FR2757739A1 - Self=priming siphon, e.g. for watering plants or removing pools of - Google Patents

Abstract

The siphon consists of an inverted U-shaped tube (9) filled with a hydrophilic material and having its descending branch (8) extended by a tube (12) of smaller diameter than the siphon. When the end of the rising branch (10) is immersed in a container (2) of liquid (3) the liquid fills the siphon as far as the upper surface (11) of the liquid. It then continues to rise by capillary action until it passes the top point (30) of the siphon and passes down the descending branch and continues to flow as long as the outlet end of the extension tube (12) lies below the level of the liquid surface.The siphon tube (9) can be made from a supple material so it can be bent to the shape of the liquid container, or it can be rigid or semi-rigid, and it can contain an additional perforated tube inside the hydrophilic material or outside the siphon tube for a faster flow.The extension tube can be between 1 and 6 mm and preferably 4 mm in diameter, and can be equipped with a valve to regulate the flow

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the drip irrigation of apartment plants, without intervention for several days or several weeks.

The devices currently used for this purpose are very varied. We will cite for example - a device with a programmed electric pump which delivers plants water taken from a reserve - a porous cap screwed on a bottle that is placed upside down above the plant pot - a system ( US Patent 4,344,251) comprising two receptacles embedded one inside the other, the inner receptacle containing the earth, and the outer receptacle containing water, a wick connecting the water to the ground.

Known devices have the drawback of being complicated, expensive, unreliable and often complicated to implement.

The present invention aims to eliminate these drawbacks.

It makes it possible, with an extremely simple implementation, to deliver to plants, water drop by drop with the flow rate that we have chosen.

The means used is a self-priming system at a predetermined rate.

This device is produced in the following manner
A preferably flexible pipe is filled with a granular material, and closed at its two ends by hydrophilic filters.

The granular material can be sea sand with a particle size between 0.1 to 3 millimeters.

To use the device according to the invention, one of its ends (I) is placed in a container (2) containing water (3). This container, thanks to a support (4) is placed above the level (5) of the surface of the soil of the plant to be watered, on which the 2nd end of the device is placed (fig. 1).

The granular matter contained in the pipe acts as a wick: the water rises to the elbow (7), then descends along the slope (8) to exit at the end (6) and water the plant.

By way of nonlimiting examples, several embodiments of devices according to the invention will be described.

Example 1
A flexible plastic pipe with an inside diameter of 8mm, a length of 80 cm is filled with silica sand (sea sand) with a particle size of 0.1 to 3 millimeters, this sand being sufficiently compacted for the grains to become touch. Its ends are closed by hydrophilic material, for example of the cigarette filter type.

Placed under the conditions of FIG. 1, this device starts up on its own, and gives a flow rate of approximately V liters of water per day.

If the pipe has a smaller diameter of 6mm, the flow rate is much less, for example of the order of 40 ml per 24 hours, the device always remaining primed until the water reserve is used up.

It can therefore be seen that the invention has the great advantage of being able to deliver water to a plant with a flow rate provided in advance, and thus of being able to predict the time that the water reserve will last.

A person who leaves his home by abandoning his plants, for example for holidays, is thus guaranteed to have an adequate watering, which avoids having to resort to a third person to take care of the plants.

Example 2 The end (6) of the pipe through which the water flows can be extended by a porous pipe, also filled with sand. Thus the flow will not be at a single point, but over the entire length of the porous pipe. This will be used for watering elongated containers, such as planters.

The porous pipe can be made of textile or rubber so as to be flexible.

Example 3
The end (1) of the hose can be ballasted to more easily descend to the bottom of the water reserve.

Example4
The ends of the pipe may be provided with a lateral opening, itself closed by the filter, so as to reduce the risks of clogging of the inlet and outlet of the liquid.

For its marketing, the invention is offered in different diameters. The possible flows with each diameter are indicated on the packaging or on the pipe, so that the user can know the amount of water that it is necessary to provide in the reserve for the duration of his absence.

The user can be provided with additional information, such as for example a list of plants whose water requirements correspond to the flow rate of the pipe purchased.

Claims (5)

1 - Device for drip irrigation of house plants characterized by the fact that it consists of a pipe filled with granular material, closed at its two ends by hydrophilic filters.  2 - Device according to claim I characterized in that one plunges one of its ends (1) into a water reserve, the other end (6) being placed lower than the level of the reserve d water, delivering the liquid drop by drop to the plant. 3 - Device according to claims 1 and 2 characterized in that the granular material is sea sand (silica) with a particle size comprisc between 0.1 to 3 mm. 4 - Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized by the milk that the end (6) of the pipe is extended by a porous pipe which can also be filled with granular material. 5 - Device according to ia claim 1 characterized by the taist that Ic pipe filled with granular material is flexible.