Drip irrigator

• US 5,031,837 A
• Filed: 01/02/1990
• Issued: 07/16/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raindrip Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Raindrip Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanish, Barry N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Merritt, Karen B.
• Application Number:
  US07/459,640
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 239/266-269, 239/542, 239/550, 239/551, 239/553, 138/42-46
• US Class Current: 239/267
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/023 Dispensing fittings for drip irrigation, e.g. drippers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

A drip irrigator consists of only two substantially parallel discs spaced from each other by the depth of a labyrinthine path extending about a central region between these discs and between a liquid inlet and a dripper outlet and consisting of the material of at least one of these discs. The drip irrigator may have a pair of liquid ports on the discs extending from opposite sides of the central region. A method of making a drip irrigator forms the labyrinthine path in a first disc to extend in turns from a liquid inlet about an axis to a dripper outlet. That labyrinthine path initially is laterally open in a plane perpendicularly intersecting that axis, and that labyrinthine path is laterally closed with another disc in that plane.

Claims

1. An in-line drip irrigator consisting of only two substantially parallel discs welded to each other and constituting a pair of in-line liquid ports spaced from each other by the depth of a labyrinthine path extending about a central region between said discs and between a liquid inlet communicating with both liquid ports, and a dripper outlet and consisting of the material of both of said discs having conjoined portions delimiting said labyrinthine path between said discs, and having conjoined rims.

2. A drip irrigator as in claim 1, wherein:

each of said discs constitutes one of said in-line liquid ports.

3. A drip irrigator as in claim 2, wherein:

said dripper outlet is in one of said discs.

4. A drip irrigator as in claim 1, wherein:

a relief of said labyrinthine path is in one of said discs and is laterally closed by the other of said discs.

5. A drip irrigator as in claim 4, wherein:

said discs have conjoined portions about said central region and between turns of said labyrinthine path.

6. A drip irrigator as in claim 1, wherein:

a relief of said labyrinthine path is in one of said discs and has ridges welded to the other of said discs.

7. A drip irrigator as in claim 1, wherein:

said discs have conjoined portions about said central region and between turns of said labyrinthine path.

8. A drip irrigator as in claim 7, wherein:

said dripper outlet is in either of said discs.

9. A drip irrigator as in claim 1, wherein:

said dripper outlet is in one of said discs.

10. An in-line drip irrigator consisting of only two substantially parallel discs spaced from each other by the depth of a labyrinthine path extending about a central region between said discs and between said central region and a dripper outlet and having a first liquid port integral with one of said discs and a second liquid port integral with the other of said pair of discs, said first and second liquid ports extending from opposite sides of said central region;

said labyrinthine path consisting of the material of at least one of said discs welded to the other of said discs.

11. A drip irrigator as in claim 10, wherein:

said liquid ports are coaxial.

12. A drip irrigator as in claim 10, wherein:

said first liquid port is of the same material as said one of said discs; and

said second liquid port is of the same material as said other of said discs.

13. A drip irrigator as in claim 12, wherein:

said liquid ports extend along a central axis of said first and second discs.

14. A method of making an in-line drip irrigator, comprising in combination the steps of:

forming a pair of liquid ports out of a pair of discs;

forming a labyrinthine path in a first disc of said pair of discs out of material of said first disc to extend in turns from a liquid inlet about an axis to a dripper outlet and being initially laterally open in a plane perpendicularly intersecting said axis, said material of said first disc extending to said plane; and

laterally closing said labyrinthine path with another disc in said plane, with said liquid ports being in-line with each other.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

said drip irrigator is formed as an in-line drip irrigator by welding said first and second discs to each other.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein:

said dripper outlet is provided with an axis parallel to the first-mentioned axis.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

said labyrinthine path is provided with interdigitated projections extending radially of the first-mentioned axis.

18. A method as in claim 17, including the steps of:

providing said labyrinthine path with circular ridges facilitating a sealing of said discs to each other; and

welding said discs to each other at said circular ridges.

19. A method as in claim 14, wherein:

said discs are welded to each other at ridges of said labyrinthine path.

20. A method as in claim 14, including the steps of:

providing said labyrinthine path with circular ridges facilitating a sealing of said discs to each other; and

welding said discs to each other at said circular ridges.