Electronic control unit with one or two ways controlled by electrovalves for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces

• US 9,215,848 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claber SpA
• Original Assignee: Claber SpA
• Inventors: Brundisini, Andrea, Franchini, Gaetano, De Biasi, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/767,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/165 Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2625 Sprinkler, irrigation, watering

Abstract

Electronic control units for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces, comprise a front panel including a single push-button for selecting a watering program, at least one push-button for starting the selected program and a display. The control units comprise an electronic micro controller which in response to the operation of said push-button causes the visualization of the duration and the frequency of the selected program, and in response to a single operation of the start push-button causes the immediate start of the selected watering program, while the operation of the start push-button for a variable number of times programs the delayed start of the selected program.

Claims

1. An electronic control unit with one or two ways controlled by electrovalves for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces, comprising a front panel, a display and an electronic micro controller, wherein said front panel comprises a single program selection push-button for selecting the duration and the repetition frequency of a watering program by moving indicators through a circumferential sequence of numbers corresponding to respective selectable watering programs and a printed list of selectable numbered watering programs with related watering duration and repetition frequency, said front panel also comprising at least one start push-button for starting the selected program with said duration and repetition frequency, said electronic micro controller being controlled by said selection and start push-buttons and being connected to said display so that, in response to the operation of said selection push-button, the micro controller causes the visualization of the duration and the frequency of the selected program and, in response to a single operation of the start push-button, the micro controller causes the immediate start of the selected watering program and the advanced visualization of the start time, while in case of operation of the start push-button for a variable number of times or for a variable prefixed time the micro controller programs the variable delayed start of the selected program and the visualization of the delayed start time for the selected program.

2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the operation of said selection push-button, the micro controller also controls the visualization of the selected program indication number.

3. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein, in response to a single operation of said start push-button, the micro controller also controls the visualization of the time to the end of watering.

4. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein said micro controller also controls the visual representation of the waiting time between a watering operation and the next one.

5. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein the front panel also comprises a further push-button for actuation of a manual watering start mode for a prefixed time.

6. The electronic two-way control unit according to claim 1, comprising two start push-buttons used for association of the selected program to one or another of two electrovalves for control of the two ways and for the immediate or delayed start of said selected program.

7. The electronic two-way control unit according to claim 6, comprising a manual watering start mode which can be actuated by simultaneous operation of said start push-buttons.

8. The electronic control unit according to claim 6, comprising a mode of simultaneous actuation of the watering programs of the two electrovalves and a mode of non-simultaneous actuation a of the watering programs of the two electrovalves.