Control device of a pistol nozzle of a lawn sprinkler

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6471145
  • Patent Number
    6,471,145
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, January 30, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 29, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Kim; Cristopher
    Agents
    • Harrison & Egbert
Abstract
A pistol nozzle of lawn sprinkler including a handle, a barrel, and a water control device. The handle is provided with a water admitting channel, whereas the barrel is provided with a water discharging channel. The water control device is disposed at the juncture of the water admitting channel and the water discharging channel. The water control device includes a valve rod which is provided with a piston to control the discharge of water by the barrel.
Description




RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS




Not applicable.




STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT




Not applicable.




REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX




Not applicable.




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to a lawn sprinkler, and more particularly to a pistol nozzle control device of the lawn sprinkler.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIG. 1

, a pistol nozzle of the prior art is provided with a control knob which is mounted in the front side of the handle of the pistol nozzle for starting and ending the watering of the pistol nozzle.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, another prior art pistol nozzle is provided with a control lever which is mounted in the back side of the handle of the pistol nozzle for starting and ending the watering of the pistol nozzle.




Both the control knob and the control lever of the prior art pistol nozzles are provided with a recovery force by a spring. For this reason, the act of watering of the prior art pistol nozzles persists only at the time when an external force exerting on the control knob or lever is greater than the recovery force of the control knob or lever. In other words, a user of the prior art pistol nozzles must keep pressing the control knob or lever while the prior art pistol nozzles are engaged in the act of watering. It is conceivably tiresome for the user of the pistol nozzle to keep pressing the control knob or lever. In addition, the control knob or lever is bound to confine the design versatility of the pistol nozzle. Moreover, the control lever of the prior art pistol nozzle is in fact a safety hazard in view of the fact that the palm of a user's hand is susceptible to injury by the control lever.




BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a pistol nozzle with a water control device which is free of the deficiencies of the control devices of the prior art pistol nozzles described above.




In keeping with the principle of the present invention, the foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by a pistol nozzle comprising a water admitting channel, a water discharging channel, a receiving slot located at the juncture of the water admitting channel and the water discharging channel, and a water control device disposed in the receiving slot. The water control device comprises a valve rod for controlling the discharge of water.




The features and the advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows a perspective view of a prior art pistol nozzle.





FIG. 2

shows a perspective view of another prior art pistol nozzle.





FIG. 3

shows a perspective view of the present invention.





FIG. 4

shows an exploded schematic view of the present invention.





FIG. 5

shows a sectional view of the present invention in combination.





FIGS. 6-10

are schematic views of the present invention in action.





FIG. 11

shows a schematic view of the present invention in use.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIGS. 3-10

, a pistol nozzle


10


embodied in the present invention comprises a handle


11


and a barrel


12


. The handle


11


is provided in the interior with a water admitting channel


13


, whereas the barrel


12


is provided in the interior with a water discharging channel


14


. Located at the juncture of the water admitting channel


13


and the water discharging channel


14


is a receiving slot


15


in which a water control device is disposed.




The water control device is formed of a base tube


20


, a valve rod


40


, a recovery element


50


, a retaining member


60


, and a locating member


70


.




The base tube


20


is located in the receiving slot


15


and is provided with an open end


21


, a closed end


22


, and a stop edge


23


located in the hollow interior of the base tube


20


such that the hollow interior is divided by the stop edge


23


into a first chamber


24


and a second chamber


25


. The base tube


20


is further provided with a water admitting hole


26


corresponding in location to the water admitting channel


13


, and with a water discharging hole


27


corresponding in location to the water discharging channel


14


. The second chamber


25


is provided with a guide slot


28


which is in turn provided with a through hole


29


in communication with the closed end


22


. The second chamber


25


is further provided in the side wall with an insertion slot


30


.




The valve rod


40


is pivoted in the second chamber


25


such that an inner end of the valve rod


40


is extended into the first chamber


24


. The inner end of the valve rod


40


is provided with a piston


41


, which is located between the water admitting hole


26


and the water discharging hole


27


. The valve rod


40


is further provided at an outer end thereof with a knob pillar


42


, which is jutted out of the closed end


22


via the through hole


29


. The outer segment of the valve rod


40


is slidably pivoted in the guide slot


28


and is provided with a washer


43


. The valve rod


40


is further provided in the outer wall surface with one-way ratchet slots


44


, an urging projection


46


, and a recess


45


located between the ratchet slots


44


and the urging projection


46


.




The recovery element


50


has one end urging the piston


41


of the valve rod


401


and other end urging the inner wall of the receiving slot


15


. The recovery element


50


serves to provide a recovery force enabling the valve rod


40


to slide toward an outer end of the barrel


12


of the pistol nozzle


10


.




The retaining member


60


is formed of a seat plate


61


, a first transmission piece


62


, and a second transmission piece


63


. The first transmission piece


62


, and a second transmission piece


63


are pivoted to the underside of the seat plate


61


. The retaining member


60


is mounted on the seat tube


20


such that the retaining member


60


is corresponding in location to the ratchet slots


44


of the valve rod


40


, and that the seat plate


61


is inserted into the insertion slot


30


of the second chamber


25


of the base tube


20


. The second transmission piece


63


has an inclined stop portion


64


serving to prevent the valve rod


40


in motion from sliding backward in conjunction with the one-way ratchet slots


44


. The first transmission piece


62


and the second transmission piece


63


are provided with a transmission portion


65


, as shown in FIG.


5


. The first transmission piece


62


is further provided with a serrated portion


66


opposite in location to the transmission portion


65


. The serrated portion


66


is pushed by the urging projection


46


of the valve rod


40


such that the first transmission piece


62


is actuated to turn, so as to actuate the inclined stop portion


64


of the second transmission piece


63


to turn.




The locating member


70


is provided with a plurality of locating portions


71


, which are arranged at an interval corresponding to the interval of the ratchet slots


44


of the valve rod


40


. The locating member


170


is further provided with a slot


72


in which a ball


33


, a position confining body


75


, and a spring


74


are disposed such that the spring


74


is located between the ball


73


and the position confining body


75


, as shown in FIG.


5


. As the valve rod


40


slides, the ball


73


is located by the locating portions


71


.




As shown in

FIG. 5

, the valve rod


40


is pushed by the recovery element


50


to slide toward the outer side such that the piston


41


is stopped by the stop edge


23


of the base tube


20


, thereby resulting in separation of the water admitting hole


26


from the water discharging hole


27


.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, when the knob pillar


42


of the valve rod


40


is exerted on by an external force, the valve rod


40


is pushed to slide toward the inner side such that the stop portion


64


of the second transmission piece


63


is retained in sequence by the one-way ratchet slots


44


, and that the ball


73


of the locating member


70


is located by the locating portions


71


of the locating member


70


, thereby preventing the valve rod


40


from moving backward and causing the piston


41


to block partially the water admitting hole


26


of the base tube


20


, as shown in FIG.


7


. The water flow can be thus controlled by the piston


41


of the valve rod


40


, depending on the extent to which the water admitting hole


26


of the base tube


20


is blocked by the piston


41


.




As illustrated in

FIGS. 8 and 9

, the water flow can be completed stopped by causing the valve rod


40


to slide back to its original position. The valve rod


40


is pushed to enable the stop portion


64


of the second transmission piece


63


to move through the ratchet slots


44


to stay in the recess


45


of the valve rod


40


. As the valve rod


40


is pushed to a predetermined stop position, the serrated portion


66


of the first transmission piece


62


is pushed by the urging projection


46


of the valve rod


40


, so as to actuate the first transmission piece


62


to turn. As a result, the transmission portion


65


actuates the stop portion


64


of the second transmission piece


63


to remain in the disengagement statel as shown in FIG.


9


. As the knob pillar


42


is relieved of the pressure of the external force, the valve rod


40


is forced by the recovery force of the recovery element


50


to move back to its original position. In the meantime, the second transmission piece


63


is incapable of engaging the ratchet slots


44


, as shown in FIG.


10


. The valve rod


40


is returned to its original position as shown in FIG.


5


. It must be noted here that the recovery element


50


is greater in spring force than the spring


74


of the locating member


70


.



Claims
  • 1. A pistol nozzle of lawn sprinkler comprising:a handle comprised of, in an interior, a water admitting channel; a barrel connected with the handle and comprised of, in an interior, a water discharging channel; and a water control device disposed in a receiving slot which is located at the juncture of the water admitting channel of the handle and the water discharging channel of the barrel; wherein said water control device comprises: a base tube comprising an open end, a closed end, and a stop edge located in a hollow interior thereof such that said hollow interior is divided by said stop edge into a first chamber, and a second chamber which is comprised of an insertion slot, and a guide slot, said guide slot being comprised of a through hole in communication with said closed end, said base tube further comprised of a water admitting hole corresponding in location to said water admitting channel of the handle, said base tube further provided with a water discharging hole corresponding in location to said water discharging channel of the barrel; a valve rod pivoted in said second chamber of said base tube such that an inner end of said valve rod is extended into said first chamber of said base tube, said inner end of said valve rod being comprised of a piston which is located between said water admitting hole and said water discharging hole of said base tube, said valve rod further provided at an outer end thereof with a knob pillar, said knob pillar jutting out of said closed end of said base tube via said through hole of said guide slot of said second chamber of said base tube, said valve rod further comprising in an outer wall, a plurality of one-way ratchet slots, an urging projection, and a recess located between said ratchet slots and said urging projection; a recovery element disposed in said base tube such that one end of said recovery element urges said piston of said valve rod, and that another end of said recovery element urges an inner wall of said receiving slot, said recovery element serving to provide said valve rod with a force enabling said valve rod to slide toward an outer end of the barrel of the pistol nozzle; a retaining member comprised of a seat plate, a first transmission piece, and a second transmission piece, with said first transmission piece and said second transmission piece being pivoted to an underside of said seat plate, said retaining member being mounted on said base tube such that said seat plate is inserted into said insertion slot of said base tube, and that said retaining member is corresponding in location to said ratchet slots of said valve rod, said second transmission piece having an inclined stop portion serving in conjunction with said ratchet slots to prevent said valve rod from sliding in a backward direction, said first transmission piece and said second transmission piece being provided respectively with a transmission portion enabling said first transmission piece in motion to actuate said second transmission piece to turn, said first transmission piece being further comprised of a serrated portion engageable with said urging projection of said valve rod; and a locating member comprising a plurality of locating portions which are arranged at an interval corresponding to an interval of said ratchet slots of said valve rod, said locating member further comprising a slot in which a ball, a position confining body, and a spring are disposed such that said spring is located between said ball and said position confining body whereby said ball is located by said locating portions at such time when said valve rod slides; said water admitting hole of said base tube being completely blocked by said piston of said valve rod at such time when said valve rod is pushed by the force of said recovery element to slide such that said piston is stopped by said stop edge of said base tube; said water admitting hole of said base tube being partially obstructed by said piston of said valve rod at such time when said knob pillar of said valve rod is being exerted on by an external force, thereby causing said stop portion of said second transmission piece to engage in sequence said ratchet slots of said valve rod, and causing said ball of said locating member to be located in sequence by said locating portions of said locating member, said partially-obstructed water admitting hole of said base tube being completely blocked once again by said piston of said valve rod at such time when said knob pillar of said valve rod is relieved of the external force exerting thereon, thereby causing said valve rod to slide such that said stop portion of said second transmission piece is located in said recess of said valve rod, and that said serrated portion of said first transmission piece is pushed by said urging portion of said valve rod so as to actuate said first transmission piece to turn, and that said second transmission piece is actuated to turn by said first transmission piece in motion so as to cause said stop portion of said second transmission piece to remain in a disengagement state disabling said stop portion of said second transmission piece to engage said ratchet slots of said valve rod.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
5984207 Wang Nov 1999 A
6129294 Hsin-Fa Oct 2000 A
6352212 Wang Mar 2002 B1