A seed tube for an agricultural planter has a top entrance, a bottom exit, front and rear walls, and sidewalls. A lower seed tube locator fits around the main body of the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube. The front wall of the seed tube is fre
A seed tube for an agricultural planter has a top entrance, a bottom exit, front and rear walls, and sidewalls. A lower seed tube locator fits around the main body of the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube. The front wall of the seed tube is free of substantial molded structures that would tend to create a sink or warp the interior surface of the front wall during molding. A sensor is mounted to the seed tube to face an exterior surface of the front wall. Light is transmitted and received by the sensor through the front wall to detect seeds passing through the seed tube. The interior surface of the front wall is smooth, uninterrupted and sink-free to avoid any obstructions that might alter the trajectory of the falling seeds, thereby increasing the seed spacing accuracy of the planter.
대표청구항▼
What is claimed is: 1. A seed tube for use on an agricultural planter, comprising: a top entrance for receiving seeds from a seed meter; a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into a furrow in the ground; and a front wall between the top entrance and the bottom exit having a smooth, unint
What is claimed is: 1. A seed tube for use on an agricultural planter, comprising: a top entrance for receiving seeds from a seed meter; a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into a furrow in the ground; and a front wall between the top entrance and the bottom exit having a smooth, uninterrupted, sink-free interior surface formed of a transparent material. 2. The seed tube according to claim 1, further comprising a lower seed tube locator that fits around the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube. 3. The seed tube according to claim 2, wherein said lower seed tube locator comprises a metallic band that fits around a main body of the seed tube and has a positioning element that mates with a corresponding element on the rear wall of the seed tube to secure the seed tube locator in a desired position. 4. The seed tube according to claim 1, further comprising a rear wall between the top entrance and the bottom exit, and sidewalls connecting the front and rear walls, wherein said front wall, said sidewalls, and at least a lower portion of said rear wall are integrally molded to form a main body of the seed tube. 5. The seed tube according to claim 4, wherein said front wall is free of any substantial molded structures protruding from an exterior surface of the front wall that would tend to create a sink or warp the interior surface of the front wall during molding. 6. The seed tube according to claim 1, wherein said transparent material is transparent to infrared light but not to light in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. 7. The seed tube according to claim 1, wherein said front wall has a sensor locator structure comprising a raised ring segment molded on the exterior surface of the front wall for locating a sensor component, said raised ring segment defining a transparent area through which light can be transmitted or received by a sensor component to detect seeds passing through the seed tube, and said raised ring segment having an egress opening at a bottom side thereof that helps prevent shrinkage and sink formation on the interior surface of the front wall. 8. A seed tube for use on an agricultural planter, comprising: a top entrance for receiving seeds from a seed meter; a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into a furrow in the ground; and a front wall between the top entrance and the bottom exit; further comprising a lower seed tube locator that fits around the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube; wherein said lower seed tube locator comprises a metallic band that fits around a main body of the seed tube and has a positioning element that mates with a corresponding element on the rear wall of the seed tube to secure the seed tube locator in a desired position; and wherein said metallic band has an open front side that allows the metallic band to be spread resiliently during assembly and to squeeze the seed tube main body after assembly. 9. The seed tube according to claim 8, wherein said lower seed tube locator comprises a hook on its front side that protrudes in front of said front wall and opens downwardly to receive a positioning element on a planter. 10. A seed tube for use on an agricultural planter, comprising: a top entrance for receiving seeds from a seed meter; a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into a furrow in the ground; and a front wall between the top entrance and the bottom exit; wherein said front wall has a locator structure comprising a raised ring segment molded on the exterior surface of the front wall for locating a sensor component, said raised ring segment having an egress opening at a bottom side thereof that helps prevent shrinkage and sink formation on the interior surface of the front wall; and wherein said front wall has upper and lower sensor mount tabs molded on the exterior surface of the front wall above and below the raised ring segment, respectively, to support and center the sensor component, said sensor mount tabs comprising a plurality of protrusions formed on right and left sides of the seed tube that are not connected with each other and do not form a closed geometric shape. 11. A seed tube and sensor assembly for an agricultural planter, comprising: a seed tube having a top entrance for receiving seeds from a seed meter, a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into a furrow in the ground, front and rear walls between the top entrance and the bottom exit, and sidewalls connecting the front and rear walls, and said front wall comprises a smooth, uninterrupted, sink-free interior surface formed of a transparent material; and a first sensor component positioned on a front side of the seed tube, said first sensor component having a light transmitter or light receiver arranged to face an exterior surface of the front wall for transmitting or receiving light through the front wall to detect seeds passing through said seed tube. 12. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a lower seed tube locator that fits around the main body of the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube. 13. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 12, wherein said lower seed tube locator comprises a metallic band that fits around a main body of the seed tube and has a positioning element that mates with a corresponding element on the rear wall of the seed tube to secure the seed tube locator in a desired position. 14. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 13, wherein said metallic band has an open front side that allows the metallic band to be spread resiliently during assembly and to squeeze the seed tube main body after assembly, and wherein hooks are formed at respective free ends of the metallic band and protrude in front of said front wall and open downwardly to receive a corresponding positioning element on a planter. 15. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein said front wall, said sidewalls, and at least a lower portion of said rear wall are integrally molded of a transparent material to form a main body of the seed tube. 16. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein a second sensor component is positioned on a rear side of the seed tube, said second sensor component having a light transmitter or light receiver arranged to face the first sensor component for transmitting or receiving light through the front wall. 17. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein said transparent material is transparent to infrared light but not to light in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. 18. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein said front wall is free of any substantial molded structures protruding from an exterior surface of the front wall that would tend to create a sink or warp the interior surface of the front wall during molding. 19. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 11, wherein said front wall has a sensor locator structure comprising a raised ring segment molded on the exterior surface of the front wall for locating a sensor component, said raised ring segment defining a transparent area through which light can be transmitted or received by a sensor component to detect seeds passing through the seed tube, and said raised ring segment having an egress opening at a bottom side thereof that helps prevent shrinkage and sink formation on the interior surface of the front wall. 20. The seed tube and sensor assembly according to claim 19, wherein said front wall has upper and lower sensor mount tabs molded on the exterior surface of the front wall above and below the raised ring segment, respectively, to support and center the sensor component, said sensor mount tabs comprising a plurality of protrusions formed on right and left sides of the seed tube that are not connected with each other and do not form a closed geometric shape. 21. An agricultural planter, comprising: a seed metering mechanism for metering seeds from a seed supply; a furrow opener for creating a furrow in the ground; a seed tube having a top entrance arranged to receive seeds from the seed metering mechanism, and a bottom exit through which seeds are discharged into the furrow created by the furrow opener, said seed tube being arranged to slope downwardly and rearwardly from the top entrance so that the bottom exit is located below and behind the top entrance; and first and second sensor components positioned on front and rear sides of the seed tube, respectively, for transmitting and receiving light through the seed tube to detect seeds passing through the seed tube; wherein said seed tube has a front wall comprising a smooth, uninterrupted, sink-free interior surface formed of a transparent material, and said first sensor component has a light transmitter or light receiver arranged to face an exterior surface of the front wall for transmitting or receiving light through the front wall without disruption to the seeds passing through the seed tube. 22. The agricultural planter according to claim 21, further comprising a lower seed tube locator that fits around the main body of the seed tube as a separate component and provides a lower attachment point for the seed tube.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (10)
Born Gunthard (Munich DEX), Device for protecting an optical or infrared window against laser radiation.
Mertins Karl-Heinz O. (Fargo ND) Batcheller Barry D. (West Fargo ND) Hauck Douglas L. (Fargo ND), Seed monitoring system for counting seeds as they are dispensed through a seed planting tube.
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