US 11,938,756 B2
Granular material metering device and method
Werner Bartling, Elze (DE); Alexander Reich, Meerbusch (DE); and Ralf Weiss, Gronau ot Banteln (DE)
Assigned to NOWE GMBH, Elze (DE)
Appl. No. 17/415,933
Filed by NOWE GMBH, Elze (DE)
PCT Filed Jan. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/050349
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/144246, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. A 50019/2019 (AT), filed on Jan. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063332 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B60B 39/06 (2006.01); B60B 39/02 (2006.01); B60B 39/08 (2006.01); B60B 39/10 (2006.01); B61C 15/10 (2006.01); G01F 11/00 (2006.01); G01F 11/02 (2006.01)
CPC B60B 39/025 (2013.01) [B60B 39/06 (2013.01); B60B 39/086 (2013.01); B60B 39/10 (2013.01); B61C 15/102 (2013.01); B61C 15/107 (2013.01); G01F 11/003 (2013.01); G01F 11/023 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
actuating a metering piston of a metering device to form a gap between a feed of the metering device and a metering chamber of the metering device, the feed configured to receive granular material from a container, the gap configured to permit the granular material to flow from the feed to the metering chamber;
detecting a blockage of the granular material with at least one optical sensor arranged in a delivery line leading away from the metering chamber; and
responsive to detecting the blockage, actuating the metering piston to enlarge the gap between the feed and the metering chamber to disperse the blockage.