OSCILLATING SPRINKLER

• US 20160023222A1
• Filed: 02/05/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meridian International Co., Ltd., Ningbo Meizhi Tools Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Meridian International Co., Ltd., Ningbo Meizhi Tools Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: ZHU, Lijun, ZHANG, Xuefeng
• Granted Patent: US 9,764,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/044 Tubular elements holding several outlets, e.g. apertured tubes, oscillating about an axis substantially parallel to the tubular element

Abstract

The sprinkler has a drive motor with a gear assembly with a drive gear that is engaged with the sun gear of the flow adapter. A motor housing has a gear train chamber for the gear assembly, and a first chamber and a second chamber each providing for a path of flow. A switching mechanism has a valve block for alternatingly blocking and establishing the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing. A water wheel alternating in rotation between a clockwise direction and a counter clockwise direction based on the path of flow from one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing and engaging the gear assembly to rotate the gear assembly back and forth around the sun gear of the flow adapter and simultaneously moving the oscillating nozzle.

Claims

1. An oscillating sprinkler comprising:

a housing having a first chamber and a second chamber each providing a path of flow;

a switching mechanism for changing the flow between the first chamber and the second chamber; and

a water wheel rotating in a clockwise direction and a counter clockwise direction depending on the flow.

2. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 1, wherein the first chamber has an exit port on one side of the water wheel to rotate the water wheel in the clockwise direction and the second chamber has an exit port on the other side of the water wheel to rotate the water wheel in the counter clockwise direction.

3. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 2, and further comprising a first gear assembly driven by the water wheel to reduce a speed of rotation of the switching mechanism between a first extent and a second extent.

4. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 3, and further comprising a first stop selectively moveable to a first position corresponding with the first extent and a second stop selectively moveable to a second position corresponding to the second extent, wherein the switching mechanism further comprises a lever that moves between the first stop and the second stop.

5. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 4, and further comprising a valve block, wherein when the lever is moved to the second position the valve block closes the path of flow to the second chamber and the valve block opens the path of flow to the first chamber of the housing to rotate the water wheel in the clockwise direction, and wherein when the lever is moved to the first position the valve block closes the path of flow to the first chamber and the valve block opens the path of flow to the second chamber of the housing to rotate the water wheel in the counter clockwise direction.

6. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 5, and further comprising a first spring between the valve block and the switching mechanism and a second spring between valve block and the switching mechanism to alternatively bias the valve block in position to close one of the first chamber and the second chamber.

7. An oscillating sprinkler having a drive motor coupled between an input port and an oscillating nozzle, the oscillating sprinkler comprising:

a flow adapter having a sun gear at one end and coupling to the input port at the other end;

a gear assembly having a drive gear engaging to the sun gear of the flow adapter;

a motor housing having a gear train chamber for the gear assembly, and a first chamber and a second chamber each providing for a path of flow;

a switching mechanism having a valve block for alternatingly blocking and establishing the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing; and

a water wheel alternating in rotation between a clockwise direction and a counter clockwise direction based on the path of flow from one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing and engaging the gear assembly to rotate the gear assembly back and forth around the sun gear of the flow adapter and simultaneously moving the oscillating nozzle.

8. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 7, wherein the switching mechanism further comprises a commutation yoke and a switch lever pivotally combined to the commutation yoke, wherein the switch lever moves the commutation yoke into the valve block to alternatingly block and establish the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing.

9. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 8, wherein the commutation yoke and the valve block are axially aligned and the commutation yoke rotates with respect to the valve block.

10. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 9, and further comprising a first spacer coaxial with a second spacer for relative movement with respect to each other and each of the first spacer and the second spacer having an arcuate path, wherein the switch lever projects into the arcuate path and the switch lever'"'"'s movement in the arcuate path is dependent upon the relative position of the first spacer with respect to the second spacer and the switch lever'"'"'s movement in the arcuate path correlates with a frequency of oscillation of the oscillating nozzle.

11. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 10, wherein the first spacer comprises a first stop and the second spacer comprises a second stop wherein a distance between the first stop and the second stop is based on the relative position of the first spacer with respect to the second spacer.

12. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 11, wherein the switch lever alternatingly pushes against one of the first stop and the second stop as the commutation yoke rotates in one of the clockwise and counter-clockwise direction and the force of the switch lever pushes the commutation yoke into engagement with the valve block with sufficient force to move the valve block to alternatingly block and establish the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing.

13. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 12, wherein the valve block has a first arm and a second arm each for blocking one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the motor housing, and the switching mechanism further comprises a first spring between the first arm of the valve block and the commutation yoke and a second spring between the second arm of the valve block and the commutation yoke.

14. An oscillating sprinkler having a drive motor coupled between an input port and an oscillating nozzle, the oscillating sprinkler comprising:

a flow adapter coupled to the input port providing a path of flow from the input port;

a housing having a first chamber and a second chamber; and

a switching mechanism having a valve block for alternatingly blocking and establishing the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the housing, wherein the switching mechanism includes a switch lever having a fulcrum engaged with a commutation yoke wherein the switch lever moves the commutation yoke into engagement with the valve block to block the path of flow through one of the first chamber and the second chamber of the housing; and

a water wheel alternating in rotation between a clockwise direction and a counter clockwise direction based on the path of flow from one of the first chamber and the second chamber and simultaneously moving the oscillating nozzle.

15. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 14, and further comprising a gear assembly driven by the water wheel for moving the housing back and forth around the flow adapter.

16. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 15, wherein the commutation yoke and the valve block are axially aligned and the commutation yoke rotates with respect to the valve block.

17. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 15, and further comprising a first spacer coaxial with a second spacer for relative movement with respect to each other and each of the first spacer and the second spacer having an arcuate path, wherein the switch lever projects into the arcuate path and the switch lever'"'"'s movement in the arcuate path is dependent upon the relative position of the first spacer with respect to the second spacer and the switch lever'"'"'s movement in the arcuate path correlates with a frequency of oscillation of the oscillating nozzle.

18. The oscillating sprinkler of claim 17, wherein the first spacer comprises a first stop and the second spacer comprises a second stop wherein a distance between the first stop and the second stop is based on the relative position of the first spacer with respect to the second spacer.