Integrated control circuitry and coil assembly for irrigation control

• US 10,058,042 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Crist, Timothy J., Prucinsky, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US14/493,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 25112915
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0623 characterised by the set value given to the control element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

An irrigation control device comprises a coil adapted to develop an electromagnetic flux sufficient to cause actuation of irrigation equipment. Control circuitry is electrically coupled to the coil to receive control signals from an irrigation control unit and to control the flux at the coil. A housing covers at least a portion of both the coil and the control circuitry, the housing including a threaded end configured to thread the irrigation control device to a valve assembly to be actuated by the electromagnetic flux of the coil.

Claims

1. An irrigation control device comprising:

a coil configured to develop an electromagnetic flux sufficient to cause actuation of irrigation equipment;

control circuitry coupled to the coil and configured to receive, at input connections, control signals comprising a modulated power signal from an external irrigation control unit of an irrigation control system and configured to control the electromagnetic flux at the coil based on the control signals, wherein the control circuitry is configured to derive data from the modulated power signal and based on the data, output signaling to the coil to cause the coil to develop the flux; and

a housing covering at least a portion of the coil and at least a portion of the control circuitry, the housing having;

a wall portion including a flat mid-wall and a pair of curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall and generally corresponding to a curvature of the coil; and

a radially expanded portion including a curved wall positioned opposite the flat mid-wall, the curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall being connected to the curved outer wall by a pair of curved walls extending from a respective one of the curved walls that extend from the flat mid-wall;

a threaded end configured to thread the irrigation control device to a valve assembly to be actuated by the electromagnetic flux of the coil, the threaded end including an aperture;

a curable, electrically non-conductive potting material substantially holding the control circuitry in a fixed position relative to the coil within the housing;

a core tube within the housing and at least in part extending between the coil, the core tube being separated from the control circuitry at least by the potting material; and

a valve member within the housing and located relative to the coil, the core tube, and the aperture such that the valve member is configured to move within the core tube and through the aperture of the threaded end to cause engagement with a valve seat external to the housing in response to the electromagnetic flux;

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate to the external irrigation control unit via the input connections.

2. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to derive the data from the modulated power signal as logic 1 and logic 0 data bits depending on whether the modulated power signal is clipped.

3. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the coil is positioned in the expanded portion of the housing and is electrically connected to the control circuitry in the expanded portion of the housing.

4. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein the curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall extend in a divergent orientation relative to each other thereby expanding the housing, and wherein the curved walls extending from the respective ones of the pair of curved walls toward the curved wall of the radially expanded portion extend in a divergent orientation relative to each other thereby further expanding the housing.

5. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the valve member is a plunger.

6. The irrigation control device of claim 1 further comprising a spring disposed within the housing to bias the valve member into a closed position against a valve seat.

7. The irrigation control device of claim 1 further comprising a magnet to control the axial position of the valve member within the core tube.

8. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the coil is substantially secured in position relative to the control circuitry within the housing.

9. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein the valve member is configured to move through the aperture of the threaded end in order to directly engage the valve seat in response to the electromagnetic flux.

10. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the housing and the threaded end define a longitudinal axis, and wherein the housing includes a curved wall facing the circuitry and curving about the longitudinal axis.

11. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the housing is a one-piece housing.

12. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to communicate to the external irrigation control unit by selectively shorting a control wire path from the external irrigation control unit at the input connections.

13. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide feedback to the external irrigation control unit to indicate that the control signals have been received by the control circuitry and that commands were executed based on the received control signals.

14. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the control signals are received at input connections from the external irrigation control unit through a control wire path via a modulated power signal readable by the control circuitry.

15. The irrigation control device of claim 14 wherein the control wire path is configured to connect the external irrigation control unit to a plurality of irrigation control devices each having control circuitry configured to read the control signals transmitted from the external irrigation control unit via the control wire path.

16. The irrigation control device of claim 1, wherein the threaded end is configured to thread the irrigation control device directly to a valve assembly to be actuated by the electromagnetic flux of the coil.

17. The irrigation control device of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to derive the data from the modulated power signal, the data comprising data bits corresponding to one or more of a plurality of instructions for the control circuitry to execute.

18. The irrigation control device of claim 17 wherein the plurality of instructions comprise instructions to:

activate the irrigation equipment, deactivate the irrigation equipment, adjust a parameter stored in the control circuitry, and implement an operation of the control circuitry.

19. A method of forming an irrigation control device comprising:

providing a housing with a threaded end, the threaded end configured to thread the irrigation control device to a valve assembly, the threaded end including an aperture;

covering at least a portion of a coil within the housing, the coil configured to develop an electromagnetic flux sufficient to cause actuation of irrigation equipment; and

covering at least a portion of a control circuitry within the housing and coupled to the coil, the housing having;

a wall portion including a flat mid-wall and a pair of curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall and generally corresponding to a curvature of the coil; and

a radially expanded portion including a curved wall positioned opposite the flat mid-wall, the curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall being connected to the curved outer wall by a pair of curved walls extending from a respective one of the curved walls that extend from the flat mid-wall;

providing a curable, electrically non-conductive potting material substantially holding the control circuitry in a fixed position relative to the coil within the housing;

providing a core tube within the housing and at least in part extending between the coil such that the core tube is separated from the control circuitry at least by the potting material;

providing a valve member within the housing and located relative to the coil, the core tube, and the aperture such that the valve member is configured to move within the core tube and through the aperture of the threaded end to cause engagement with a valve seat external to the housing in response to the electromagnetic flux;

the control circuitry configured to receive, at input connections, control signals comprising a modulated power signal from an external irrigation control unit of an irrigation control system and configured to control the electromagnetic flux at the coil based on the control signals, the control circuitry configured to derive data from the modulated power signal and based on the data, output signaling to the coil to cause the coil to develop the flux, the control circuitry further configured to communicate to the external irrigation control unit via the input connections.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the providing a housing with a threaded end includes providing the housing with a threaded end configured to thread the irrigation control device directly to a valve assembly.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein at least a portion of the coil is positioned in the expanded portion of the housing and is electrically connected to the control circuitry in the expanded portion of the housing.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the curved walls extending from the flat mid-wall extend in a divergent orientation relative to each other thereby expanding the housing, and wherein the curved walls extending from the respective ones of the pair of curved walls toward the curved wall of the radially expanded portion extend in a divergent orientation relative to each other thereby further expanding the housing.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the providing a valve member step further comprises providing the valve member such that the valve member is configured to move through the aperture of the threaded end in order to directly engage the valve seat in response to the electromagnetic flux.