Rotating Centering Slide for Granular Seed Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seed metering devices struggle to accurately dispense seeds of varying sizes and shapes, such as cereals like wheat, rye, barley, oats, or rapeseed, as they require pocket sizes tailored to specific seed sizes, leading to defects in seed release.
Innovation Solution
A dosing device featuring a centering slide that guides granular material along a guide element, centering the seed by supporting it on both sides, allowing for precise metering and separation, independent of seed size and shape, using a rotating mechanism with a decreasing guide surface width to separate excess grains under centrifugal force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pocket size is reduced to accommodate smaller seeds, then smaller seeds can be metered, but larger seeds cannot accumulate properly causing metering defects
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element features a guide surface with varying width - wider at the receiving area to accommodate multiple seeds and narrower at the delivery area to center single seeds. This local variation in geometry allows the same structure to handle different seed sizes effectively while maintaining reliable metering.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering slide rotates about an axis, creating dynamic centrifugal forces that act on the seeds during rotation. This dynamic action separates excess seeds from the centered seed in the delivery area, enabling reliable single-seed metering regardless of seed size variations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pocket size is increased to accommodate larger seeds, then larger seeds can be metered, but smaller seeds are lost causing metering defects
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element features a guide surface with varying width - wider at the receiving area to accommodate multiple seeds and narrower at the delivery area to center single seeds. This local variation in geometry allows the same structure to handle different seed sizes effectively while maintaining reliable metering.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering slide rotates about an axis, creating dynamic centrifugal forces that act on the seeds during rotation. This dynamic action separates excess seeds from the centered seed in the delivery area, enabling reliable single-seed metering regardless of seed size variations.
3Device complexity
If a fixed pocket geometry is used, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate varying seed sizes and shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element features a guide surface with varying width - wider at the receiving area to accommodate multiple seeds and narrower at the delivery area to center single seeds. This local variation in geometry allows the same structure to handle different seed sizes effectively while maintaining reliable metering.
Solution Approach 2:
The centering slide rotates about an axis, creating dynamic centrifugal forces that act on the seeds during rotation. This dynamic action separates excess seeds from the centered seed in the delivery area, enabling reliable single-seed metering regardless of seed size variations.
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
Enables reliable and independent metering of seeds of different sizes and shapes, ensuring accurate dispensing of individual grains while maintaining dosing quality over time, even with contaminated materials.
Implementation Method 1
granular material is pushed by the centering slide along a guide surface of a guide element
Implementation Method 2
excess grains are separated and sent to the renewed promotion are returned to a first housing area
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~14
AI summary
The invention relates to a metering device for granular material, in particular seeds. Said metering device comprises a centering slide (2) which is mounted so it can rotate in a housing (1), and a guide element (3) which arranged such that said centering slide (2) at least partially sweeps over the guide element (3) during a rotational movement. The centering slide (2) and the guide element (3) are designed such that when the metering device is in operation, granular material is moved along a guide surface (7) of the guide element (3) from a receiving area (6) into a dispensing area by means of the centering slide (2). The centering slide (2) is designed such that it centers a grain (5) of the granular material during transport from the receiving area (6) to the dispensing area in which it protects or guides it at least partially on both sides.