Liquid spraying apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

A liquid spraying apparatus and a method of controlling the same are disclosed. The liquid spraying equipment is provided with a first nozzle which is configured to spray liquid in the liquid spraying equipment to the outside of the liquid spraying equipment in a first form; the first valve is configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying equipment through the first nozzle in an open state and prevent the liquid from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying equipment through the first nozzle in a closed state; a second nozzle configured to spray the liquid to the outside of the liquid spraying apparatus in a second form different from the first form; and the second valve is configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying equipment through the second nozzle in an open state and prevent the liquid from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying equipment through the second nozzle in a closed state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to liquid spraying equipment and methods for controlling the liquid spraying equipment in the field of automatic irrigation. Background Technology

[0002] For areas requiring irrigation or spraying of pesticides, such as outdoor lawns, pipes can be laid in advance beneath the area (e.g., underground), and multiple nozzles can be installed on the pipes to irrigate or spray the entire area. Alternatively, nozzles can be mounted on movable water pipes, which can be moved by means such as manual hand-held or vehicle-carried operation to irrigate or spray different parts of the area. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A liquid spraying device is disclosed, comprising: a first nozzle configured to spray liquid in the liquid spraying device in a first form to the outside of the liquid spraying device; a first valve configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device via the first nozzle in an open state, and to prevent the liquid from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device via the first nozzle in a closed state; a second nozzle configured to spray the liquid to the outside of the liquid spraying device in a second form different from the first form; and a second valve configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle in an open state, and to prevent the liquid from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle in a closed state.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a variable cross-section nozzle, and the other of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a cylindrical nozzle.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, one of the first and second forms includes a rain curtain spraying form, and the other of the first and second forms includes a zone spraying form.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, at least one of the first valve and the second valve includes a bypass-type electrically controlled valve.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the first valve and the second valve may be the same valve or different valves.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the liquid spraying device further includes a controller configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve by running program instructions.

[0009] A method for controlling a liquid spraying device is also disclosed, comprising: in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in a first configuration, opening a first valve of the liquid spraying device, such that liquid inside the liquid spraying device is sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device in the first configuration via a first nozzle of the liquid spraying device; and in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in a second configuration different from the first configuration, opening a second valve of the liquid spraying device, such that liquid is sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device in the second configuration via a second nozzle of the liquid spraying device.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes: closing the second valve in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in the first configuration to prevent the liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle; and / or closing the first valve in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in the second configuration to prevent the liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device via the first nozzle.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes: closing the first valve and opening the second valve in response to an instruction to switch from a first operating mode associated with the first configuration to a second operating mode associated with the second configuration; and closing the second valve and opening the first valve in response to an instruction to switch from the second operating mode to the first operating mode.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, one of the first and second forms includes a rain curtain spraying form, and the other of the first and second forms includes a zone spraying form.

[0013] In the liquid spraying device of this disclosure embodiment, at least two nozzles are provided, each nozzle capable of spraying liquid from the liquid spraying device into the outside of the liquid spraying device in different forms. For each nozzle, a corresponding valve is also provided, and in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in what form, the opening and closing of each valve can be independently controlled, thereby allowing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid into the outside of the liquid spraying device in different forms according to the instruction. This enables more intelligent and convenient irrigation of the area to be irrigated. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 An example of a liquid spraying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0015] Figure 2 An example of the internal structure of a liquid spraying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0016] Figure 3 An example of a method for controlling a liquid spraying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated schematically.

[0017] Figure 4 An example of spraying liquid in an exemplary first form is shown schematically according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 An example of the irrigation effect of spraying liquid in an exemplary first form according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0019] Figure 6 An example of spraying liquid in an exemplary second form is shown schematically according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 An example of the irrigation effect of spraying liquid in an exemplary second form according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0022] The liquid spraying device in the embodiments of this disclosure can intelligently and conveniently irrigate or spray liquids (e.g., water or medicine) on a designated area to be irrigated without the need for pre-laying water pipes, and can adapt to a variety of different scenario requirements, saving more water and energy.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic front view of an exemplary liquid spraying device 100 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A schematic side sectional view of the liquid spraying device 100 is shown.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the liquid spraying device 100 has a first body part 102 and a second body part 104 that are connected to each other and can rotate relative to each other.

[0025] For example, the first body part 102 and the second body part 104 can be connected via a gimbal 140, wherein the gimbal 140 can be a horizontal gimbal that supports rotation (and / or oscillation) in the horizontal direction, or an omnidirectional gimbal that supports rotation (and / or oscillation) in the horizontal direction and up-and-down rotation (or oscillation) in the vertical direction. The first body part 102 can be mounted on the rotatable part of the gimbal 140 (e.g., the upper part of the gimbal 140), and the fixed part of the gimbal 140 can be fixed on or inside the second body part 104, so that the first body part 102 can rotate and / or oscillate relative to the second body part 104 in the horizontal and / or vertical directions under the action of the gimbal 140.

[0026] At least two nozzles can be provided on the first body part 102, wherein each nozzle supports a different spray pattern.

[0027] For example, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a first nozzle 112 and a second nozzle 114 may be provided on the first body portion 102. One of the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114 may be a nozzle such as a variable cross-section nozzle that can spray liquid in a first form such as a rain curtain spray pattern, while the other of the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114 may be a nozzle such as a columnar nozzle that can spray liquid in a second form different from the first form such as a zone spray pattern.

[0028] The aforementioned at least two nozzles can be arranged on the first body portion 102 in any suitable layout. For example, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114 can be arranged vertically aligned on the entire front of the liquid spraying device 100, for example, at the axis of symmetry on the entire front of the liquid spraying device 100.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, an inlet 160 may be provided on the housing of the second body portion 104, or at another suitable location on the housing of the liquid spraying device 100. The inlet 160 can be connected to an external water source or a conduit connected to an external water source, allowing water from an external water source to enter the liquid spraying device 100.

[0030] A pipe is connected between the water inlet 160 and the at least two nozzles to guide water that enters the liquid spraying device 100 through the water inlet 160 to the at least two nozzles, and then spray it outward from the at least two nozzles.

[0031] For example, such as Figure 2As shown, the pipe may include a first pipe section 132 mainly located in the first fuselage section 102 and a second pipe section 134 mainly located in the second fuselage section 104.

[0032] One end of the first pipe section 132 can be rigidly or otherwise connected or fixed to the rotatable part of the gimbal 140 (e.g., the upper part of the gimbal 140), for example, it can be connected to one end of the rotary joint of the gimbal 140. At the other end of the first pipe section 132 and / or on the pipe body of the first pipe section 132, an interface or branch pipe can be provided for connection to the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114 respectively, so that the first pipe section 132, the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114 can change the horizontal orientation and / or pitch angle as the rotatable part of the gimbal 140 rotates or swings, thereby achieving different spray angles and ranges.

[0033] One end of the second pipe section 134 can be connected to the water inlet 160, and the other end can be connected, for example, to the other end of the rotary joint provided in the gimbal 140, so that the second pipe section 134 can form a completely sealed pipe with the first pipe section 132.

[0034] For example, maintenance solutions can be delivered to the second pipe section 134 and mixed with water from an external water source within the second pipe section 134, and then guided together through the second pipe section 134 into the first pipe section 132. For example, the mixture of water and medication can also enter the second pipe section 134 from the inlet 160.

[0035] For example, valves 116 such as electrically controlled valves, electric float valves, hydraulically controlled valves, electromagnetically controlled valves, and flow control valves can be installed on the second pipe section 134 or at other suitable locations in the pipe, so that the flow rate or velocity of the liquid (e.g., water, or a mixture of water and medicine) in the first pipe section 132 and the second pipe section 134 can be controlled by controlling the opening degree of the valves 116.

[0036] Furthermore, for each of the at least two nozzles mentioned above, a corresponding valve (e.g., an electrically controlled valve) can be provided so that the liquid can be controlled from which nozzle or nozzles of the at least two nozzles by controlling the opening and closing of the corresponding valve.

[0037] For example, such as Figure 2As shown, for the first nozzle 112, a first valve 122, such as a solenoid valve, can be provided at the interface of the first pipe section 132 for connecting to the first nozzle 112, or at any position in the branch pipe of the first pipe section 132 for connecting to the first nozzle 112, or at other suitable positions between the first nozzle 112 and the first pipe section 132. The first valve 122 can be configured to allow liquid in the first pipe section 132 to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via the first nozzle 112 when it is open, and to prevent liquid in the first pipe section 132 from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via the first nozzle 112 when it is closed.

[0038] Similarly, for the second nozzle 114, a second valve 124, such as a solenoid valve, may be provided at the interface of the first pipe section 132 for connecting to the second nozzle 114, or at any location in the branch pipe of the first pipe section 132 for connecting to the second nozzle 114, or at other suitable locations between the second nozzle 114 and the first pipe section 132. The second valve 124 may be configured to allow liquid in the first pipe section 132 to be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via the second nozzle 114 when it is open, and to prevent liquid in the first pipe section 132 from being sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via the second nozzle 114 when it is closed.

[0039] The first valve 122 and the second valve 124 can be the same type of valve or different types of valves. Alternatively, the first valve 122 and the second valve 124 can be separate valves or different parts of the same valve. For example, both the first valve 122 and the second valve 124 can be part of the same bypass-type electrically controlled valve (e.g., a bypass double-acting electrically controlled valve) located between the first pipe section 132 and the first nozzle 112 and the second nozzle 114, or at least one of the first valve 122 and the second valve 124 can include at least one bypass-type electrically controlled valve.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the liquid spraying device 100 also includes a controller 150. For example, the controller 150 may include any circuit and / or module with data processing and / or instruction execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and may be configured within the liquid spraying device 100 in any suitable form, such as a circuit board or a chip, for example, within the second body portion 104.

[0041] For example, the controller 150 may be configured to perform data processing and / or control related to the irrigation operation and / or other functions of the liquid spraying device 100 based on programs stored in the memory (not shown) of the liquid spraying device 100 and / or signals and / or instructions from the control panel or terminal (not shown) of the liquid spraying device 100 and / or sensing data from one or more sensors (e.g., cameras, etc.) of the liquid spraying device 100 and / or from one or more sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, humidity sensors, cameras, etc.) pre-set in the surrounding environment of the liquid spraying device 100.

[0042] For example, controller 150 can be configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve 122 and the second valve 124 according to corresponding instructions and / or by running program instructions. For example, controller 150 can also be configured to control the rotation (or oscillation) mode of pan / tilt 140 (e.g., rotation or oscillation angle range, speed, frequency, etc.) and / or the opening degree of valve 116 according to corresponding instructions and / or by running program instructions.

[0043] Figure 3 An exemplary method 300 for controlling a liquid spraying device 100 is schematically illustrated in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Method 300 can be executed by controller 150 according to corresponding instructions and / or by running program instructions, and may include: step 310, opening a first valve 122 in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device 100 to spray liquid in a first configuration, so that liquid inside the liquid spraying device 100 can be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via a first nozzle 112 in a first configuration; and step 320, opening a second valve 124 in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device 100 to spray liquid in a second configuration different from the first configuration, so that liquid can be sprayed to the outside of the liquid spraying device 100 via a second nozzle 114 in a second configuration.

[0045] Additionally, in method 300, in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device 100 to spray liquid in a first configuration, the second valve 124 may also be closed synchronously with the opening of the first valve 122 to prevent liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device 100 via the second nozzle 114. Alternatively, in method 300, in response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device 100 to spray liquid in a second configuration, the first valve 122 may also be closed synchronously with the opening of the second valve 124 to prevent liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device 100 via the first nozzle 112.

[0046] Additionally, in method 300, in response to an instruction to switch from a first operating mode associated with a first configuration to a second operating mode associated with a second configuration, the first valve 122 may be closed and the second valve 124 may be opened; and in response to an instruction to switch from the second operating mode to the first operating mode, the second valve 124 may be closed and the first valve 122 may be opened.

[0047] Using method 300, the liquid spraying device 100 can spray liquid in different spraying patterns, thereby adapting to different irrigation needs.

[0048] Figures 4 to 7 The different application scenarios and corresponding irrigation effects of the liquid spraying device 100 are schematically shown. Area 510 (e.g., the first lawn to be watered) and area 530 (e.g., the second lawn to be watered) are separated by area 520 (e.g., a sidewalk or median strip). The liquid spraying device 100 located in area 510 is connected to an external water source 400 through its inlet 160. The first nozzle 112 is configured to support spraying in a rain curtain spraying mode, while the second nozzle 114 is configured to support spraying in a zone spraying mode.

[0049] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when it is desired that the liquid spraying device 100 sprays or irrigates the area 510 in the form of a rain curtain spray, an instruction to irrigate the area 510 in the form of a rain curtain spray can be sent to the liquid spraying device 100 through the control terminal or control panel of the liquid spraying device 100.

[0050] In response to an instruction to irrigate area 510 in the form of a rain curtain spray, the controller 150 of the liquid spraying device 100 can execute corresponding program instructions to open the first valve 122 and close the second valve 124, so that liquid entering the pipe from the external water source 400 into the liquid spraying device 100 can flow from the first nozzle 112. Figure 4 The rain curtain spray pattern shown sprays liquid outwards from the liquid spraying device 100.

[0051] Simultaneously, the controller 150 can also control the rotation range of the rotatable part of the pan-tilt unit 140 based on boundary data of region 510 and the position of the liquid spraying device 100 relative to the boundary of region 510, as well as the correspondence between several items such as the horizontal / pitch angle of the nozzle, the liquid pressure at the nozzle, the liquid flow rate / velocity in the pipeline, the expected range of the nozzle, and the expected atomization degree, obtained in advance through experiments. Figure 5 (shown as a 360-degree rotation range), and / or real-time control of the opening of valve 116, etc., so that the maximum range of the first nozzle 112 is always within or near the boundary of region 510.

[0052] Therefore, as Figure 5 As shown, the liquid spraying device 100 can spray or irrigate the area 510 in a rain curtain spray pattern using the first nozzle 112.

[0053] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when it is desired that the liquid spraying device 100 sprays or irrigates area 530 across areas 510 and 520, an instruction to irrigate area 530 in the form of area spraying can be issued to the liquid spraying device 100 through the control terminal or control panel of the liquid spraying device 100.

[0054] In response to an instruction to irrigate area 530 in a zone spraying manner, the controller 150 of the liquid spraying device 100 can execute corresponding program instructions to close the first valve 122 and open the second valve 124, so that liquid entering the pipe from the external water source 400 into the liquid spraying device 100 can flow from the second nozzle 114. Figure 6 The area spray pattern shown is sprayed outwards from the liquid spraying device 100.

[0055] Simultaneously, the controller 150 can also control the rotation range of the rotatable part of the pan-tilt unit 140 based on boundary data of region 530 and the position of the liquid spraying device 100 relative to the boundary of region 530, as well as the correspondence between several items such as the horizontal / pitch angle of the nozzle, the liquid pressure at the nozzle, the liquid flow rate / velocity in the pipeline, the expected range of the nozzle, and the expected atomization degree, obtained in advance through experiments. Figure 7 The range of rotation indicated by the double arrows in the diagram), and / or the opening of valve 116 are controlled in real time, so that the range of the second nozzle 114 is always within or near the boundary of region 530.

[0056] Therefore, as Figure 7 As shown, the liquid spraying device 100 can use the second nozzle 114 to spray or irrigate the area 530 in a zone spraying pattern.

[0057] The liquid spraying equipment 100 is freely movable and can intelligently and conveniently spray or irrigate designated areas to be irrigated in the desired manner without the need for pre-laying water pipes. This allows the liquid spraying equipment 100 to adapt to various different scenario requirements and is more water-saving and energy-efficient.

[0058] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of the various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, the foregoing details are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations; the foregoing details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to its implementation.

[0059] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. In various embodiments, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems may be connected, arranged, and configured in any suitable manner.

[0060] Additionally, words such as "including," "containing," and "having" in the text are open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably. The words "or" and "and" used here refer to the words "and / or," and can be used interchangeably unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used here refers to the phrase "such as but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably.

[0061] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, devices, and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0062] In this article, modifiers without quantifiers, such as "first" and "second," are intended to distinguish different components / parts / circuits / modules / devices / steps, rather than to emphasize order, positional relationship, importance, or priority. In contrast, modifiers with quantifiers, such as "first" and "second," can be used to emphasize the order, positional relationship, importance, or priority of different components / parts / circuits / modules / devices / steps.

[0063] The above description is given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only. This description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A liquid spraying device, comprising: A first nozzle is configured to spray liquid from the liquid spraying device in a first form to the outside of the liquid spraying device; A first valve is configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed through the first nozzle to the outside of the liquid spraying device when it is open, and to prevent the liquid from being sprayed through the first nozzle to the outside of the liquid spraying device when it is closed. The second nozzle is configured to spray the liquid into the outside of the liquid spraying device in a second form different from the first form. as well as The second valve is configured to allow the liquid to be sprayed out of the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle when it is open, and to prevent the liquid from being sprayed out of the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle when it is closed.

2. The liquid spraying device as described in claim 1, wherein, One of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a variable cross-section nozzle, and the other of the first nozzle and the second nozzle includes a cylindrical nozzle.

3. The liquid spraying device as described in claim 1, wherein, One of the first and second forms includes a rain curtain spraying form, and the other of the first and second forms includes a zone spraying form.

4. The liquid spraying device as described in claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first valve and the second valve includes a bypass-type electrically controlled valve.

5. The liquid spraying device as described in claim 1, wherein, The first valve and the second valve may be the same valve or different valves.

6. The liquid spraying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: The controller is configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve by running program instructions.

7. A method for controlling a liquid spraying device, comprising: In response to a command instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in a first configuration, the first valve of the liquid spraying device is opened, causing liquid inside the liquid spraying device to be sprayed out of the liquid spraying device in the first configuration via the first nozzle of the liquid spraying device; and In response to an instruction to the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in a second mode different from the first mode, the second valve of the liquid spraying device is opened, so that the liquid is sprayed out of the liquid spraying device in the second mode through the second nozzle of the liquid spraying device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: In response to an instruction instructing the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in the first configuration, the second valve is closed to prevent the liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device via the second nozzle; and / or In response to an instruction to the liquid spraying device to spray liquid in the second configuration, the first valve is closed to prevent the liquid from being sprayed outside the liquid spraying device via the first nozzle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: In response to an instruction to switch from a first operating mode associated with the first configuration to a second operating mode associated with the second configuration, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened; as well as In response to the instruction to switch from the second operating mode to the first operating mode, the second valve is closed and the first valve is opened.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, One of the first and second forms includes a rain curtain spraying form, and the other of the first and second forms includes a zone spraying form.

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