SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR POST-HARVEST CROP QUALITY AND PEST MANAGEMENT

摘要

A system for managing post-harvest crop quality and pests is described,1 the system including a plurality of remotely accessible gas sensing devices (102). The present invention provides that such a device (102, 201) comprises a plastic housing assembled from a cap (200) having a first threaded portion and a plurality of vents (206) to allow air passage into an environment-exposed compartment, an upper housing (202) having a second threaded portion, a third threaded portion, and an upper surface containing a sensor opening (305), and a lower housing (204) having a fourth threaded portion (212). The first threaded portion of the cap (200) mates with the second threaded portion (303) of the upper housing (202), and the third threaded portion of the upper housing (202) mates with the fourth threaded portion (212) of the lower housing (204), such that when assembled the cap (200) and the upper housing (202) define the environment-exposed compartment, and the upper housing (202) and the lower housing (204) define a sealed compartment. An electrochemical gas sensor comprising a sensor cell (306) and a sensor circuit board (308) is partially disposed within the sealed compartment and is fixed in a position abutting the upper surface of the upper housing (202) such that the sensor cell (306) protrudes into the sensor opening (305) to form a surface of the environment-exposed compartment. One or more upper rubber o-rings (302) are circumferentially disposed around a portion of the electrochemical gas sensor that protrudes into the environment-exposed compartment. A main circuit board (324) is disposed within the sealed compartment and communicatively coupled to the electrochemical gas sensor, the main circuit board having a plurality of mounted components respectively coupled to a battery (330), a reed switch (322), an antenna (319), and radio frequency (RF) circuitry (326). A magnet is disposed on a first plastic ring (208), this first plastic ring (208) being configured to rotate around the fourth threaded portion (212) of the lower housing (204) and disposed between the upper housing (202) and a second plastic ring (201), such that the magnet is arranged to interact with the reed switch (322) by the rotation of the first plastic ring (208).