# US 12,766,540 B2 · System and method for performing rinsing operations on an agricultural sprayer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,766,540 B2 - Document ID: US12766540B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/209,796 - Filed: 2023-06-14 - Published: 2024-12-19 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-14 - Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: CNH Industrial America LLC - Inventors: Mitchell Sandey; Jose Batz-Alvarado; Steven Winkel; Nathan Paul Brooks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12766540B2 ## CPC - B05B 15/55: using cleaning fluids - A01M 7/0089: {Regulating or controlling systems (the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06)} - A01C 23/04: Distributing under pressure; Distributing mud; Adaptation of watering systems for fertilising-liquids - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - A01M: CATCHING, TRAPPING OR SCARING OF ANIMALS (appliances for catching swarms or drone-catching A01K57/00; fishing A01K69/00 - {A01K99/00}; biocides, pest repellants or attractants A01N); APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF NOXIOUS ANIMALS OR NOXIOUS PLANTS - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) ## Abstract The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for performing rinsing operations on an agricultural sprayer. The system includes a product tank and rinse tank configured to store liquids and a boom assembly including a nozzle configured to deliver liquid to a field. The system also includes a feed conduit configured to convey liquid to the nozzles, and a recirculation conduit configured to convey liquid from the boom assembly to the product tank. The system also includes a pump configured to pump liquid through the conduits. The system also includes a plurality of valves configured to regulate the flow of liquid through the conduits. The system also includes a computing system configured to receive an input to initiate a rinse cycle, control the valves to convey liquid through the recirculation conduit, and activate the pump during the rinse cycle such that liquid is conveyed through the system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for performing rinsing operations on an agricultural sprayer, the system comprising: a product tank configured to store a liquid agricultural product; a rinse tank configured to store a rinse liquid; a boom assembly comprising a nozzle configured to receive and deliver the liquid agricultural product to a field; a feed conduit extending from the product tank and the rinse tank to the boom assembly and configured to convey at least one of the liquid agricultural product and or the rinse liquid to the nozzle of the boom assembly; a recirculation conduit extending from the boom assembly to the product tank and configured to convey the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid from the boom assembly to the product tank; a pump arranged between the boom assembly and the product tank and the rinse tank and configured to pump the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the feed conduit and through the recirculation conduit; a plurality of valves, each valve of the plurality of valves arranged on the feed conduit or the recirculation conduit and configured to regulate a flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the feed conduit and the recirculation conduit, the plurality of valves comprising: a boom assembly valve moveable between an open position at which delivery of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid to the nozzle of the boom assembly is permitted and a closed position at which delivery of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid to the nozzle is prevented; and a recirculation valve moveable between an open position at which a flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through at least a portion of the recirculation conduit is permitted and a closed position at which the flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the at least the portion of the recirculation conduit is prevented; and a computing system configured for: receiving an input to initiate a rinse cycle; controlling an operation of the plurality of valves such that the rinse liquid is permitted to flow through the recirculation conduit from the boom assembly to the product tank in response to the input to initiate the rinse cycle, wherein controlling the operation of the plurality of valves comprises: closing the boom assembly valve; and opening the recirculation valve together with closing the boom assembly valve; and activating the pump for a duration of time of the rinse cycle while the boom assembly valve is closed and the recirculation valve is open, wherein the rinse liquid is conveyed through the feed conduit to the boom assembly and through the recirculation conduit from the boom assembly to the product tank while being prevented from being dispensed by the nozzle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the computing system further comprising: a user interface configured to receive an input from an operator of the agricultural sprayer associated with the rinse cycle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes one or more interface elements configured to receive an input from the operator that is indicative of a selected duration of time for the rinse cycle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface includes one or more interface elements configured to receive an input from the operator that is indicative of a selected number of rinse cycles to be completed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is a Human Machine Interface (HMI). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further configured for initiating a control action when the rinse cycle is complete. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural sprayer that the rinse cycle is complete. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the control action comprises deactivating the pump. ### Claim 9 A method for performing rinsing operations on an agricultural sprayer, the method comprising: receiving, with a computing system, an input to initiate a rinse cycle; controlling, with the computing system, an operation of a plurality of valves such that a rinse liquid is permitted to flow through a recirculation conduit from a boom assembly to a product tank in response to the input to initiate the rinse cycle, wherein controlling the operation of the plurality of valves comprises: closing, with the computing system, a boom assembly valve of the plurality of valves; and opening, with the computing system, a recirculation valve of the plurality of valves together with closing the boom assembly valve; and activating, with the computing system, a pump for a duration of time of the rinse cycle while the boom assembly valve is closed and the recirculation valve is open, wherein the rinse liquid is conveyed through the feed conduit to the boom assembly and through the recirculation conduit from the boom assembly to the product tank while being prevented from being dispensed by a nozzle of the boom assembly. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: initiating, with the computing system, a control action when the rinse cycle is complete. ### Claim 11 An agricultural sprayer, comprising: a frame; a product tank supported by the frame and configured to store a liquid agricultural product; a rinse tank supported by the frame and configured to store a rinse liquid; a boom assembly supported by the frame, the boom assembly comprising a nozzle configured to receive and deliver the liquid agricultural product to a field; a feed conduit extending from the product tank and the rinse tank to the boom assembly and configured to convey at least one of the liquid agricultural product and or the rinse liquid to the nozzle of the boom assembly; a recirculation conduit extending from the boom assembly to the product tank and configured to convey the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid from the boom assembly to the product tank; a pump arranged between the boom assembly and the product tank and the rinse tank and configured to pump the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the feed conduit and through the recirculation conduit; a plurality of valves configured to regulate a flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the feed conduit and the recirculation conduit, the plurality of valves comprising: a boom assembly valve moveable between an open position at which delivery of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid to the nozzle of the boom assembly is permitted and a closed position at which delivery of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid to the nozzle is prevented; and a recirculation valve moveable between an open position at which a flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through at least a portion of the recirculation conduit is permitted and a closed position at which the flow of the at least one of the liquid agricultural product or the rinse liquid through the at least the portion of the recirculation conduit is prevented; and a computing system configured for: receiving an input to initiate a rinse cycle; controlling an operation of the plurality of valves such that the rinse liquid is permitted to flow through the recirculation conduit from the boom assembly to the product tank in response to the input to initiate the rinse cycle, wherein controlling the operation of the plurality of valves comprises: closing the boom assembly valve; and opening the recirculation valve together with closing the boom assembly valve; and activating the pump for a duration of time of the rinse cycle while the boom assembly valve is closed and the recirculation valve is open, wherein the rinse liquid is conveyed through the feed conduit to the boom assembly and through the recirculation conduit from the boom assembly to the product tank while being prevented from being dispensed by the nozzle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The agricultural sprayer of claim 11, the computing system further comprising: a user interface configured to receive an input from an operator of the agricultural sprayer associated with the rinse cycle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The agricultural sprayer of claim 12, wherein the user interface includes one or more interface elements configured to receive an input from the operator that is indicative of a selected duration of time for the rinse cycle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The agricultural sprayer of claim 12, wherein the user interface includes one or more interface elements configured to receive an input from the operator that is indicative of a selected number of rinse cycles to be completed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The agricultural sprayer of claim 11, wherein the computing system is further configured for initiating a control action when the rinse cycle is complete. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The agricultural sprayer of claim 15, wherein the control action comprises notifying an operator of the agricultural sprayer that the rinse cycle is complete. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The agricultural sprayer of claim 15, wherein the control action comprises deactivating the pump. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the recirculation valve is a first recirculation valve, wherein: the first recirculation valve is positioned at the recirculation conduit; the system further comprises a second recirculation conduit positioned at the recirculation conduit between the first recirculation valve and the product tank; and the second recirculation valve is moveable to a closed position during operation of the rinse cycle while the first recirculation valve is in the open position to permit rinsing of a portion of the recirculation conduit up to the second recirculation valve while preventing the flow of rinse liquid from entering the product tank. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The agricultural sprayer of claim 11, wherein the recirculation valve is a first recirculation valve, wherein: the first recirculation valve is positioned at the recirculation conduit; the system further comprises a second recirculation conduit positioned at the recirculation conduit between the first recirculation valve and the product tank; and the second recirculation valve is moveable to a closed position during operation of the rinse cycle while the first recirculation valve is in the open position to permit rinsing of a portion of the recirculation conduit up to the second recirculation valve while preventing the flow of rinse liquid from entering the product tank.