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US 9,898,012 B2Granted
Air assistance and drift reduction technology for controlled droplet applicator
AssigneeAGCO Corporation
InventorsJohn Peterson, Justin Bak, Jeffrey Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controlled droplet applicator (CDA) system comprising a CDA nozzle cup having an open end; a shroud covering all but a portion of the open end; and an air assist device disposed proximal to the open end, the cup and the air assist device separated by at least a portion of the shroud.
Claims11
A controlled droplet applicator (CDA) system, comprising:
- a rotating CDA nozzle cup having a circumferential lip defining an open end, wherein the cup is configured to disperse a circular fluid spray of droplet from the lip;
- a stationary shroud covering all but a portion of the open end of the cup, the shroud having a first aperture circumferentially adjacent the portion of the open end through which a portion of the droplets dispersed from the lip forming the open end of the CDA nozzle cup may pass;
- and
- an air assist device disposed proximal to the open end, the air assist device surrounded by at least a-portion of the shroud, the shroud having a second aperture through which an air flow produced by the air assist device is directed, wherein the air flow directed through the second aperture draws at least a portion of the droplets dispersed through the first aperture into the air flow.
1 more element
A controlled droplet applicator (CDA) method, comprising:
- causing a CDA nozzle cup to rotate, the CDA nozzle cup surrounded at least in part by a stationary shroud having a first aperture, wherein the shroud surrounds an air assist device;
- responsive to the rotation, dispersing droplets from a circumferential lip defining an open end of the cup, wherein a portion of the droplets are dispersed through the first aperture to a target;
- activating an air assist device disposed proximally to the edge of the cup;
- and
- responsive to the activation, providing from the air assist device a directed air flow that impacts the target, wherein the air flow draws the portion of the droplets that pass through the first aperture toward the target, wherein the air flow is directed by the air assist device through a second aperture in the shroud.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.