Pop-up irrigation device for use with low-pressure irrigation systems

• US 9,138,768 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Jahan, Rowshan, Clark, Donald B., Walker, Samuel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dinh Q
• Application Number:
  US12/972,271
• Publication Number:
  US 20110147484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 239/203, 239/204, 239/582.1, 239/500, 239/502, 239/504, 239/DIG.1, 239/594, 239/601
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/044 Slits, i.e. narrow openings defined by two straight and parallel lips; Elongated outlets for producing very wide discharges, e.g. fluid curtains B05B1/046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/267 the liquid or other fluent material being deflected in determined directions
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/3026 the controlling element being a gate valve, a sliding valve or a cock B05B1/3006, B05B1/326 take precedence; gate valves or sliding valves in general F16K3/00; cocks in general F16K5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/622 ground-penetrating
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/74 driven by the discharged fluid

Abstract

A pop-up irrigation device for use in a low pressure irrigation device is described. The device has a housing, a riser partially extensible from the housing and a nozzle body removably attached to an end of the riser in a non-threaded manner, such as using a snap-fit, or in a threaded manner. One, two or more connection tubes or ports may extend laterally from the housing and can each be configured to be connectable to flexible irrigation tubing. Ribs may extend from the housing to facilitate retention when buried. An annular cap can be attached to the open end of the housing and may include an annular, radially-inward extending seal. The closed end of the housing may include a depending stake with a plurality of blades to facilitate mounting of the housing relative to the ground.

Claims

1. A nozzle body suitable for attachment to a riser of an irrigation device, the nozzle body comprising:

a hollow, outer cylindrical skirt having an upper portion closed by an upper wall to block fluid from exiting through the upper portion of the nozzle body and an open lower portion and defining a boundary of an outer chamber; and

a mouth in the outer cylindrical skirt opening radially outward, the mouth being in fluid communication with the outer chamber via a discharge orifice, the mouth being bounded at least in part by a pair of sidewalls, at least one of the sidewalls having an outwardly extending notch effective to increase the fraction of water volume flowing adjacent thereto as compared to if the sidewall did not have the notch, the notch having a height less than the height of the sidewall.

2. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of sidewalls has one or more of the notches.

3. The nozzle body of claim 2, wherein the mouth is further bounded by a top and a bottom wall, the top wall having an depending wall positioned outwardly from a rear of the mouth and extending toward but spaced from the bottom wall, the discharge orifice being directed toward a chamber positioned between the depending wall and the rear of the mouth adjacent the top wall.

4. The nozzle body of claim 3, further comprising a hollow, inner cylindrical skirt depending from the upper wall and disposed radially inward relative to the outer cylindrical skirt, the outer chamber disposed between the outer cylindrical skirt and the inner cylindrical skirt and an inner chamber disposed within the inner cylindrical skirt.

5. The nozzle body of claim 4, wherein the outer skirt includes means for attachment to a riser of an irrigation device and the inner skirt is configured for engaging a water delivery portion of the riser such that water exiting the riser flows into the inner chamber.

6. The nozzle body of claim 4, wherein the inner skirt includes at least one opening to permit water to flow from the inner chamber to the outer chamber.

7. The nozzle body of claim 6, wherein the opening of the inner skirt is aligned with the discharge orifice.

8. The nozzle body of claim 1, comprising a plurality of mouths each having a sidewall with an outwardly extending notch effective to increase the fraction of water volume flowing adjacent thereto as compared to if the sidewall did not have the notch.

9. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein the notch has a height of between about 10 and 50 percent of the height of the discharge opening.

10. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein ratio of height to depth of the notch is between about 0.83 and about 2.

11. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein the notch extends at an upward inclination in order to provide the increased water volume in an upper portion of the trajectory of the discharged water.

12. The nozzle body of claim 11, wherein upward inclination is at an angle of between about 5 and 25 degrees.

13. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein the closed top wall is non-planar.

14. The nozzle body of claim 1, wherein the discharge orifice has an axis parallel to a central axis of the outer cylindrical skirt, and wherein an entrance and an exit of the discharge orifice each coincides with the axis of the discharge orifice.

15. A nozzle body suitable for attachment to a riser of an irrigation device, the nozzle body comprising:

a hollow, outer cylindrical skirt having an upper portion closed by an upper wall to block fluid from exiting through the upper portion of the nozzle body and an open lower portion and defining a boundary of an outer chamber; and

a mouth in the outer cylindrical skirt opening radially outward, the mouth being in fluid communication with the outer chamber via a discharge orifice, the mouth being bounded at least in part by a pair of sidewalls, at least one of the sidewalls having an outwardly extending notch effective to increase the fraction of water volume flowing adjacent thereto as compared to if the sidewall did not have the notch, the notch extending at an upward inclination in order to provide the increased water volume in an upper portion of the trajectory of the discharged water.

16. The nozzle body of claim 15, wherein upward inclination is at an angle of between about 5 and 25 degrees.

17. A nozzle body suitable for attachment to a riser of an irrigation device, the nozzle body comprising:

a hollow, outer cylindrical skirt having an upper portion substantially closed by an upper wall and an open lower portion and defining a boundary of an outer chamber;

a hollow, inner cylindrical skirt depending from the upper wall and disposed radially inward relative to the outer cylindrical skirt, the outer chamber disposed between the outer cylindrical skirt and the inner cylindrical skirt and an inner chamber disposed within the inner cylindrical skirt; and

a mouth in the outer cylindrical skirt opening radially outward, the mouth being in fluid communication with the outer chamber via a discharge orifice, the mouth being bounded at least in part by a pair of sidewalls, at least one of the sidewalls having an outwardly extending notch effective to increase the fraction of water volume flowing adjacent thereto as compared to if the sidewall did not have the notch.

18. The nozzle body of claim 17, wherein the outer skirt includes means for attachment to a riser of an irrigation device and the inner skirt is configured for engaging a water delivery portion of the riser such that water exiting the riser flows into the inner chamber.

19. The nozzle body of claim 17, wherein the inner skirt includes at least one opening to permit water to flow from the inner chamber to the outer chamber.

20. The nozzle body of claim 19, wherein the opening of the inner skirt is aligned with the discharge orifice.

21. The nozzle body of claim 17, comprising a plurality of mouths each having a sidewall with an outwardly extending notch effective to increase the fraction of water volume flowing adjacent thereto as compared to if the sidewall did not have the notch.