TIME VARYING CONTROL OF THE OPERATION OF SPRAY SYSTEMS

• US 20150375247A1
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Funseth, Travis G., Humpal, Richard A., Bullock, Stacy L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,773,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/083 the pulsating mechanism comprising movable parts liquid driven rotating elements, e.g. turbines, arranged upstream the outlet B05B3/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1645 the outlets being rotated during selection
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/169 having three or more selectively effective outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• 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 1/3053 the actuating means being a solenoid
• 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 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/658 the spraying apparatus or its outlet axis being perpendicular to the flow conduit

Abstract

Embodiments include a sprayer system having dynamic pre-sets to control spray nozzles that each individually operates continuously or under a time-modulated or a frequency-modulated electronic signal control to release the liquid droplets. Collectively, adjacent or near neighboring nozzles are also controlled by time-sequencing through different modes of operation or physical configurations on each spray nozzle. The spray nozzles are mounted on a variety of implements including agricultural or industrial spray booms.

Claims

1. An spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:

nozzle bodies mounted on a boom;

wherein each of the nozzle bodies includes;

a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, a first outlet, a second outlet, and a combined outlet;

wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the first outlet via a first valve; and

the fluid inlet is also coupled to the second outlet via a second valve; and

the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve;

a controller in electrical communication with the first valve and the second valve;

wherein the controller is programmed to move the first valve and the second valve according to any one of a following control modes;

a first mode wherein the fluid is released from both the first outlet and the second outlet based on a first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first valve and a second PWM signal coupled to the second valve, respectively;

a second mode wherein the fluid is released from only the first outlet or only the second outlet based on the first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first valve or the second PWM signal coupled to the second valve, respectively; and

a third mode wherein the fluid is released from the combined outlet based on the first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first valve and the second PWM signal coupled to the second valve.

2. The spray nozzle system of claim 1, wherein the combined outlet is either the first outlet or the second outlet.

3. A spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:

a spray nozzle body including a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, a first outlet, and a second outlet;

wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the first outlet via a first valve; and

the fluid inlet is also coupled to the second outlet via a second valve;

a first actuator and a second actuator; and

wherein the first actuator is coupled to the first valve and the second actuator is coupled to the second valve to effect any one of a following modes responsive to pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signals coupled to the first and second actuators, respectively;

a first mode wherein the fluid is released from both the first outlet and the second outlet; and

a second mode wherein the fluid is released from only the first outlet or only the second outlet.

4. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein in the second mode, the first outlet comprises a combined outlet wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve.

5. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein in the second mode, the first outlet or the second outlet comprises a combined outlet wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve;

and wherein the second mode is responsive to a first pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal coupled to the first actuator and to a second PWM signal coupled to the second actuator.

6. The spray nozzle system of claim 5, wherein in a first sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have a substantially same frequency and phase;

and in a second sub-mode, the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal have a different phase but substantially same frequency.

7. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein the first outlet and the second outlet are oriented to both point substantially in the same direction.

8. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein the first outlet has a first nozzle tip and the second outlet has a second nozzle tip;

and the first nozzle tip and the second nozzle tip have different ratings to release an amount of the fluid.

9. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator both have a solenoid to electrically effect pulse width modulation.

10. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller coupled to the first actuator and to the second actuator, wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from the first outlet out of phase with releasing the fluid from the second outlet.

11. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller coupled to the first actuator and to the second actuator, wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from the first outlet in phase with releasing the fluid from the second outlet.

12. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller coupled to the first actuator and to the second actuator, wherein the electronic controller is programmed to periodically release the fluid from the first outlet while continuously releasing the fluid from the second outlet.

13. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, wherein the first outlet and the second outlet both couple to a third outlet, wherein a fluid path goes from the first outlet and from the second outlet into the third outlet;

and wherein the third outlet releases the fluid out of the spray nozzle body.

14. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller that is coupled to a sensor that indicates a speed of travel of the spray nozzle body, and the electronic controller is programmed to switch between the first mode and the second mode based on the speed of travel.

15. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller that is coupled to a sensor that indicates a flow rate of the fluid out of the spray nozzle body, and the electronic controller is programmed to switch between the first mode and the second mode based on the flow rate.

16. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising an electronic controller that is coupled to a sensor that indicates a pressure of the fluid into the spray nozzle body, and the electronic controller is programmed to switch between the first mode and the second mode based on the pressure.

17. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising a spray boom having a fluid distribution pipe, wherein a plurality of the spray nozzle bodies is mounted along the fluid distribution pipe;

and wherein the spray nozzle system further comprising adjacent nozzle bodies on either side of one of the spray nozzle bodies; and

wherein the adjacent nozzle bodies release the fluid in phase.

18. The spray nozzle system of claim 3, further comprising a spray boom having a fluid distribution pipe, wherein a plurality of the spray nozzle bodies is mounted along the fluid distribution pipe, and wherein a fourth mode includes the spray nozzle bodies adjacent to each other release the fluid out of phase.

19. An spray nozzle system for a fluid, comprising:

an agricultural vehicle having a boom;

adjacent nozzle bodies that are mounted along a length of the boom;

wherein the adjacent nozzle bodies each includes;

a fluid inlet, a first valve, a second valve, a first outlet, and a second outlet;

wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the first outlet via a first valve; and

the fluid inlet is also coupled to the second outlet via a second valve;

a circuit in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies, wherein the circuit is in electrical communication with the first valve and the second valve in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies; and

wherein the circuit is configured to actuate the first valve and the second valve to effect one of pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signal control modes;

a first mode wherein the fluid is released from both the first outlet and the second outlet in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies; and

a second mode wherein the fluid is released from only the first outlet or only the second outlet in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies.

20. The spray nozzle system of claim 19, wherein in the second mode, the first outlet comprises a combined outlet wherein the fluid inlet is coupled to the combined outlet via the first valve and the second valve.

21. The spray nozzle system of claim 19, wherein the circuit in each of the adjacent nozzle bodies is in electrical communication with a controller programmed with pre-set instructions to switch between the first mode and the second mode.