Automatic water-sprinkling controller

• US 4,744,515 A
• Filed: 11/13/1986
• Issued: 05/17/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gehring Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Konan Seiko Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forman, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US06/930,983
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 239/63-65, 239/70, 239/DIG. 15, 239/67-68, 137/78.1, 137/78.2, 137/78.3
• US Class Current: 239/70
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/167 Control by humidity of the soil itself or of devices simulating soil or of the atmosphere; Soil humidity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/189 Soil moisture sensing

Abstract

An automatic water-sprinkling controller, with a peculiar main-valve connected with water supply, for controlling a water-sprinkling system which includes sprinklers, hose or pipes connected between said main-valve and said sprinklers, and a pilot tube for operating said main-valve. In the automatic controller, when the shortage of water of the ground is sensed by a moisture sensor comprising a ribbon which expands and contracts as a humidity, a microswitch is turned on by the contraction of the ribbon to feed an instant electric current for a electronic circuit and to start a timer circuit. The electric current is instantly fed to a solenoid, which is mounted in a microvalve unit, to open this unit, through the electronic circuit. When the microvalve is opened, a pilot water in the pilot tube, which is connected between the microvalve and the main-valve, starts to flow, and the main-valve is opened. These open states are held for a predetermined time period so that the sprinkler of the system can automatically perform its water-sprinkling operation for that time period.

Claims

1. An automatic water sprinkling system for sprinkling an area of ground, which comprises:

a main valve adapted to be connected to a supply of water and hydraulically controllable to allow water to selectively flow therethrough to a sprinkler;

a microvalve hydraulically coupled to the main valve, the microvalve being operable in a first state for a selectable period of time to hydraulically control the main valve to allow water to flow through the main valve, the microvalve being responsive to a microvalve control signal;

means for sensing moisture, the moisture sensing means being in an activating condition when the sensed moisture is less than a predetermined value, the moisture sensing means comprising an elongated strip of moisture sensitive material disposed within a cover box having a first vented portion above the ground and a second porous portion in the ground, the second porous portion being filled with a water-absorptive material;

switch means operatively coupld to the moisture sensing means and responsive to the activating condition thereof, the switch means providing a timing means actuating signal;

timing means for controlling the duration that the microvalve is in said first state, the timing means being responsive to the timing means actuating signal and providing a microvalve control signal; and

means for wetting the moisture sensitive strip of the sensing means, the wetting means being operatively coupled to the microvalve, wherein said moisture sensing means senses when the moisture is below the predetermined value and activates said switch means, said switch mans providing said actuating signal to the timing means to activate the timing means, whereupon said timing means provides said control signal to said microvalve to activate said microvalve for a predetermined period of time.

2. An automatic water-sprinkling system according to claim 1, wherein said moisture sensitive strip of the moisture sensing means expands with a water spray provided from said wetting means.

3. An automatic water sprinkling system as defined by claim 1, wherein the microvalve includes a latching solenoid, biasing means operatively coupled to the latching solenoid, and a latching relay, the latching relay being electrically connected to the latching solenoid to actuate the same.