System and method for electronic fluid measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11357224-B2
Application number	US-201916524862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2019
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

An agricultural product application implement includes a system and method for indicating an amount of fluid stored. A pressure transducer installed at the sump of a fluid tank electronically measures and displays a fluid depth. Instrumentation, such as an instrument cluster unit for the implement, is programmed via software to convert the voltage output of the pressure transducer to a volume measurement displayed in the operator's line of sight. Software within the instrument cluster unit for self-calibrating accounts for varying densities of different chemical solutions. The pressure transducer is used in conjunction with a transfer medium to prevent corrosive chemical solutions from contacting the pressure transducer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for indicating an amount of fluid stored in a self-propelled agricultural product application implement comprising:
(a) holding a fluid within a tank having an interior volume;
(b) sensing an amount of pressure within the tank resulting from the fluid using a pressure transducer disposed on a base of the interior volume of the tank and communicating a first electrical signal corresponding to the amount of pressure;
(c) determining an amount of fluid within the tank based on the amount of pressure communicated by the first electrical signal and the interior volume, and communicating a second electrical signal corresponding to the amount of fluid;
(d) displaying the amount of fluid within the tank as communicated by the second electrical signal to a display visible by an operator of the implement while the operator is in a forward-facing position; and
(e) providing a transfer medium above the pressure transducer for protecting the pressure transducer from the fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calibrating for different types of fluids having differing densities based on a calibration curve.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing an input for selecting a type of fluid held within the tank.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sensing a temperature within the interior volume of the tank and determining the amount of fluid based on the temperature sensed from within the tank.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Tollefsrud Aaron
• Bastin Bruce

Classifications

• B60K37/00

  Dashboards (as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14) · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/90

  Calibration of instruments, e.g. setting initial or reference parameters; Testing of instruments, e.g. detecting malfunction · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title