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

• US 9,220,205 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• 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:
  US13/767,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 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

Abstract

An electronic control unit for programmed watering of lawns, gardens, flower boxes and similar spaces, comprises a front panel, a display, watering program selection push-buttons for selecting the watering duration and the watering repetition frequency and at least one start push-button for starting the selected program. The control unit comprises an electronic micro controller which, in response to the operation of said selection push-buttons, controls the visualization of the duration and frequency of the selected program and, in response to a single operation of the start push-button, controls the immediate start of the selected watering program. If the start push-button is operated for a variable number of times, the micro controller 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, first and second watering program selection push-buttons for respectively selecting the watering duration and the repetition frequency of a watering program by moving indicators through circumferential sequences of numbers corresponding to respective duration and repetition frequency of water programs and a push-button for starting the selected program with the selected duration and repetition frequency, the electronic micro controller being controlled by said first and second selection push-buttons and connected to said display so that, in response to the operation of said first and second selection push-buttons, the micro controller causes the visualization of the duration and the frequency of the selected program, wherein said start push-button is associated to said micro controller so that, in response to a single operation of said 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 delayed start of the selected program and the visualization of the delayer start time for the selected program.

2. The electronic 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.

3. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, wherein said microcontroller also controls the visual representation of the waiting time from a watering operation and the next one.

4. The electronic control unit according to claim 1, comprising also a further push-button for actuation of a manual watering start mode for a prefixed time.

5. 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.

6. The electronic two-way control unit according to claim 5, comprising a manual watering start mode which can be actuated by simultaneous operation of said start push-buttons.

7. The electronic control unit according to claim 5, 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.