Agricultural Sprayer Boom with Dynamic Nozzle Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural sprayer technologies lack precision in applying spray liquids along crop rows due to rigid nozzle arrangements that cannot adjust to irregular seed row spacings, leading to impaired efficacy of the applied substances.
Innovation Solution
An agricultural sprayer equipped with a control device that adjusts the dispensing elements based on detected plant rows, allowing for precise positioning and alignment of spray liquid impact areas along or between rows, using positioning, pivoting, and rotating devices to accommodate varying row distances and patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rigid nozzle arrangements are used on spray booms, then the structure is simple and stable, but the application precision to plant rows is impaired due to inability to adapt to irregular row spacings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the nozzle arrangement movable and adjustable rather than rigid and fixed. The spray boom incorporates positioning devices that enable nozzles to be repositioned along the boom and adjusted in their orientation angles, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to varying plant row spacings and maintain precise application accuracy throughout the field.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the spray boom into multiple independently adjustable sections or nozzles. Each nozzle or nozzle group can be individually positioned and oriented, allowing differential adjustment across the spray width to match irregular plant row patterns, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and application precision.
2Productivity
If the spray boom width exceeds seed drill width to cover more area, then productivity increases, but adaptability to irregular plant row spacings decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability along the entire spray boom width, enabling each section to independently adapt to local variations in plant row spacing. This allows the system to maintain both wide coverage for high productivity and local adaptability to irregular rows through continuous positioning and orientation adjustments across the full boom span.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different sections of the spray boom to have different positioning and orientation settings tailored to local plant row conditions. Each nozzle or nozzle group can be independently adjusted to match the specific spacing and orientation of plant rows in its local area, maintaining adaptability across the entire wide coverage area.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple positioning devices are used to enable individual positioning of each application element, then application precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing positioning devices that perform multiple functions: they enable both longitudinal repositioning of nozzles along the boom and angular orientation adjustment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving precise row-specific application through combined positioning and orientation control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an agricultural sprayer, in particular a field sprayer, with several application elements arranged on a spray boom and configured to apply spray liquid to an agricultural area, a detection device configured to detect rows of plants on the agricultural area, an adjustment device by means of which the impact area of the spray liquid discharged by one or more application elements on the agricultural area can be changed during the application process, and a control device configured to control the adjustment device depending on the rows of plants detected by the detection device on the agricultural area during the application process.