Irrigation pipe

• US 8,348,182 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netafim Limited (Orbia Advance Corporation, S.A.B. de C.V.)
• Original Assignee: Netafim Limited (Orbia Advance Corporation, S.A.B. de C.V.)
• Inventors: Keren, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jonaitis, Justin
• Application Number:
  US11/838,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 239/533.1, 239/542, 239/547, 239/550, 239/551, 239/556, 239/560, 239/561, 239/562, 239/565, 137/883, 137/561.R, 137/118.06, 137/516.27, 137/516.25
• US Class Current: 239/547
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/02 Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/023 Dispensing fittings for drip irrigation, e.g. drippers
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/20 Arrangements of several outlets along elongated bodies, e.g. perforated pipes or troughs, e.g. spray booms spray booms for agricultural uses A01M7/0071; spray bars for treating roads E01C19/176; Outlet elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7866 Plural seating

Abstract

An irrigation pipe comprising: at least one first integrated emitter characterized by a first discharge-pressure threshold; at least one second integrated emitter characterized by a second discharge-pressure threshold different from the first discharge-pressure threshold threshold; wherein, the at least one first and at least one second integrated emitters are positioned along the pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration.

Claims

1. An irrigation pipe comprising:

at least one first integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a first non-zero discharge-pressure threshold, whereby the at least one first irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water in response to a first non-zero water inlet pressure; and

at least one second integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a second non-zero discharge-pressure threshold higher than the first discharge-pressure threshold, whereby the at least one second irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water only in response to a second non-zero water inlet pressure which is higher than the first non-zero water inlet pressure;

wherein;

the at least one first and at least one second integrated irrigation emitters are positioned along the irrigation pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration; and

the at least one first and at least one second irrigation emitters each comprise at least one labyrinth configured to provide resistance to water flow.

2. An irrigation pipe in accordance with claim 1:

wherein at least one of the integrated irrigation emitters is characterized by an arrest-pressure threshold which is greater than the discharge-pressure threshold of that integrated irrigation emitter; and

wherein the irrigation emitter characterized by an arrest-pressure threshold;

begins to discharge water, if the local water pressure in the pipe at the location of the irrigation emitter exceeds the discharge-pressure threshold of that irrigation emitter, and

ceases to discharge water if the local water pressure in the pipe at the location of the irrigation emitter exceeds the arrest-pressure threshold.

3. An irrigation pipe according to claim 1 and comprising:

at least one integrated free-flow irrigation emitter, which is not a non-return irrigation emitter.

5. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, comprising at least one free-flow irrigation emitter for every ten non-return irrigation emitters.

6. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, comprising at least one free-flow irrigation emitter for every five non-return irrigation emitters.

7. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, comprising at least one free-flow irrigation emitter for every three non-return irrigation emitters.

8. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, comprising substantially a same number of free-flow irrigation emitters and non-return irrigation emitters.

9. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, wherein the free-flow irrigation emitters are positioned in the pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration.

10. An irrigation pipe according to claim 3, wherein the free-flow irrigation emitters are randomly positioned in the pipe.

14. A method of irrigating plants comprising:

providing at least one irrigation pipe in accordance with claim 1 to irrigate the plants; and

controlling inlet pressure to the at least one irrigation pipe to provide different configurations of activated and non-activated irrigation emitters of the plurality of irrigation emitters.

16. An irrigation pipe in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

at least one third integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a third non-zero discharge-pressure threshold different from the first discharge-pressure threshold and the second discharge-pressure threshold;

wherein;

the at least one first, the at least one second and the at least one third integrated irrigation emitters are positioned along the irrigation pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration.

4. An irrigation pipe comprising:

a plurality of integrated non-return irrigation emitters each having a non-zero discharge-pressure threshold; and

at least one integrated free-flow irrigation emitter, which is not a non-return irrigation emitter, wherein;

the non-return irrigation emitters and the at least one free-flow emitter each comprise at least one labyrinth configured to provide resistance to water flow;

at least one first integrated non-return irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water in response to a first non-zero water inlet pressure, and

at least one second integrated non-return irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water only in response to a second non-zero water inlet pressure which is higher than the first non-zero water inlet pressure.

15. A method of irrigating plants comprising:

providing at least one irrigation pipe in accordance with claim 4 to irrigate the plants; and

controlling inlet pressure to the at least one irrigation pipe to provide different configurations of activated and non-activated irrigation emitters of the plurality of irrigation emitters.

11. An irrigation system comprising:

an irrigation pipe comprising;

at least one first integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a first non-zero discharge-pressure threshold;

at least one second integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a second non-zero discharge-pressure threshold higher than the first discharge-pressure threshold;

wherein;

the at least one first and at least one second integrated irrigation emitters are positioned along the irrigation pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration; and

the at least one first and at least one second irrigation emitters each comprise at least one labyrinth configured to provide resistance to water flow; and

a source of water coupled to the irrigation pipe that is controllable to provide water at different inlet pressures to the irrigation pipe, wherein;

the at least one first irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water in response to a first non-zero water inlet pressure, and

the at least one second irrigation emitter is capable of discharging water only in response to a second non-zero water inlet pressure which is higher than the first non-zero water inlet pressure.

12. An irrigation system according to claim 11 further comprising:

a controller that controls the source of water to provide water at different desired inlet pressures to the irrigation pipe corresponding to different configurations of activated and non-activated irrigation emitters.

17. An irrigation system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the irrigation pipe further comprises:

at least one third integrated irrigation emitter characterized by a third non-zero discharge-pressure threshold different from the first discharge-pressure threshold and the second discharge-pressure threshold;

wherein;

the at least one first, the at least one second and the at least one third integrated irrigation emitters are positioned along the irrigation pipe in accordance with a predetermined configuration.

13. A method of producing an irrigation pipe comprising:

providing a pipe having an internal lumen; and

mounting a plurality of irrigation emitters to the pipe wall inside the lumen in accordance with a predetermined configuration, each of said plurality of irrigation emitters comprising at least one labyrinth configured to provide resistance to water flow;

wherein;

at least two of the irrigation emitters have different non-zero discharge-pressure thresholds whose values differ from one another, whereby;

a first of the at least two irrigation emitters is capable of discharging water in response to a first non-zero water inlet pressure, and

a second of the at least two irrigation emitters is capable of discharging water only in response to a second non-zero water inlet pressure which is higher than the first non-zero water inlet pressure.

18. The method of producing an irrigation pipe according to claim 13, wherein:

at least three of the irrigation emitters have different non-zero discharge-pressure thresholds whose values differ from one another.