US 12,461,084 B2
Soil analysis apparatus
Sandeep Nagesh Kondaji, Mangalore Karnataka (IN); Vishnuprasada V Bhat, Karnataka (IN); Vignesh Shanbaug, Karnataka (IN); and Rakesh Joshi, Karnataka (IN)
Assigned to Klonec Automation Systems Pvt. Ltd., Kamataka (IN)
Appl. No. 17/634,020
Filed by Klonec Automation Systems Pvt. Ltd., Karnataka (IN)
PCT Filed Aug. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IN2020/050702
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/028942, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0088751 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 33/24 (2006.01); G01N 21/77 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/24 (2013.01) [G01N 21/77 (2013.01); G01N 35/0099 (2013.01); G01N 35/1002 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A soil analysis apparatus (100), comprising:
an enclosure (10) defining a platform;
a provision (11) defined in an upper wall (13) of the enclosure (10) for introducing a soil solution of the soil to be analysed;
at least one reservoir (20,101) to receive and store the soil solution;
a plurality of storage containers (21a, 21b, 21c, 102) supported by the enclosure (10), each configured to store at least one reagent solution;
a frame member (30) supported within the enclosure (10), the frame member (30) is defined with a plurality of apertures, each configured to support at least one of a plurality of dispensing pipes, wherein at least a portion of the frame member (30) is configured as a reflective surface (33);
at least one pump (40) in fluid communication with each of the plurality of the storage containers (21a, 21b, 21c, 102), the reservoir (20,101) and the plurality of dispensing pipes to dispense a predetermined quantity of the reagent solution and the soil solution through a respective aperture of the plurality of apertures (32) into a receptacle (60);
at least one robotic arm assembly (50) mounted within the enclosure (10), wherein the robotic arm assembly (50) is configured to hold the receptacle (60);
a control unit (109) communicatively coupled to the robotic assembly (50) and at least one pump (40), wherein the control unit (109) is configured to actuate the pump (40) to supply the predetermined quantity of the reagent solution and the soil solution into the receptacle (60) through the respective aperture of the plurality of apertures (32) of the frame member (30), and
wherein, the control unit (109) is configured to selectively actuate the robotic arm assembly (50) to traverse the receptacle (60) within the enclosure (10) to receive the soil solution and reagents solution dispensed through the plurality of the dispensing pipes, and to perform a mixing operation to obtain a mixture of soil solution and reagent solution and to position the receptacle (60) about the reflective surface (33); and
an image capturing unit (104) positioned within the enclosure (10), wherein the image capturing unit (104) is configured to capture images of the mixture of the soil solution and the reagent solution in the receptacle (60) against the reflective surfaces (33).