NZ220939A - Spray nozzle with jet cleaning feature for miniature plant irrigation system - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £20939 220939 PATENT OFFICE, N.Z. I received 2 9 SEP 1988 fteceipt e% /j j 'Mj**1*/ | Choayfltoy Patents form No 5 Number 22093 9 PATENTS ACT 1953 Dated July 1, 1987 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A WATER SPRAY PITTING , X/WE HANSEN DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED, a New Zealand company, of^Punga Grove, Whangarei, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention for which/f^we pray that a Patent may be granted to jJrt/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - 1 • (followed by la) 2209 - la - My present invention comprises a water spray fitting that is suitable for use in a small scale or miniature irrigation system, for pot plants or in a garden or nursery or the like, to provide a spray of water to individual plants or groups of plants.

Plants in a domestic green house, conservatory or the like or in a garden shop, or flowering plants in flower beds, require periodic watering to be maintained at their best. Miniature irrigation systems for such applications are increasing in popularity. Typically such a system comprises a network of small diameter water pipes and small spray fittings with a spray fitting being situated near each plant or group of plants, or otherwise at suitable intervals.

A problem with many available forms of miniature spray fitting is clogging of the spray outlets. The water outlets are very small and typically of the order of less than 1 mm in diameter, and they are thus prone to clogging from particles of dirt in the water supply for example. In addition, such fittings are typically and most conveniently formed from plastics by injection moulding, and it is difficult to form the small diameter bores comprising the outlet apertures to consistent dimensions.

The invention provides an improved or at least alternative form of water spray fitting for such miniature irrigation systems.

In broad terms the invention may be said to comprise a water spray fitting for a miniature irrigation system, comprising a body part and a cap part adapted to threadedly mount to the body part, wherein one of the body part and cap part comprises an extending face and the other comprises at least one groove adapted to cooperate with said face to extend across said face from a water supply port to the exterior of the fitting when the cap part is screwed onto the body part to define a spray outlet of the fitting, whereby said spray outlet may be opened for cleaning by loosening of said cap part on said body part, said extending face being an annular face extending about said body or cap part and said plurality of grooves are formed in said other body part to define a plurality of said spray outlets of the fitting, said annular face and said grooves being angled such that the water spray exits in a generally downward direction from the fitting in use.

Typically the water spray fitting of the invention may be mounted in a plant pot a few inches above the soil for example, to direct the flow of water downwardly from the fitting onto the soil around the base of the plant, or outwardly or upwards towards the plant and/or such that it > jry falls to earth over the general area surrounding the plantf.-®?* The fitting may include means whereby the fitting may be 2209 mounted to a small support rod or the like that may be inserted into the soil adjacent the plant, with the height of the fitting above the soil being adjustable by inserting deeper or withdrawing partially the rod from the soil, or alternatively by moving the fitting on the rod, to vary the area of coverage.

A preferred form of water spray fitting in accordance with the invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the provisional specification, by way of example, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side view of the preferred form fitting showing the cap part thereof in phantom outline mounted to the body part, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the cap part of the preferred form fitting, and Fig. 3 is a view from below in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 2 of the cap part of the fitting.

The preferred form fitting comprises the body part and cap part referred to, generally indicated at reference numerals 1 and 2. In the preferred form the body part 1 is shaped as shown and comprises a water inlet portion 3 with a barb 4 whereby the fitting is adapted to be connected to a 2208 small diameter water supply pipe as typically employed in a miniature irrigation system. The fitting has a generally hollow interior, and ports 5 through the side of the body part of the fitting communicate the interior of the body part to the exterior. In use, water under pressure may flow from the water supply pipe into the hollow interior of the fitting via the inlet portion 3 and from the ports 5.

The cap part 2 is threadedly mounted to the body part by mating threads 7 formed on the exterior of the body part and the interior of the central bore of the cap part, so that the cap part 2 may be screwed onto the cap part 1. The cap part, which is generally cylindrical in the preferred form, comprises a gripping portion 8.

An extending face of the body part of the fitting is defined in the preferred form by annular skirt 9 which extends about the body part below the base of the upright portion on which the threads 7 on the body part are provided.

Grooves 10 are formed on a lower portion of the cap part 2. The grooves 10 are shallow and extend outwardly across the lower edge 11 of the cap part as shown in Figs 2 and 3. When the cap part 2 is screwed home on the body part 1 spray outlets for the fitting are defined between each groove 10 and the skirt face 9. In use" water exiting the ports 5 oonfj ••• will pass under pressure from these spray outlets.

In the preferred form shown the skirt face 9 and the co-operating grooves 10 in the cap part are angled such that the water spray will be directed generally downwardly at an angle as shown, but in other forms the grooves and co-operating face could be oriented so that the spray is directed generally horizontally, or upwardly.

In the preferred form the grooves 10 are formed in the cap part and the face which co-operates with the grooves to form the spray outlets is formed in the body part, but the grooves 10 could be formed in the body part and the co-operating face on the cap part in other embodiments.

With the arrangement of the invention the small spray outlets of the miniature fitting may be unblocked or cleared by unscrewing the cap part from the body part and removing any dirt or other blockages in the grooves. In many cases simply partial unscrewing of the cap by a half turn or so for a second while the system is on and the fitting carries water under pressure will be sufficient to allow any foreign matter to escape, so that blockages can be cleared very easily. In addition, a new cap part can be installed to the fitting at low cost. This is in contrast with a number of known forms of fittings wherein the permanently formed spray 220939 outlets are very difficult if not impossible to clean if blocked, with fine wire for example, due to their small size. In addition the grooves rather than small outlet holes are more readily moulded in plastics, which is the preferred material for fittings of this type.

The preferred form fitting is adapted to be mounted in use by way of a small rod 12 the end of which is received in a rod receiving part 13 of the fitting as shown in Fig. 1. The fitting may for example form part of a system for watering of a pot plant. The rod with fitting mounted and water supply pipe attached would be inserted into the soil of the plant pot adjacent the plant and the height of the fitting set such that the swathe of water delivered by the fitting would cover the desired area. This area could be increased or decreased by raising or lowering the fitting respectively.

The foregoing describes the invention including a preferred form thereof. Alterations and modifications as will be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be incorporated within the scope hereof, as defined in the following claims. 220939 7

Claims (5)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A water spray fitting for a miniature irrigation system, comprising a body part and a cap part adapted to threadedly mount to the body part, wherein one of the body part and cap part comprises an extending face and the other comprises at least one groove adapted to cooperate with said face to extend across said face from a water supply port to the exterior of the fitting when the cap part is screwed onto the body part to define a spray outlet of the fitting, whereby said spray outlet may be opened for cleaning by loosening of said cap part on said body part, said extending face being an annular face extending about said body or cap part and said plurality of grooves are formed in said other body part to define a plurality of said spray outlets of the fitting, said annular face and said grooves being angled such that the water spray exits in a generally downward direction from the fitting when in use.

2. A water spray fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body part comprises an upright portion carrying threads for mounting said cap part and an annular skirt portion extending about the base of said upright portion and comprising said annular face, and wherein said cap part comprises said grooves in a lower portion thereof which engages said annular face when the cap part is screwed fully Oi 220939 - 8 -

3. A water spray fitting as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fitting is adapted for mounting over soil adjacent a plant whereby the dimension of the swathe of spray on the soil may be adjusted by adjusting the height of the fitting above the soil.

4. A water spray fitting as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, moulded from a plastics material.

5. A water spray fitting for a miniature irrigation system, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification. WEST-WALKER, McCABE p0r: ATTORNEYS FOR THE APPLICANT