A spraying chamber for spraying a treatment medium on a crop in rows

Abstract

A spraying chamber (1) for spraying an amount of treatment medium on a crop row (100) of espalier-grown plants, said spraying chamber (1) being associable with a self-propelled structure (80) capable of moving said spraying chamber (1) on the ground (101) along said row (100), said spraying chamber (1) defining a central plane (F-F) adapted to be arranged according to said crop row (100) and to an advancement path and direction (D) along said crop row (100); said spraying chamber (1) comprising: a spraying chamber structure (10) comprising two structure side walls (11, 12) arranged on opposite sides with respect to said central plane (F-F) and an upper structure (13) connecting said two structure side walls (11, 12) to each other, said structure side walls (11, 12) defining two respective spraying faces (13, 14) facing each other and facing said central plane (F-F) on opposite sides; a spraying unit (30), a spraying nozzle array (32); a suction unit (40) arranged downstream of said spraying nozzle array (32) with respect to the advancement direction (D) comprising a conveying surface (42).

Description

A SPRAYING CHAMBER FOR SPRAYING A TREATMENT MEDIUM ON A CROP IN ROWSDESCRIPTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a spraying chamber for spraying a treatment medium on a crop in rows , and a spraying machine having at least one said spraying chamber .Background art

[0002] In the field of agriculture , the need is known to spray a treatment medium, in general , a liquid or powder, on a crop of espalier-grown plants in rows , e . g . a vineyard or an orchard .

[0003] Treatment medium generally comprise pesticides or other products , which produce various beneficial ef fects for the purposes of the quality and / or productivity of the crop .

[0004] Various types of farming machines are known, capable of moving along the row, and spraying the treatment medium on the plants , with more or less ef ficacy .

[0005] Among the known spraying machines , there is a so- called "portal" type , which comprises a main structure capable of moving along the row, comprising two uprights j oined to each other by a crosspiece at an upper end thereof , and forming, therebetween, an openingoperatively crossed by the row, in which a spraying chamber is arranged in said opening comprising a plurality of noz zles configured to dispense a treatment liquid for spraying the row .

[0006] Although said known machines are often capable of covering the leaves and stem of the plants with the aforesaid treatment medium, a signi ficant amount of excess treatment medium is dispersed into the air and onto the ground .

[0007] Thus , in the case of extensive cultivations , the need is felt to recover as much excess treatment medium as possible in order to limit costs and protect the environment .

[0008] Recovery systems are known with collection tanks for receiving, by gravity, part of the excess drops of the treatment liquid, but they are not capable of recovering the particles of treatment liquid or treatment mist , which hang suspended in the air around the treated plant and successively fall to the ground .

[0009] Therefore , the need is felt to provide a spraying chamber for a farming machine capable of preventing the dispersion, into the environment , of a signi ficant amount of excess treatment medium, and thus capable of recovering and reusing said amount of excess treatment medium .Summary of the invention

[0010] It is the obj ect of the present invention to devise and provide a spraying chamber for spraying an amount of treatment liquid for treating a row of espalier-grown plants , which allows meeting the above needs and at least partially overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks with reference to the prior art .

[0011] In particular, it is a task of the underlying invention to provide a spraying chamber, which allows recovering a signi ficant amount of excess treatment medium, both in liquid form and in the form of mist dispersed into the air around the treated plant .

[0012] These and further obj ects and advantages are achieved by means of a spraying chamber for spraying an amount of treatment liquid on a row 100 of espalier-grown plants according to claim 1 , and by a spraying machine comprising at least one said spraying chamber according to claim 17 .

[0013] Further obj ects , solutions , and advantages are present in the embodiments described below and claimed in the dependent claims .Brief description of the drawings

[0014] The invention will be shown below with the description of embodiments thereof , given by way of a non-limiting example , with reference to the accompanyingdrawings , in which :

[0015] - figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a spraying machine having two spraying chambers according to the invention;

[0016] - figure 2 shows a diagrammatic isometric view of a spraying chamber according to the invention;

[0017] - figure 3 shows a diagrammatic view of a spraying face of a spraying chamber in figure 2 ;

[0018] - figure 4 shows a diagrammatic front view of the spraying chamber in figure 2 , in which the spraying noz zles are not shown for simplicity;

[0019] - figure 5 illustrates a diagrammatic view of an example of a treatment medium source associated with the spraying chamber in figure 2 ;

[0020] - figure 6 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the spraying chamber in figure 2 showing flexible containment curtains ;

[0021] - figures 7 and 8 illustrate diagrammatic views of structure side walls of the spraying chamber in figure 2 , highlighting, by means of arrows , some possible relative movements of various parts of said side walls to regulate the geometry of said spraying chamber .Description of preferred embodiments

[0022] With reference to the figures , a spraying chamber for spraying an amount of treatment medium on a crop row100 of espalier-grown plants is generally denoted with reference 1 .

[0023] The spraying chamber 1 can be associated with a sel f-propelled structure 80 capable of transporting said spraying chamber 1 on the ground 101 along said crop row 100 .

[0024] The spraying chamber 1 defines a central plane F-F adapted to be arranged according to said crop row 100 and to an advancement path and direction D along said crop row .

[0025] More speci fically, a crop row of an espalier-grown crop comprises a plurality of plants arranged in a line , along a row, in which the plants are grown along a vertical plane , generally supported by a plurality of poles set in the ground in a line along said vertical plane , connected to one another by means of a plurality of support wires .

[0026] The spraying chamber 1 comprises a spraying chamber structure 10 comprising two structure side walls 11 , 12 arranged on opposite sides with respect to said central plane F-F and an upper structure 13 connecting said two structure side walls to each other 11 , 12 ,

[0027] The structure side walls 11 , 12 define two respective spraying faces 13 , 14 facing each other and facing said central plane F-F on opposite sides .

[0028] The spraying chamber 1 further comprises a spraying unit 30 associated with the spraying chamber structure 10 .

[0029] The spraying unit 30 comprises a treatment medium source 31 , a spraying noz zle array 32 comprising a plurality of spraying noz zles 35 associated with each of said two spraying faces 13 , 14 and oriented towards said central plane F-F on opposite sides , configured to dispense a flow of said treatment medium towards said central plane F-F, an arrangement of dispensing conduits 36 connecting said treatment medium source 31 to said plurality of spraying noz zles 35 .

[0030] The spraying chamber 1 comprises a suction unit 40 for aspirating an excess amount of said treatment medium .

[0031] The suction unit 40 comprises one or more suction fans 41 associated with at least one of said two spraying faces 13 , 14 , a conveying surface 42 associated with said at least one of said two spraying faces 13 , 14 and defining a conveying outlet 43 .

[0032] Said one or more suction fans 41 are arranged downstream of said spraying noz zle array 32 with respect to the advancement path and direction D and arranged to generate an airflow 45 oriented from said central plane F-F towards said conveying surface 42 to aspirate an excess amount of said treatment medium and cause it tohit said conveying surface and convey it by means of said conveying surface 42 towards said conveying outlet 43 .

[0033] According to an embodiment , the spraying unit 30 comprises a further spraying noz zle array 33 comprising a further plurality of spraying noz zles 37 associated with each of said two spraying faces 13 and oriented towards said central plane F-F on opposite sides , arranged downstream of said spraying noz zle array 32 and upstream of said suction unit 40 with respect to the advancement path and direction D, configured to dispense a flow of a second treatment medium .

[0034] According to an embodiment , the treatment medium is a treatment liquid, and the second treatment medium is a mist of said treatment liquid, said spraying chamber 1 comprising an arrangement of conduits 38 connecting said further plurality of noz zles 37 to said treatment medium source 31 .

[0035] Thereby, the dispensing of the second dispensing medium in the form of treatment mist with the same composition as the treatment liquid allows increasing the si ze of the drops of liquid attached to the plant to facilitate the detachment by gravity of the excess amount of treatment liquid, in order to facilitate the recovery thereof by the suction unit .

[0036] According to an embodiment , the treatment medium isa liquid, e . g . it comprises water, or it is water, and the second treatment medium is a powder treatment product .

[0037] Thereby, a first wetting treatment of the plant is carried out with water and a second treatment in which the treatment product is sprayed to the plant so as to attach to the plant itsel f , as a result of the previous wetting .

[0038] According to an embodiment , the suction unit 40 comprises cooling means 46 for cooling the conveying surface 42 so as to cause drops and / or mist of said excess amount of treatment medium dispersed into the air to condense at said conveying surface 42 .

[0039] According to an embodiment , the cooling means 46 comprise a refrigerating thermodynamic cycle heat machine having a hot source heat exchanger and a cold source heat exchanger, in which said cold source heat exchanger is in thermal contact with said conveying surface 42 .

[0040] According to an embodiment , the hot source heat exchanger is in thermal contact with said treatment medium source 31 .

[0041] Thereby, the refrigerating cycle provides heat to the treatment liquid entering the spraying unit , increasing the condensation ef fect along the conveying surface cooled by the same cycle .

[0042] According to an embodiment , the spraying chamber 1 comprises vibration means 50 associated with the spraying chamber structure 10 configured to apply a vibrating action to the plants of said row 100 .

[0043] According to an embodiment , the vibration means 50 comprise a motor 51 and at least one vibrating bar 52 actuated by said motor 51 .

[0044] According to an embodiment , the spraying unit 30 comprises a recirculation unit 48 comprising an arrangement of recirculation conduits 45 connecting the conveying outlet 43 to the treatment medium source 31 and a pump 46 for collecting said excess amount of treatment medium from said conveying outlet 43 and conveying it towards the treatment liquid source 31 through the arrangement of recirculation conduits 45 .

[0045] According to an embodiment , the recirculation unit 48 comprises a collection tank 44 connected to the conveying outlet 43 .

[0046] According to an embodiment , the recirculation unit 48 comprises a filtering device 47 arranged along said arrangement of recirculation conduits 45 .

[0047] According to one embodiment , the treatment medium source 31 comprises a water source 39 , a treatment product source 49 , a container 54 for receiving said water and said treatment product , a mixing device 53 formixing said product with said water to form said treatment medium .

[0048] According to an embodiment , each of said two spraying faces 13 , 14 comprises a dispensing face flat side portion 15 , 16 arranged parallel to the central plane F-F and a dispensing face flat upper portion 17 , 18 arranged inclined with respect to said central plane F-F, said plurality of spraying noz zles 35 being distributed between said dispensing face flat side portion 15 , 16 and said dispensing face flat upper portion 17 , 18 .

[0049] According to an embodiment , the spraying faces 13 , 14 define a front end 19 and an opposite rear end 20 relative to said advancement path and direction D, and in which said spraying chamber 1 comprises a flexible front curtain 21 and a flexible rear curtain 22 connected to said front end 19 and to said rear end 20 , respectively, for delimiting a closed environment inside said spraying chamber 1 , each of said flexible front curtain 21 and said flexible rear curtain 22 being separated into two parts along said central plane F-F, in particular to allow said spraying chamber 1 to be moved along said row .

[0050] Thereby, the treatment medium, in liquid, mist or powder form, stays contained inside said inner space , and so , it can be recovered by the suction unit , preventing it from being dispersed into the air .

[0051] According to an embodiment , as shown, for example in figures 7 and 8 , said two structure side walls 11 , 12 are formed by mutually movable portions so as to vary the geometry of said two structure side walls , as a function of the operating needs .

[0052] According to another aspect of the present invention, the aforesaid obj ects and advantages are met by a spraying machine 90 comprising a main sel f-propelled structure 80 , and at least one spraying chamber 1 according to any embodiment described above , fixed to said main sel f-propelled structure 80 .

[0053] Those skilled in the art may make changes and adaptations to the embodiments of the device described above or replace elements with others , which are functionally equivalent in order to meet contingent needs without thereby departing from the scope of the following claims . Each of the features described as belonging to a possible embodiment can be made irrespective of the other embodiments described .-k 'k 'k

Claims

CLAIMS1. A spraying chamber (1) for spraying an amount of treatment medium on a crop row (100) of espalier-grown plants, said spraying chamber (1) being associable with a self-propelled structure (80) capable of moving said spraying chamber (1) on the ground (101) along said crop row (100) , said spraying chamber (1) defining a central plane (F-F) adapted to be arranged according to said crop row (100) and to an advancement path and direction (D) along said crop row (100) ; said spraying chamber (1) comprising: a spraying chamber structure (10) comprising two structure side walls (11, 12) arranged on opposite sides with respect to said central plane (F-F) and an upper structure (13) connecting said two structure side walls (11, 12) to each other, said structure side walls (11, 12) defining two respective spraying faces (13, 14) facing each other and facing said central plane (F-F) on opposite sides; a spraying unit (30) associated with said spraying chamber structure (10) , comprising a treatment medium source (31) , a spraying nozzle array (32) comprising a plurality of spraying nozzles (35) associated with each of said two spraying faces (13, 14) and oriented towards said central plane (F-F) on opposite sides, configured todispense a flow of said treatment medium towards said central plane (F-F) , an arrangement of dispensing conduits (36) connecting said treatment medium source (31) to said plurality of spraying nozzles (35) ;- a suction unit (40) for aspirating an excess amount of said treatment medium, comprising one or more suction fans (41) associated with at least one of said two spraying faces (13, 14) , a conveying surface (42) associated with said at least one of said two spraying faces (13, 14) and defining a conveying outlet (43) , wherein said one or more suction fans (41) are arranged downstream of said spraying nozzle array (32) with respect to the advancement path and direction (D) and arranged to generate an airflow (45) oriented from said central plane (F-F) towards said conveying surface (42) to aspirate an excess amount of said treatment medium and cause it to hit said conveying surface and convey it by means of said conveying surface (42) towards said conveying outlet (43) .

2. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said spraying unit (30) comprises a further spraying nozzle array (33) comprising a further plurality of spraying nozzles (37) associated with each of said two spraying faces (13) and oriented towards said central plane (F-F) on opposite sides, arranged downstream ofsaid spraying nozzle array (32) and upstream of said suction unit (40) with respect to the advancement path and direction (D) , configured to dispense a flow of a second treatment medium.

3. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 2, wherein said treatment medium is a treatment liquid, and wherein said second treatment medium is a mist of said treatment liquid, said spraying chamber (1) comprising an arrangement of conduits (38) connecting said further plurality of nozzles (37) to said treatment medium source (31) .

4. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 2, wherein said treatment medium is a liquid, and wherein said second treatment medium is a powder treatment product.

5. A spraying chamber (1) according to at least one preceding claim, wherein said suction unit (40) comprises cooling means (46) for cooling said conveying surface (42) so as to cause drops and / or mist of said excess amount of treatment medium dispersed into the air to condense at said conveying surface (42) .

6. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 5, wherein said cooling means (46) comprise a refrigerating thermodynamic cycle heat machine, having a hot source heat exchanger and a cold source heat exchanger, wherein said cold source heat exchanger is in thermal contactwith said conveying surface (42) .

7. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 6, wherein said hot source heat exchanger is in thermal contact with said treatment medium source (31) .

8. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, comprising vibration means (50) associated with said spraying chamber structure (10) configured to apply a vibrating action to said plants of said crop row (100) .

9. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 8, wherein said vibration means (50) comprise a motor (51) and at least one vibrating bar (52) actuated by said motor (51) .

10. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said spraying unit (30) comprising a recirculation unit (48) comprising an arrangement of recirculation conduits (45) connecting said conveying outlet (43) to said treatment medium source (31) and a pump (46) for collecting said excess amount of treatment medium from said conveying outlet (43) and conveying it towards said treatment liquid source (31) through said arrangement of recirculation conduits (45) .

11. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said recirculation unit (48) comprises a collection tank (44) connected to said conveying outlet (43) .

12. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said recirculation unit (48) comprises a filtering device(47) arranged along said arrangement of recirculation conduits (45) .

13. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said treatment medium source (31) comprises a water source (39) , a treatment product source (49) , a container (54) for receiving said water and said treatment product, a mixing device (53) for mixing said product with said water to form said treatment medium.

14. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein each of said two spraying faces (13, 14) comprises a dispensing face flat side portion (15, 16) arranged parallel to the central plane (F-F) and a dispensing face flat upper portion (17, 18) arranged inclined with respect to said central plane (F-F) , said plurality of spraying nozzles (35) being distributed between said dispensing face flat side portion (15, 16) and said dispensing face flat upper portion (17, 18) .

15. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said spraying faces (13, 14) define a front end (19) and an opposite rear end (20) relative to said advancement path and direction (D) , and wherein said spraying chamber (1) comprises a flexible front curtain (21) and a flexible rear curtain (22) connected to said front end (19) and to said rear end (20) , respectively, for delimiting a closed environment inside said sprayingchamber (1) , each of said front flexible curtain (21) and said rear flexible curtain (22) being separated into two parts along said central plane (F-F) .

16. A spraying chamber (1) according to claim 1, wherein said two structure side walls (11, 12) are formed by mutually movable portions arranged so as to vary the geometry of said two structure side walls, as a function of the operating needs.

17. A spraying machine (90) comprising a main self- propelled structure (80) , and at least one spraying chamber (1) according to at least one preceding claim, fixed to said main self-propelled structure (80) .

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