US5077653A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process and device for programmed spreading of an active product on the surface of the ground
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1989-11-27
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Granted: 1991-12-31
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Expires: 2009-11-27
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a process for spreading an active product in the liquid or pulverulent state over the ground in predetermined discrete zones of the surface thereof by selective programmation, the process being of the type in which the product is sprayed onto the ground via at least one boom presenting a plurality of spray nozzles, said process being characterized in that the individual flowrate of each nozzle, or group of nozzles, is monitored by appropriate control circuits, said nozzles being provided to that end with an appropriate regulating member, such monitoring being effected from a central programming unit adapted to regulate at any instant the spraying of the product at each nozzle or group of nozzles, as a function of its instantaneous position plumb with a determined discrete zone. The invention also relates to a spraying device associated with a micro-processor ensuring programmation of each nozzle.
Inventors
- 👤 Christian Barlet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 18:44
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05B; B05B12/00; B05B12/02; B05B12/04; A; A01; A01M; A01M7/00; A01M7/0089
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A process for spreading a liquid or pulverulent active product on the ground for covering a ground surface in a predetermined contour and geometry, wherein said product is spread over the ground via a device having at least one boom provided with a plurality of spray nozzles each provided with an independent opening/closing regulation member and in which control circuits selectively monitor the opening and closing of each of the nozzles, and thus the flowrate of the product, said device including a central microprocessor to selectively control each of said regulation members and connected said control circuits to monitor the opening and closing of the regulation member, wherein said process comprises; (a) spraying said product on the ground in constantly programmed discrete zones, each discrete zone corresponding to a surface on the ground lying plumb with a nozzle, the microprocessor controlling opening and closing of said independent regulation member of each nozzle and to regulate the flowrate of said product delivered by each nozzle whereby spreading of the product follows on the ground patterns and representations along said programmed contour and geometry; (b) adjusting and controlling of each opening/closing regulation member for each nozzle by said microprocessor from a program coded on a magnetic or optical support to dispense said product in said patterns and representation; (c) said program of the microprocessor being displayed at the start of the spreading process by the user from data corresponding to the configuration of the zones treated and integrated in the microprocessor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A process for spreading a liquid or pulverulent active product on the ground for covering a ground surface in a predetermined contour and geometry, wherein said product is spread over the ground via a device having at least one boom provided with a plurality of spray nozzles each provided with an independent opening/closing regulation member and in which control circuits selectively monitor the opening and closing of each of the nozzles, and thus the flowrate of the product, said device including a central microprocessor to selectively control each of said regulation members and connected said control circuits to monitor the opening and closing of the regulation member, wherein said process comprises; (a) spraying said product on the ground in constantly programmed discrete zones, each discrete zone corresponding to a surface on the ground lying plumb with a nozzle, the microprocessor controlling opening and closing of said independent regulation member of each nozzle and to regulate the flowrate of said product delivered by each nozzle whereby spreading of the product follows on the ground patterns and representations along said programmed contour and geometry; (b) adjusting and controlling of each opening/closing regulation member for each nozzle by said microprocessor from a program coded on a magnetic or optical support to dispense said product in said patterns and representation; (c) said program of the microprocessor being displayed at the start of the spreading process by the user from data corresponding to the configuration of the zones treated and integrated in the microprocessor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The process of claim 1, wherein a plurality of successive passes of said spray booms are effected on said ground surface, each pass corresponding to the spreading of specific product and being effected on predetermined programmed discrete zones below each nozzle specific to each product, with the result that the different products, as a function of the programs of each pass, totally or partially cover one another on each zone or are exclusive from one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
88 words
The process of claim 2, wherein the programs for successive opening or closure of the nozzles are contained in a removable magnetic or optical support means corresponding to a configuration of a surface to be treated, and the program is divided into a plurality of successive sequences, each sequence corresponding to a pass serving a determined part of the surface to be treated, and a starting signal is sent to the microprocessor to trigger off the sequence of the program corresponding to the beginning of each new pass.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
168 words
The process of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor is coupled with an image signal reader and said reader is supplied with image signal sources divided into strips, each sequence of said program corresponding to a discrete zone of the surface to be treated, and each strip is advanced in order to be analyzed by the signal reader along a line of reading transverse to the advance of the signal reader and the reader is provided with a number of reading heads distributed along said line in a number identical to the number of nozzles controlled independently, and the reader, as a function of punctual coloring of the discrete zones to be treated along the line of reading, determines a desirable position between the opening and closure of each nozzle corresponding to each reading head and to send a signal integrated in the micro-processor, controlling the opening or closure of a corresponding nozzle and spraying said active product on the discrete zone on the ground served by said nozzle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the active product sprayed is provided to act on the development of the vegetation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1, wherein the active product sprayed has a direct action of coloring the ground.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
194 words
A device for carrying out the process of claim 1, comprising: (a) a tank for liquid or pulverulent products to be spread, (b) a plurality of spray nozzles, (c) a pump for delivering the product from said tank to said spray nozzles, (d) a plurality of closure valves, one valve for each nozzle, (e) a central control and programming means, comprising a programmable microprocessor to monitor at every instant the spraying of products at each nozzle, (f) a speed counter for measuring the speed of advance of a vehicle connected to said central control means, (g) programming means comprising at least one image signal reader constituted by a plurality of reading heads, one reading head for each nozzle, the reading heads being disposed in lines, (h) an image recording support tape advancing under all the reading heads aligned transversely with respect to the axis of advance, each reading head being capable of analyzing a punctual zone of an image located vertically with respect to said head to address to the microprocessor a signal for opening or closing the valve, thus allowing an image in the image support tape to be reproduced on the ground.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
176 words
A device for carrying out the process of claim 1 comprising: (a) a tank for liquid or pulverulent products to be spread, (b) a plurality of spray nozzles, (c) a pump for delivering the product from said tank to said spray nozzles, (d) a plurality of closure valves, one valve for each nozzle, (e) a central control and programming means comprising a programmable microprocessor to monitor at every instant the spraying of products at each nozzle, (f) a speed counter for measuring the speed of advance of a vehicle connected to said central control means; (g) booms bearing the nozzles, (h) optical analysis means disposed on said booms to determine the characteristics of the ground or the vegetation located plumb with said analysis means, and means to send signals generated in response to said characteristics to the programmable microprocessor in order to control opening or closure of the nozzles and the spraying of products on the ground at a level of each nozzle located plumb with a discrete zone instantaneously analyzed by said optical analysis means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
The process of claim 1, wherein an optical analysis means, is effected at each instant, of the nature of the discrete zone subjected to a potential action of each nozzle by analyzing the coloring of the vegetation, and generating a signal in response to the analyzing of the coloring and sending said signal to said programming microprocessor of a determined open or closed position of each nozzle which is thus actuated as a function of the optical analysis made on the ground.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
186 words
A device for spreading a liquid or pulverulent product in a predetermined contour and geometry on a ground surface as said device is moved across the ground surface, said device comprising; (a) a supply tank for liquid or pulverulent products to be spread; (b) a plurality of downwardly directed spray nozzles disposed in a line, each of said nozzles having a closure valve; (c) central control and programming means comprising a programmable microprocessor to monitor and selectively control spraying of said product through each nozzle; (d) speed counter means connected to said microprocessor for measuring ground speed of said device across the ground; (e) programming means associated with said microprocessor and comprising a plurality of image signal reading heads, each of said heads complementing one of said nozzles, and wherein said heads are disposed in a line substantially parallel with said spray nozzles; (f) an image recording support disposed on the ground whereby each of said reading heads advancing across the ground reads said image whereby said microprocessor selectively actuates said nozzles to spray said product in a pattern in response to said image recording support.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
186 words
A device for spreading a liquid or pulverulent product in a predetermined contour and geometry on a ground surface as said device is moved across the ground surface, said device comprising; (a) a supply tank for liquid or pulverulent products to be spread; (b) a plurality of downwardly directed spray nozzles disposed in a line, each of said nozzles having a closure valve; (c) central control and programming means comprising a programmable microprocessor to monitor and selectively control spraying of said product through each nozzle; (d) speed counter means connected to said microprocessor for measuring ground speed of said device across the ground; (e) programming means associated with said microprocessor and comprising a plurality of image signal reading heads, each of said heads complementing one of said nozzles, and wherein said heads are disposed in a line substantially parallel with said spray nozzles; (f) an image recording support disposed on the ground whereby each of said reading heads advancing across the ground reads said image whereby said microprocessor selectively actuates said nozzles to spray said product in a pattern in response to said image recording support.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-12-30 | 1995-07-01 | 1995-12-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-30 | 1999-07-01 | 1999-12-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-30 | 2003-07-01 | 2003-12-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |