Monitoring module for sprayers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12520835-B2
Application number	US-202017615549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2020
Priority date	May 31, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

The present invention relates to the application of plant protection agents, fertilisers and/or pesticides by means of a (preferably portable) sprayer or a small appliance (such as, for example, a bicycle tyre sealant injector). The present invention relates to a monitoring module with which existing sprayers can be equipped in order to control, track and/or document the spraying process. The present invention further relates to a method, a system and a computer program product for monitoring spraying processes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A monitoring module for equipping a portable sprayer with functions for monitoring a spraying process, wherein the monitoring module comprises:
a housing; and a first connecting element and a second connecting element attached to the housing for integrating the monitoring module into a line of the portable sprayer between a concentrate container and at least one nozzle, wherein the first connecting element is configured to be connected to a part of the line of the portable sprayer which is directed upstream away from the at least one nozzle, wherein the part of the line which is directed upstream is fluidly connected to: a diluent container upstream of the concentrate container, a first pump downstream of the diluent container and upstream of the concentrate container, the concentrate container, a second pump downstream of the concentrate container, and a shutoff valve downstream of the second pump, wherein the second connecting element is configured to be connected to a part of the line of the portable sprayer which is directed downstream toward the at least one nozzle, and wherein the housing comprises: a flow chamber between the first connecting element and the second connecting element, a flow meter in the flow chamber for measuring a quantity of a spray composition comprising a diluent from the diluent container and a concentrate from the concentrate container which flows through the flow chamber per unit of time, a controller outside the flow chamber, a transmitter outside the flow chamber, and an energy supply outside the flow chamber for supplying the flow meter, the controller, and the transmitter with electrical energy, wherein the controller is configured to receive measured values from the flow meter and to cause the transmitter to transmit data about the quantity of the spray composition which flows through the flow chamber per unit time to a computer system.

2 . The monitoring module of claim 1 , further comprising a quantity determiner,
wherein the controller is configured to cause the quantity determiner to use the measured values of the flow meter to determine quantities of the spray composition which are or have been applied by means of the portable sprayer, and wherein the controller is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit data about the quantities which are or have been applied by means of the portable sprayer to the computer system.

3 . The monitoring module of claim 1 , further comprising a route tracker with a GPS sensor and a timer, and a quantity determiner,
wherein the route tracker is configured to track a route, wherein the quantity determiner is configured to determine quantities of the spray composition which are or have been applied along the route, and wherein the controller is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit data about the route and about the quantities of the spray composition which are or have been applied along the route to the computer system via a network.

4 . The monitoring module of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the data to the computer system via a short-range radio connection.

5 . The monitoring module of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the data to the computer system via a long-range mobile radio connection.

6 . A system comprising:
a monitoring module, and a computer system, wherein the monitoring module comprises:
a housing; and
a first connecting element and a second connecting element attached to the housing for integrating the monitoring module into a line of a portable sprayer between a concentrate container and at least one nozzle, wherein the first connecting element is configured to be connected to a part of the line of the portable sprayer which is directed upstream away from the at least one nozzle, wherein the part of the line which is directed upstream is fluidly connected to:
a diluent container upstream of the concentrate container,
a first pump downstream of the diluent container and upstream of the concentrate container,
the concentrate container,
a second pump downstream of the concentrate container, and
a shutoff valve downstream of the second pump,
wherein the second connecting element is configured to be connected to a part of the line of the portable sprayer which is directed downstream toward the at least one nozzle, and
wherein the housing comprises:
a flow chamber between the first connecting element and the second connecting element,
a flow meter in the flow chamber for measuring a quantity of a spray composition comprising a diluent from the diluent container and a concentrate from the concentrate container which flows through the flow chamber per unit of time,
a transmitter outside the flow chamber,
a controller outside the flow chamber, wherein the controller is configured to receive measured values from the flow meter and to cause the transmitter to transmit data about the quantity of the spray composition which flows through the flow chamber per unit time to the computer system, and
an energy supply outside the flow chamber for supplying the flow meter, the controller, and the transmitter with electrical energy, and

wherein the computer system is configured to receive the data from the monitoring module and to display said data to a user.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer system is a mobile computer system comprising a route tracker with a GPS sensor and a timer, a quantity determiner, and a transceiver,
wherein the route tracker is configured to track a route, wherein the route tracker is configured to determine speeds along the route, wherein the quantity determiner is configured to determine the quantities of the spray composition and/or the application rates of an active substance contained in the spray composition which have been applied along the route, and wherein the computer system is configured to display the route and the information about the quantities of the spray composition and/or application rates of active substance applied along the route to the user.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the quantity determiner is configured to:
receive a spraying width, receive speeds along the route, receive quantities of the spray composition which are/have been applied per unit time along the route, and determine, based on the spraying width, the speeds, and the quantities of the spray composition per unit time, quantities of the spray composition which are/have been applied per unit area along the route.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the quantity determiner is further configured to determine a concentration of an active substance in the spray composition, to determine application rates of the active substance per unit area along the route.

10 . A method comprising:
equipping a portable sprayer with a monitoring module, wherein the monitoring module comprises:
a housing; and
a first connecting element and a second connecting element attached to the housing for integrating the monitoring module into a line of the portable sprayer between a concentrate container and at least one nozzle, wherein the first connecting element is configured to be connected to a part of the line of the portable sprayer which is directed upstream away from the at least one nozzle, wherein the part of the line which is directed upstream is fluidly connected to: a diluent container upstream of the concentrate container, a first pump downstream of the diluent container and upstream of the concentrate container, the concentrate container, a second pump downstream of the concentrate container, and a shutoff valve downstream of the second

Assignees

• Bayer Ag

Inventors

• Gutsmann Volker
• Mayer Walter

Classifications

• A01M7/0032

  Pressure sprayers · CPC title

• A01C23/007

  Metering or regulating systems · CPC title

• G01F1/115

  with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device · CPC title

• B05B7/2475

  comprising a container carried on the back of the user · CPC title

• B05B7/32

  the fed liquid or other fluent material being under pressure · CPC title