Fluid nozzle system and method for de-plugging ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266053-B2
Application number	US-201916676761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2019
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A system for de-plugging ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement includes a ground engaging tool. A fluid nozzle is in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source such that pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source is flowable to the fluid nozzle. The fluid nozzle is oriented towards the ground engaging tool. Thus, pressurized fluid from the fluid nozzle is flowable towards, next to and/or against the ground engaging tool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for de-plugging ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement, comprising:
a ground engaging tool configured to be supported relative to a frame of an agricultural implement;
a pressurized fluid source;
a fluid nozzle in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid source such that pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source is flowable to the fluid nozzle, the fluid nozzle oriented towards the ground engaging tool;
a sensor configured to capture data indicative of material accumulation relative to the ground engaging tool;
a valve operable to regulate pressurized fluid flow through the fluid nozzle; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the valve, the controller configured to determine when the ground engaging tool is plugged based on the data received from the sensor, the controller being further configured to open the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source flows to the fluid nozzle in response to the determination that the ground engaging tool is plugged.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to open the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source exits the fluid nozzle at a first flow rate in response to the determination that the ground engaging tool is plugged.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine when the ground engaging tool remains plugged based on the data received from the sensor after opening the valve, the controller being further configured to adjust the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source exits the fluid nozzle at a second flow rate in response to the determination that the ground engaging tool remains plugged, the second flow rate being greater than the first flow rate.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine when the ground engaging tool is de-plugged based on the data received from the sensor after opening the valve, the controller further configured to close the valve in response to the determination that the ground engaging tool is de-plugged.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a solenoid valve.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a manual control valve operable to regulate pressurized fluid flow through the fluid nozzle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid source comprises one or more of a fluid tank and a fluid compressor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid nozzle is a fan-shaped flow nozzle.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ground engaging tool comprises one or more of a disk blade, a shank, a leveling blade, and a rolling basket.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid nozzle is oriented towards the ground engaging tool such that the fluid nozzle is configured to direct pressurized fluid at least one of towards, adjacent to, or against the ground engaging tool.

11. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of ground engaging tools mounted to the frame;
a pressurized fluid source;
a plurality of fluid nozzles in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid source such that pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source is flowable to the plurality of fluid nozzles, each fluid nozzle of the plurality of fluid nozzles oriented towards a respective one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools;
a sensor configured to capture data indicative of material accumulation relative to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging tools;
a valve operable to regulate pressurized fluid flow through one or more of the plurality of fluid nozzles; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the valve, the controller configured to determine when one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools is plugged based on the data received from the sensor, the controller being further configured to open the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source flows to the one or more of the plurality of fluid nozzles in response to the determination that the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools is plugged.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to open the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source exits the one or more of the plurality of fluid nozzles at a first flow rate in response to the determination that the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools is plugged.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine when the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools remains plugged based on the data received from the sensor after opening the valve, the controller being further configured to adjust the valve such that the pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source exits the one or more of the plurality of fluid nozzles at a second flow rate in response to the determination that the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools remains plugged, the second flow rate being greater than the first flow rate.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine when the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools is de-plugged based on the data received from the sensor after opening the valve, the controller further configured to close the valve in response to the determination that the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools is de-plugged.

15. The agricultural implement of claim 11 , wherein each fluid nozzle of the plurality of fluid nozzles is oriented towards the respective one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools such that the fluid nozzle is configured to direct pressurized fluid at least one of towards, adjacent to, or against the one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools.

16. The agricultural implement of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of ground engaging tools comprises a plurality of disk blades spaced apart from one another such that a material flow gap is defined between adjacent pairs of the disk blades of the plurality of disk blades, wherein each fluid nozzle of the plurality of fluid nozzles is configured to direct pressurized fluid towards the material flow gap defined between a respective adjacent pair of disk blades of the adjacent pairs of disk blades.

17. An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of ground engaging tools coupled to and supported by the frame;
a plurality of fluid nozzles coupled to and supported by the frame, the plurality of nozzles being spaced apart from one another relative to the frame such that each fluid nozzle of the plurality of fluid nozzles is oriented towards a respective one or more of the plurality of ground engaging tools, the plurality of nozzles being in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source such that pressurized fluid from the pressurized fluid source is flowable to the plurality of fluid nozzles;
a sensor configured to capture data indicative of material accumulation relative to at least one of the plurality of ground engaging tools; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller configured to monitor material accumulation relative to the at least one of the plurality of ground engaging tools based on the data received from the sensor, the controller being further configured to regulate a flow of the pressurized fluid through one or more of the plurality of fluid nozzles based on the monitored material accumulation relative to the at least one of t

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Henry James W
• Smith Kevin M
• Harmon Joshua David

Classifications

• A01B71/08 Primary

  Means for protecting against dust or the like, or for cleaning agricultural implements (discs for ploughs A01B15/16; lifting or cleaning apparatus for harrows A01B19/10; discs for harrows A01B23/06; screening of rotary driven tilling tools A01B33/12) · CPC title

• A01B39/28 Primary

  with special additional arrangements · CPC title

• A01B79/00

  Methods for working soil · CPC title

• A01B49/027

  with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller · CPC title