Agricultural spraying device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12161108-B2
Application number	US-201917261990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

An agricultural spraying device includes a plurality of main dispensing units arranged on a sprayer boom, each of the main dispensing units configured for dispensing liquid onto agricultural land and including a distributor housing, the distributor housing having a liquid inlet and a plurality of liquid outlets and being configured to selectively advance liquid flowing in via the liquid inlet to a liquid outlet or distribute the liquid to a plurality of liquid outlets, and a plurality of auxiliary dispensing units, each of the auxiliary dispensing units configured to dispense the liquid onto agricultural land, a respective one of the liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units being connected via an additional line to a respective one of the auxiliary dispensing units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural spraying device, comprising:
a plurality of main dispensing units configured as multiple nozzle bodies and arranged on a sprayer boom, each of the main dispensing units configured for dispensing liquid onto agricultural land and including a distributor housing, the distributor housing having a liquid inlet and a plurality of liquid outlets and being configured to selectively advance liquid flowing in via the liquid inlet to a respective one of the liquid outlets or distribute the liquid to the plurality of liquid outlets; and
a plurality of auxiliary dispensing units, each of the auxiliary dispensing units configured to dispense liquid onto the agricultural land,
wherein the respective one of the liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units is connected via an additional line to a respective one of the auxiliary dispensing units, and
wherein at least one of the remaining liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units comprises a nozzle attachment for dispensing the liquid onto the agricultural land directly through at least one of the plurality of main dispensing units.

2. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 1 , wherein the main dispensing units are fixedly attached to the sprayer boom and the auxiliary dispensing units are movable along the sprayer boom.

3. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary dispensing units are attached to a bar arranged below the sprayer boom and extending along the sprayer boom, and the auxiliary dispensing units are displaceable along the bar.

4. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 1 , wherein the distributor housing of a respective one of the plurality of main dispensing units is not connected to the respective one of the auxiliary dispensing units.

5. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 4 , wherein the agricultural spraying device is configured to control a flow through the liquid inlet or a flow through the liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the main dispensing units.

6. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 5 , wherein the agricultural spraying device is configured to determine an amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units for a planned dispensing operation and to provide the determined amount of the liquid to the main dispensing units.

7. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 6 , wherein the agricultural spraying device is configured to take into account positions of the auxiliary dispensing units upon determining the amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units.

8. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 6 , wherein the agricultural spraying device is configured to take into account switching states of the main dispensing units upon determining the amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units.

9. The agricultural spraying device according to claim 6 , wherein the agricultural spraying device is configured to take into account, upon determining the amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units, whether or not the respective one of the main dispensing units is connected to the respective one of the auxiliary dispensing units.

10. A method of dispensing liquid onto agricultural land by an agricultural spraying device, comprising the steps of:
feeding liquid into distributor housings of a plurality of main dispensing units arranged on a sprayer boom, the main dispensing units being configured as multiple nozzle bodies for dispensing liquid onto the agricultural land, and the distributor housings each having a liquid inlet and a plurality of liquid outlets and being configured to selectively advance the liquid flowing in via the liquid inlet to one of the liquid outlets or distribute the liquid to the plurality of liquid outlets;
conducting the liquid from the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units through the one of the liquid outlets of a respective one of the distributor housings to a respective one of a plurality of auxiliary dispensing units; and
dispensing the liquid onto the agricultural land through the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units;
conducting the liquid from the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units through at least one of the remaining liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the plurality of main dispensing units; and
dispensing the liquid onto the agricultural land directly through at least one of the plurality of main dispensing units.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
moving the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units along the sprayer boom; and
fixing the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units that have been moved.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
controlling a flow through the liquid inlet of the distributor housings of the main dispensing units; and
controlling the flow through the liquid outlets of the distributor housings of the main dispensing units.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
activating the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units by unblocking

the liquid outlets connected to the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units to be activated;
deactivating the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units by blocking the liquid outlets connected to the plurality of auxiliary dispensing units to be deactivated,
activating at least one of the plurality of main dispensing units by unblocking at least one of the plurality of liquid outlets having a nozzle attachment attached thereto,
deactivating the at least one of the plurality of main dispensing units by blocking the at least one of the plurality of liquid outlets having the nozzle attachment attached thereto.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the agricultural spraying device, an amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units for a planned dispensing operation;
providing the determined amount of the liquid to the main dispensing units of the agricultural spraying device.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein, upon determining the amount of the liquid to be provided to the main dispensing units, the agricultural spraying device takes into account positions of the auxiliary dispensing units, a switching state of the main dispensing units and a circumstance of whether or not one of the main dispensing units is connected to one of the auxiliary dispensing units.

Assignees

• Amazonen Werke Dreyer H
• Amazonen Werke H Dreyer Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Klemann Timo
• Kiefer Stefan

Classifications

• A01M7/0089

  Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06) · CPC title

• A01C23/047

  Spraying of liquid fertilisers · CPC title

• A01M7/006 Primary

  Mounting of the nozzles · CPC title