AU722157B2 - An automated fluid supply apparatus - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Tae-kee Min

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: An automated fluid supply apparatus The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- 9 9.

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2 An automated fluid supply apparatus Background of the Invention The present invention relates to an automated fluid supply apparatus capable of automatically supplying fluid from a fluid source (underground water, tube well and the like) to predetermined multiple places. More particularly, the invention relates to an automated fluid supply apparatus including a multiplicity of delivery pipes provided from a fluid supply divider, a rotary plate defining a plurality of spaced openings, a number of valves provided within the fluid supply divider so that a number of fluid delivery pipes are selectively opened or closed and an opening and closing time can be controlled by means of selectively opening the valves of the rotary plate and, by rotating the rotary plate to a predetermined angle, able to completely automatically supply the fluid to the predetermined places in compliance with a required fluid supply quantity and a fluid supply time.

In general, in the case of supplying water to fields of multiple places by a single water pump, since not only magnitudes per unit area of the fields are different but also differences in water supplying quantities were made in accordance with characteristics of the fields, respectively different water supply controls were necessary.

Heretofore, in order to supply water of a predetermined amount to S. 20 such multiple places, many water pumps were provided and used, and it was cumbersome to have to frequently change a direction of a connecting hose of a discharge pipe corresponding to a place to supply the water by a single "water pump. In addition, it was difficult to construct a discharge pipe of the single water pump to be divided to multiple water delivery pipes. Still 25 further, not only was it impossible to selectively supply the water to divided multiple water delivery pipes but also the control of the water supply 9. quantity and the water supply time were difficult.

According to the invention, there is provided an automated fluid S supply apparatus which includes 30 a discharge pipe of a fluid pump in communication, via a fluid inlet, with an inflow chamber of a fluid supply divider; a fixed plate, arranged at an outlet end of the inflow chamber, in which a plurality of discharge holes are annularly disposed in spaced relationship, each hole being in communication with one of a number of water delivery pipes; 3 a rotary plate defining a plurality of openings, equal in number to the holes of the fixed plate, the openings being disposed in register with said discharge holes when the plate is stationary; valves associated with at least certain of the openings for opening and closing said openings; a rotary shaft to which the rotary plate is fixed; an internal end of the shaft, located in the inflow chamber, being urged by an urging means so as to be in close contact with the fixed plate; an angle detecting means arranged on the rotary shaft; a drive means for rotatably driving the rotary plate; and a control means for controlling a fluid supply quantity and fluid supply time from each delivery pipe.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a water supply divider of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a water supply divider of the present invention; Fig. 3 is an exemplary view of a side section of a water supply divider of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of another water supply divider of the present invention; Figs. 5(A) and 5(B) are respectively front and side cross sectional views of an angle detecting sensor of the present invention; Fig. 6 is an exemplary view of the water supply divider of the present invention, in use; t Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of a control device of the present invention; i.i,"Fig. 8 is a diagram of a configuration for controlling a control device of the present invention by a microcomputer; and Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a controlling configuration of Fig.

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Detailed Description of the Invention Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompany drawings.

Water of a water source (underground water, tube well 13 (Figure is drawn by a suction pipe 11 of a water pump 10 and is delivered to a discharge pipe 12. The discharge pipe 12 is coupled by a connecting pipe 21a to a water inlet 21 of a water supply divider 20 and is in communication with an inflow chamber 22 (Figure 2) within the water supply divider A number of discharge holes 25 are annularly disposed and closely arranged in a fixed plate located at an outflow end of the inflow chamber 22.

Each discharge hole 25 is in communication with one of a number of water delivery pipes 26. Openings 28, oppositely placed with respect to the discharge holes 25, are defined in a rotary plate 27. Valves 29 are provided for openably closing each opening 28.

A rotary shaft 32 is received in a centre hole 27a of the rotary plate 27 and in a centre hole 24 of the fixed plate 23. The rotary plate 27 is provided in a position abutting the discharge holes 25. An internal end of the rotary shaft 32, located at a position facing the inflow chamber 22, is urged by a spring 35 so that the rotary plate 27 is brought into abutment with the fixed plate 23.

An external end of the shaft 32 carries a rotary disc 37 having an angle detector 38 (Figure The detector 38 detects a rotating angle by means of a S 20 position sensor 39 arranged on one side of the detector 38.

A worm wheel 30 is provided at a periphery of the rotary plate 27 and engages with a worm gear 31. First and second reduction gears 40, 40' are provided on a shaft 31a of the worm gear 31. A stepper motor 41 and a motor brake 42 are connected to each other and to the reduction gears 40,40'. The water pump 10 and the stepper motor 41 are operated via a configuration circuit of a control circuit 50 as shown in Fig. 7 so that the water supply quantity and the water supply time are controlled. That is, the control circuit 50 governs an operating time of the water pump 10, a rotating angle of the stepper motor 41 by means of the position sensor 39 and the motor brake 42 as 'well as a delay time and the like, so that the water supply quantity and the water supply time of each water delivery pipe 26 can be automatically controlled.

A fixed plate 43 is coupled by bolts 45 to the water inlet 21 portion of the water supply divider 20. A filtering mesh 44 is provided in the inflow chamber 22 inwardly of the fixed plate 43 so that foreign substances entrained in inflowing water from the water inlet 21 is filtered.

A transparent water collector 46 is provided below the plate 43 to collect the foreign substances.

A transparent window 47 is attached by bolts 48 to a side wall of the water supply divider 20 so that an interior of the inflow chamber is visible or it is used for screw coupling of the valves.

In another embodiment of the invention, another method for rotating the rotary plate 27 is shown in Fig. 4. The first and second reduction gears 40,40', the stepper motor 41 and the motor brake 42 are connected in turn to the shaft 32 of the rotary plate 27 so as to be able to rotate the shaft 32 by a direct drive power transfer.

Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 illustrate a control circuit of the invention. The control circuit includes a microcomputer 60, into which the water supply quantity and the water supply time of each water delivery pipe 26 are entered by a key input 61. These are displayed on a display 62. Data entered into the microcomputer 60 are calculated, and then a driving signal for the stepper motor 41 and the water pump 10, using information provided by the position sensor 39, is generated by the microcomputer In the drawings, reference numeral symbol 26a (Figure 6) is a connecting pipe, reference numeral 33 is a bearing, reference numeral 34 is an oil chamber, reference numeral 36 is a nut, reference numeral 45 is a bolt, and symbol F (Figure 6) represents a field.

The operation of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

In accordance with the present invention, as illustrated in Fig. 6, in order to supply water from the water source (underground water, tube well 13) to multiple fields F, the suction pipe 11 of the water pump 10 is connected to the tube well 13 of the water source. The discharge pipe 12 of the water pump 10 is connected to the water inlet 21 of the water supply divider 20 of the present invention. A number of water delivery pipes 26 30 arranged on the fixed plate 23 of the water supply divider 20 are connected to the connecting pipes 26a so as to be able to supply the water to each field.F.

A number of the openings 28 formed in the rotary plate 27 are closed by the selective coupling of the valves 29.

The control circuit 50 establishes the water supply quantity and the water supply time according to the magnitude and number of fields F and controls operation of the water pump 10 and the stepper motor 41.

Water flowing into the inflow chamber 22 from the water inlet 21 of the water supply divider 20 passes through that opening 28, not closed by its associated valve 29, in the rotary plate 27 and the discharge pipe 26 in communication therewith. The water is supplied at a rate sufficient to irrigate the field F. When the irrigation has been completed, the stepper motor 41 is operated by the control circuit 50. The motor 41 rotates the worm wheel 30 of the rotary plate 27 engaged with the worm gear 31 to supply the water to the field F associated with the following water delivery pipe 26.

Foreign substances, such as sand and the like, entrained in the water flowing into the inflow chamber 22 of the water supply divider 20 from the water pump 10 are filtered by the filtering mesh 44. The foreign substances are collected in the collector 46. As such, a substantially clear water supply is provided. When the collector 46 is full, it is conveniently removed, cleaned or discarded and replaced.

Regarding the rotating angle of the above described rotary plate 27, as shown in Fig. 5, the angle detector 38 of the rotary disc 37 coupled to the rotary shaft 32 is detected by the detecting sensor 39.

The motor 41 is braked by the motor brake 42 at the desired angle as determined by the control circuit 50. The rotational speed of the motor 41 is reduced by about 10:1 by the first reduction gear 40 and is then reduced by about 300:1 by the second reduction gear 40' facilitating fine angular rotation of the worm gear 31 by the motor 41.

Thus, water flowing into the inflow chamber 22 of the water supply divider 20 from the water pump 10 is selectively supplied (the status of the openings 28 being determined by the coupling state of their associated valves) to the water delivery pipes 26 and the rotary plate 27 is rotated by a predetermined angle by the detecting sensor 39 to effect sequential supply of water to the pipes 26. At the same time the water is supplied in appropriate 30 quantity in turn to a number of fields by a delaying operation, resulting in a more effective water pumping function. A completely automated water °supply is executed under control of the control circuit 50 whereby scientific farming can be carried out.

In the second embodiment, the further method of rotating the rotary plate 27, is shown in Fig. 4. The rotary plate 27 is rotated by mounting the reduction gears 40,40', the stepper motor 41 and the motor brake 42 on the rotary shaft 32 of the rotary plate 27.

As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the water supply efficiency can be improved by the configuration of the control device utilizing a microcomputer Thus, since the present invention can supply water to multiple places sequentially by using a single water pump and by controlling the water supply quantity and water supply time according to characteristics of each place, it has the advantage that a completely automated water supply function is provided, the wastage of water is reduced and a night time water supply can be effectively used.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims (4)

1. An automated fluid supply apparatus which includes a discharge pipe of a fluid pump in communication, via a fluid inlet, with an inflow chamber of a fluid supply divider; a fixed plate, arranged at an outlet end of the inflow chamber, in which a plurality of discharge holes are annularly disposed in spaced relationship, each hole being in communication with one of a number of water delivery pipes; a rotary plate defining a plurality of openings, equal in number to the holes of the fixed plate, the openings being in register with said discharge holes when the rotary plate is stationary; valves associated with at least certain of the openings for opening and closing said openings; a rotary shaft to which the rotary plate is fixed; an internal end of the shaft, located in the inflow chamber, being urged by an urging means so as to be in close contact with the fixed plate; an angle detecting means arranged on the rotary shaft; a drive means for rotatably driving the rotary plate; and a control means for controlling a fluid supply quantity and fluid supply time from each delivery pipe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drive means is arranged on the rotary shaft of the rotary plate so as to rotate the rotary plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein a filtering means is provided in the inflow chamber at an inner side of a fixed plate coupled to one side of the fluid supply divider and a collector is provided at a bottom of the filtering S- means.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the control means includes a key input means for entering fluid supply quantity data and water supply time data of each delivery pipe and a display means for displaying the data, the data being used by the control means to control operation of the drive means. An automated fluid supply apparatus substantially as described herein S•with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this eighteenth day of May 2000 Tae-kee Min Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F B RICE CO