Modular Sprayer System with Movable End Devices for Vegetation Adaptation

Solution Overview

Problem

The need for multiple sprayer designs to adapt to varying vegetation growth stages leads to high purchase, maintenance, and storage costs, as existing sprayers are not versatile enough to handle different levels of foliage density effectively.

Innovation Solution

A modular spraying system with a central group of main spray devices and additional end devices that can move into different positions, allowing the system to adapt to various vegetation growth stages by forming different configurations for efficient liquid application and recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single sprayer design is used for all vegetation growth stages, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different growth stages deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of sprayer designsVSAvoidadaptability to vegetation growth stages

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The sprayer incorporates movable additional spraying devices that can change position between a first position (near the extreme main spraying devices) and a second position (further away). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same sprayer to adapt its spraying pattern for different vegetation growth stages - using liquid recovery when vegetation is sparse, and broader coverage when vegetation is dense, thus achieving versatility without requiring multiple different sprayer designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sprayer is designed with main spraying devices that have both spraying means and liquid recovery means on their first faces, while additional spraying devices can be positioned to provide either spraying or recovery functions. This multi-functional design allows a single sprayer to perform both spraying and liquid recovery operations across different growth stages, eliminating the need for separate specialized sprayers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple sprayer designs are used to adapt to different vegetation growth stages, then adaptability improves, but purchase, maintenance and storage costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to vegetation growth stagesVSAvoidnumber of sprayer designs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sprayer incorporates movable additional spraying devices that can change position between a first position (near the extreme main spraying devices) and a second position (further away). This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same sprayer to adapt its spraying pattern for different vegetation growth stages - using liquid recovery when vegetation is sparse, and broader coverage when vegetation is dense, thus achieving versatility without requiring multiple different sprayer designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sprayer is designed with main spraying devices that have both spraying means and liquid recovery means on their first faces, while additional spraying devices can be positioned to provide either spraying or recovery functions. This multi-functional design allows a single sprayer to perform both spraying and liquid recovery operations across different growth stages, eliminating the need for separate specialized sprayers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of substance

If liquid recovery means are equipped on all spraying devices, then liquid loss is reduced in early growth stages, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment liquid lossVSAvoidspraying device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sprayer divides spraying devices into main spraying devices (with both spraying and recovery means) and additional spraying devices (with only spraying means). This segmentation allows liquid recovery functionality to be concentrated where most needed (at the extremes where liquid penetration is most likely) while keeping the overall system simpler than if all devices had full recovery capabilities

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Liquid recovery means are specifically equipped on the main spraying devices that are positioned at the extremes of the central group, where they are most effective for recovering liquid that has passed through rows. The additional spraying devices positioned between them do not require recovery means, creating a localized optimization that reduces overall device complexity while maintaining effective liquid recovery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3934420B1Modular sprayer system

Publication Date: 2023.04.05 EXEL INDUSTRIES

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Figure 5~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a system (1) for spraying liquid for treating vegetation, comprising main spray devices (4, 4') forming pairs of devices that each delimit a spraying zone (12), each main spray device comprising means (7) for spraying treatment liquid and means for collecting treatment liquid. According to the invention, the system has two additional spray devices (6) with a different design from that of the main spray devices (4, 4'), each additional device (6) being arranged so as to be movable with respect to its associated end device (4') between a first, inactive rest position and a second, operating position in which the additional device (6) is located further away, in the transverse direction (10), from its associated end device (4') than in the first, inactive rest position.