, for example saved in a memory unit 460, connected to the control unit 450 determines the rotation speed (ω) to be set on the distributor disc 120 according to the advancement speed v of the farm machine 10.

In particular, for each specific cultivation, a desired value is saved of the quantity of seeds to be dispensed expressed in number of seeds per m² and therefore if the encoder 240 measures an increase in the speed of the farm machine, the control unit 450 causes a corresponding increase in the rotation speed of the distributor disc 120 by setting an increased speed for the rotor 220 of the electric motor 200 and vice versa in order to keep constant the quantity of seeds that fall on the ground according to the desired parameter expressed in seeds per m² for each specific cultivation.

Figure 4 shows a sectional view of a distributor device 100' according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

In the case of the distributor device, an electric motor 200' is used alternatively to the case in figures 1 to 3, the motor consisting only of two functional elements: a rotor 220' and a stator 210' that is external to the rotor 220'.

The motor 200' does not have motion reducing elements and is activated by means of power supply (see the plug 230) such as to cause an electromagnetic force in the stator 210' which is adapted to put the rotor 220' into rotation.

The rotor 220' of the electric motor 200' is also keyed directly onto the pulling disc 124, which is in turn fixed to the distributor disc 120 by means of the interposition of a sealing gasket.

The operation of the distributor device 100 as described with reference to the figures 1 to 3 is the following.

During the travel of the farm machine with which said distributor device 100 is associated, the suction means generate a suction of air from the chamber 1 10 through the suction conduit 130.

The vacuum inside the chamber 1 10 is transmitted from the second compartment 1 12 to the first compartment 1 1 1 through the first holes 122. Moreover, during the travel, the electric motor 200 is activated to transmit the motion to the distributor disc 120 which therefore rotates about its own axis 121 with a speed ω controlled by the electric motor in turn controlled by the control unit 450.

The seeds contained in the tank enter the chamber 1 10 through the loading hopper 105 and in particular, are collected by gravity on the bottom of the first compartment 1 1 1 .

Due to the vacuum created by the pneumatic means inside the chamber 1 10, the seeds adhere to the distributor disc 120, in particular close to the first holes 122, and are pulled thereby from the loading hopper 105 toward the outlet channel 106 (with clockwise rotation direction with respect to figures 2 and 3).

During the rotation of the distributor disc 120, the serrated edge 142 of the selector device 140 and the pegs 125 of the pulling disc 124 strike the seeds pulled by the distributor disc itself so as to detach the seeds that adhere to the distributor disc 120 with less force of adhesion, i.e. the seeds that adhere close to but not at the first holes 122. Thereby, the number of seeds adhering to each first hole 122 is limited to one.

When a seed reaches close to the outlet channel 106, and in particular when the respective first hole 122 is at the deviation channel, there is less vacuum which allows the seed to adhere to the surface of the distributor disc 120; accordingly the seed falls by gravity into the outlet channel 106.

If the distributor device 100 is to be used for a different cultivation, it may be easily reprogrammed by means of the electronic control unit 450 so that, according to each determined advancement speed of the farm machine 10, the rotating distributor element 120 is caused to rotate with a rotation speed ω suitable for a different value of the quantity of seeds defined in terms of seeds per m² desired.

The operation of the distributor device 100' in figure 4 is entirely similar with the only difference that the rotor 220' of the electric motor 200' is inside with respect to the stator 210'. Since a direct drive motor is involved also in this case, it does not have reducers and therefore may operate also in the mode shown in figure 4.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept.

Moreover, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

Practically, any materials and also any contingent shapes and sizes may be used, depending on the needs, without departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

1. A material distributor device (100, 100') for a farm machine (10), comprising:

• a chamber (1 10) provided with an inlet (105) and an outlet (106) for the material to be distributed;

• pneumatic means for generating a vacuum inside the chamber (1 10);

• a rotating distributor element (120) accommodated in the chamber (1 10) and adapted to receive the material due to the effect of the vacuum and to transport it from the inlet (105) to the outlet (106) of the chamber (1 10);

characterized in that the distributor device (100, 100') comprises an electric motor (200, 200') configured for rotating the rotating distributor element (120) with a rotation speed (ω) that depends on the advancement speed (v) of the farm machine (10).

2. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor (200, 200') is controllable by means of a control unit (450) that receives a signal representative of the advancement speed (v) of the farm machine (10) from an encoder (240) placed on a wheel (300) of the farm machine (10).

3. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation speed (ω) set on the rotating distributor element (120) is calculated according to the advancement speed (v) of the farm machine (10) and of the material to be distributed.

4. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor (200, 200') is a direct drive electric motor (100, 200').

5. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor (200, 200') is completely contained inside the chamber (1 10).

6. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor (200, 200') has an inner stator (210) and a rotor (220) that is external with respect to the inner stator (210), the external rotor (220) being connected to the rotating distributor element (120).

7. A device (100, 100') according to claim 1 , wherein the electric motor (200, 200') has an outer stator (210') and a rotor (220') that is internal with respect to the outer stator (210), the inner rotor (220') being connected to the rotating distributor element (120).

8. A device (100, 100') according to claims 6 or 7, wherein the rotor (220, 220') of the electric motor (100, 200') is keyed onto a pulling disc (124) fixed to the rotating distributor element (120).

9. A device (100, 100') according to claim 8, wherein the pulling disc (124) is fixed to the rotating distributor element (120) by means of a plurality of pegs (125) arranged circumferentially and projecting along a direction parallel to a rotation axis (121 ) of the rotating distributor element (120).

10. A seeder for seeding seeds, characterized in that it comprises a distributor according to one of the claims from 1 to 9.