ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WITH ONE OR TWO WAYS CONTROLLED BY ELECTROVALVES FOR PROGRAMMED WATERING OF LAWNS, GARDENS, FLOWER BOXES AND SIMILAR SPACES

• US 20130211603A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claber SpA
• Original Assignee: Claber SpA
• Inventors: BRUNDISINI, Andrea, FRANCHINI, Gaetano, DE BIASI, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/284
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

Electronic control units for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces, comprise a front panel including a single push-button for selecting a watering program, at least one push-button for starting the selected program and a display. The control units comprise an electronic micro controller which in response to the operation of said push-button causes the visualization of the duration and the frequency of the selected program, and in response to a single operation of the start push-button causes the immediate start of the selected watering program, while the operation of the start push-button for a variable number of times programs the delayed start of the selected program.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit with one or two ways controlled by electrovalves for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces, comprising a front panel, a display and an electronic micro controller, characterized in that said front panel comprises a single selection push-button for selecting the duration and the repetition frequency of a watering program and at least one push-button for starting the selected program, said electronic micro controller being controlled by said selection and start push-buttons and being connected to said display so that, in response to the operation of said selection push-button, the micro controller (13) causes the visualization of the duration and the frequency of the selected program and, in response to a single operation of the start push-button, the micro controller causes the immediate start of the selected watering program, while in case of operation of the start push-button for a variable number of times programs the variable delayed start of the selected program.

2. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said front panel also comprises a list of selectable numbered watering programs with related irrigation durations and watering repetition frequencies.

3. The control unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, in response to the operation of said selection push-button, the micro controller also controls the visualization of the selected program indication number.

4. The control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to a single operation of said start push-button, the micro controller also controls the visualization of the time to the end of watering.

5. The control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, in response to the operation of said start push-button for said variable number of times, the micro controller also controls the visualization of the time to the start of the irrigation program.

6. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that said micro controller also controls the visual representation of the waiting time from a watering operation and the next one.

7. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, characterized by comprising also a push-button for actuation of a manual watering start mode for a prefixed time.

8. The electronic two-way control unit according to claim 1, characterized by comprising two start push-buttons used for association of the selected program to one or another of two electrovalves for control of the two ways and for the immediate or delayed start of said selected program.

9. The electronic two-way control unit according to claim 8, characterized by comprising a manual watering start mode which can be actuated by simultaneous operation of said start push-buttons.

10. The electronic control unit according to claim 8, characterized by comprising a mode of simultaneous actuation of the watering programs of the two electrovalves and a mode of non-simultaneous actuation a of the watering programs of the two electrovalves.