US 11,678,600 B2
Seed trench closing sensors
Dale Koch, Tremont, IL (US); Jason Stoller, Eureka, IL (US); Todd Swanson, Morton, IL (US); Michael Strnad, Delavan, IL (US); Matthew Morgan, Peoria, IL (US); Ian Radtke, Washington, IL (US); Timothy Kater, Bloomington, IL (US); and Jeremy Hodel, Morton, IL (US)
Assigned to Precision Planting LLC, Tremont, IL (US)
Appl. No. 16/764,770
Filed by Precision Planting LLC, Tremont, IL (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 15, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/061388
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 15, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/099748, PCT Pub. Date May 23, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/672,993, filed on May 17, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/640,279, filed on Mar. 8, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/586,397, filed on Nov. 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0359559 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A01C 5/06 (2006.01); A01C 7/20 (2006.01); A01B 47/00 (2006.01); A01C 7/10 (2006.01)
CPC A01C 5/068 (2013.01) [A01B 47/00 (2013.01); A01C 7/105 (2013.01); A01C 7/203 (2013.01); A01C 7/205 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for sensing characteristics of a trench in a soil surface during planting operations, the system comprising:
a trench opening assembly configured to open a trench in the soil surface as said trench opening assembly moves in a forward direction of travel;
a trench closing assembly disposed rearward of said trench opening assembly to close said opened trench with soil as said trench closing assembly moves in said forward direction of travel;
an appurtenance disposed in said open trench rearward of said trench opening assembly and forward of said trench closing assembly, said appurtenance having a body supporting at least one sensor configured to provide characteristics of said trench,
wherein said at least one sensor includes a distance sensor disposed on said appurtenance body, said distance sensor selected from one of: radar, sonar, ultrasonic or LIDAR, said distance sensor measuring a distance from a rear of said appurtenance to an area of said trench closed by said trench closing assembly.