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US 9,494,538 B2Granted
Agricultural moisture sensor with co-planar electrodes
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsAndrze J Kozicki, Michael Tuchscherer, Michael L. Rhodes, Jefrey S. Wigdahl, James J. Phelan, Brian J. Booth, Jerry B. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A moisture sensor that has a drive electrode and a separate sense electrode is described. Both electrodes have surfaces that face the sensed material and the surfaces are co-planar. The drive electrode receives an excitation signal and generates an electric field that produces a current in the sense electrode. The current is indicative of moisture in the sensed material.
Claims23
A moisture sensor, comprising:
- a drive component that generates a drive signal;
- a drive electrode coupled to the drive component and having a sensed material-facing surface, the drive electrode, when driven by the drive signal, generating an electric field;
- a sense electrode having a single sensed material-facing surface, the drive electrode and the sense electrode being structurally coupled to one another so the sensed material-facing surfaces of the drive electrode and the sense electrode are generally co-planar;
- a guard electrode disposed about the sense electrode, such that only the single sensed material-facing surface is exposed, wherein the guard electrode inhibits the electric field from reaching the sense electrode other than through the single sensed material-facing surface;
- and
- a sensing component coupled to the sense electrode and generating a sensing signal indicative of a current produced in the sense electrode by the electric field, generated by the drive electrode, reaching the sense electrode.
3 more elements
An agricultural machine that transports agricultural material, comprising:
- a material conveying mechanism defining a material area through which the agricultural material passes;
- and
- a sensor probe comprising:
- a drive electrode having a material facing surface facing the material area of the material conveying mechanism;
- a sense electrode having a material facing surface that is co-planar with the material facing surface of the drive electrode, wherein the drive electrode is configured to receive a drive signal and generate an electric field that produces a current in the sense electrode;
- and
- a guard electrode disposed about the sense electrode to inhibit the electrical field from reaching the sense electrode other than through the material area, and the sensor probe being mounted relative to the material conveying mechanism to generate a moisture sensor signal, based on the current produced in the sense electrode, indicative of moisture in the agricultural material passing through the material area of the material conveying mechanism.
4 more elements
A moisture sensor probe, comprising:
- a drive electrode configured to receive an excitation signal and generate an electric field based on the excitation signal, the drive electrode including a sensed material facing electrode surface;
- a sense electrode, having a sensed material facing surface that is coplanar with the sensed material facing surface of the drive electrode, and positioned relative to the drive electrode so the electric field produces a current in the sense electrode;
- and
- a guard electrode having a non-coplanar portion that is substantially non-coplanar with the sensed material facing surface, and being disposed about substantially all surfaces of the sense electrode other than the sensed material facing surface such that it substantially eliminates contributions to a flow of the electric field through the sense electrode other than through the sensed material facing surface of the sense electrode.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.