IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THEREOF

• US 20110120564A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katharina Arthur Hilton
• Original Assignee: Katharina Arthur Hilton
• Inventors: Arthur Hilton, Katharina, HILTON, Wendell Gayle
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/2
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87096 Valves with separate, correlated, actuators

Abstract

The present invention discloses an irrigation system comprising a plurality of valve stations that are operatively coupled with a controller operative to control the operation of the plurality of valve stations. The valve stations are grouped into a plurality of valve station groups, each group comprising at least two valve stations. The at least two valve stations are operatively coupled in parallel with a hotwire to a respective output port of the controller; and the at least two valve stations respective of the plurality of valve station groups are operatively coupled in parallel with a common wire to a corresponding input port of the controller. The controller is operative to change the operational mode of a selected one of the valve stations.

Claims

1. An irrigation system comprising a plurality of valve stations that are operatively coupled with a controller operative to control the operation of said plurality of valve stations,

wherein said valve stations are grouped into a plurality of valve station groups, each group comprising at least two valve stations;

wherein said at least two valve stations are operatively coupled in parallel with a hotwire to a respective output port of said controller; and

wherein said at least two valve stations respective of said plurality of valve station groups are operatively coupled in parallel with a common wire to a corresponding input port of said controller,

wherein said controller is operative to change the operational mode of a selected one of said valve stations.

2. The irrigation system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to sequentially change the operational mode of said valve stations, such that during one operation sequence, the operational mode of each of said plurality of valve stations is changed at least once.

3. The irrigation system according to claim 1, wherein said controller is operative to sequentially change the operational mode of said valve stations, such that during one operation cycle, the operational mode of at least one of said plurality of valve stations is changed at least twice.

4. The irrigation system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of valve station groups comprises three valve stations which are coupled in parallel with said output port of said controller and which are coupled in parallel with said common wire with said corresponding input ports.

5. The irrigation system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality valve station groups comprises four valve stations which are coupled in parallel with said respective output port of said controller and which are coupled in parallel with said respective common wire to said corresponding input ports.

6. A method for operating an irrigation system according to claim 1 comprises the following procedures:

selectively addressing a selected one of said output ports respective of a valve station group; and

selectively addressing an input port respective of said valve station group.