Timing valve control system

• US 4,012,673 A
• Filed: 09/15/1975
• Issued: 03/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garden America Corporation
• Original Assignee: Richdel, Inc.
• Inventors: Saarem, Myrl J., Firebaugh, Dale C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moose, Harry
• Application Number:
  US05/613,078
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 317/141 S, 317/151, 317/155.5, 307/141, 307/141.4, 307/293 Y, 307/141.8, 239/DIG. 5, 137/624.11, 58/39.5, 58/21.13, 58/21.15, 58/21.15 S
• US Class Current: 361/196
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/292 in thyristor, unijunction transistor or programmable unijunction transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer

Abstract

A solid state timing valve control system and unit is provided which may be battery operated, and which has particular although not exclusive utility for controlling a water lawn sprinkler system. The control unit of the invention may be coupled to a water control valve in the sprinkler system, and it acts automatically to turn the valve on at the start of each of a succession of preset watering cycles, and to turn the valve off after a preset watering time at the completion of each such cycle. The control unit includes a latching-type solenoid for controlling the water control valve. The unit also includes a solid state miniaturized electronic system for introducing a turn-on pulse to the solenoid at the start of each preset watering cycle, and for introducing a turn-off pulse to the solenoid at the completion of each cycle.

Claims

1. A control system including:

electronic circuitry including first output terminal means and second output terminal means;

first manually settable switching means connected to said electronic circuitry for causing said circuitry to produce a first output pulse at said first output terminal means at spaced time intervals as established by the setting of said first manually settable switching means;

second manually settable switching means connected to said elctronic circuitry for causing said circuitry to produce a second output pulse at said second output terminal means a predetermined time after each of the first output pulses as established by the setting of said second manually settable switching means;

said electronic circuitry including a first frequency divider counter, means including first decoder circuit means coupled to the first frequency divider counter and to the first manually settable switching means for providing said first output pulses at said first output terminal means and for applying a reset pulse to said first frequency divider counter;

a second frequency divider counter;

enabling circuit means connecting said first output terminal means to said second frequency divider counter to enable said second frequency divider counter when said first output pulse is produced at said first output terminal means;

means including second decoder circuit means coupled to said second frequency divider counter and to said second manually settable switching means for producing said second output pulse at said second output terminal means and for applying a reset pulse to said second frequency divider counter; and

an oscillator coupled to the first and second frequency divider counters for establishing a time base for the output pulses produced at the first and second output terminal means.

2. The control system defined in claim 1, in which said electronic circuitry is in the form of an integrated circuit.

3. The control system defined in claim 1, and which includes switching circuitry connected to the first and second output terminal means to be successively actuated by the pulses appearing thereat.

4. The control system defined in claim 1, and which includes a first switching circuit connected to said first output terminal means to be actuated from a first state to a second state by each pulse appearing at the first output terminal means;

and a second switching circuit connected to said second output terminal means to be actuated from a first state to a second state by each pulse appearing at said second output terminal means.

5. The control system defined in claim 4, and which includes a latching solenoid having a first actuating coil connected to said first switching circuit for setting the solenoid to a first position when the first switching circuit is actuated to its second state, and having a second actuating coil connected to said second switching circuit for setting the solenoid to a second position when the second switching circuit is operated to its second state.

6. The control system defined in claim 5, in which said first switching circuit includes a first silicon controlled rectifier to be fired by each pulse appearing at the first output terminal means, and said second switching circuit includes a second silicon controlled rectifier to be fired by each pulse appearing at the second output terminal means.

7. The control system defined in claim 6, and which includes a battery for producing direct current operating current to the first and second actuating coils of the solenoid;

and circuitry connecting the battery to the actuating coils.

8. The control system defined in claim 7, in which said circuitry includes capacitive means reacting with the actuating coils to establish ringing currents in the actuating coils to unlatch the silicon controlled rectifiers after each firing thereof by the pulses from the first and second terminal means.

9. The control system defined in claim 7, in which said circuitry includes a resistance-capacitance circuit for peaking the current flow through the actuating coils and concomitantly limiting the current drain on the battery.

10. The control system defined in claim 1, and which includes monostable multivibrator means interposed between said first decoder circuit means and said first output terminal means.

11. The control system defined in claim 10, and which includes a manually operable switch coupled to said monostable multivibrator means and to said first frequency divider counter to trigger said monostable multivibrator means and to reset said counter when the last-named switch is operated.

12. The control system defined in claim 10, and which includes inhibit circuit means connecting said second decoder circuit means to said monostable multivibrator means to inhibit said monostable multivibrator means for a particular setting of said second manually settable switching means.