Remote adjustment of a row unit of an agricultural device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297753-B2
Application number	US-201916424068-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2019
Priority date	Apr 27, 2011
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

Agricultural devices, row unit adjustment systems, and methods of adjusting a depth of a furrow. In some aspects, an agricultural device is adapted to plant seeds and includes a frame, a furrow opener coupled to the frame and adapted to cut a furrow including a depth, a sensor adapted to sense a characteristic associated with planting seeds and generate a signal associated with the sensed characteristic, and a processing unit receiving the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. The depth of the furrow is adjustable based on the signal associated with the sensed characteristic. Such characteristic may be a characteristic of the soil, a force applied to the agricultural device, or a position of a portion of the agricultural device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A row unit for use with an agricultural planter, comprising:
a furrow opener coupled to a frame and adapted to cut a furrow including a depth;
a sensor adapted to sense a furrow depth associated with planting seeds and generate a signal associated with the sensed furrow depth, said sensor being an electronic sensor;
a processing unit receiving the signal associated with the sensed furrow depth; and
a user interface in communication with the processing unit, said user interface comprising a display to display information associated with the sensed furrow depth.

2. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is positioned at least partially behind the furrow opener.

3. The row unit of claim 1 , further comprising a memory in communication with the processing unit for storing and retrieving the furrow depth.

4. The row unit of claim 1 , further comprising a furrow depth adjustment mechanism and a gauge wheel, wherein the gauge wheel is coupled to the frame through the furrow depth adjustment mechanism.

5. The row unit of claim 4 , wherein the agricultural device further comprises a second sensor for sensing a second characteristic.

6. The row unit of claim 4 , wherein the furrow depth adjustment mechanism includes an actuator.

7. The row unit of claim 6 , wherein a user is capable of remotely adjusting the actuator to adjust the depth of the furrow based on the information displayed on the user interface.

8. The row unit of claim 6 , wherein the processing unit is configured to maintain a set furrow depth, and the actuator is automatically operated based upon the sensed furrow depth to maintain the furrow at the set furrow depth.

9. The row unit of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is in communication with the processing unit.

10. A method of displaying information sensed by a row unit of an agricultural planter, the row unit including a frame and a furrow opener coupled to the frame, the method comprising:
sensing a furrow depth associated with seed planting with an electronic sensor;
generating a signal associated with the furrow depth with the sensor;
communicating the signal to a processing unit; and
displaying the furrow depth on a user interface based on the signal received by the processing unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting a furrow depth opened by the furrow opener of the row unit based on the signal received by the processing unit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the furrow depth further includes automatically adjusting a depth of a furrow with the processing unit based on the signal received by the processing unit.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising storing the signal with a memory that is communicable with the processing unit and capable of being retrieved at a later time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the information displayed on the user interface is real time information, historical information, or both.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising sensing a second characteristic with a second electronic sensor, said second characteristic associated with seed planting.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
generating a second signal associated with the second characteristic with the second sensor;
communicating the second signal to the processing unit; and
displaying information associated with the second signal on the user display.

17. A control and monitoring system for an agricultural planter having one or more row units having a furrow opener, comprising:
an electronic sensor adapted to sense a furrow depth associated with planting seeds and generate a signal associated with the furrow depth;
a processing unit in communication with the sensor, and wherein the processing unit is adapted to receive the signal associated with the furrow depth; and
a user interface in communication with the processing unit, wherein the user interface displays the furrow depth.

18. The control and monitoring system of claim 17 , further comprising a memory in communication with the processing unit for storing and retrieving the furrow depth, and wherein a user initiates communication between the processing unit and the memory to retrieve information therefrom.

19. The control and monitoring system of claim 17 , wherein the sensor is a first sensor, the furrow depth is a first characteristic, and the signal is a first signal associated with the first characteristic, the control and monitoring system further comprising a second sensor adapted to sense a second characteristic associated with planting seeds and generate a second signal associated with the sensed second characteristic.

20. The control and monitoring system of claim 19 , wherein the second characteristic is displayed on the user interface.

Assignees

• Kinze Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Achen Courtney N
• Bachman Marvin
• Stevenson Vaughan G

Classifications

• A01C7/203 Primary

  comprising depth regulation means · CPC title

• A01B71/02

  Setting or adjusting mechanisms · CPC title

• A01C5/064

  with rotating tools · CPC title

• A01C5/062

  Devices for making drills or furrows · CPC title

• Y10S111/90

  Methods of planting seeds and miscellaneous compositions · CPC title