Adjustable row unit and agricultural vehicle with adjustable row unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654063-B2
Application number	US-201715693316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a row unit for an agricultural vehicle comprises an upper carriage that is movable or slidable with respect to a generally horizontal beam of the vehicle. The row unit has vertical supports, where each vertical support has an upper end connected to the upper carriage and a lower end opposite the upper end. The row unit further comprises a lower carriage that is connected to the lower end of the vertical supports, such that the upper carriage determines a lateral position of the lower carriage with respect to the beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A row unit for an agricultural vehicle, the row unit comprising:
an upper carriage that is movable or slidable with respect to a beam, of an agricultural vehicle, relative to a reference point;
a plurality of at least three vertical supports suspended from the upper carriage, the vertical supports spaced apart from each other at the upper carriage or around the perimeter of the upper carriage, each vertical support having an upper end connected to the upper carriage and a lower end opposite the upper end;
a suspended lower carriage that is connected to the lower end of the plurality of vertical supports, such that the upper carriage determines a lateral position of the suspended lower carriage with respect to the beam, the suspended lower carriage having a first position adjuster comprising a first scissors linkage movable between a contracted position and an expanded position along a vertical axis to dynamically adjust height above ground of the suspended lower carriage;
a nozzle associated with the suspended lower carriage; wherein the suspended lower carriage supports movement of a three-dimensional position of the nozzle by the first position adjuster for adjusting height of the nozzle and a second position adjuster for adjusting a longitudinal position of the nozzle based on image data.

2. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the upper carriage comprises:
a frame;
a set of rollers that are rotatable with respect to the frame and that ride against a surface of the beam;
an upper motor mounted to the frame, the upper motor having a shaft that terminates in a pinion gear; and
a rack gear on the beam, where the pinon gear engages to the rack gear to support simultaneous lateral adjustment of the upper carriage and the suspended lower carriage.

3. The row unit according to claim 2 wherein an upper motor controller provides a control signal to control the upper motor to position the nozzle on the suspended lower carriage in accordance with a target lateral separation to a row of plants, the control signal responsive to image data.

4. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the height is adjusted to maintain a minimum height clearance with respect to the ground and to maintain a relative height to a peak plant height, an average or median foliage height, or peak leaf canopy height based on image data.

5. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the nozzle is located on the second position adjuster and wherein the nozzle can be adjusted along a longitudinal axis.

6. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein:
an upper controller provides a lateral control signal to an upper motor to control a lateral position of the nozzle on the suspended lower carriage;
a first adjustment controller provides a height control signal to a first adjustment actuator to control a height position of the nozzle on the suspended lower carriage; and
a second adjustment controller provides a longitudinal control signal to a second adjustment actuator to control a longitudinal position of the nozzle on the suspended lower carriage.

7. The row unit according to claim 6 wherein the upper controller, the first adjustment controller and the second adjustment controller can simultaneously and dynamically adjust in real time a three-dimensional position of the nozzle through control of the lateral position, the height position and the longitudinal position.

8. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the second position adjuster further comprises:
a frame that is coupled for relative longitudinal movement with respect to the first position adjuster;
a first end at one side of the frame;
a second end at an opposite side of the frame with respect to the first end;
a rod or rail extending between the first end and the second end;
a plurality of bushings affixed to the first position adjuster for engaging or slidably guiding the rod;
a scissors mechanism having a first coupling point to the first position adjuster and a second coupling point to a link member, the scissors mechanism comprising a second scissors linkage;
a second adjustment actuator or linear actuator for providing a linear motion to the link member such that the first position adjuster is longitudinally displaced or adjusted with respect to the frame.

9. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the suspended lower carriage supports movement of a three-dimensional position of the nozzle on the lower carriage by the second position adjuster for adjusting a longitudinal position of the nozzle to reduce or minimize a longitudinal offset between the nozzle and plant stem or central plant portion.

10. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the suspended lower carriage comprises the first position adjuster for adjusting height of the nozzle associated with the row unit, the first position adjuster further comprising:
a lower platform;
an upper platform spaced apart from the lower platform;
a plurality of legs with pivot points for movably connecting the lower platform to the upper platform;
a first support member associated with central pivot points of the legs;
a second support member associated with central pivot points of the legs, the second support member located opposite from the first support member;
a threaded rod engaging a threaded bore in the first support member and extending toward the second support member;
a first adjustment actuator for turning the threaded rod to change the height of the lower platform with respect to the upper platform; hence, a height of the nozzle located on the lower platform, the first adjustment actuator on the second support member.

11. The row unit according to claim 10 wherein one end of each of the legs terminates in gear teeth and further comprising idler gears mounted on sides of the upper platform and lower platform for engaging the gear teeth.

12. The row unit according to claim 11 wherein the gear teeth and idler gears prevent twisting of the legs or misalignment between the lower platform and the upper platform in which planar surfaces associated with the lower platform and the upper platform are no longer or not substantially parallel.

13. The row unit according to claim 10 wherein the first position adjuster comprises the first scissors linkage that holds a precise target vertical separation between the upper platform and the lower platform.

14. The row unit according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of vertical supports comprise rods.

15. A row unit for an agricultural vehicle, the row unit comprising:
an upper carriage that is movable or slidable with respect to a beam, of an agricultural vehicle, relative to a reference point;
a plurality of at least three vertical supports suspended from the upper carriage, the vertical supports spaced apart from each other at the upper carriage or around the perimeter of the upper carriage, each vertical support having an upper end connected to the upper carriage and a lower end opposite the upper end;
a suspended lower carriage that is connected to the lower end of the plurality of vertical supports, such that the upper carriage determines a lateral position of the suspended lower carriage with respect to the beam, the suspended lower carriage having a first position adjuster comprising a first scissors linkage movable between a contracted position and an expanded position along a vertical axis to dynamically adjust height above ground of the suspended lower carriage;
an upper controller provides a lateral control signal to an upper motor to control a lateral position of a nozzle on the suspended lower carriage;
a first

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Davis Travis J
• Lawson Joshua T
• Maeder Curtis A
• Haecker Jesse D
• Connell Richard J
• Rich Shayne C
• Eggers Anthony E
• Carlson Curtis D

Classifications

• A01M7/0082

  Undercarriages, frames, mountings, couplings, tanks · CPC title

• G01S19/41

  Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS] · CPC title

• B05B9/0403

  with pumps for liquids or other fluent material (B05B9/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B12/124 Primary

  responsive to distance between spray apparatus and target · CPC title

• A01C23/008

  Tanks, chassis or related parts · CPC title