EP3542907B1

EP3542907B1 - Sprinkler structure

Info

Publication number: EP3542907B1
Application number: EP18162876.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Chi-Han Cheng
Original assignee: Yuan Mei Corp
Current assignee: Yuan Mei Corp
Priority date: 2018-03-20
Filing date: 2018-03-20
Publication date: 2020-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-20
Also published as: EP3542907A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a sprinkler structure which contains a control bar configured to control water to flow into or not flow into the first gathering zone or the second gathering zone.

BACKGROUND

A conventional garden sprinkler is disclosed in US Patent No. 7258286 and US Patent No. 728714 , wherein each control element mates with a tube so that water flows out of a sole nozzle, thus limiting water spray. A sprinkler device is disclosed in WO 2010133236 A1 , wherein water flows out of a control bar on a peripheral side of the sprinkler device via a bend section of the sprinkler device, thus reducing flowing speed. To control water flow and leakproof function, at least four seal rings are arranged on the control bar, thus increasing moving resistance of the control bar.

SUMMARY

A primary aspect of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler structure which contains a control bar configured to control water to flow into or not flow into the first gathering zone or the second gathering zone, thus controlling a number of the multiple nozzle elements where water sprays out.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler structure which avoids water leakage out of the accommodation tube.
To obtain the above aspects, a sprinkler structure provided by a first embodiment and by a second embodiment of the present invention is provided according to claim 1.
In this manner, a single control element may control the water output of a plurality of nozzles. This is achieved either by having the control element controlling water entry to a plurality of chambers, each of which is connected to at least one nozzle, or by controlling water entry to a single chamber which is connected to a plurality of nozzles.
An example sprinkler structure contains: an accommodation tube, multiple water outflow zones separately defined on a middle section of a top of the accommodation tube, multiple grooved partitions arranged on two ends of the top of the accommodation tube respectively, multiple first water gathering zones and multiple second water gathering zones which are defined inside the multiple grooved partitions individually. Each of the multiple first water gathering zones has a first inlet defined on a bottom thereof and communicating with the accommodation tube, and each of the multiple second water gathering zones has a second inlet defined on a bottom thereof and communicating with the accommodation tube, the accommodation tube includes multiple first guide orifices arranged on a first peripheral side thereof, and the accommodation tube includes multiple second guide orifices arranged on a second peripheral side thereof, wherein each of the multiple first guide orifices is located below two sides of each first water gathering zone and communicates with the accommodation tube, and each of the multiple second guide orifices is located below two sides of each second water gathering zone and communicates with the accommodation tube, hence a control bar is rotatably connected and horizontally moves in each first guide orifice and each second guide orifice. The control bar includes an inflow chamber defined on a top thereof and includes a receiving portion formed on a side of the inflow chamber so as to house a stop element, such that the stop element abuts against a bottom of each first water gathering zone and of each second water gathering zone. The control bar further includes two seal rings accommodated thereon and individually abutting against each first guide orifice and each second guide orifice, and the accommodation tube further includes an elongated lid connected on the top of the accommodation tube so as to cover and separate the multiple water outflow zones, the multiple first water gathering zones, and the multiple second water gathering zones. The elongated lid includes multiple nozzle elements formed on a top thereof, each first water gathering zone communicates with one or more than one nozzle element, and each second water gathering zone communicates with one or more than one nozzle element.
A further example sprinkler structure contains: an accommodation tube including multiple water gathering zones so as to match with a control bar, each of the multiple water gathering zones having an inlet defined on a bottom of each water gathering zone and communicates with the control bar. The accommodation tube includes multiple first guide orifices arranged on a first peripheral side thereof, and the accommodation tube includes multiple second guide orifices arranged on a second peripheral side thereof, wherein each of the multiple first guide orifices is located below two sides of each water gathering zone adjacent to the first peripheral side of the accommodation tube and communicates with the accommodation tube, and each of the multiple second guide orifices is located below two sides of each water gathering zone adjacent to the second peripheral side of the accommodation tube and communicates with the accommodation tube, hence a control bar is rotatably connected and horizontally moves in each first guide orifice and each second guide orifice. The control bar includes an inflow chamber defined on a top thereof and includes a receiving portion formed on a side of the inflow chamber so as to house a stop element, such that the stop element abuts against a bottom of each water gathering zone. The control bar further includes two seal rings accommodated thereon and individually abutting against each first guide orifice and each second guide orifice, the accommodation tube further includes an elongated lid connected on the top of the accommodation tube so as to cover and separate the multiple water gathering zones, wherein each water gathering zone communicates with two or more than two nozzle elements, hence the inflow chamber and the stop element are pushed by the control bar to control water to flow or not flow into the water gathering zone, thus controlling a number of the multiple nozzle elements where water sprays out.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing exploded components of a sprinkler structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the sprinkler structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the sprinkler structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an amplified view of a portion of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the sprinkler structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is another cross sectional view showing the operation of the sprinkler structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing exploded components of a sprinkler structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view showing the assembly of the sprinkler structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the sprinkler structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a sprinkler structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises: an accommodation tube 10, multiple water outflow zones 11 separately defined on a middle section of a top of the accommodation tube 10, multiple grooved partitions 12 arranged on two ends of the top of the accommodation tube 10 respectively, multiple first water gathering zones 13 and multiple second water gathering zones 14 which are defined inside the multiple grooved partitions 12 individually, wherein a bottom of each of the multiple first water gathering zones 13 is flat and has a first inlet 131 defined thereon and communicating with the accommodation tube 10, and a bottom of each of the multiple second water gathering zones 14 has a second inlet 141 defined thereon and communicating with the accommodation tube 10. The accommodation tube 10 includes multiple first guide orifices 15 arranged on a first peripheral side thereof so as to define a first shoulder 151, and the accommodation tube 10 includes multiple second guide orifices 16 arranged on a second peripheral side thereof so as to define a second shoulder 161, wherein each of the multiple first guide orifices 15 is located below two sides of each first water gathering zone 13 and communicates with the accommodation tube 10, and each of the multiple second guide orifices 16 is located below two sides of each second water gathering zone 14 and communicates with the accommodation tube 10, hence a control bar 20 is rotatably connected and horizontally moves in each first guide orifice 15 and each second guide orifice 16. Referring to FIG. 4, the control bar 20 includes two fitting sections 21 respectively arranged on two ends thereof and fitting with two push elements 22, wherein each of the two push elements 22 has a column 221 extending therein so as to fit with each fitting section 21 of the control bar 20, and a notch 222 is defined by an inner wall of each push element 22 and an outer wall of the column 221 so as to connect with each first guide orifice 15 or each second guide orifice 16, hence the column 221 of each push element 22 is located between each fitting section 21 and each first guide orifice 15 or between each fitting section 21 and each second guide orifice 16, and the column 221 of each push element 22 separates a limitation space A from the first shoulder 151 or the second shoulder 161 so as to control the control bar 20 to move horizontally and to be limited by each push element 22. The control bar 20 includes a plane 23 defined on a top thereof, an inflow chamber 24 formed in a hole shape and passing through a middle section of the control bar 20, a receiving portion 25 formed on a side of the inflow chamber 24 so as to house a stop element 26 made of a flexible rubber, such that the stop element 26 abuts against a bottom of each first water gathering zone 13 and of each second water gathering zone 14. The receiving portion 25 includes a square coupling zone 251 formed on a top thereof, a connection section 252 defined on a middle section of the receiving portion 25 and its diameter is less than the square coupling zone 251, and a through orifice 253 defined on a bottom of the receiving portion 25 and its diameter is more than the connection section 252. The stop element 26 is square and is accommodated in the square coupling zone 251, and the stop element 26 has a foot 261 extending outwardly from a bottom thereof so as to fit with the connection section 252. The control bar 20 further includes two slots 27 respectively defined on two sides thereof so as to accommodate two seal rings 28 which individually abut against each first guide orifice 15 and each second guide orifice 16, thus avoiding water leakage out of the accommodation tube 10. The accommodation tube 10 further includes an elongated lid 30 connected on the top of the accommodation tube 10 and made of plastic material so as to cover and separate the multiple water outflow zones 11, the multiple first water gathering zones 13, and the multiple second water gathering zones 14. The elongated lid 30 includes multiple nozzle elements 31 formed on a top thereof, any two adjacent of the multiple nozzle elements 31 are obliquely and separately arranged on two sides of the top of the elongated lid 30, each first water gathering zone 13 communicates with one or more than one nozzle element 31, and each second water gathering zone 14 communicates with one or more than one nozzle element 31. A fixing plate 40 is mounted on the elongated lid 30, and a cap 50 covers the accommodation tube 10, wherein the fixing plate 40 includes multiple first apertures 41 formed thereon and corresponding to the multiple nozzle elements 31, and the cap 50 includes multiple second apertures 51 formed thereon and corresponding to the multiple nozzle elements 31, such that the multiple nozzle elements 31 respectively extend out of the fixing plate 40 and the cap 50 via the multiple first apertures 41 and the multiple second apertures 51. The fixing plate 40 is connected on the accommodation tube 10 in an ultrasound adhesion manner, and a tip of each of the multiple nozzle elements 31 is higher than a tilted peripheral side of an upper end of each nozzle element 31, two edges of the accommodation tube 10 are individually a water supply segment and a closed segment, wherein the water supply segment of the accommodation tube 10 is driven by a control assembly (not shown) so as to actuate the accommodation tube 10 to rotatably spray water at any angles.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the control bar 20 is pushed to each push element 22 on the first peripheral side of the accommodation tube 10 along each first guide orifice 15 and each second guide orifice 16 of the accommodation tube 10 so as to be stopped by the second shoulder 161, the inflow chamber 24 simultaneously communicates with the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13 and the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14 so that the water sprays out of each nozzle element 31 from the accommodation tube 10 via each of the multiple water outflow zones 11 and via the inflow chamber 24 of the control bar 20, the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13, and the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14, thus spraying the water out of each nozzle element 31 at a large area. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when each push element 22 of the control bar 20 is pushed to the second peripheral side of the accommodation tube 10 along the limitation space A until the stop element 26 stops the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13, the water does not flow into the first inlet 131, and the inflow chamber 24 merely communicates with the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14 so that the water gathers in each second water gathering zone 14 via the inflow chamber 24 and sprays out of each nozzle element 31 above each second water gathering zone 14. In the meantime, the water is isolated by each grooved partition 12 so that the water does not flow into each first water gathering zone 13 and each nozzle element 31 above each first water gathering zone 13 is closed, thus spraying the water out of each nozzle element 31 at a small area. Furthermore, the water pushes the stop element 26 from the accommodation tube 10 via the through orifice 253 of the receiving portion 25 so that the stop element 26 is pushed by a water pressure to matingly contact with the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13, thus avoiding water leakage. With reference to FIG. 6, when each push element 22 of the control bar 20 is further pushed to be stopped by the first shoulder 151 of the multiple first guide orifices 15, the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13 and the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14 are closed by the stop element 26 so as to stop the water, hence each nozzle element 31 of the first water gathering zone 13 and of the second water gathering zone 14 is closed so as to spray the water in a smaller area. Preferably, the stop element 26 is pushed by the water pressure to matingly contact with the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13 and the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14 so as to prevent the water flowing into each first water gathering zone 13 and each second water gathering zone 14. The receiving portion 25 of the control bar 20 accommodates the stop element 26, and the inflow chamber 24 communicates with the first inlet 131 of each first water gathering zone 13 and the second inlet 141 of each second water gathering zone 14 so as to control a number of the multiple nozzle elements 31 where the water sprays out.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in a second embodiment, the accommodation tube 10 does not include the multiple grooved partitions 12 of the first embodiment and includes multiple water gathering zones 13', each of the multiple water gathering zones 13' has an inlet 131' defined on a bottom thereof and matching with the control bar 20, and each water gathering zone 13' communicates with two or more than two nozzle elements 31, when the control bar 20 is pushed to the first peripheral side of the accommodation tube 10 until the inflow chamber 24 communicates with the inlet 131' of each water gathering zone 13', the water sprays out of each nozzle element 31 of each water outflow zone 11 from the water supply segment 101 of the accommodation tube 10, and the water flows into each water gathering zone 13' so as to spray out of each nozzle element 31' of each water gathering zone 13' from the inlet 131' via the inflow chamber 24 of the control bar 20, hence the water sprays out of each nozzle element 31' in a large area. As shown in FIG. 9, when the each push element 22 of the control bar 20 is pushed to the second peripheral side of the accommodation tube 10, each water gathering zone 13' is closed by the stop element 26 so that when the water is stopped flowing into each water gathering zone 13', each nozzle element 31 of each water gathering zone 13' is closed, thus spraying the water in a small area.
Having described the invention in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments thereof, the articles "a", "an", "the" and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

A sprinkler structure comprising:
an accommodation tube (10), having first and second ends and a middle section, the accommodation tube (10) comprising:
a plurality of water gathering zones (13, 13'), each having a first inlet (131, 131') defined on a bottom of the water gathering zone (13,13') and in communication with the accommodation tube (10);

a plurality of water outflow zones (11) separately defined on a top surface of the middle section of the accommodation tube (10);

a plurality of first guide orifices (15) arranged on a first peripheral side of the accommodation tube (10), located below each water gathering zone (13,13') and in communication with an internal of the accommodation tube (10);

a plurality of second guide orifices (16) arranged on a second, opposite, peripheral side of the accommodation tube (10), located below each water gathering zone (13,13') in communication with the internal of the accommodation tube (10)

a plurality of control bars (20) each slidably mounted in one of the plurality of first guide orifices (15) and one of the plurality of second guide orifices (16), and each control bar (20) comprising:
an inflow chamber (24) defined on a top surface of the control bar (20);

a receiving portion (25) formed adjacent to the inflow chamber (24);

a square coupling zone (251) formed on a top of the receiving portion (25) and having a diameter;

a connection section (252) defined on a middle section of the receiving portion (25), having a diameter less than the diameter of the square coupling zone (251);

a through orifice (253) defined on a bottom of the receiving portion (25), having a diameter greater than the diameter of the connection section (252) ;

the sprinkler structure further comprising a plurality of stop elements (26), each received in a receiving portion (25) of the plurality of control bars (20), each stop element (26) comprising a square portion received in the square coupling zone (251) and a foot (261) extending from the square portion to fit with the connection section (252);

an elongated lid (30) connectable to the top surface of the accommodation tube (10) for covering and separating the water outflow zones (11), the elongated lid (30) comprising a plurality of nozzle elements (31) formed on a top thereof,
wherein:
each water gathering zone (13,13') is in communication with one or more nozzle elements (31) of the plurality of nozzle elements (31);

each control bar (20) is horizontally slidable between a plurality of positions comprising:
a first position where the inflow chamber (24) is aligned with the respective first inlet (131,131') for allowing water to flow therethrough; and

a second position where the stop element (26) is aligned with the respective first inlet (131,131') and abuts a bottom surface of the respective water gathering zone (13,13') for preventing water flowing therethrough.
The sprinkler structure according to claim 1, wherein the accommodation tube (10) further comprises:
a plurality of second water gathering zones (14), individually defined and respectively separated from the plurality of first water gathering zones (13) by a plurality of grooved partitions (12) arranged on a top surface of the first and second ends of the accommodation tube (10), each second water gathering zone (14) having a second inlet (141) defined on a bottom of the second water gathering zone (14) in communication with the accommodation tube (10);

wherein:
the second water gathering zones (14) are covered and separated by the elongated lid (30), such that each second water gathering zone (14) is in communication with one or more nozzle elements (31);

in the second position, the stop element (26) is aligned with the respective second inlet (141) and abuts a bottom surface of the respective second water gathering zone (14) for preventing water flowing therethrough; and

in the first position, the inflow chamber (24) is aligned with the respective second inlet (141) for allowing water to flow therethrough.
The sprinkler structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of positions further comprises:
a third position where the stop element (26) is aligned with the respective first inlet (131') and the inflow chamber (24) is aligned with the respective second inlet (141).
The sprinkler structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a bottom of each water gathering zone (13, 14) is flat, and each control bar (20) includes a plane defined on a top thereof so as to match with the accommodation tube (10).
The sprinkler structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each stop element (26) is made of a flexible rubber.
The sprinkler structure of any preceding claim, wherein each control bar (20) includes two fitting sections (21) respectively arranged on two ends thereof and fitting with two push elements (22), each of the two push elements (22) has a column extending therein so as to fit with each fitting section of the control bar, and a notch (222) is defined by an inner wall of each push element and an outer wall of the column so as to connect with each first guide orifice (15) or each second guide orifice (16).
The sprinkler structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inflow chamber (24) of each control bar (20) is formed in a hole shape.
The sprinkler structure as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein any two adjacent multiple nozzle elements (31) are separately arranged on opposite sides of a top surface of the elongated lid (30).
The sprinkler structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein any two adjacent multiple nozzle elements (31) are obliquely arranged on opposite sides of the top surface of the elongated lid (30).