Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
  • A01M7/0003—Atomisers or mist blowers
  • A01M7/0014—Field atomisers, e.g. orchard atomisers, self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
  • A01M7/005—Special arrangements or adaptations of the spraying or distributing parts, e.g. adaptations or mounting of the spray booms, mounting of the nozzles, protection shields
  • A01M7/0053—Mounting of the spraybooms
  • A01M7/0057—Mounting of the spraybooms with active regulation of the boom position
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01M—CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS; APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS
  • A01M7/00—Special adaptations or arrangements of liquid-spraying apparatus for purposes covered by this subclass
  • A01M7/0089—Regulating or controlling systems
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B15/00—Details of spraying plant or spraying apparatus not otherwise provided for; Accessories
  • B05B15/60—Arrangements for mounting, supporting or holding spraying apparatus
  • B05B15/68—Arrangements for adjusting the position of spray heads

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a machine for treating tree crops, and in particular to a machine for treating the crown of tree crops with a nebulized treatment liquid, and more in particular of tree crops organized in rows.
• the machine of the present invention is particularly suitable for treating tree crops, typically organized in rows, on uneven terrain or in any case in conditions in which the crown of the tree crops has variable heights with respect to the working plane of the machine.
• pesticide products and more generally of plant protection products, is widely known and generally occurs through crop spraying with nebulized liquids containing one or more active ingredients intended for treating the crops.
• the liquid is nebulized according to a variety of known technologies and is directed towards the crops to be treated.
• the air stream which carries the nebulized mixture of water and active ingredient is carefully directed onto the crown and not outside of it.
• the machines currently used for such work are generally provided with adjustable air stream deflectors or air outlet devices which need to be oriented manually so that the nebulized mixture reaches the target while the machine proceeds inside the rows.
• the features of the current machines for treating the crown of tree crops with nebulized liquids do not allow to have precise and constant control of the direction and orientation of the stream of the nebulized mixture in relation to the position, and in particular the height, of the crown of the tree crop to be treated.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which allows to avoid the dispersion of the nebulized treatment liquids in the air and ground, limiting contamination and possible damage to the environment.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which allows to minimize the waste of nebulized treatment liquids, limiting as much as possible the quantity of treatment liquid which does not reach the target.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which allows for effective and constant control of the direction and orientation of the stream of the nebulized mixture.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which allows it to operate effectively and without wasting liquids even in cases where the tree crops to be treated have a non-homogeneous trend, in terms of vertical extension, along the row in which they are arranged, both due to the different height of the plants and the non-uniformity of the terrain, and typically in the case of hilly terrain.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which does not require or which minimizes the need for manual interventions to regulate the orientation of the air stream which transports the nebulized mixture of water and active ingredient.
• an object of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating tree crops which has high reliability and is easy to manufacture and at competitive costs.
• a machine for treating the crown of tree crops with a nebulized treatment liquid which comprises: one or more devices for dispensing and directing said nebulized treatment liquid; a support frame of said one or more devices for dispensing and directing said treatment liquid connectable to a moving machine along an operating direction; one or more hydraulic assemblies for supplying said treatment liquid to said one or more devices for dispensing and directing said treatment liquid; one or more pneumatic assemblies supplying an air stream to said one or more dispensing and directing devices.
• the machine of the present invention is characterized in that at least one of said one or more devices for dispensing and directing said treatment liquid is a dispensing and directing device which can be moved with respect to said frame and is operatively connected to an actuator assembly adapted to move said movable dispensing and directing device with respect to said frame.
• the machine of the present invention is further characterized in that it comprises: a device for detecting the distance D of a top portion of the crown of said tree crop; a control device configured to receive from said detection device a signal indicative of the detected distance D and to control said actuator assembly to selectively move in a substantially vertical direction said movable dispensing and directing device according to said detected distance D.
• the machine of the present invention is provided with a detection device - for example an ultrasonic device or an optical distance reader - which is capable of reading the position of the top of the crown of the plant to be treated.
• the machine is further provided with at least one movable dispensing and directing device and a corresponding actuator assembly and thanks to the control device - typically a device provided with appropriate control electronics - it is capable of orienting one or more of the movable dispensing and directing devices so as to direct the stream of nebulized mixture so that it does not point above the crown of the plant to be treated, with harmful and useless dispersion into the environment
• the positioning of the actuators - and consequently the direction of the stream of nebulized liquid - is controlled by the control device which has an input signal given by the response of a sensor (placed for example at the top of the diffuser) which detects the distance from the crown and a piloting output signal of the actuator assembly according to the distance detected by the sensor.
• the direction of the movable dispensing and directing device occurs by means of an actuator assembly, typically a linear actuator (for example an electric, or hydraulic, or pneumatic actuator), which orients the movable dispensing and directing device on a vertical plane perpendicular to the plant so as to hit not above the top of the crown of the tree crop.
• a linear actuator for example an electric, or hydraulic, or pneumatic actuator
• the solution adopted for the machine of the present invention allows to avoid, or at least minimize, the dispersion of the nebulized mixture outside the crown of the tree crop to be treated, eliminating or minimizing the problems of environmental contamination and of product waste previously illustrated.
• the term movable dispensing and directing device means the set comprising the actual dispensing device (for example a nozzle or a dispensing mouth) and, if present, the possible device (or devices) for orienting the stream exiting the nebulizer (for example one or more stream deflectors).
• the machine for treating the crown of tree crops of the present invention also has the notable advantage of relieving the operator from the burdensome task of controlling and moving any actuators which regulate the position of the devices directing the nebulized mixture onto the top of the crown, making driving free of distractions with great safety advantages for the operator himself.
• the management of the stream directioning in a substantially automatic manner by means of the control device certainly makes the operation more precise and continuous with respect to a manual and occasional control carried out by the operator.
• the movable dispensing and directing device reaches the top of the crown and when this is exceeded, the distance detection sensor detects a distance D greater than the expected distance D x .
• the distance detection sensor detects a distance D greater than the expected distance D x .
• this may be due to the lack of the return signal to the detector or because the return signal is reflected by any body/object placed at a distance greater than D x .
• the actuator is then piloted by the control device so as to reverse its motion, returning the stream of nebulized mixture exiting the movable dispensing and directing device onto the crown itself.
• the movable device for dispensing and directing the nebulized mixture moves in a substantially sinusoidal manner immediately below the top of the crown, chaining upward and downward movements on a substantially vertical plane parallel to the front of the row, and maintaining the stream of nebulized mixture always positioned around the target.
• control device is advantageously configured to continuously receive from said detection device the signal indicative of the detected distance D and is configured to continuously move said movable dispensing and directing device through said actuator assembly according to said detected distance D.
• control device can instead be configured to receive the signal indicative of the distance D detected by said detection device at predetermined intervals and can be configured to continuously move said movable dispensing and directing device through the actuator assembly according to said detected distance D.
• This embodiment can be particularly advantageous in cases where, for example, the machine of the present invention is provided with a plurality of detection devices which can generate detection signals, for example ultrasonic signals, interfering with each other.
• control device can instead be configured to receive at predetermined intervals from said detection device the signal indicative of the detected distance D and can be configured to discontinuously move said movable dispensing and directing device through the actuator assembly according to said detected distance D.
• the control device gives the actuator assembly a command to move the movable dispensing and directing device by a predetermined distance upwards or downwards according to the detected distance D.
• the control device gives the actuator assembly a further command to move the movable dispensing and directing device by a further predetermined distance (equal to or different from the previous one) upwards or downwards according to the next detected distance D.
• the detection device is mechanically connected to said movable dispensing and directing device and follows it in its movement.
• the mechanical connection ensures that there is always correspondence between the direction of emission/orientation of the nebulized mixture stream and the detection direction of the distance signal.
• the detection device can be moved independently through the same actuator assembly which moves the movable dispensing and directing device or through another actuator assembly.
• the control device in addition to moving the movable dispensing and directing device, also moves the detection device - by means of the same actuator assembly or by means of a dedicated actuator assembly - so that said detection device follows the movement of the movable dispensing and directing device and the detection direction of the distance signal substantially corresponds to the direction of emission/orientation of the stream of the nebulized mixture.
• the machine further comprises a first actuator assembly which is operatively connected at least to a first dispensing and directing device movable with respect to said frame positioned at the top of said first stack of dispensing and directing devices, and further comprises a second actuator assembly which is operatively connected at least to a second dispensing and directing device movable with respect to said frame positioned at the top of said second stack of dispensing and directing devices.
• a row of dispensing and directing devices is positioned on each side of the machine with respect to the travel direction and at least the dispensing and directing device positioned at the top of each row (i.e., that, or those, intended to treat the top of the crown of the tree crop) is moved through the respective actuator assembly.
• the machine of the present invention allows two adjacent rows of tree crops to be treated simultaneously.
• the control device is configured to control said first and second actuator assemblies independently of each other.
• the machine according to the invention allows to treat contiguous rows of tree crops by making the dispensing and directing devices positioned at the top of the opposite rows rise or fall according to the respective detected distances D11 and D12 and according to the distance expected in the presence of the crown, which can be the same predetermined distance D x for both rows or can be predetermined distances D xi and D X 2 different from each other.
• the machine of the present invention can comprise a frame comprising a vertical support which extends upwards from a main body connectable to the moving machine and one or more of said movable dispensing and directing devices for said treatment liquid positioned on said vertical support.
• the machine of the present invention also allows to treat rows facing those immediately adjacent to the machine itself, using the same principle of controlling the direction of the stream of the nebulized mixture.
• Figure 1 illustrates a view of a first embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a first operating condition
• Figure 2 illustrates a view of a first embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a second operating condition;
• Figure 3 illustrates a view of a first embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a third operating condition;
• Figure 4 illustrates a view of a second embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a first operating condition
• Figure 5 illustrates a view of a second embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a second operating condition
• Figure 7 illustrates a view of a second embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a fourth operating condition
• Figure 8 illustrates a view of a third embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a first operating condition
• Figure 9 illustrates a view of a third embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a second operating condition
• Figure 10 illustrates a view of a third embodiment of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention, illustrated in a third operating condition
• Figures l la-l lc illustrate some details of a detail of a machine for treating tree crops, according to the present invention.
• the machine 1, 10 for treating the crown 100 of tree crops with a nebulized treatment liquid comprises one or more devices 2, 20, 21 , 22, 82 for dispensing and directing the nebulized treatment liquid.
• the movable dispensing and directing devices 2, 20, 21, 22, 82 comprise the assembly comprising the actual dispensing device (for example a nozzle or a dispensing mouth) and, when present, any device (or devices) for orienting the stream exiting the nebulizer (for example one or more stream deflectors).
• the machine 1, 10 of the present invention is in fact adapted to operate with nebulizers having all the operating principles (hydraulic, by aeroconvection, pneumatic) which may or may not be provided with a device (or devices) for orienting the stream exiting the nebulizer, (e.g., one or more stream deflectors).
• the machine 1, 10 of the present invention further comprises a support frame 3, 30 of said one or more devices 2, 20, 21, 22, 82 for dispensing and directing said treatment liquid which is installable on and operatively connectable to a moving machine 50, for example an agricultural tractor, along an operating direction.
• a moving machine 50 for example an agricultural tractor
• the operating travel direction of the moving machine 50 is given by an axis perpendicular to the sheet and directed towards it.
• the supply of the treatment liquid to the various dispensing and directing devices 2, 20, 21, 22, 82 occurs by means of one or more hydraulic assemblies of known type, which will therefore not be illustrated further in detail.
• the supply of the air stream to the various dispensing and directing devices 2, 20, 21, 22, 82 to generate the nebulized mixture occurs by means of one or more pneumatic assemblies of known type, for example a fan 51, which will therefore not be further illustrated in detail.
• One of the peculiar features of the machine 1, 10 for treating the crown 100 of tree crops is given by the fact that at least one of the plurality of devices 2, 20, 21, 22, 82 for dispensing and directing the treatment liquid is a dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 which is movable with respect to the support frame 3, 30.
• the movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 is operatively connected to an actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 which is adapted to move the movable device 20, 21, 22, 82 for dispensing and directing with respect to the support frame 3, 30, with operating methods better described below.
• the actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 can typically be constituted by a linear actuator, for example an electric, or hydraulic, or pneumatic actuator. In general, any assembly capable of moving the movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 can be used in the machine 1, 10 of the present invention.
• the actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 is operatively connected to the movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 and this can occur by means of the operative connection of the actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 with the actual dispensing device (for example with a nozzle movable with respect to the frame 3), or with the stream orientation device (for example with a deflector movable with respect to the frame 3), or with both.
• Another of the peculiar features of the machine 1, 10 for treating the crown 100 of tree crops of the present invention is given by the fact of comprising a device 7, 71, 72 for detecting the distance D of a top portion 101 of the crown 100 of the tree crop, which can be for example an ultrasonic device or an optical distance sensing device.
• the machine 1, 10 further comprises a control device (not shown in the figures) which is configured to receive from said detection device 7, 71, 72 a signal indicative of the detected distance D and which is also configured to control the actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 so as to selectively move in a substantially vertical direction the movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 according to the detected distance D.
• a control device (not shown in the figures) which is configured to receive from said detection device 7, 71, 72 a signal indicative of the detected distance D and which is also configured to control the actuator assembly 4, 41, 42 so as to selectively move in a substantially vertical direction the movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 according to the detected distance D.
• control device of the machine 1 of the invention is configured to move at least the movable dispensing and directing device 21 upwards when the distance D detected by the detection device 71 is substantially less than or equal to a predetermined distance D x and to move the same movable dispensing and directing device 21 downwards when the distance D is substantially greater than said predetermined distance D x .
• the distance D detected by the detection device 71 is less than a predetermined distance D x , which can for example be the average distance in operating conditions between the moving machine 50 and the row of plants to be treated, as shown in Figure 1-3.
• the control device sends to the actuator assembly 41 (for example a linear actuator) a signal for the upward movement of the movable dispensing and directing device 21.
• the distance D detected by the detection device 71 is greater than the predetermined distance D x (for example - and according to the type of distance detection sensor used - this can occur due to the lack of the return signal to the detector or because the return signal is reflected by any body /object placed at a distance greater than D x ).
• the actuator 41 is piloted by the control device so as to reverse its motion, thus moving the movable dispensing and directing device 21 downwards. Consequently, the stream of nebulized mixture exiting the movable dispensing and directing device 21 is returned to the top part 101 of the crown 100.
• the control device can be configured to continuously receive from the detection device 71 the signal indicative of the detected distance D and to move - always continuously and through the actuator assembly 41 - the movable dispensing and directing device 21 according to the detected distance D, according to the methods previously described.
• control device can be configured to receive at predetermined intervals from the detection device 71 the signal indicative of the detected distance D and to continuously move, through the actuator assembly 41, the movable device 21 for dispensing and directing according to the detected distance D, always according to the methods previously described.
• control device can be configured to receive at predetermined intervals from the detection device 71 the signal indicative of the detected distance D and can be configured to discontinuously move the movable dispensing and directing device 21 according to the detected distance D.
• the control device gives the actuator assembly 41 a command to move the movable dispensing and directing device 21 by a predetermined distance upwards or downwards according to the detected distance D.
• the control device gives the actuator assembly 41 a further command to move the movable dispensing and directing device 21 by a further predetermined distance (equal to or different from the previous one) upwards or downwards according to the next detected distance D.
• the substantially sinusoidal trend of the nebulized mixture stream described previously is therefore approximated by means of a segmented trend along a broken line.
• the machine 1 for treating the crown 100 of tree crops comprises at least one stack 201 of dispensing and directing devices 2, 21, 82 positioned on one side of the machine 1 with respect to the operating travel direction of the moving machine 50.
• a certain number of these dispensing and directing devices 2 are fixed and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction towards the lower part of the crown 100 of the tree crop, while at least the dispensing and directing device 21 positioned at the top of said stack 201 of dispensing and directing devices is movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the dispensing and directing device 82 positioned immediately below the dispensing and directing device 21 at the top of the stack 201 is also movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the movement of the movable dispensing and directing device 21 occurs by means of an actuator assembly 41 operatively connected thereto. If a further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82 is present, its movement can occur through the same actuator assembly 41 or through a further actuator assembly (not shown) specific for the further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82.
• movable dispensing and directing devices 21, 82 these can be connected to each other operatively, for example through a mechanical connection, so that the movement imparted to one of them - for example to the movable dispensing and directing device 21 - from a single actuator assembly 41 is also transmitted to one or more of the others.
• the actuator assembly 41 can be provided with mechanical connections with each movable dispensing and directing device 1, 82, so as to directly control the movement of each movable dispensing and directing device 21, 82.
• the machine 1 further comprises at least one device 71 for detecting the distance D which is positioned on the same side of the machine 1 on which the stack 201 of dispensing and directing devices 2, 21, 82 is positioned.
• the one or more movable dispensing and directing devices 21, 82 are moved through the actuator assembly 41 controlled by the control device according to the signal indicative of the detected distance D received from the detection device 71, according to the methods previously described.
• the machine 1 for treating the crown 100 of tree crops has a first 201 and a second 202 stack of dispensing and directing devices 2, 21, 22, 82 which are respectively positioned on a first side and a second side opposite each other of the machine 1 with respect to the operating travel direction of the moving machine 50, each stack being intended for treating a respective row of tree crops, opposite each other.
• the first stack 201 comprises one or more fixed dispensing and directing devices 2 which are oriented in a substantially horizontal direction towards the lower part of the crown 100 of the tree crop and one or more movable dispensing and directing devices 21, 82.
• at least the dispensing and directing device 21 positioned at the top of said first stack 201 of dispensing and directing devices is movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the dispensing and directing device 82 positioned immediately below the dispensing and directing device 21 at the top of the first stack 201 is also movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the movement of the movable dispensing and directing device 21 occurs by means of a first actuator assembly 41 operatively connected thereto. If a further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82 is present, its movement can occur through the same actuator assembly 41 or through a further actuator assembly (not shown) specific for the further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82.
• the methods of movement and operational connection between the first actuator assembly 41 and the one or more movable dispensing and directing devices 21, 82 occur as previously described.
• the machine 1 further comprises at least a first device 71 for detecting the distance D which is positioned on the same side of the machine 1 on which the first stack 201 of dispensing and directing devices 2, 21, 82 is positioned.
• the operating modes managed by the control device occur as described above.
• the second stack 202 comprises one or more fixed dispensing and directing devices 2 which are oriented in a substantially horizontal direction towards the lower part of the crown 100 of the tree crop and one or more movable dispensing and directing devices 22, 82.
• at least the dispensing and directing device 22 positioned at the top of the second stack 202 of dispensing and directing devices is movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the dispensing and directing device 82 positioned immediately below the dispensing and directing device 22 at the top of the second stack 202 is also movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the movement of the movable dispensing and directing device 22 occurs by means of a second actuator assembly 42 operatively connected thereto. If a further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82 is present, its movement can occur through the same actuator assembly 42 or through a further actuator assembly (not shown) specific for the further movable dispensing and directing device(s) 82.
• the methods of movement and operational connection between the second actuator assembly 42 and the one or more movable dispensing and directing devices 21, 82 occur as previously described.
• the machine 1 further comprises at least a second device 72 for detecting the distance D which is positioned on the same side of the machine 1 on which the second stack 202 of dispensing and directing devices 2, 22, 82 is positioned.
• the operating modes managed by the control device occur as described above.
• control device is configured to receive from the first detection device 71 a first signal indicative of the distance Du detected by said first detection device 71 and to receive from the second detection device 72 a second signal indicative of the distance D12 detected by said second detection device 72.
• control device is configured to control the first 41 and the second 42 actuator assembly to selectively move in a substantially vertical direction at least the first 21 and the second 22 movable dispensing and directing device according to the detected distances Du and D12, respectively.
• the control device sends to the actuator assemblies 41 and 42 a signal for the upward movement of the respective movable dispensing and directing devices 21 and 22 (and possibly 82).
• the corresponding actuator 41 and/or 42 is piloted by the control device so as to reverse its motion, thus moving the movable dispensing and directing device 21 and/or 22 downwards. Consequently, the stream of nebulized mixture exiting the movable dispensing and directing device 21 and/or 22 is returned to the top part 101 of the crown 100.
• control device is advantageously configured to control the first 41 and the second 42 actuator assemblies independently of each other.
• the orientation of the movable dispensing and directing device 21 is such as to exceed the top part 101 of the crown 100 of the tree crop of the respective row.
• the distance Du detected by the corresponding detection device 71 is therefore greater than the predetermined distance D x and the corresponding actuator 41 is piloted by the control device so as to reverse its motion, thus moving the movable dispensing and directing device 21 (and possibly 82) downwards.
• the orientation of the movable dispensing and directing device 22 is instead correctly directed towards the top part 101 of the crown 100 of the tree crop of the respective row.
• the distance D12 detected by the corresponding detection device 72 is therefore less than the predetermined distance D x and the corresponding actuator 42 is piloted by the control device so as to continue moving the movable dispensing and directing device 22 upwards.
• the machine 1 thus allows to treat contiguous rows of tree crops by making the dispensing and directing devices positioned at the top of the opposite rows rise or fall according to the respective detected distances Du and D12 and according to the distance expected in the presence of the crown, which can be the same predetermined distance D x for both rows or can be predetermined distances D xi and Dx2 different from each other.
• This allows to effectively treat rows in which the tree crops have a non-uniform height within the same row, as well as contiguous rows of different heights, as well as rows located in non-flat terrain, for example hilly or terraced, such as illustrated in Figure 7.
• the machine 10 for treating the crown of tree crops of the invention comprises a vertical support 301 which extends upwards from a main body 30 of the frame 3 connectable to the moving machine 50.
• the machine 10 further comprises one or more movable devices 20 for dispensing and directing the treatment liquid which are positioned on the vertical support 301.
• this embodiment of the machine 10 of the present invention allows it to also treat rows facing those immediately adjacent to the machine itself, using the same principle of controlling the direction of the nebulized mixture stream.
• the machine 10 comprises two movable dispensing and directing devices 20 which are respectively positioned on opposite sides of the machine 10 with respect to the operating travel direction of the moving machine 50, each device 20 being intended to treat rows facing those immediately adj cent to the machine itself.
• the movement of the movable dispensing and directing devices 20 occurs by means of corresponding actuator assemblies 4 operatively connected thereto.
• the methods of movement and operational connection between each actuator assembly 4 and the corresponding movable dispensing and directing device 20 occur as previously described.
• the machine 10 further comprises at least two devices 7 for detecting the distance D which are positioned on the same sides of the machine 10 on which the movable dispensing and directing devices 20 are positioned. Also in this case, the operating modes managed by the control device can occur as described above.
• the control device sends to the actuator assemblies 4 a signal for the upward movement of the respective movable dispensing and directing devices 20.
• the corresponding actuator 4 is piloted by the control device so as to reverse its motion, thus moving the dispensing and directing device 20 connected thereto downwards. Consequently, the stream of nebulized mixture exiting the movable dispensing and directing device 20 is returned to the top part 101 of the crown 100.
• control device is advantageously configured to control the actuator assemblies 4 independently of each other, according to the distances detected by the corresponding detection devices 7, controlling the actuator assemblies 4 so that the nebulized mixture stream exiting the movable dispensing and directing devices 20 always remains around the top part 101 of the crown 100, as previously described.
• the detection device 7, 71, 72 is mechanically connected to at least one movable dispensing and directing device 20, 21, 22, 82 and follows it in its movement.
• the movable dispensing and directing device 21 can consist of a mouth 252 for emitting the nebulized treatment mixture, the stream of which is controlled through a deflector 251.
• the deflector is movable with respect to the frame 3 and is moved through the actuator assembly 41, for example a linear actuator.
• a device 71 for detecting the distance D with respect to the crown to be treated is also mounted on the frame 3, in a movable manner with respect thereto.
• the detection device 71 is mechanically connected, by means of a suitable mechanical member 90, to the movable part of the movable dispensing and directing device 21, in this case to the deflector 251, and follows it in its movement when this is actuated by the actuator assembly 41.
• the same principle applies when the detection device 71 is mechanically connected, for example, to a nozzle movable with respect to the frame 3.
• the mechanical member 90 can be of the fixed type or, as illustrated in Figures 1 la-11c, it can be adjustable so as to allow the relative angle between the detection device 71 and the movable part of the movable dispensing and directing device 21 to be varied, in this case the deflector 251. This allows an initial calibration of the system to be carried out in order to fix the detection direction of the detection device 71 according to the width of the cloud of nebulized mixture which is emitted by the movable dispensing and directing device 21, ensuring consistency between detection direction and area affected by the nebulized mixture.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Insects & Arthropods (AREA)
• Pest Control & Pesticides (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)

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Citations (4)

• 2023
  • 2023-04-20 IT IT102023000007782A patent/IT202300007782A1/it unknown
• 2024
  • 2024-04-19 EP EP24723403.2A patent/EP4698331A1/de active Pending
  • 2024-04-19 WO PCT/EP2024/060780 patent/WO2024218327A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

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