US-12623192-B2 - Plunger mixer device

US12623192B2US 12623192 B2US12623192 B2US 12623192B2US-12623192-B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a plunger mixer device ( 307 B, 309 B, 311 B, and 313 B) deployable within a hollow shaft injection drill bit system ( 305 B). The plunger mixer device ( 307 B, 309 B, 311 B, and 313 B) includes a motor ( 313 B), a piston ( 507 D), and a plunger motor assembly ( 403 C, 405 C, 407 C, 409 C, 411 C, 413 C, and 415 C). The motor ( 313 B) is connected to a feeder auger tip. The piston ( 507 D) is configured to be driven by the motor ( 313 B). The piston ( 507 D) is connected to a feeder auger ( 103 C, 105 A, 109 B, and 205 A). The plunger motor assembly ( 403 C, 405 C, 407 C, 409 C, 411 C, 413 C, and 415 C) includes a stacked series of panels ( 503 D, 505 D, and 507 D), and a plurality of motor shafts ( 311 D). The stacked series of panels ( 503 D), 505 D, and 507 D) has a plurality of ribbed panels ( 307 D) with a rib locking feature. One of the stacked series of the panel ( 507 C) is actuated by the motor ( 313 B). The ribbed panels ( 303 C) lock between each other when the ribbed panels ( 305 D, 307 B, 307 D, and 309 B) are spun into a fully formed deployment. The ribbed panels ( 303 C, 305 C, and 307 C), upon deployment, serve to mix wet and dry materials by subsurface hollow shaft drilling augers ( 103 A) ascending in communication with a feeder auger ascent and the subsequent descent.

Inventors

Mitchell J. NewDelman
John A. Sanders

Assignees

SUB-MERGENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220607

Claims (16)

1 . A hollow shaft injection drill bit system, comprising: a plunger mixer device; a hollow shaft injection drill bit; a motor connected to a tip of a feeder auger; a piston configured to be driven by the motor, wherein the piston is connected to the feeder auger; wherein the plunger mixer device comprises a plunger motor assembly, comprising: a stacked series of panels having a plurality of ribbed panels with a rib locking feature, wherein the stacked series of panels is actuated by the motor; wherein the hollow shaft injection drill bit system comprises a plurality of motor shafts having variable lengths; wherein one of the motor shafts of the plurality of motor shafts holds the stacked series of panels, wherein the plurality of ribbed panels lock between each other when the plurality of ribbed panels are spun into a fully formed deployment, wherein the plurality of ribbed panels, upon deployment of the plunger mixer device, serve to mix wet and dry materials upon an ascent of the feeder auger and a subsequent descent of the feeder auger.
2 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the rib locking feature creates a reversible interlocking of the plurality of ribbed panels to form a functional plunger surface piece in a round shape.
3 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plunger mixer device deploys one or multiple times upon the ascent of the feeder auger to push the materials out of the hollow shaft injection drill bit system.
4 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feeder auger descends then ascends such that constituents, nutrients, and/or trace elements are mixed and/or entrained at varying depths.
5 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises one or more AI robots to monitor a depth of the hollow shaft injection drill bit system, wherein the AI robot calculates a resistance by a drill time to determine the depth.
6 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the one or more AI robots comprise a camera, wherein the camera enables the one or more AI robots to compute a plurality of revolutions of the plurality of ribbed panels and determine a state of activation of the plunger mixer device.
7 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises: a plurality of sensors connected to a lead screw and drilling platform, the plurality of sensors are configured to measure revolutions and distance traveled, and one or more microcontrollers and a computer satellite dish (for cloud computing), the one or more microcontrollers configured to activate the motor and cooperate with at least one of the plurality of sensors to measure the distance traveled.
8 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of sensors are configured to determine depth.
9 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the one or more microcontrollers cooperate with the at least one of the plurality of sensors to dispense constituents at different depths by activating the plunger mixer device to mix and/or entrain the constituents at a selected one of the different depths.
10 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein prescriptive constituents are stored in the one or more microcontrollers.
11 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the motor has a variable speed depending on the constituents, wherein the variable speed creates entrainment of the constituents.
12 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein another one of the plurality of sensors measure soil moisture and references a ternary database of a soil type to control the deployment of the plunger mixer device.
13 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the another one of the plurality of sensors transmit measured data to the one or more microcontrollers.
14 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the another one of the plurality of sensors dynamically provide feedback of one or more levels of constituents, nutrients, and/or trace elements present in a soil and their levels at specific depths to the one or more microcontrollers.
15 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein constituents, nutrients, and/or trace elements are mixed within the hollow shaft injection drill bit by the plunger mixer device.
16 . The hollow shaft injection drill bit system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the plunger mixer device spins in one of the same direction as the feeder auger, an opposite direction of the feeder auger, a first direction while the feeder auger remains still, and a second direction opposite the first direction while the feeder auger remains still.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is generally related to a plunger mixer device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a plunger mixer device to expel constituents in a hollow shaft injection drill bit system. BACKGROUND The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions. With an expected world population of 9 billion by 2050, the need to produce more food and fiber is urgent. Irrigated agriculture is more productive, yet large amounts of water are required to maintain maximum yields. Agricultural science strives to improve irrigation management to minimize water inputs while optimizing crop productivity. Innovative irrigation management could help avoid negative environmental and economic consequences of over- or under-irrigation. Under irrigation affects crop quality and yield. Over-irrigation increases topsoil erosion and the potential of property contamination due to chemical flows. Water resource depletion could consequently increase a region's susceptibility to drought. Non-optimal irrigation can provoke losses to growers, to the local community, and hence, food security. European patent application EP1203522A1 filed by Hargreaves Jonathan William et al. discloses Ground injection, e.g., aeration, apparatus adapted to be mounted on or drawn by a tractor and comprising one or more tines reciprocated vertically by a crank and crankshaft-driven from a motor. Each tine defines an internal passage with outlet apertures. A piston rod connected to each tine and a cylinder have a piston that forces air into a reservoir and via a line into the passage. The mechanism is timed such that a pulse of air is injected into the ground through outlet apertures at the position of maximum penetration of the ground by each tine. Instead of air, a liquid or other gaseous substance may be injected into the ground where it is penetrated by each tine. The apparatus may include two or more rows of such tines and associated injection means. A PCT application WO 2020/020890 A1 filed by Reid Brian J et al. discloses a solid dosage form comprising biochar and at least one pesticide and/or at least one antimicrobial, wherein said biochar and said at least one pesticide and/or said at least one antimicrobial is homogeneously mixed in said dosage form and said dosage form does not have a layered structure. The invention also provides a method for preparing the dosage form, a liquid composition comprising the dosage form, and a method of controlling pests using the dosage form. However, none of these prior arts talk about targeted injection(s) at or below the horizon A and or below 30 cm from the surface. This specification recognizes that there is a need for an efficient and cost-effective plunger mixer device to expel constituents in a hollow shaft injection drill bit system. Thus, in view of the above, there is a long-felt need in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one having skill in the art through comparison of described systems with some aspects of the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application and with reference to the drawings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plunger mixer device is provided substantially, as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a plunger mixer device deployable within a hollow shaft injection drill bit system. The plunger mixer device includes a motor, a piston, and a plunger motor assembly. The motor is connected to a feeder auger tip. The piston is configured to be driven by the motor. The piston is connected to a feeder auger. The plunger motor assembly includes a stacked series of panels and a plurality of motor shafts. The stacked series of panels has a plurality of ribbed panels with a rib locking feature. One of the stacked series of the panel is actuated by the motor. The plurality of motor shafts has variable lengths to hold the stacked series of panels. The ribbed panels lock between each other when the ribbed panels are spun into a fully formed deployment, wherein the ribbed panels, upon deployment, serve to mix wet and dry materials by one or more subsurface hollow shaft drilling augers ascending in communication with a feeder auger ascent and the subsequent descent. In an aspect, the rib locking feature creates a reversible interlocking of the ribbed pane