BROADBAND SPRAY NOZZLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150367357A1
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Humpal, Richard A., Funseth, Travis G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,884,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 79/005 Precision agriculture
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/162 Sequential operation
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/16 having selectively- effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/30 designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages B05B11/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/04 for sequential operation or multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/06 for effecting pulsating flow nozzles, spray head or outlet with means for generating a discharge of pulsating nature B05B1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/126 responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target B05B9/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0421 with rotating spray heads
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/62 Arrangements for supporting spraying apparatus, e.g. suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/02 with rotating elements electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/04 with arrangements for mixing liquids or other fluent materials before discharge mixing in general B01F, e.g. B01F25/00; mixing valves F16K11/00

Abstract

An individual spray nozzle contains two or more valves that are actuated by time or frequency modulated signals such as pulse width modulated (PWM) signals. The PWM signals are interleaved to open and close each of the respective valves that enable fluid to flow from an input to a combined output. The opening and closing positions of two or more different valves are interleaved to increase the range of performance, such as to increase the frequency of fluid flow from the input to the combined output. Additional embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A spray nozzle device comprising:

a single nozzle having a fluid inlet, at least one fluid outlet and multiple actuators that couple the fluid inlet to the at least one fluid outlet based on an open or closed position of at least one of the multiple actuators;

electronic traces that receive modulated duration signals, wherein a first electronic trace contacts a first of the multiple actuators to control its open or closed position, and a second electronic trace contacts a second of the multiple actuators to control its open or closed position; and

the first of the multiple actuators is configured to move to a first open position in a different phase relationship with respect to a second open position of the second of the multiple actuators, wherein the first open position and second open position are based on a duration and a polarity of the modulated duration signals on the first electronic trace and on the second electronic trace, respectively.

2. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the modulated duration signals are generated independently.

3. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the multiple actuators include solenoid valves.

4. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the electronic traces comprise wireless channels.

5. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, further comprising a circuit that generates the modulated duration signals on electronic traces, wherein the circuit is mounted on the single nozzle.

6. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modulated duration signals is a value that maintains continuous flow.

7. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the modulated duration signals are a result of pulse width modulation.

8. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the different phase relationship comprises a position interleave sequence such that the first open position and the second open position do not overlap in time.

9. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle device is attached to a fluid distribution pipe that is mounted to a foldable composite carbon fiber spray boom.

10. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the spray nozzle device is configured to attach to a fluid distribution pipe mounted on an agricultural sprayer.

11. The spray nozzle device of claim 1, wherein the first of the multiple actuator and the second of the multiple actuator are set up to open 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other during a period T.

12. An individual spray nozzle comprising:

the individual spray nozzle having a fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet;

a first gate that couples the fluid inlet to the first fluid outlet based on a first open or closed position of the first gate;

a second gate that couples the fluid inlet to the second fluid outlet based on a second open or closed position of the second gate;

the first gate connected to a first circuit designed to receive a first pulse width modulated (first PWM) signal to control the first gate to be in the first open or closed position; and

the second gate connected to a second circuit designed to receive a second pulse width modulated (second PWM) signal to control the second gate to be in the second open or closed position.

13. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein the second PWM signal has a duty cycle value to maintain continuous spraying.

14. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein the individual spray nozzle is mounted to a fluid distribution pipe that is mounted to a spray boom comprised of carbon fiber;

and the spray boom is mounted to a center frame of a motor vehicle.

15. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal are time interleaved to avoid overlapping pulses.

16. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet join together into a combination outlet.

17. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein the first circuit and second circuit are mounted external to and on top of a portion of the individual spray nozzle.

18. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, wherein multiple individual spray nozzles are attached to a fluid distribution pipe that is mounted to a foldable suspension-type spray boom.

19. The individual spray nozzle of claim 12, further comprising a second fluid inlet that adjoins the fluid inlet to share a common chamber.

20. A method to operate a spray nozzle, comprising:

setting up a circuit that generates first pulse width modulated (first PWM) signals and second pulse width modulated (second PWM) signals;

configuring the circuit to phase shift first PWM signals from second PWM signals so that their respective pulses do not overlap during a period T;

buffering first PWM signals on a first output of the circuit;

buffering second PWM signals on a second output of the circuit;

coupling the circuit to the spray nozzle, wherein the spray nozzle includes a fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, a second fluid outlet, a first valve that couples the fluid inlet to the first fluid outlet, and a second valve that couples the fluid inlet to the second fluid outlet;

connecting the first output to the first valve; and

connecting the second output to the second valve.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting a modulation for first PWM signals based on a speed of travel of the spray nozzle and on a prescribed delivery of a particular amount of chemical.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting a first fluid outlet with a second fluid outlet to form a combination outlet.