Fluid spraying system for targeting small objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12472524-B2
Application number	US-202218084296-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2022
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An agricultural treatment system can include one or more motor assemblies, linkage assemblies coupled to the motor assemblies, and a treatment head assembly coupled to the linkage assemblies. Each motor assembly can rotate about a motor assembly rotational axis and each linkage assembly can move in a direction in response to motor assembly rotation about a motor assembly rotational axis. Portions of the treatment head assembly can rotate about one or more treatment head assembly rotational axes in response to linkage assembly movement. The treatment head assembly can include a treatment head, a fluid port that delivers a fluid into the treatment head, spraying tip(s) that spray the fluid onto an agricultural target object, and a fluid regulator that delivers the fluid from the fluid port to the spraying tip(s). The fluid regulator can be coupled to and can rotate with the treatment head, which can be movable.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . An agricultural treatment system, comprising:
a first motor assembly including a first motor and a first rotational output component coupled with the first motor, wherein the first motor is configured to rotate about a first motor rotational axis; a second motor assembly including a second motor and a second rotational output component coupled with the second motor, wherein the second motor is configured to rotate about a second motor rotational axis, wherein the first motor rotational axis is a different axis than the second motor rotational axis; a first linkage assembly coupled to the first rotational output component of the first motor assembly, wherein the first linkage assembly is configured to move in a first direction in response to rotation about the first motor rotational axis by the first motor; a second linkage assembly coupled to the second rotational output component of the second motor assembly, wherein the second linkage assembly is configured to move in a second direction in response to rotation about the second motor rotational axis by the second motor; and a treatment head assembly coupled to the first linkage assembly and coupled to the second linkage assembly, at least a portion of the treatment head assembly being configured to rotate about a first treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the first linkage assembly in the first direction, and at least a portion of the treatment head assembly being configured to rotate about a second treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the second linkage assembly in the second direction, wherein the treatment head assembly includes: a treatment head, a first fluid port coupled to the treatment head, wherein the first fluid port is configured to deliver a fluid into the treatment head, one or more spraying tips coupled to the treatment head and configured to spray the fluid onto an agricultural target object, and a fluid regulator coupled to and configured to interact with the treatment head, wherein the fluid regulator is configured to deliver the fluid from the first fluid port to the one or more spraying tips when the fluid regulator is actuated from a first position to a second position, a first treatment head assembly frame or ring coupled to and situated about the treatment head assembly, wherein the treatment head assembly frame or ring is coupled to the first linkage assembly and is configured to rotate about the first treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the first linkage assembly in the first direction, and wherein the first treatment head assembly frame or ring is coupled to a first bracket and a second bracket, wherein the first treatment head assembly frame or ring is rotatable between the first bracket and the second bracket; and a second treatment head assembly frame or ring coupled to the first treatment head assembly frame or ring and is configured to rotate about the second treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the second linkage assembly in the second direction.

2 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the treatment head, the one or more spraying tips, and the fluid regulator are all configured to rotate as a combined unit about the first treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the first linkage assembly in the first direction, and wherein the treatment head, the one or more spraying tips, and the fluid regulator are all configured to rotate as a combined unit about the second treatment head assembly rotational axis in response to movement of the second linkage assembly in the second direction.

3 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein the second motor rotational axis is perpendicular to the first motor rotational axis.

4 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one controller configured to control operation of the first and second motors to result in adjusting a position of the treatment head, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to control operation of the fluid regulator to result in spraying the fluid from the one or more spraying tips.

5 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more spraying tips are located along the first treatment head assembly rotational axis.

6 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first flexible fluid line coupled to the first fluid port, wherein the first flexible fluid line is configured to be pressurized with and deliver the fluid toward the fluid regulator.

7 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second fluid port coupled to the treatment head, wherein the second fluid port is configured to deliver the fluid away from the treatment head; and a second flexible fluid line coupled to the second fluid port, wherein the second flexible fluid line is configured to be pressurized with and deliver the fluid away from the fluid regulator.

8 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a separating wall disposed between the treatment head assembly and the first motor and second motor, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are attached to the separating wall.

9 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , wherein movement of the of first linkage assembly in the first direction rotates the treatment head in the same direction of rotation as the first treatment head assembly frame or ring.

10 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a separating wall disposed between the treatment head assembly and the first motor and second motor, wherein the separating wall has an opening wherein a portion of the first linkage assembly moves within the opening.

11 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a frame floor, wherein the first motor and the second motor are fixed to the frame floor, and wherein the frame floor is connected to the separating wall.

12 . The agricultural treatment system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer housing; wherein the first motor and the second motor are disposed within the outer housing, and wherein a portion of the first linkage assembly and the second linkage assembly are disposed within the outer housing.

Assignees

• Verdant Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Sibley Gabriel Thurston
• Leger Patrick Christopher
• Garner Curtis Dale
• Burns Andrew Charles

Classifications

• A01M7/0089 Primary

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

• B05B12/12

  responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05B12/122

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B12/082

  responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size · CPC title

• B05B15/68 Primary

  Arrangements for adjusting the position of spray heads (B05B15/628, B05B15/652, B05B15/656 take precedence) · CPC title