SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING BOOM ASSEMBLY MOVEMENT OF AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYER

Abstract

The agricultural sprayer includes a frame and a tank supported on the frame, with the tank configured to store an agricultural fluid. Furthermore, the sprayer includes a boom assembly coupled to the frame and a plurality of nozzles supported on the boom assembly. Additionally, the sprayer includes first and second actuators configured to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame and an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators. Moreover, the sprayer includes a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the first actuator and the actuator control valve and a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the second actuator and the actuator control valve. In addition, the sprayer includes a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the right of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/151,921, filed on Feb. 22, 2021, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to agricultural sprayers and, more particularly, to systems and methods for controlling the movement of a boom assembly of an agricultural sprayer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Agricultural sprayers apply an agricultural fluid (e.g., a pesticide, a nutrient, and/or the like) onto crops as the sprayer is traveling across a field. To facilitate such travel, sprayers are configured as self-propelled vehicles or implements towed behind an agricultural tractor or other suitable work vehicle. A typical sprayer includes a boom assembly on which a plurality of spaced apart nozzles is mounted. Each nozzle is configured to dispense or otherwise spray the agricultural fluid onto underlying crops and/or field surface.

During a spraying operation, various field conditions (e.g., wind, bumps/divots within the field, etc.) may cause the boom assembly to move relative to the frame of the sprayer on which it is mounted. This unintentional movement of the boom assembly may, in turn, result in uneven deposition of the agricultural fluid onto the underlying field. Such uneven deposition of the agricultural fluid may result in portions of the field receiving too much agricultural fluid and other portions of the field receiving too little agricultural fluid, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the spraying operation. However, there are instances in which it may be desirable or necessary to allow the boom assembly to move relative to frame, such as when the position of the boom assembly is being purposely or intentionally adjusted.

Accordingly, an improved system and method for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer would be welcomed in the technology.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the technology will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the technology.

In one aspect, the present subject matter is directed to an agricultural sprayer. The agricultural sprayer includes a frame and a tank supported on the frame, with the tank configured to store an agricultural fluid. Furthermore, the agricultural sprayer includes a boom assembly coupled to the frame and a plurality of nozzles supported on the boom assembly, with the plurality of nozzles configured to dispense the agricultural fluid stored within the tank onto the underlying field. Additionally, the agricultural sprayer includes first and second actuators configured to adjust a position of the boom assembly relative to the frame and an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators. Moreover, the agricultural sprayer includes a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the first actuator and the actuator control valve and a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the second actuator and the actuator control valve. In addition, the agricultural sprayer includes a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits.

In another aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a system for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer. The system includes a sprayer frame, a boom assembly coupled to the sprayer frame, and first and second actuators configured to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame. Furthermore, the system includes an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators and a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators. Additionally, the system includes a computing system configured to control an operation of the stabilization valve.

In a further aspect, the present subject matter is directed to a method for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer. The agricultural sprayer, in turn, includes first and second actuators configured to adjust a position of a boom assembly relative to a frame, an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators, and a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators. The method includes controlling, with a computing system, an operation of the agricultural sprayer such that a spraying operation is performed. Moreover, the method includes determining, with the computing system, when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame. In addition, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame, the method includes controlling, with the computing system, an operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present technology will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the technology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present technology, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of a system for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram providing one embodiment of example control logic for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

In general, the present subject matter is directed to systems and methods for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer. As will be described below, the sprayer may include a frame and a boom assembly coupled to the frame. Furthermore, the sprayer may include first and second actuators (e.g., first and second hydraulic cylinders) configured to adjust the position of the boom assembly (or a portion thereof) relative to the frame. Moreover, the sprayer may include an actuator control valve configured to control the flow of fluid (e.g., hydraulic fluid) to the actuators. In this respect, the actuator control valve may control the extension and/or retraction of the actuators, thereby allowing adjustment of the position of the boom assembly. Additionally, the sprayer may include first and second fluid conduits fluidly coupled between the actuator control valve and the first and second actuators, respectively.

In several embodiments, a computing system may be configured to control the operation of a stabilization valve to control the flow of the fluid between the first and second actuators. More specifically, the computing system may determine when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame. For example, the actuator control valve may be used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame when an automatic adjustment mode in which the position of the boom assembly is automatically adjusted relative to the sprayer frame has been activated. In this respect, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the computing system may control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the stabilization valve is moved to a closed position. When in the closed position, the stabilization valve occludes or prevents fluid flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits. Conversely, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the computing system may control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the stabilization valve is moved to an opened position. When in the opened position, the stabilization valve permits fluid flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits, thereby allowing adjustment of the position of the boom assembly.

Controlling the flow of fluid between the first and second actuators with the stabilization valve improves the operation of the sprayer. More specifically, when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly (i.e., the position of the boom assembly is being purposely/intentionally adjusted), it is generally necessary to allow fluid to flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits. In this respect, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the stabilization valve is opened to allow such adjustments. Conversely, when the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly (i.e., the position of the boom assembly is not being purposely/intentionally adjusted), it is desirable to prevent fluid flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits. This may, in turn, prevent unwanted boom assembly movement caused by wind, bumps/divots in the field, and/or the like during a spraying operation, which may result low spray quality (e.g., uneven spray deposition). As such, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the stabilization valve is closed to prevent such unwanted boom assembly movement.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of an agricultural sprayer 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the agricultural sprayer 10 is configured as a self-propelled agricultural sprayer. However, in alternative embodiments, the agricultural sprayer 10 may be configured as any other suitable agricultural vehicle that dispenses an agricultural fluid (e.g., a pesticide or a nutrient) while traveling across a field, such as an agricultural tractor and an associated implement (e.g., a towable sprayer, an inter-seeder, a side-dresser, and/or the like).

As shown in FIG. 1, the agricultural sprayer 10 includes a frame or chassis 12 configured to support or couple to a plurality of components. For example, a pair of steerable front wheels 14 and a pair of driven rear wheels 16 may be coupled to the frame 12. The wheels 14, 16 may be configured to support the agricultural sprayer 10 relative to the ground and move the sprayer 10 in a direction of travel (indicated by arrow 18) across the field. Furthermore, the frame 12 may support a cab 20 and an agricultural fluid tank 22 configured to store or hold an agricultural fluid, such as a pesticide (e.g., a herbicide, an insecticide, a rodenticide, and/or the like), a fertilizer, or a nutrient. However, in alternative embodiments, the sprayer 10 may have any other suitable configuration. For example, in one embodiment, the front wheels 14 of the sprayer 10 may be driven in addition to or in lieu of the rear wheels 16.

Additionally, the sprayer 10 may include a boom assembly 24 mounted on the frame 12. In general, the boom assembly 24 may extend in a lateral direction (indicated by arrow 26) between a first lateral end 28 and a second lateral end 30, with the lateral direction 26 being perpendicular to the direction of travel 18. In one embodiment, the boom assembly 24 may include a center section 32 and a pair of wing sections 34, 36. As shown in FIG. 1, a first wing section 34 extends outwardly in the lateral direction 26 from the center section 32 to the first lateral end 28. Similarly, a second wing section 36 extends outwardly in the lateral direction 26 from the center section 32 to the second lateral end 30. Furthermore, a plurality of nozzles 38 may be supported on the boom assembly 24. Each nozzle 38 may, in turn, be configured to dispense the agricultural fluid stored in the tank 22 onto the underlying field. However, in alternative embodiments, the boom assembly 24 may have any other suitable configuration.

During operation of the agricultural sprayer 10, the boom assembly 24 may move relative to the frame 12. Specifically, the boom assembly 24 may move in the vertical direction (e.g., the boom assembly 24 moves up and down relative to the field surface) and/or in the fore/aft direction extending parallel to the direction of travel 18 (e.g., the boom assembly 24 moves forward and back). For example, such movement may be caused by the wind, acceleration/deceleration of the sprayer 10, changes in field topography (e.g., bumps, divots, hills etc.), and/or the like. Unintentional boom assembly movement may, in turn, result in uneven deposition of the agricultural fluid on the underlying field. However, in other instances, the boom assembly movement may be acceptable or desirable, such as when the position of the boom assembly 24 is being actively adjusted (e.g., as part of an automatic adjustment operating mode of the sprayer 10). In this respect, as will be described below, the operation of various fluid components of the sprayer 10 may be controlled the sprayer 10 such that movement of the boom assembly 24 to allow purposeful or intentional movement of the boom assembly 24, while preventing unintentional movement of the boom assembly 24.

It should be further appreciated that the configuration of the agricultural sprayer 10 described above and shown in FIG. 1 is provided only to place the present subject matter in an exemplary field of use. Thus, it should be appreciated that the present subject matter may be readily adaptable to any manner of agricultural sprayer configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic view of one embodiment of a system 100 for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the system 100 will be described herein with reference to the agricultural sprayer 10 described above with reference to FIG. 1. However, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed system 100 may generally be utilized with agricultural sprayers having any other suitable sprayer configuration. For purposes of illustration, hydraulic connections between components of the system 100 are shown in solid lines while electrical connection between components of the system 100 are shown in dashed lines.

As shown in FIG. 2, the system 100 includes a plurality of actuators of the agricultural sprayer 10. In general, the actuators may be configured to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 (or a portion thereof) relative to the sprayer frame 12. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the system 100 includes first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104, which may be coupled between the boom assembly 24 and the frame 12. As such, extension and/or retraction of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 may adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 (or a portion thereof) relative to the frame 12. In such an embodiment, the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 may be controlled such that both cylinders 102, 104 are simultaneously extended or retracted. However, in alternative embodiments, the system 100 may include any other number of actuators, such as three or more actuators. In addition, the system 100 may include any other suitable type of fluid-driven actuators, such as pneumatic actuators.

Furthermore, the system 100 may include various fluid components that allow fluid to be supplied to the actuators. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the system 100 includes a reservoir 106, a pump 108, and an actuator control valve 110. In such embodiments, the pump 108 may be configured to generate a pressurized flow of fluid from the reservoir 106 for eventual delivery to the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 of the sprayer 10. Moreover, the actuator control valve 110 may be configured to control the flow of fluid from the pump 108 to the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104. In addition, the actuator control valve 110 may be configured to control the flow of fluid from the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 back to the reservoir 106. In this respect, by controlling the flow of fluid to and/or from the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104, the actuator control valve 110 can control the extension/retraction of the cylinders 102, 104. Thus, by controlling the operation of the actuator control valve 110, the position of the boom assembly 24 (or a portion thereof) can be adjusted relative to the frame 12 of the sprayer 10. In addition, the actuator control valve 110 may be configured to simultaneously control the flow of the hydraulic fluid to and/or from the first and second cylinders 102, 104 to allow these cylinders 102, 104 to be simultaneously extended/retracted. In alternative embodiments, the system 100 may include any other suitable number of actuator control valves.

Additionally, the system 100 may include various fluid conduits. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a fluid conduit 112 is fluidly coupled between the reservoir 106 and the pump 108 and a fluid conduit 114 is fluidly coupled between the pump 108 and the actuator control valve 110. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, a fluid conduit 115 is fluidly coupled between the actuator control valve 110 and the reservoir 106.

Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment, the actuator control valve 110 is fluidly coupled to the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via conduits 116, 118, 120. Specifically, the upstream end of the conduit 116 is coupled to the actuator control valve 110 and the downstream end of the conduit 116 is coupled to the upstream ends of the conduits 118, 120. In this respect, the conduit 118 may be fluidly coupled between the conduit 116 and a first chamber 122 (e.g., a cap-side chamber) of the first hydraulic cylinder 102. Similarly, the conduit 120 may be fluidly coupled between the conduit 116 and a first chamber 124 (e.g., a cap-side chamber) of the second hydraulic cylinder 104. As such, the conduits 116, 118, 120 may allow fluid to be supplied from the actuator control valve 110 to the first chambers 122, 124 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104.

Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the actuator control valve 110 is further fluidly coupled to the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via conduits 126, 128, 130. Specifically, the downstream end of the conduit 126 is coupled to the actuator control valve 110 and the upstream end of the conduit 126 is coupled to the downstream ends of the conduits 128, 130. In this respect, the conduit 128 may be fluidly coupled between the conduit 126 and a second chamber 132 (e.g., a rod-side chamber) of the first hydraulic cylinder 102. Similarly, the conduit 130 may be fluidly coupled between the conduit 126 and a second chamber 134 (e.g., a rod-side chamber) of the second hydraulic cylinder 104. As such, the conduits 126, 128, 130 may allow fluid to be returned from the second chambers 132, 134 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 to the actuator control valve 110 for eventual delivery to the reservoir 106.

In addition, the system 100 may include a stabilization valve 136. In general, the stabilization valve 136 may be configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators. Specifically, as shown, in some embodiments, the stabilization valve 136 may be configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first chambers 122, 124 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the fluid conduits 118, 120. For example, in such embodiments, the stabilization valve 136 may be fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit 118 between the first hydraulic cylinder 102 and the fluid conduits 116, 120. In this respect, when the stabilization valve 136 is at an opened position, fluid can flow between the first chambers 122, 124 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the fluid conduits 118, 120 (e.g., to allow purposeful or intentional movement of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12). Conversely, when the stabilization valve 136 is at a closed position, fluid may be occluded or prevented from flowing between the first chambers 122, 124 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the fluid conduits 118, 120 (e.g., to prevent unwanted or unintentional movement of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12). However, in alternative embodiments, the stabilization valve 136 may be fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit 120 between the second hydraulic cylinder 104 and the fluid conduits 116, 118.

In accordance with aspects of the present subject matter, the system 100 may include a computing system 138 communicatively coupled to one or more components of the agricultural sprayer 10 and/or the system 100 to allow the operation of such components to be electronically or automatically controlled by the computing system 138. For instance, the computing system 138 may be communicatively coupled to the actuator control valve 110 of the system 100 via a communicative link 140. As such, the computing system 138 may be configured to control the operation of the actuator control valve 110 to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 (or a portion thereof) relative to the sprayer frame 12 (e.g., as part of an automatic adjustment operating mode of the sprayer 10). Moreover, the computing system 138 may be communicatively coupled to the stabilization valve 136 of the system 100 via the communicative link 140. As such, the computing system 138 may be configured to control the operation of the stabilization valve 136 to control whether fluid can flow into the between the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104. Additionally, the computing system 138 may be communicatively coupled to any other suitable components of the sprayer 10 and/or the system 100.

In general, the computing system 138 may comprise one or more processor-based devices, such as a given controller or computing device or any suitable combination of controllers or computing devices. Thus, in several embodiments, the computing system 138 may include one or more processor(s) 142 and associated memory device(s) 144 configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions. As used herein, the term “processor” refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. Additionally, the memory device(s) 144 of the computing system 138 may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, a computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory RAM)), a computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disk (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory device(s) 144 may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s) 142, configure the computing system 138 to perform various computer-implemented functions, such as one or more aspects of the methods and algorithms that will be described herein. In addition, the computing system 138 may also include various other suitable components, such as a communications circuit or module, one or more input/output channels, a data/control bus and/or the like.

The various functions of the computing system 138 may be performed by a single processor-based device or may be distributed across any number of processor-based devices, in which instance such devices may be considered to form part of the computing system 138. For instance, the functions of the computing system 138 may be distributed across multiple application-specific controllers or computing devices, such as a navigation controller, an engine controller, a transmission controller, a spray controller, and/or the like.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram of one embodiment of example control logic 200 that may be executed by the computing system 138 (or any other suitable computing system) for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. Specifically, the control logic 200 shown in FIG. 3 is representative of steps of one embodiment of an algorithm that can be executed to control boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer in a manner that prevents movement of the boom assembly when such movement is desirable and permits movement of the boom assembly when such movement is desirable. Thus, in several embodiments, the control logic 200 may be advantageously utilized in association with a system installed on or forming part of an agricultural sprayer to allow for real-time control of boom assembly movement without requiring substantial computing resources and/or processing time. However, in other embodiments, the control logic 200 may be used in association with any other suitable system, application, and/or the like for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer.

As shown in FIG. 3, at (202), the control logic 200 includes receiving an input indicative of whether an actuator control valve of the agricultural sprayer is being used to adjust the position of a boom assembly of the sprayer relative to a frame of the sprayer. Specifically, in several embodiments, the computing system 138 may receive an input(s) indicative of whether the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12 (i.e., to make intentional or purposeful adjustments to the boom assembly position). For example, in some embodiments, the input(s) may include the current position of the actuator control valve 110, such as whether the actuator control valve 110 is at a position that allows flow to flow from the pump 108 to the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 or at a position that occludes fluid from flowing from the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104. Alternatively, the computing system 138 may receive the input(s) from any other suitable source, such as a user interface (not shown) and/or a sensor(s) (not shown) of the sprayer 10.

Furthermore, at (204), the control logic 200 includes determining when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame based on the received input. Specifically, in several embodiments, the computing system 138 may be configured to analyze the received input(s) (e.g., the input(s) received at (202)) to determine when the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12 (i.e., the position of the boom assembly 24 is being purposefully or intentionally adjusted). For example, in certain instances, the sprayer 10 may include an automatic adjustment mode in which the position of the boom assembly 24 is automatically adjusted relative to the sprayer frame 12. For example, in the automatic adjustment mode, the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12 may be monitored based on received sensor data. Thereafter, when the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12 falls outside of predetermined positional range, the actuator control valves (e.g., the actuator control valve 110) may be controlled to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 in a manner that returns the boom assembly 24 to the position within the predetermined range. As such, when the automatic adjustment mode is enabled (i.e., the sprayer is operating in the automatic adjustment mode), the computing system 138 may determine when the automatic adjustment mode is activated (e.g., based on the position of the actuator control valve 110). In this respect, when the automatic adjustment mode is activated, the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12. Conversely, when the automatic adjustment mode is not activated, the actuator control valve 110 is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12. However, in alternative embodiments, the computing system 138 may determine when the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12.

When it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the control logic 200 includes, at (206), moving the stabilization valve to its closed position. Specifically, in several embodiments, when the computing system 138 determines that the actuator control valve 110 is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 (e.g., at (204)), the computing system 138 may control the operation of the stabilization valve 136 such that the stabilization valve 136 is moved to its closed position. When in its closed position, the stabilization valve 136 prevents fluid from flowing between the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the conduits 118, 120. Thus, by occluding fluid flow between the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104, the stabilization valve 136 may prevent unintentional movement of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12 (e.g., due to wind, bump/divots, etc.), thereby improving spray quality (e.g., the evenness of the spray deposition) across the field.

Conversely, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly, the control logic 200 includes, at (208), moving the stabilization valve to its opened position. Specifically, in several embodiments, when the computing system 138 determines that the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 (e.g., at (204)), the computing system 138 may control the operation of the stabilization valve 136 such that the stabilization valve 136 is moved to its opened position. When in its opened position, the stabilization valve 136 permits fluid to flow between the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the conduits 118, 120. Thus, by allowing fluid flow between the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104, the stabilization valve 136 permits purposeful/intentional adjustments to the position of the boom assembly 24 to be made.

After the stabilization valve 136 has been controlled at (206) or (208), the control logic 200 may be repeated. That is, the computing system 138 may wait to receive a new input(s) indicative of whether the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24. Thereafter, the computing system 138 may execute the control logic 200 again to control the operating of the stabilization valve 136 in accordance with the new input(s).

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method 300 for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the method 300 will be described herein with reference to the agricultural sprayer 10 and the system 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3. However, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed method 300 may generally be implemented with any agricultural sprayer having any suitable sprayer configuration and/or within any system having any suitable system configuration. In addition, although FIG. 4 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of the methods disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and/or adapted in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 4, at (302), the method 300 may include controlling, with a computing system, the operation of an agricultural sprayer such that a spraying operation is performed. For instance, the computing system 138 may control the operation of the agricultural sprayer 10 (e.g., its engine, transmission, pumps, etc.) such that a spraying operation is performed.

Furthermore, at (304), the method 300 may determining, with the computing system, when an actuator control valve of the agricultural sprayer is being used to adjust the position of a boom assembly of the agricultural sprayer relative to a frame of the agricultural sprayer. For instance, as described above, the computing system 138 may determine when the actuator control valve 110 is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the sprayer frame 12.

Additionally, when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame, the method 300 may, at (306), include controlling, with the computing system, the operation of a stabilization valve of the agricultural sprayer such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between first and second actuators of the agricultural sprayer via first and second fluid conduits of the agricultural sprayer. For instance, as described above, when it is determined that the actuator control valve 110 is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly 24 relative to the frame 12, the computing system 138 may control the operation of the stabilization valve 136 such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between the first chambers 122, 124 of the first and second hydraulic cylinders 102, 104 via the fluid conduits 118, 120.

It is to be understood that the steps of the control logic 200 and the method 300 are performed by the computing system 138 upon loading and executing software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium, such as on a magnetic medium, e.g., a computer hard drive, an optical medium, e.g., an optical disc, solid-state memory, e.g., flash memory, or other storage media known in the art. Thus, any of the functionality performed by the computing system 138 described herein, such as the control logic 200 and the method 300, is implemented in software code or instructions which are tangibly stored on a tangible computer readable medium. The computing system 138 loads the software code or instructions via a direct interface with the computer readable medium or via a wired and/or wireless network. Upon loading and executing such software code or instructions by the computing system 138, the computing system 138 may perform any of the functionality of the computing system 138 described herein, including any steps of the control logic 200 and the method 300 described herein.

The term “software code” or “code” used herein refers to any instructions or set of instructions that influence the operation of a computer or controller. They may exist in a computer-executable form, such as machine code, which is the set of instructions and data directly executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller, a human-understandable form, such as source code, which may be compiled in order to be executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller, or an intermediate form, such as object code, which is produced by a compiler. As used herein, the term “software code” or “code” also includes any human-understandable computer instructions or set of instructions, e.g., a script, that may be executed on the fly with the aid of an interpreter executed by a computer's central processing unit or by a controller.

This written description uses examples to disclose the technology, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the technology, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the technology is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. An agricultural sprayer, comprising:

a frame;

a tank supported on the frame, the tank configured to store an agricultural fluid;

a boom assembly coupled to the frame;

a plurality of nozzles supported on the boom assembly, the plurality of nozzles configured to dispense the agricultural fluid stored within the tank onto the underlying field;

first and second actuators configured to adjust a position of the boom assembly relative to the frame;

an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators;

a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the first actuator and the actuator control valve;

a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the second actuator and the actuator control valve; and

a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits.

2. The agricultural sprayer of claim 1, wherein the stabilization valve is fluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit between the first actuator and the second fluid conduit.

3. The agricultural sprayer of claim 1, wherein the stabilization valve is in series with one of the first or second actuators.

4. The agricultural sprayer of claim 3, wherein the stabilization valve is in parallel with the other of the first or second actuators.

5. The agricultural sprayer of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing system configured to control an operation of the stabilization valve.

6. The agricultural sprayer of claim 5, wherein the computing system is further configured to control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits when the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame.

7. The agricultural sprayer of claim 5, wherein the computing system is further configured to control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is able to flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame.

8. A system for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer, the system comprising:

a sprayer frame;

a boom assembly coupled to the sprayer frame;

first and second actuators configured to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame;

an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators;

a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators; and

a computing system configured to control an operation of the stabilization valve.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing system is further configured to determine when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust a position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured to control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured to control the operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is able to flow between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits when it is determined that the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein, when determining when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame, the computing system is further configured to determine when an automatic adjustment mode in which the position of the boom assembly is automatically adjusted relative to the sprayer frame has been activated.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the stabilization valve is in series with one of the first or second actuators.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the stabilization valve is in parallel with the other of the first or second actuators.

15. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the first actuator and the actuator control valve; and

a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the second actuator and the actuator control valve.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the stabilization valve is fluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit between the first actuator and the second fluid conduit.

17. A method for controlling boom assembly movement of an agricultural sprayer, the agricultural sprayer including first and second actuators configured to adjust a position of a boom assembly relative to a frame, an actuator control valve configured to control a flow of fluid to the first and second actuators, and a stabilization valve configured to selectively occlude the fluid from flowing between the first and second actuators, the method comprising:

controlling, with a computing system, an operation of the agricultural sprayer such that a spraying operation is performed;

determining, with the computing system, when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame; and

when it is determined that the actuator control valve is not being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame, controlling, with the computing system, an operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is occluded from flowing between the first and second actuators via the first and second fluid conduits.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

when it is determined that the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the frame, controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the stabilization valve such that the fluid is able to flow between the first and second actuators.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining when the actuator control valve is being used to adjust the position of the boom assembly relative to the sprayer frame comprises determining, with the computing system, when an automatic adjustment mode in which the position of the boom assembly is automatically adjusted relative to the sprayer frame has been activated.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the agricultural sprayer further includes a first fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the first actuator and the actuator control valve and a second fluid conduit fluidly coupled between the second actuator and the actuator control valve, the stabilization valve fluidly coupled to the first fluid conduit between the first actuator and the second fluid conduit.