Quick-Disconnect Conveyance Tube Coupling for Leak-Safe Air Seeders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural air seeders face challenges with air line connections that are labor-intensive, prone to corrosion, and inefficient due to the need for hose clamps, which require special tools and can lead to air leakage, especially as larger seeders increase the number of connections and operating pressure.
Innovation Solution
The development of a fluid line connection system featuring a female connector with a groove and a male connector with an engagement mechanism that forms a seal when assembled, including a locking feature and a sealing member, designed for quick and easy assembly and disassembly, reducing the need for hose clamps and minimizing air leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hose clamps are used to connect air lines, then the connection can be made, but labor is required to individually handle and assemble them and special tools are needed for removal
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate male and female connector components, each with specific engagement features. The female connector has internal grooves and the male connector has external tabs with engagement mechanisms, allowing them to connect quickly without requiring assembly of multiple fastening elements like hose clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the hose clamp component entirely from the connection system. By designing direct engagement features between male and female connectors, the patent removes the need for separate fastening hardware, reducing assembly complexity and time.
2Reliability
If hose clamps are used to connect air lines, then the connection can be made, but hose clamps are subject to severe environment leading to corrosion, stress corrosion, cracking, and binding of the lead screw
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the hose clamp component entirely from the connection system. By designing direct engagement features between male and female connectors, the patent removes the parts susceptible to corrosion and environmental damage, thereby improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection mechanism changes from a threaded lead screw system (prone to binding and corrosion) to a groove-and-tab engagement system with rotational locking. This parameter change in the engagement mechanism eliminates the threaded component that binds under high friction and environmental exposure.
3Reliability
If hose clamps are used to connect air lines, then the connection can be made, but air leakage occurs which leads to inefficiency and possible loss of granular product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a seal member as an intermediary element between the male and female connectors. This seal member fills the gap between connecting surfaces, preventing air leakage while maintaining the mechanical engagement of the connection system.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member functions as a flexible thin film that conformally seals the interface between connectors. This flexible sealing element adapts to surface irregularities and maintains an effective seal under varying operating conditions, preventing air and product loss.
4Productivity
If larger air seeders are used, then more material can be applied, but the number of air lines and connections increases requiring higher operating pressure and more labor
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design incorporates self-aligning and self-locking features that automatically engage when connectors are brought together. The external tabs align with internal grooves and the rotational engagement mechanism locks automatically, eliminating the need for additional fastening operations even as the number of connections increases.
Solution Approach 2:
By removing hose clamps and their associated installation and removal operations, the patent reduces the labor burden that scales with the number of connections. Each connection becomes a simple push-and-rotate operation, making the system manageable even with many connections required for larger seeders.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid line connection for a pneumatic distribution system for an agricultural air seeder includes a female connector having an inside diameter with a groove and a male connector configured for internal assembly with the female connector. The male connector has an external tab that engages the groove to retain the male connector to the female connector when the female connector is rotatingly assembled with the male connector. The female connector is removed by rotating and disassembling from the male connector to access a conveyance tube or manifold for servicing these parts. A sealing member is assembled between the male and female connectors to form a fluid seal. A primary tube can be assembled between two fluid line connections to form a quick connect assembly. A fitting connector and a locking ring are assembled with a fluid line connection to retain a primary tube thereon for an air drill.