Boom adjustment system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499561-B2
Application number	US-201514812265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2015
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A system includes a boom. The boom includes a first section and a second section. The system includes a first actuator element configured to drive rotation of the first section, a second actuator element configured to drive rotation of the second section, and a locking element configured to block rotation of the first section and to block rotation of the second section while the locking element is in an activated position. Moreover, the system includes a sensor element disposed on the boom. The sensor element is configured to output a signal indicative of a first height between the first section and a field and a second height between the second section and the field. The first and second sections are configured to independently rotate based on the received signal to maintain a desired height between the field and each of the first section and the second section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural sprayer system for an agricultural implement, comprising:
a center portion;
a boom coupled to the center portion and extending laterally from the center portion, wherein the boom comprises:
a first section comprising a first end rotatably coupled to the center portion and a second end; and
a second section comprising a third end rotatably coupled to the second end of the first portion and a fourth end;

a first actuator element configured to drive rotation of the first section;
a second actuator element configured to drive rotation of the second section;
a fluid control system comprising a fluid regulating valve configured to regulate a flow of fluid toward the first actuator element to adjust the first actuator element to drive rotation of the first section;
a lock control system comprising a locking valve, wherein the locking valve is configured to block the flow of fluid toward the first actuator element to block rotation of the first section relative to the center portion while the locking valve is in an activated position; and
a sensor element disposed on the boom, wherein the sensor element is configured to output a signal indicative of a first height between the first section and a field and a second height between the second section and the field, wherein the first and second sections are configured to independently rotate based on the signal to maintain a desired height between the field and each of the first section and the second section as the agricultural implement travels through the field, and the lock control system is configured to provide a control signal to the locking valve to transition the locking valve from a deactivated position to the activated position in response to determining that the signal is lost.

2. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , comprising a spray bar extending along the boom and configured to distribute agricultural product to nozzles disposed along the spray bar.

3. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor element is an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a sonar sensor, a capacitive sensor, or a combination thereof.

4. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid control system comprises a hydraulic control system and the first actuator element comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

5. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor element is configured to detect a terrain feature of the agricultural field forward of the boom.

6. The agricultural sprayer system of claim 1 , wherein the agricultural sprayer system is configured to provide an alert to an operator when the locking valve is in the activated position.

7. An agricultural implement comprising:
a pair of booms extending on opposite lateral sides of a center support structure, each of the pair of booms having an inner section rotatably coupled to the center support structure via an inner hinge and an outer section rotatably coupled to the inner section via an outer hinge;
one or more sensor elements coupled to the boom and configured to output a respective signal indicative of a distance between each of the inner and outer sections and a field;
a controller configured to independently instruct multiple actuators to drive rotation of each of the inner and outer sections about the respective inner and outer hinges based on the respective signal to maintain a predetermined height between each of the inner and outer sections and the field as the agricultural implement travels across the field;
a lock system comprising at least one mechanical lock configured to move between a locked position in which the at least one mechanical lock engages a component of the agricultural implement to mechanically lock a respective inner hinge or a respective outer hinge to block rotation of a respective inner section or a respective outer section and an unlocked position in which the at least one mechanical lock enables a respective actuator of the multiple actuators to drive rotation of the respective inner section or the respective outer section; and
one or more position sensors configured to output a respective position signal indicative of a respective position of the respective inner section or the respective outer section relative to the center support structure, wherein the lock system comprises a lock controller that is configured to provide a control signal to the at least one mechanical lock to transition the at least one mechanical lock from the unlocked position to the locked position based at least in part on the respective position signal.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the one or more sensor elements are disposed at each inner and outer hinge.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder, an electronic actuator, a pneumatic cylinder, or a combination thereof.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined height is configured to be set by an operator via a user interface.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the at least one mechanical lock comprises a pin and the component comprises the respective inner hinge, the respective outer hinge, the respective inner section, or the respective outer section.

12. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the lock controller is configured to provide the control signal to the at least one mechanical lock only after the respective position signal indicates that the respective inner section or the respective outer section has reached an operation position in which the respective inner section or the respective outer section is generally parallel to a lateral axis of the agricultural implement.

13. The agricultural implement of claim 7 , wherein the at least one mechanical lock comprises an electromechanically operated pin such that the control signal generates mechanical movement of the pin.

14. An electronic control system for an agricultural sprayer, comprising:
a controller comprising a memory operatively coupled to a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive, from a first sensor, a first signal indicative of a first height of a first section of a boom relative to an agricultural field;
receive, from a second sensor, a second signal indicative of an upcoming terrain feature of the agricultural field;
determine a desired adjustment of the first section based on the first signal, the second signal, and a set height, wherein the set height is a desired height relative to the agricultural field;
instruct an actuator to rotate the first section relative to a center portion of the agricultural sprayer to transition the first section from the first height to the set height; and
provide a control signal to a flow control element to adjust a flow of an agricultural product to nozzles positioned along the first section of the boom based on a degree of rotation of the first section relative to the center portion of the agricultural sprayer.

15. The electronic control system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to continuously adjust the first section based on the second signal as the agricultural sprayer travels across the agricultural field.

16. The electronic control system of claim 14 , wherein the actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder, an electronic actuator, a pneumatic cylinder, or a combination thereof.

17. The electronic control system of claim 14 , comprising a lock element, wherein the first section is blocked from rotational movement while the lock element

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Grotelueschen Nathan Carl
• Rasmussen Todd
• Ellingson Jon

Classifications

• A01M7/0057 Primary

  with active regulation of the boom position · CPC title

• A01M7/0042

  Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted · CPC title

• A01C23/008 Primary

  Tanks, chassis or related parts · CPC title

• A01C23/047

  Spraying of liquid fertilisers · CPC title