Soil moisture sensor with improved enclosure

• US 9,007,050 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Toro Company (Toro)
• Inventors: Hill, Jason Lester
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VINH P
• Application Number:
  US13/235,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• US Class Current: 324/71.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/048 for determining moisture content of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/246 for water content for control of watering A01G25/167
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A wireless soil sensor includes a curved surface and at least two groups of sensor-pin electrodes. A tine-catching block is disposed within the sensor body, near a top of the sensor to protect against aeration tools damaging components of the sensor. The electrical circuitry and the battery are separately potted in an epoxy material and oriented vertically, creating a central gap through which an incoming aeration tine is directed.

Claims

1. A soil moisture sensor comprising:

a sensor casing having a first side with a generally flat shape and a second side opposing said first side and having a generally curved shape;

a first plurality of elongated sensor electrode pins located on and extending out from said second side of said sensor casing;

a second plurality of elongated sensor electrode pins located at said second side of said sensor casing and spaced apart from said first plurality of elongated sensor electrodes;

wherein said second side has a curve that substantially matches an interior of a 4.25 inch hole.

2. The soil moisture sensor of claim 1, further comprising a tine-catching block member disposed within said sensor casing and near a top of said soil moisture sensor.

3. The soil moisture sensor of claim 2, wherein said tine-catching block member is generally thinner near a center of said block member relative to an outer periphery of said block member.

4. The soil moisture sensor of claim 1, further comprising electrical sensor components disposed within said sensor casing;

said sensor components being encapsulated with an epoxy material.

5. A soil moisture sensor comprising:

a sensor enclosure having a first side and an opposing second side;

a plurality of sensor pins extending from said sensor enclosure in a generally perpendicular orientation relative to said first side and said second side;

sensor circuitry disposed within said sensor enclosure; and

,

a power supply disposed within said sensor enclosure;

wherein said sensor circuitry is located adjacent to said first side of said sensor enclosure and said power supply is disposed against said second side of said sensor enclosure so as to create a gap between said sensor circuitry and said power supply within said sensor enclosure.

6. The soil moisture sensor of claim 5, wherein said sensor circuitry and said power supply are enclosed in epoxy.

7. The soil moisture sensor of claim 5, further comprising a tine-catching block member located within said sensor enclosure and at a top end of said sensor enclosure.

8. The soil moisture sensor of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of wires connecting said sensor circuitry and said power supply, said plurality of wires located at a bottom end of said sensor enclosure.

9. A method of installing a moisture sensor comprising:

creating a cylindrical hole in soil having a diameter of about 4.25 inches;

placing a soil moisture sensor in said hole;

orienting a first group of sensor pins at a first distance from a top of said soil;

orienting a second group of sensor pins at a second distance from a top of said soil, said second distance being longer than said first distance; and

,

pressing a curved surface of said soil moisture sensor into a curved wall of said cylindrical hole;

said curved surface having a curved shape corresponding to and being reciprocal to a portion of said cylindrical hole having said diameter of about 4.25 inches.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first distance is about 4.4 inches from said top of said soil.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said second distance is about 7-9 inches from said top of said soil.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said pressing a curved surface of said soil moisture sensor into a curved wall of said cylindrical hole further comprises inserting said first group of sensor pins and said second group of sensor pins into undisturbed areas of said soil.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising orienting said soil moisture sensor such that a tine-catching member within said soil moisture sensor is oriented at a top end of said soil moisture sensor.