US 12,279,546 B2
Agricultural trench depth sensing systems, methods, and apparatus
Todd Swanson, Morton, IL (US); Dale M. Koch, Tremont, IL (US); and Michael Strnad, Delavan, IL (US)
Assigned to Precision Planting LLC, Tremont, IL (US)
Filed by Precision Planting LLC, Tremont, IL (US)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/818,039.
Application 17/818,039 is a division of application No. 16/254,247, filed on Jan. 22, 2019, granted, now 11,516,959.
Application 16/254,247 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2017/043565, filed on Jul. 24, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/491,707, filed on Apr. 28, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/365,585, filed on Jul. 22, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0381548 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. A01B 47/00 (2006.01); A01B 63/16 (2006.01); A01B 79/02 (2006.01); A01C 5/06 (2006.01); A01C 7/20 (2006.01); G01B 7/26 (2006.01); G01B 17/00 (2006.01); G01D 5/14 (2006.01); G01P 15/18 (2013.01)
CPC A01C 7/203 (2013.01) [A01B 47/00 (2013.01); A01B 63/16 (2013.01); A01B 79/02 (2013.01); A01C 5/064 (2013.01); A01C 5/068 (2013.01); G01B 7/26 (2013.01); G01B 17/00 (2013.01); G01D 5/145 (2013.01); G01P 15/18 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An agricultural trench depth sensing system comprising:
an implement frame;
a trench opener connected to said implement frame, said trench opener configured to open a trench in a soil surface of a field as said implement frame advances in a forward direction of travel through the field, said trench having trench walls extending downward from the soil surface to a bottom surface of said trench;
a seed firmer having a forward end connected to said implement frame and a rearward end extending rearward of said trench opener away from said forward direction of travel, said rearward end including a sidewall having a bottom end engaged with the bottom surface of the trench between the trench walls and an upper end extending above the soil surface, the sidewall including a plurality of sidewall sensors each spaced along the sidewall at a different predetermined vertical distance from the bottom end of the sidewall;
wherein at least one of said plurality of vertically spaced sidewall sensors is disposed vertically above said soil surface and wherein at least another one of said plurality of vertical spaced sidewall sensors is disposed between the trench walls;
wherein each of said plurality of vertically spaced sidewall sensors is configured to generate a trench wall signal upon sensing a presence of the trench wall laterally adjacent thereto;
a monitor configured to determine which of said plurality of vertically spaced sidewall sensors is generating the trench wall signal and which are not generating the trench wall signal, said monitor configured to calculate a trench depth based on the predetermined vertical distance between the bottom end of the sidewall and a lowermost one of said plurality of vertically spaced sidewall sensors that is not generating the trench wall signal, thereby establishing a top of the trench wall relative to the bottom end of the sidewall engaged with the bottom of the trench.