JP2020078259A - Agriculture water supply tap, agriculture water supply device and agriculture water supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an agriculture water supply tap which can allow easy maintenance even when a foreign matter is clogged.SOLUTION: An agriculture water supply tap 12 comprises: a valve box 20 having a water discharge port 26; a valve body 32 capable of opening and closing a water passage in the valve box; and a splash prevention cover 36 preventing service water discharged from the water discharge port from scattering. The splash prevention cover is formed capable of being an exposure state exposing the water discharge port in addition to a splash prevention state where the water discharge port is covered from outside to prevent service water from scattering.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an agricultural water tap, an agricultural water supply apparatus, and an agricultural water supply system, and more particularly, for example, an agricultural water tap, an agricultural water supply apparatus, and an agricultural water supply system for supplying water from a water pipeline to a field. Regarding

  Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a conventional agricultural water supply device. In the technique of Patent Document 1, it is possible to perform water management in a field by remote control or automatic control by mounting an electric actuator that drives the water tap (water supply valve) on the water tap.

JP, 2017-193914, A

  Water used for agriculture often contains foreign substances such as grass, straw, and aquatic small animals such as crayfish. For this reason, when water is discharged, foreign matter may be caught or entangled with the column portion or the valve body between the spouts of the water faucet, and the water faucet may cause a malfunction such as a water stop defect.

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the periphery of the water outlet of the water tap is covered with the scattering prevention cover. Therefore, in order to remove the foreign matter, it is necessary to remove and reattach the scattering prevention cover each time (removal work), which requires time and effort for maintenance. In particular, in the case of a water supply device in which an electric actuator is mounted on a water tap, not only the operation of attaching and detaching the splash prevention cover but also the operation of attaching and detaching the electric actuator is required, which requires a great deal of labor.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a novel agricultural faucet, agricultural water supply apparatus and agricultural water supply system.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural water faucet, an agricultural water supply device, and an agricultural water supply system that can easily perform maintenance even if foreign matter is clogged.

  A first invention is an agricultural water faucet for supplying water to an agricultural field, which is formed in a valve box, a valve body capable of opening and closing a water passage in the valve box, and a valve box. For agricultural use, it has a spout that discharges to the outside and a splash prevention cover that is attached to the valve box and that can cover the spout from the outside to prevent splashing of the water and the spatter prevention cover that exposes the spout. It is a water tap.

  In the first invention, the agricultural water faucet controls water supply from a water pipeline to a field, and includes a valve box and a valve body capable of opening and closing a water passage in the valve box. The valve box is formed with a water outlet that discharges the water that has flowed into the valve box to the outside. Further, the valve box is provided with a splash prevention cover for preventing the splash of the water discharged from the water outlet. The splash prevention cover is formed so as to have an exposed state in which the spout is exposed, in addition to a splash prevention state in which the spout is covered from the outside to prevent splash of the water.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the splash prevention cover can be exposed to expose the spout, that is, the spout can be exposed without removing the splash prevention cover. Even if it is clogged, maintenance can be performed easily.

  A second invention is according to the first invention, and the scattering prevention cover has a cylindrical side wall that can be folded in the axial direction, and is exposed when the side wall is folded.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the shatterproof cover can be exposed with a simple configuration and operation.

  A third aspect of the present invention is an agricultural water supply device for supplying water to a field, which is mounted on an agricultural water faucet according to the first or second aspect of the invention and the agricultural water faucet. It is an agricultural water supply apparatus provided with the electric actuator which drives the valve body of a water tap.

  According to the third aspect, the scattering prevention cover can be in an exposed state in which the water outlet is exposed. Therefore, the water spout can be exposed without removing the shatterproof cover and the electric actuator, so that even if the agricultural water faucet is clogged with foreign matter, maintenance can be easily performed.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is an agricultural water supply system for supplying water to an agricultural field, wherein the agricultural water supply device according to the third aspect of the invention is attached to an upper end portion of a rising pipe portion of a water pipeline in the agricultural field. , An agricultural water supply system.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the same effect as the third aspect of the invention can be obtained, and the spout can be exposed without removing the splash prevention cover and the electric actuator, so that the agricultural faucet is temporarily clogged with foreign matter. Also, maintenance can be easily performed.

  According to this invention, the spatter prevention cover can be exposed to expose the spout, that is, the spout can be exposed without removing the spatter cover, so that the agricultural faucet is temporarily clogged with foreign matter. However, maintenance can be performed easily.

  The above-mentioned objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments below with reference to the drawings.

It is an illustration figure which shows the water supply system for agriculture which is one Example of this invention. It is an illustration figure which shows the water supply apparatus for agriculture with which the water supply system for agriculture is equipped. It is an illustration figure which shows the agricultural water faucet with which the agricultural water supply apparatus is equipped, (A) shows the external appearance of the agricultural water faucet when a scattering prevention cover is a scattering prevention state, (B) at that time. A cross section of an agricultural faucet is shown. It is an illustration figure which shows the internal structure of the electric actuator with which the water supply apparatus for agriculture is equipped. It is an illustration figure which shows the water tap for agriculture when a scattering prevention cover is an exposed state, (A) shows the external appearance of the water tap for agriculture, (B) shows the cross section of the water tap for agriculture. It is an illustration figure which shows the water tap for agriculture which is another Example of this invention, (A) shows the cross section of the water tap for agriculture when a scattering prevention cover is in a scattering prevention state, (B) is, The cross section of the agricultural water faucet when the shatterproof cover is exposed is shown.

  Referring to FIG. 1, an agricultural water supply system 100 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “system 100”) that is an embodiment of the present invention supplies water from a water pipeline 104 to a field 102 such as a paddy field ( It is a system that controls water management) by remote control or automatic control.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 100 includes an agricultural water supply device 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “water supply device 10”) attached to an upper end portion of a rising pipe portion 104c of a water supply pipeline 104. The water supply device 10 includes an agricultural water supply tap 12 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “water supply tap 12 ”) and an electric actuator 14 mounted on the water supply tap 12.

  The water pipeline 104 is a waterway structure for transmitting and distributing water by a pressure pipeline, and is a main pipe 104 a buried so as to extend over a plurality of cultivated areas formed in the field 102 and a branch from the main pipe 104 a. And a branch pipe 104b extending to each cultivated area. A rising pipe portion 104c is provided at a downstream end portion of the branch pipe 104b, and the agricultural water supply device 10 is installed at an upper end portion (downstream end portion) of the rising pipe portion 104c. That is, the valve box 20 of the water tap 12 is connected to the upper end of the rising pipe portion 104 c, and the main body case 40 of the electric actuator 14 is installed on the water tap 12. Further, below the water supply device 10, a bottomed tubular water receiver 106 is provided so as to surround the upper end of the rising pipe portion 104c. The water receiver 106 receives the water discharged from the water outlet 26 of the water tap 12, and prevents the field 102 from being scraped. In this embodiment, the water receiver 106 is formed using a resin cap, and is fixed to the farm field 102 by a mortar 108 or the like.

  Hereinafter, configurations of the water tap 12 and the electric actuator 14 included in the water supply device 10 will be described. However, the specific configurations of the water faucet 12 and the electric actuator 14 are not limited to those exemplified below, and can be appropriately changed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the water tap 12 is a valve device for controlling water supply from the water supply pipeline 104 to the farm field 102. In this embodiment, a water faucet that is widely used and in which the valve shaft and the valve body move up and down as the valve shaft rotates is used.

  The water tap 12 includes a valve box 20 having a cylindrical top. The valve box 20 includes a cylindrical valve box body 22 and an annular plate-shaped bearing 24 provided so as to seal the upper end opening of the valve box body 22. The valve box body 22 is made of synthetic resin such as hard polyvinyl chloride, and has a nominal diameter of, for example, 100 mm and a height (axial length) of, for example, 200 mm.

  At the lower end of the valve box body 22, a socket-shaped connecting portion 22a is provided so as to open downward. The connecting portion 22a is used for connection with the upper end of the rising pipe portion 104c of the water pipeline 104, and the water from the water pipeline 104 flows into the valve box 20 through the lower opening of the valve box body 22. On the other hand, in the upper portion of the side wall of the valve box main body 22, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) rectangular water discharge ports 26 are formed so as to be arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. The side wall between the water discharge ports 26 is used as a support column 28 for supporting the bearing 24, the valve body 32, and the like.

  On the inner surface of the side wall of the valve box main body 22, there is formed an annular projection-shaped valve seat 30 having a water passage port 30a that connects the upper space and the lower space inside the valve box main body 22. The upper surface of the valve seat 30 (the water stop surface that contacts the valve body 32) is arranged at the same height as the lower edge of the water discharge port 26.

  A valve body 32 that opens and closes the water passage 30a by being separated from and in contact with the valve seat 30 is provided in an upper space in the valve box body 22 so as to be vertically movable. Specifically, a female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing 24, and a valve shaft 34 having a male screw formed on the outer peripheral surface is screwed into the bearing 24. A coupling portion 34a that is non-rotatably connected to a coupling portion 58a of a rotary shaft 58 included in the electric actuator 14, which will be described later, is formed on the upper end portion of the valve shaft 34. On the other hand, at the lower end of the valve shaft 34, a disc-shaped valve body 32 having a waterproof rubber 32a on its lower surface is provided. When a rotational force about the axis is applied to the valve shaft 34, the feed screw mechanism moves the valve shaft 34 up and down, and the valve body 32 also moves up and down. The water movement port 30a of the valve seat 30 is opened and closed by the vertical movement of the valve body 32, and when the valve is closed, the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the water blocking rubber 32a abuts the upper surface of the valve seat 30 to stop water.

  Further, the upper half portion of the valve box 20 is covered with a capped cylindrical shatterproof cover 36 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “cover 36”). The cover 36 guides the flow direction of the water discharged from the water discharge port 26 to the outside of the valve box 20 downward to prevent the water from scattering around the water. The specific configuration of the cover 36 will be described later.

  Although illustration is omitted, an intake pipe or a sprinkler connected to a float valve or the like is connected to the lower portion of the valve box body 22 (specifically, the height position between the connection portion 22a and the valve seat 30). A possible mounting port may be formed. When such a mounting port is formed in the valve box main body 22, a filter for preventing foreign matter from entering the mounting port may be provided in the lower space of the valve box main body 22.

  Subsequently, the configuration of the electric actuator 14 will be described. Referring to FIG. 4 together with FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric actuator 14 drives the valve body 32 of the water tap 12, that is, operates the opening/closing mechanism of the water tap 12, and has a cylindrical main body case 40. Equipped with. The size, shape, material, etc. of the main body case 40 are not particularly limited as long as they can accommodate the internal mechanism described later, but in this embodiment, a short pipe and a pipe made of hard polyvinyl chloride having a nominal diameter of 150 mm. The body case 40 is formed by combining the joints.

  A solar cell panel 42 is detachably attached to the main body case 40. The solar cell panel 42 is supported by a bent plate-shaped holding body 44 at a predetermined angle.

  Further, the electronic board 46, the antenna 48, the storage battery 50, the motor 52, the main gear 54, and the like are housed inside the main body case 40.

  Although illustration is omitted, the electronic board 46 is provided with a control unit including a CPU and a memory, a wireless communication unit, and a switch such as a main power supply. The control unit controls the entire electric actuator 14 and controls the driving of the motor 52 and the like. The wireless communication unit performs wireless communication with other devices via the antenna 48.

  The storage battery 50 stores the electric power generated by the solar cell panel 42. The motor 52 is driven by the electric power stored in the storage battery 50. A small gear 56 is provided at the tip of the output shaft 52a of the motor 52, and the main gear 54 is connected to the small gear 56 to receive a driving force from the motor 52 and rotate around the axis. Rotate.

  The main gear 54 is a boss type gear, and a substantially cylindrical rotation shaft 58 is inserted into the shaft portion of the main gear 54. A coupling portion 58a connected to the coupling portion 34a of the valve shaft 34 of the water tap 12 is formed at the lower end of the rotary shaft 58. Further, a key groove 54a extending along the axial direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the shaft portion of the main gear 54, and a sliding key 58b fitted to the key groove 54a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 58. It is formed so as to extend along the direction. As a result, the rotary shaft 58 is rotated along with the rotation of the main gear 54 and is also slidable in the axial direction with respect to the shaft portion of the main gear 54.

  An operation panel 60 for manually (electrically) driving the motor 52 is provided on the outer surface of the body case 40. The operation panel 60 is appropriately provided with an up button, a down button, a selection button for switching the operation mode of the electric actuator 14 (remote mode, automatic mode, manual mode, or the like). The operation panel 60 is also provided with connection terminals and the like for connecting wires extending from each sensor described later. Further, an inspection port 62 is formed at the lower end of the main body case 40 for confirming the operation of the rotary shaft 58 and performing maintenance work such as cleaning.

  Although illustration is omitted, in the field 102, a water level sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor that detects the field water level, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature, a pressure sensor that detects the atmospheric pressure, a soil moisture sensor that detects the soil moisture, or the like. A sensor is provided as appropriate. Each sensor is connected to the electric actuator 14 via a wire or the like, and sensor information such as the field water level and the temperature detected by each sensor is input to the control unit of the electric actuator 14.

  When mounting the electric actuator 14 on the water tap 12, the cover 36, the bearing 24, and the bottom wall of the main body case 40 are removed while the main body case 40 of the electric actuator 14 is placed on the cover 36 of the water tap 12. Is bolted. Further, the coupling portion 34a of the valve shaft 34 of the water tap 12 and the coupling portion 58a of the rotary shaft 58 of the electric actuator 14 are non-rotatably connected.

  In the system 100 including the water supply device 10 described above, for example, when the user transmits an operation instruction (control signal) indicating fully closed, fully opened, or an arbitrary opening degree to the electric actuator 14 using the remote operation terminal, The control unit of the electric actuator 14 drives the motor 52 according to the operation instruction. The driving force of the motor 52 is transmitted to the main gear 54, and the rotary shaft 58 rotates together with the main gear 54. As a result, a rotational force is applied to the valve shaft 34 of the water tap 12 that is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 58. The valve shaft 34 to which the rotational force is applied is vertically moved by the feed screw mechanism of itself and the bearing 24, and the valve body 32 is moved to the fully open position and the fully closed position. Further, the rotary shaft 58 of the electric actuator 14 moves up and down so as to penetrate the shaft portion of the main gear 54 as the valve shaft 34 of the water tap 12 moves up and down.

  By introducing such a system 100 into the field 102, the labor required for water management in the field 102 can be significantly reduced. May cause malfunction. However, in the related art, in order to remove foreign matter from the water tap, it is necessary to remove the scattering prevention cover and the electric actuator, and there is a problem that maintenance is troublesome.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the cover 36 of the faucet 12 can take an exposed state in which the spout 26 is exposed in addition to the splash prevention state in which the spout 26 is covered from the outside to prevent the splash of water. Thus, the foreign matter removing work can be performed without the need to remove the cover 36 and the electric actuator 14. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cover 36 will be specifically described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 36 is made of a flexible material such as silicone rubber and fluororubber, and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a top. Specifically, the cover 36 includes a disc-shaped top plate portion 36a and a cylindrical side wall 36b extending downward from a peripheral portion of the top plate portion 36a. Further, a flange portion projecting outward is formed at a lower end portion of the side wall 36b, and two semicircular grip portions 36c projecting in mutually opposite directions are formed on the collar portion.

  The side wall 36b has a fold line extending in the circumferential direction, and is formed so as to expand downward in a stepwise manner. As shown in FIG. 5, such a side wall 36b can be axially folded so as to gather on the side of the top plate 36a by being mountain-folded or valley-folded with the fold line as a boundary. At this time, the side wall 36b is folded such that peaks and valleys are lined up in the radial direction. As a result, the force that the bent portion of the side wall 36b tends to expand acts in the radial direction, so that the side wall 36b can stably hold this folded shape.

  As the cover 36, it is not always necessary to manufacture a dedicated member, and a commercially available folding bowl or the like which is a kitchen article can be used instead.

  Such a cover 36 can be attached to and detached from (replaceable with) the valve box 20 by screwing the top plate 36a to the zenith (the bearing 24 in this embodiment) of the valve box 20 of the water tap 12. Fixed. In a normal state, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cover 36 is used in a state where the side wall 36b is extended (scattering prevention state), and covers the periphery of the water outlet 26 to prevent water splashing. On the other hand, at the time of maintenance or inspection of the water tap 12, the cover 36 is deformed into a state (exposed state) in which the side wall 36b is folded, as shown in FIG. As a result, the water discharge port 26 is exposed.

  Switching (deformation) between the scattering prevention state and the exposed state of the cover 36 can be performed by a simple operation of gripping the grip portion 36c or the lower end portion of the side wall 36b and lifting or pulling it down. That is, when the water plug 12 is clogged with foreign matter for maintenance, the spout 26 can be easily exposed, and the clogged foreign matter can be easily removed.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the cover 36 can take an exposed state in which the spout 26 is exposed, that is, the spout 26 can be exposed without removing the cover 36. Even if foreign matter is clogged in 12, the faucet 12 can be easily maintained.

  The effects as described above are particularly remarkable in the water supply device 10 in which the electric actuator 14 is mounted on the water supply tap 12, and the system 100 including the water supply device 10. This is because the troublesome work of removing and reattaching the electric actuator 14 (removing work of the electric actuator 14) at the time of maintenance of the water tap 12 can be omitted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the side wall 36b of the cover 36 of the water tap 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the side wall 36b may be formed in a rectangular tube shape.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cover 36 is capable of holding the exposed state (folded shape) by itself, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the side wall 36b of the cover 36 may be formed in a bellows shape such as a lantern or an accordion so that the peaks and valleys can be folded side by side in the axial direction. In this case, since the cover 36 hangs down even if the cover 36 is exposed, it is advisable to separately provide a fastener for holding the cover 36 in the exposed state. Further, it is also possible to adopt a mode in which the worker lifts the cover 36 with one hand to expose it and removes the foreign matter with the other hand without providing a fastener.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cover 36 is in the exposed state by folding the side wall 36b in the axial direction, but the mode in which the cover 36 can take both the scattering prevention state and the exposed state is not limited to this. ..

  For example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the cover 36 is formed of a flexible elastic material such as rubber into a topped tubular shape (dome shape), and the cover 36 is turned over (inverted) to prevent scattering. The state (state of FIG. 6(A)) may be changed to the exposed state (state of FIG. 6(B)).

  Further, for example, although not shown, the cover 36 may be formed in a sheet shape (curtain shape) and wound around the valve box 20 so as to cover the water discharge port 26. In this case, by turning the cover 36, the cover 36 is deformed to the exposed state.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the valve box 20 of the water faucet 12 is exemplified by the valve box body 22 integrally formed with the column portion 28, but the valve box body and the column portion which are separate members are combined. Therefore, the valve box may be formed. Further, the support column and the bearing may be integrally formed.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the water tap 12 having the opening/closing mechanism in which the valve shaft 34 and the valve body 32 move up and down as the valve shaft 34 rotates is illustrated. However, the opening/closing mechanism of the water tap 12 has a ball shape. It is also possible to employ a mechanism in which the valve body (float valve) is lifted by buoyancy and stopped by being brought into close contact with the valve seat by water pressure.

  Further, the water tap 12 does not necessarily have to be used in combination with the electric actuator 14, and may be used in a mode in which it is opened and closed manually, for example, by attaching a handle to the coupling portion 34a.

  It should be noted that the specific numerical values such as the dimensions and the specific shapes mentioned above are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed according to the needs of the product specifications.

10... Agricultural water supply device 12... Agricultural water faucet 14... Electric actuator 20... Valve box 26... Discharge port 30... Valve seat 32... Valve body 34... Valve shaft 36... Shatter prevention cover 100... Agricultural water supply system 104... Water pipeline

Claims (4)

An agricultural water faucet for supplying water to a field,
Valve box,
A valve body capable of opening and closing the water passage in the valve box,
A spout that is formed in the valve box and discharges the water to the outside of the valve box; and a spatter prevention state that is attached to the valve box and covers the water spout from the outside to prevent splashing of the water and the spout. A faucet for agriculture, which is provided with a shatterproof cover capable of taking an exposed state in which a water spout is exposed.   The agricultural water faucet according to claim 1, wherein the shatterproof cover has a tubular side wall that is foldable in the axial direction, and is brought into the exposed state by folding the side wall. An agricultural water supply device for supplying water to a field,
An agricultural water tap, comprising: the agricultural water tap according to claim 1; and an electric actuator that is mounted on the agricultural water tap and drives a valve element of the agricultural water tap. An agricultural water supply system for supplying water to a field,
An agricultural water supply system in which the agricultural water supply device according to claim 3 is attached to an upper end portion of a rising pipe portion of a water supply pipeline in the field.

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