Meter Assembly Sensor for Blockage Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern air seeders face challenges in accurately identifying commodity flow and detecting blockages in meter assemblies, which can lead to inconsistent distribution of seeds or fertilizers during planting, affecting efficiency and accuracy.

Innovation Solution

A meter assembly with a housing, metering device, diverter, and sensor system that includes a flapper diverter with non-planar surfaces and piezoelectric sensors to detect commodity flow and contact, coupled with a controller to monitor and indicate blockages, ensuring consistent distribution by redirecting commodity flow into the appropriate conduit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a sensor is coupled to the diverter to identify commodity flow, then blockage detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveblockage detection capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical blockage detection mechanisms with a sensor system that uses electrical or electronic fields to detect commodity flow. The sensor coupled to the diverter identifies flow conditions through non-mechanical means, reducing mechanical complexity while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor acts as an intermediary between the diverter and the control system, providing flow information without requiring direct mechanical interaction. This intermediary approach allows blockage detection while maintaining simpler overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a flapper diverter with non-planar surfaces is used to intermingle commodity, then distribution uniformity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistribution uniformityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flapper diverter incorporates non-planar, curved surfaces instead of flat surfaces. These curved geometries naturally intermingle the commodity flow as it passes through, improving distribution uniformity. While more complex to manufacture than flat surfaces, modern manufacturing techniques can produce these curved forms efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively identifies commodity flow and detects blockages, ensuring consistent and efficient distribution of seeds or fertilizers, reducing the risk of inconsistent planting patterns and improving overall planting efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

the sensor is a piezoelectric sensor that identifies the impact of commodity against the diverter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPiezoelectric effect: Piezoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3815498B1Meter assembly

Publication Date: 2024.08.21 DEERE & CO

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AI summary

A meter assembly (204) is disclosed. The metering assembly (204) comprises a housing (304) defining an inlet (306) configured to be coupled to a tank (202), a metering device (208) coupled to the housing (304) to meter flow of commodity from the inlet (306), a diverter (216) positioned at an outlet (308) of the housing (304) to selectively distribute commodity to at least one conduit (210, 212), and a sensor (218, 314, 410, 412) coupled to the diverter (216) to identify when commodity is flowing thereby.