US 12,495,787 B2Granted

Hybrid complementary mechanical and unnatural illumination twin process for reduced seed germination viability

AssigneeGlobal Neighbor, Inc.

InventorsJonathan A Jackson, Mark J Elting, Patrick A Jackson

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A hybrid twin process uses an independent mechanical destructive process and an illumination process to change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability by illuminating a seed with at least one of 2 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. For the mechanical destructive process, high required applied energy, noise, wear, and difficulty treating impact-resistant seeds are avoided by modifying a driven load flow via increased capability of exposure to illumination and underdriving the mechanical destructive process. This can include randomization, rarefaction and enhanced circulation.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A hybrid beneficially complementary twin process to operate upon impact-resistant seeds(S) that are part of a harvest tailings load, to induce a change of state in said impact-resistant seeds to having reduced germination viability in a time under one minute, said twin process comprising:

[1] a mechanical destructive process so constructed, sized, and operated [a] to be operable upon said harvest tailings load and upon said impact-resistant seeds, and [b] to generate forceably a driven load flow in said harvest tailings load, said driven load flow so formed to increase capability of exposure of said impact-resistant seeds(S) to an illumination process, above a capability of exposure obtained without said driven load flow;
and wherein said driven load flow comprises at least one of rarefaction, randomization, and circulation of said harvest tailings load;
[2] said illumination process operable upon said driven load flow in said harvest tailings load, and so constructed, sized, oriented, focused, aimed, energized and operated to act upon said impact-resistant seeds [a] sufficiently to allow illumination to achieve a minimum of at least one of 2 Joules/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, and
[b] sufficient, along with said increased capability of exposure, to allow illumination to create a twin process harvest tailings load discharge that possesses a lower germination viability than if created without said illumination process energized.

1 more element

A harvest tailings mill using a hybrid beneficially complementary twin process to act upon a harvest tailings load containing impact-resistant seeds, said harvest tailings mill comprising:

[1] a process housing adapted and constructed for accepting said harvest tailings load containing said impact-resistant seeds, and so designed to allow during operation a driven load flow therein;
[2] a rotor so sized, shaped, bearingly retained and powered to perform a mechanical destructive process upon said impact-resistant seeds introduced via said harvest tailings load in said process housing;
said process housing and said rotor so further constructed, sized, and operated to generate forceably said driven load flow in said harvest tailings load, such that said driven load flow is so formed to increase capability of exposure of said impact-resistant seeds(S) to an illumination process, above a capability of exposure obtained without said driven load flow
and wherein said rotor and said process housing are so constructed to create a driven load flow that operates to comprise at least one of rarefaction, randomization, and circulation of said harvest tailings load;
[3] an illuminator operable upon said driven load flow, and so constructed, sized, oriented, focused, aimed and operated to act upon said impact-resistant seeds to allow illumination access
[a] sufficient to allow illumination to achieve a minimum of at least one of 2 Joules/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.2 W/cm2 irradiance, but no more than 7 W/cm2 average irradiance, of a light wavelength distribution comprising at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID) and infrared radiation that is substantially Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)) radiation, and
[b] sufficient to allow illumination to create a twin process harvest tailings load discharge that possesses a lower germination viability than if created without said illumination process energized.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/970,543Filed 20 Oct 2022
Published: US 2024/0130351 A125 Apr 2024
Granted: 16 Dec 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A01M 21/00
Apparatus for the destruction of unwanted vegetation
A01F 12/40
Parts or details of threshing apparatus: arrangements of straw crushers or cutters
B01J 19/128
Incoherent waves: infrared light
B02C 9/04
Other milling methods or mills specially adapted for grain: systems or sequences of operations; Plant