Soil Injector Tube with Shutter Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for introducing inputs like fertilizers and water-absorbing elements into soil are labor-intensive and inefficient, particularly in sandy or hard soils, as they require manual digging and are not suitable for automated control of depth and distribution.
Innovation Solution
A device with an injector tube and shutter mechanism that automatically delivers inputs to a predetermined depth in the soil, featuring a rotational drive system and torque sensor to prevent obstacles, and an adjustable pressure system for varying soil types, ensuring precise and efficient input delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual digging of holes or furrows is used to introduce inputs into the soil, then the introduction can be controlled in quantity and depth, but the process becomes labor-intensive and tedious, especially when treating large numbers of plants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual digging with a mechanical injection system that uses a hollow needle to deliver inputs directly into the soil at controlled depths. The injection device automates the process by mechanically penetrating the soil and delivering precise amounts of input material, eliminating the need for manual hole-digging while maintaining depth control through the needle's predetermined insertion depth.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the core function of input delivery from the manual digging process. Instead of requiring complete hole formation and manual placement, the system extracts only the essential function of delivering input material to a specific depth in the soil, achieving this through direct injection via a hollow needle that creates a minimal penetration path rather than a full excavation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual digging is used in sandy or very hard soil, then inputs can be introduced, but the digging process becomes particularly difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanically intensive digging process with a simplified injection mechanism. The hollow needle system requires only penetration rather than excavation, significantly reducing the mechanical effort needed. This substitution makes the process feasible in sandy and hard soils where traditional digging would be prohibitively difficult, as the needle can penetrate these soil types with minimal force compared to the force required to dig holes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters from excavation-based to injection-based. Instead of removing soil to create access points, the system introduces input material through a narrow bore created by the needle. This parameter change from bulk removal to targeted injection allows operation in soil types that would resist traditional digging methods.
3Productivity
If automated injection devices are used for soil treatment, then productivity increases, but control over depth and precise delivery of inputs becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an automated injection system that uses a hollow needle to deliver inputs mechanically into the soil. The automation maintains precision because the needle's insertion depth is predetermined and controlled, and the input material is delivered through the needle's lumen directly to the target depth, ensuring both high productivity and accurate depth control simultaneously.
4Quantity of substance
If inputs are delivered manually into holes, then precise quantity control is achieved, but the process is too slow for large-scale plant treatment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of precise input delivery from the slow manual process. By using a hollow needle that can be quickly inserted and used to deliver measured amounts of input material directly into the soil, the system achieves precise quantity control without requiring the time-consuming steps of manual hole-digging and careful placement, dramatically reducing the time per plant treated.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection system enables continuous operation where multiple plants can be treated in sequence without the interruptions inherent in manual digging. The hollow needle allows for rapid insertion, input delivery, and removal, creating a continuous workflow that maintains precise quantity control while significantly increasing the throughput of plants treated per unit time.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (1) for introducing at least one input into the soil is disclosed. The introduction device (1) comprises a supply circuit for the at least one input capable of delivering the at least one input, at least one injector tube (4) comprising a first portion intended to be driven into the soil, the at least one injector tube (4) having an opening (441) on the first portion, intended for delivering the at least one input (A) into the soil, and a plug (10) shaped to close said opening (441), and a mechanism for driving the at least one injector tube (4) configured to drive at least part of the first portion of the injector tube (4) into the soil. The invention further relates to a method for delivering at least one input.