Electrode arrangement for eliminating weeds by contact electrocution.

Abstract

Electrode arrangement for weed removal by contact electrocution. Electrode arrangement for weed removal by contact electrocution, characterized in that it comprises: - a general support (1) formed by a first connecting means (2) associated with the proximal end of a deformable structure (3) and a first mounting means (5); - a first electrode support (8) associated with said general support (1) by said first connecting means (2); - a second electrode support (22) associated with said general support (1) by said distal end (4) of said deformable structure (3); wherein said first electrode support (8) includes a first electrode (15); and wherein said second electrode support (22) includes at least one electrode (29).

Description

/ 13 Electrode arrangement for eliminating weeds by contact electrocution. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS

[001] The present application claims the benefit of the Patent Application. Argentina No. AR P190101669, filed on June 18, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[002] The present invention relates to an electrode arrangement for weed control by contact electrocution, applicable in rural or urban environments, in processes such as weed removal before planting crops, emerging crops or planted fruit trees; desiccation of planted crops, such as chickpeas, potatoes or others; or the maintenance of urban public spaces.

[003] More specifically, it refers to an arrangement of electrodes for weed control, through the application of various electrocution methods by direct contact with the plant, in an efficient, selective and safe manner for the operator, for preventive use before sowing, or as a palliative measure during any stage of crop growth and adaptable to rural or urban application environments. FUNDAMENTALS OF THE INVENTION

[004] Currently, the management, control or elimination of weeds or non-cultivated plants in agricultural and urban systems has different eradication or mitigation methods available based on each need, which are generally complementary: physical extraction methods, cultural methods, chemical methods, through the use of herbicides, biological methods and some other unconventional methods.

[005] Of particular interest is the emergence and boom of agrochemicals, especially herbicides, due to the success they have demonstrated in increasing agricultural production in developed countries, to Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 12 / 33 / 13 throughout the second half of the last century.

[006] Interestingly, this same initial success that promoted changes in agricultural systems currently puts the sustainability of agricultural production at risk, mainly due to the emergence of tolerance or resistance phenomena developed in some weed species to different groups of herbicides. Tolerance promotes an increase in applied doses to a level that can lead to toxicity in the crop, affecting the biota and contaminating aquifers; it is noteworthy that the aforementioned increase in doses is not consistent with a proportional increase in the expected results. On the other hand, the emergence of species resistant to different groups of herbicides results in an even greater problem, since, although the applied doses are increased, weed control is not achieved.

[007] One of the main disadvantages of chemical weed management methods is their selectivity, not so much in terms of the spectrum of plant species they can attack, but in terms of their mode of action. Some herbicides attack germinating seeds but not emerged individuals, while with other herbicides the opposite occurs. In many cases, they cannot be used after crop establishment, or genetic engineering is necessary to develop crops resistant to these herbicides.

[008] Considering the drawbacks arising from the predominant use of chemical methods for weed control, there is a need to find alternative and complementary solutions, such as plant electrocution and, especially, the development of an efficient and safe application device.

[009] US492635 and US546682 disclose processes for removing weeds by electrocution or some other applicator mechanism.

[0010] US6237278B1 discloses a process for weed removal Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 13 / 33 / 13 weeds through the application of short-duration high-voltage electrical pulses, by indirect action, that is, attacking non-germinated seeds.

[0011] Publication DE3804052A1 discloses a process for removing weeds using microwaves.

[0012] US3919806 discloses a process for removing weeds by direct contact with plant matter, in many cases by electrodes equidistant from the soil, such as cathodes in the form of horizontal rods.

[0013] US2558376 discloses a process for removing weeds by means of a substance that promotes conduction, such as ionized liquids or gases.

[0014] The documents mentioned are based on issues related to the generation and distribution of electrical energy, or on ways to detect and select the weeds that should be removed, but they do not disclose constructive steps that lead to improving the performance of the devices used.

[0015] In all the cases mentioned above, the prototypes developed presented several drawbacks that prevented their implementation as reliable, efficient and safe devices for weed control, in addition to having the disadvantage of not adapting well to the various application environments.

[0016] Regardless of the type of electrical energy used, the effectiveness of direct contact application methods between the electrodes and the plant depends mainly on two factors: effective contact between one of the electrodes and the living plant matter to be removed, and a closed circuit between the two electrodes through the plant or soil during the application period.

[0017] The main problem with implementing different contact electrocution methods in the plant is the overall lack of system efficiency, mainly due to the formation of voltaic arcs with the Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 14 / 33 / 13 consequent risk of fire during application, due to the variability of results, low selectivity and the risk of electric shock to the operator. Each of these factors is explained below.

[0018] The formation of electric arcs occurs due to a combination of factors that favor their occurrence. On the one hand, the poor geometry of some electrodes favors the generation of regions concentrating electrical potential; on the other hand, a rigid or semi-rigid design of the application system prevents permanent contact of the electrodes with the plant material as it traverses soil deformations. The competition between intermittent electrode contacts with the soil and the presence of potential concentration regions can generate an abrupt electrical discharge in the form of an electric arc, which promotes the ignition of dry plant residues found on the soil surface and potential damage to the power generation system.

[0019] The variability of the application results manifests itself in the form of different sized areas of the terrain where plant matter persists after the method is applied, and can therefore be considered a quantifier of the effectiveness achieved. These areas appear when the electrical circuit is not properly closed due to lack of contact or when the electrical energy required for the discharge is insufficient.

[0020] Lack of contact can occur at any of the electrodes, due to poor monitoring of said electrodes through the ground relief, irregular insertion of electrodes that penetrate the soil, irregular support of electrodes resting on the ground, dragging of dry plant debris that gets between weeds and sliding electrodes, or congestion of plant debris between clusters of adjacent electrodes. It also occurs in those prototypes that use electrodes suspended some distance from the ground, since only plants that exceed the level of said electrodes are affected. Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, p. 15 / 33 / 13

[0021] On the other hand, insufficient electrical discharge occurs due to geometric or constructive deficiencies in the electrodes, resulting from uneven distributions of electrical potential. It can also occur after such abrupt discharges, due to the recovery time of the electricity generator to return to producing the necessary limit voltage.

[0022] Application selectivity refers to the system's ability to distinguish between plant matter that needs to be removed and that which it wishes to protect. In the background, it can be seen that the energized electrodes are exposed to the surrounding environment, which will eliminate any plant they come into contact with, so they are not safe to apply after crop emergence.

[0023] This factor, together with the fact that in previous embodiments, one or both electrodes are not electrically isolated from their supports and from the machine in general, makes the system present a high risk to the operator's life.

[0024] There are also other factors that contribute to the increased use of electrical and mechanical energy and, consequently, to low efficiency. One example is the undesirable soil preparation along winding paths, due to the lack of sufficient degrees of freedom in the design of the electrode holders when they penetrate the soil, the dragging of plant debris on sliding electrodes, and wasted energy in each electrical discharge in the form of an electric arc. SUMMARY

[0025] Therefore, the object of the present invention is an electrode arrangement for weed control by contact electrocution, characterized by comprising: - a general support consisting of a first connection means associated with the proximal end of a deformable structure and a first mounting means; Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 16 / 33 / 13 - a first electrode holder associated with said general holder by said first means of connection; - a second electrode holder associated with said general holder at the distal end of said deformable structure; wherein said first electrode holder includes a first electrode; and wherein said second electrode holder includes at least one second electrode. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the electrode arrangement for removing weeds by contact electrocution of the invention.

[0027] Figure 2 illustrates a side view of a preferred embodiment of the electrode arrangement for contact electrocution weed removal of the invention, in the working position.

[0028] Figure 3 illustrates a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of the electrode arrangement for the electrocution removal of weeds by contact of the invention, where two electrode sectors are illustrated, one of them with an enlarged view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED PERFORMANCES

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates an electrode arrangement for weed removal comprising a general support 1 associated with a coupling means 6 of a vehicle housing or chassis (not shown). Said general support 1 is, in turn, associated with a first electrode support and a second electrode support 8, 22. Said general support 1 comprises a first connection means 2, which may be a bushing, a shaft or the like, for mounting said first electrode support 8, associated with the proximal end of a deformable structure 3, of Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 17 / 33 / 13 preference in the form of a parallelogram, at the distal end 4 where said second electrode holder 22 is mounted; and a first mounting means 5, such as flanges, which allows the mounting of the electrode arrangement by means of a first fastening means 7 to said coupling means 6 included in the chassis or housing of a vehicle.

[0030] The said first electrode holder 8 is composed of a first structural part 10 and a second structural part 12 connected to each other by a common axis 9. Between said first structural part 10 and said second structural part 12 there is a first elastic medium 14.

[0031] Said first structural part 10 consists of a second connecting means 11, for example, a bushing coaxial to a rod, which connects said first electrode holder 8 to said general support 1 by said first connecting means 2. Said second structural part 12 consists of a rotating arm 12 which rotates, at its proximal end, around said common axis 9, and is constantly pressed down by said first elastic means 14. At the distal end of said rotating arm 12 a second mounting means 13 is fixed, such as a hub, a first insulating element 16 and a first electrode 15. In some cases, a means for controlling the penetration depth 19 of said first electrode 15 may also be included. Said rotating arm 12 allows angular movement of said first electrode 15, and said first elastic means 14 presses said first electrode 15 against the ground on which the vehicle carrying said electrode arrangement moves.

[0032] Said rotating arm 12 may take the form of a fork consisting of two arms joined in an H shape, which retains said first electrode 15 on both sides.

[0033] Preferably, said first electrode 15 takes the form of a smooth agricultural cutting disc and is individually separated from said second mounting means 13 by said first insulating element 16, so that Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 18 / 33 / 13 there is no electrical contact between said first electrode 15 and said general support 8. The electrical connection between said first electrode 15 and an electricity generator (not shown) is achieved by a friction contact by carbons housed inside a cup 17, mounted on said rotating arm 12, electrically isolated by a separating part of insulating material 18.

[0034] Said first electrode 15 may adopt other configurations, such as: a metal wheel that rests on the ground, electrically connected and insulated from said first electrode support 8 and electrically connected to an electricity generator; or a sheet of conductive material that slides on the ground, such as a skate-shaped structure, electrically connected and insulated from said first insulating element 16 of said first electrode support 15, by suitable fastening means, and electrically connected to an electricity generator through fixed contacts.

[0035] Consequently, the said first electrode 15 can adopt other multiple configurations in which there is no penetration into the ground, which would be within the expertise of any average technical specialist.

[0036] Said penetration depth control 19 may be an integral leveling wheel with said first electrode 15, comprising a rolling surface 20 of a diameter smaller than the diameter of said first electrode 15, associated with a third mounting means 21, such as a flange, by means of which it connects to said first electrode 15. The combination between said rolling surface 20 and the pressure generated by said first elastic means 14 allows the homogeneous penetration of said first electrode 15 in any suitable soil condition. As mentioned above, said penetration depth control 19 may adopt other configurations, such as, for example, a sliding skid, which would be within the expertise of any average technical specialist.

[0037] The said second electrode holder 22 includes a means of Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 19 / 33 / 13 support for mounting, with a fastening means 28, of at least one intermediate part 27 made of insulating and resilient material, associated with at least one second electrode 29. Said second electrode support 22 is associated with the distal end 4 of said deformable structure 3 by a second fastening means 25 and a second insulating element 26 that electrically isolates said second electrode support 22 from said general support 1.

[0038] Said at least one second electrode 29 is preferably made from a sheet of metal with a curvilinear contact surface 30, with rounded edges and no vertices 31, whose geometric characteristics are intended to improve its sliding on the ground, preventing jamming and dragging of plant matter, uniformly distributing the electric field and minimizing the risk of arc formation. Said at least one second electrode 29 is mounted below said at least one intermediate part 27 by a third fastening means 32 and is connected to said electricity generator by means of at least one connector 33, so that said at least one second electrode 29 remains electrically isolated from the rest of the electrode arrangement.

[0039] Yet another form that said at least one second electrode 29 may assume is that of a wheel of conductive material, associated with said second electrode support 22, with a means of articulation, electrically isolated from said second electrode support 22 by means of a separating part of insulating material, associated with said electricity generator.

[0040] In turn, said at least one second electrode 29 is electrically isolated from the surrounding environment by means of an insulating structure 34, which consists of an enclosure of surrounding insulating material, with a ventral opening that allows its contact with the ground or plant matter. Said insulating structure 34 prevents the operator from involuntarily accessing said at least one second electrode 29 when it is energized and prevents Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 20 / 33 / 13 its contact with the vegetation adjacent to the passage of the vehicle transporting the electrode array (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0041] The said second electrode holder 22 also includes a fire-fighting device 35 (partially visible in Figure 1 and in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3), formed by a fluid distribution conduit that enters through the upper face of said insulating structure 34.

[0042] Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the electrode array in its working position. In said Figure 2, both the first electrode 15 and at least one second electrode 29 are seen on the terrain 36, with a first large slope 37 in a first portion of said terrain 36, and a second small slope 38 in a second portion of said terrain 36. The image of the dashed lines on the left represents said first electrode 15 crossing said first slope 37, while the image of the dashed lines on the right represents at least one second electrode in its natural position without deformation.

[0043] It can be seen that the angular movement of said articulated arm 12 and the reaction of said first elastic means 14 favors the permanent support of the rolling surface 20 of said penetration depth control 19 in the soil or plant matter. In this way, the penetration depth 39 of said first electrode 15 is uniform through the deformations of said terrain 36. Similarly, a stop 40 included in said first structural part 10 limits the rotation of said rotating arm 12 in the clockwise direction. On the other hand, the limitation of the counter-clockwise rotation of said articulated arm 12 is determined by the maximum permissible elastic tension of said first elastic means 14. Furthermore, said first elastic means 14 may include, at one of its ends, a means of regulating elastic tension 41 in order to achieve uniform penetration of said first electrode 15 in any suitable terrain 36.

[0044] The freedom of rotation 42 of said deformable structure 3 Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 21 / 33 / 13 can also be observed around the pivot axes 43, 44, arranged at its proximal end, allowing the integral movement of said second electrode support 22 to overcome large deformations of the soil, as in the case of said first inclination 37. The weight itself fixed to the distal end of said deformable structure 3 in relation to said pivot axes 43, 44 serves as sufficient pressure to maintain the contact of said at least one second electrode 29 in said terrain 36.

[0045] Yet another way of regulating the pressure of the deformable structure 3 can be achieved by a second elastic means (not shown) located between the arms of the parallelogram, or between one of said arms and said general support 1, where at one end of said second elastic means, suitable means would be located to regulate its elastic force.

[0046] The said intermediate part 27, due to its resilient property, deforms when crossing the said second inclination 38, recovering its original position 45, once the said second inclination 38 has been overcome. Thus, the said at least one second electrode 29 slides in contact with the plant matter or with the soil, avoiding the formation of dielectrics that favor the generation of voltaic arcs.

[0047] The ventral opening of said insulating structure 34 extends on a front surface 46 and on a rear surface 47 thereof to allow the circulation of plant material 48 and its contact with said at least one second electrode 29.

[0048] As can be seen, said fire extinguisher 35 is composed, more specifically, of a fluid reservoir 49, a fluid impeller 50, both located remotely in relation to the electrode arrangement of the invention, and a conduit 51 that connects said fluid impeller 50 with a fluid distributor 52, at three ends of which spray nozzles 53 are mounted. Said spray nozzles 53 Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page 22 / 33 / 13 are distributed over an application area and allow the generation of an anoxic atmosphere 54 within said insulating structure 34, whose function is to reduce the oxygen concentration in the proximal region at least to said second electrode 29, preventing the ignition of flammable plant material.

[0049] Figure 3 illustrates a bottom view of the electrode arrangement and includes an enlarged three-dimensional view of the connection between said general support 1 and said first electrode support 8.

[0050] A means of adjusting the height 55 of said first electrode support 8 can be observed by combining multiple perforations in said second connection means 11 with a fourth fixing means 56, for example, an elastic pin that crosses said first connection means 2, which also includes several perforations. Through this height adjustment it is possible to adapt the arrangement of the electrodes of the invention to various vehicle boxes or chassis. In addition, a drift limiter 57 of said first electrode 15 can be observed, which is obtained by inserting a locking element 58 into a cavity made in said first structural part 10.The said drift limiter 57 allows the rotation of the said first electrode 15 around the said second connection means 11 within a rotation arc 59 imposed by the said locking element 58, so that ground preparation is avoided when the vehicle carrying the electrode arrangement of the invention moves along winding paths, reducing mechanical energy consumption and favoring uniform contact of the said first electrode 15 with the ground 36. As mentioned earlier, the said height adjustment means 55 and the said drift limiter 57 can adopt other configurations that would be within the expertise of any average technical specialist.

[0051] In this same lower view, the particular case of a plurality of second electrodes 29 mounted in at least two separate fixing lines 60, 61 is shown, wherein said plurality of second [electrodes] 29 is distributed so that the projection of the contact surface Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, page. 23 / 33 / 13 of each of said second electrodes 29 in a plane perpendicular 63 to the direction of travel 64 of the vehicle, is at least adjacent and preferably generates an overlapping surface 65 with the contact surface 62 of another of said second electrodes 29, thus covering the entire effective application surface 66 between the first and last of the second electrodes 29 of said plurality of second electrodes 29. Around said plurality of second electrodes 29, said insulating structure 34 can be seen, whose lateral surface 67 prevents contact between said plurality of second electrodes 29 and the foliage of the crop to be protected 68. Obviously, said plurality of second electrodes 29 will correspondingly be associated with a plurality of intermediate parts 27 and a plurality of connectors 33, and is connected to an electricity generator in an equipotential manner. Petition 870210110268, dated 11 / 29 / 2021, p. 24 / 33

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. Electrode arrangement for eliminating weeds by contact electrocution, comprising: - a general support (1) formed by a first connection means (2) at the proximal end of a deformable structure (3), and connected to a first mounting means (5); - a first electrode support (8) including a first electrode (15), said first electrode support (8) being connected to said general support (1) by said first connection means (2); - a second electrode support (22) including at least one second electrode (29), said second electrode support (22) being connected to said general support (1) by the distal end (4) of said deformable structure (3);characterized in that said first electrode holder (8) comprises a first structural part (10) and a second structural part (12) connected to each other by a common axis (9), a first elastic means (14) being disposed between said first and second structural parts (10, 12), said first structural part (10) comprising a second connecting means (11) that connects said first electrode holder (8) to said general support (1) through said first connecting means, and said second structural part (12) consists of a rotating arm (12) that rotates, at its proximal end, around said common axis (9), being constantly pressed down by said first elastic means (14), a second mounting means (13), a first insulating element (16) and said first electrode (15) being mounted at the distal end of said rotating arm (12).

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotating arm (12) is a fork consisting of two Petition 870260058287, dated 06 / 15 / 2026, page 11 / 17 2 / 3 arms joined in an H shape, which retains said first electrode (15) on both sides.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said first elastic means (14) includes at one end an elastic means for regulating tension (41).

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said first electrode (15) is individually separated from said second mounting means (13) by said first insulating element (16), said first electrode (15) being electrically connected to an electricity generator by means of a friction contact by carbons housed within a cup (17), mounted on said rotating arm (12), electrically insulated by an insulating material separating part (18).

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said second electrode holder (22) further comprises a support means (24) for mounting, by means of a fastening means (28), at least one intermediate part (27) made of insulating and resilient material, connected to said at least one second electrode (29), said second electrode holder (22) being connected to the distal end (4) of said deformable structure (3) by means of a fastening means (25) and second insulating elements (26) that electrically isolate said second electrode holder (22) from said general holder (1).

6. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one second electrode (29) is formed from a sheet of metal having a curvilinear contact surface (30), with rounded edges and no vertices (31), with at least one intermediate part (27) mounted to said at least one second electrode (29) by means of a fastening means (32), and connected to an electricity generator by means of at least one connector (33).

7. Electrode arrangement for weed removal by Petition 870260058287, dated 06 / 15 / 2026, page 12 / 17 3 / 3 electrocution by contact, comprising: a general support (1) formed by a first connection means (2) at the proximal end of a deformable structure (3), and a first mounting means (5); a first electrode support (8) including a first electrode (15), said first electrode support (8) being connected to said general support (1) by said first connection means (2); a second electrode support (22) including at least one second electrode (29), said second electrode support (22) being connected to said general support (1) by the distal end (4) of said deformable structure (3);characterized in that said second electrode holder (22) further comprises a plurality of second electrodes (29) which are mounted on at least two separate fixing lines (60, 61) and distributed in such a way that the projection of the contact surface (62) of each of said second electrodes (29) onto a plane perpendicular (63) to the direction of travel (64) of a vehicle is at least adjacent, and in which the plurality of second electrodes (29) generates an overlapping surface (65) with the contact surface (62) of another of said second electrodes (29), thus covering the entire effective application surface (66) between the first and last of the second electrodes (29) of said plurality of second electrodes (29).

8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that said plurality of second electrodes is connected to an electricity generator in an equipotential manner. Petition 870260058287, dated 06 / 15 / 2026, pp. 13 / 17

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