Patent Application
20220369579
The present invention relates to a sprinkler for gardening and, more particularly, to a current-switching unit of a nozzle-swinging apparatus of a sprinkler.
Referring to
The nozzle-swinging apparatus 80 includes a movable base 81, a leafed wheel 82, a gear train 83 and a current-switching unit 84. The movable base 81 is a hollow element including two chambers 811 and 812, an entrance 813, an exit 814 and two channels 815 and 816. The chamber 812 is separated from the chamber 811. The chamber 812 is in communication with the exterior of the movable base 81 through the entrance 813. The chamber 811 is in communication with the exterior of the movable base 81 via the exit 814. The chamber 811 is in communication with the chamber 812 via the channels 815 and 816.
The leafed wheel 82 is pivotally located in the chamber 811. In use, the current of water goes through the channel 815 to rotate the leafed wheel 82 in a sense of direction or goes through the channel 816 to rotate the leafed wheel 82 in another sense of direction.
The gear train 83 is pivotally located in the gear chamber 811. The gear train 83 is operatively connected to the leafed wheel 82 so that the gear train 83 is driven by the leafed wheel 82. The gear train 83 rotates the movable base 81 relative to the joint 92.
The current-switching unit 84 includes a valve 841 and a switch 824. The valve 841 is formed with a cavity 8411. The valve 841 is pivotally located in the movable base 81 near the chamber 812, in the vicinity of the channels 815 and 816. The switch 842 includes a first section extending out of the cavity 8411 and a second section extending into the cavity 8411. The first section of the switch 842 extends out of the chamber 812. The first section of the switch 842 is operable to cause the second section of the switch 842 to abut against a wall of the cavity 8411 to drive the valve 841. Thus, the valve 841 selectively blocks the channel 815 or 816 to change the sense of direction of the current of water, which enters the chamber 811. However, it is quite difficult to drive the valve 841 because the cavity 8411 is made in the center of the valve 841. The difficulty of driving the valve 841 entails a challenge for the rigidity of the switch 842.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a sprinkler with robust efficient nozzle-swinging apparatus.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the nozzle-swinging apparatus includes a movable base and a current-switching unit. The movable base is located in the sprinkler and includes a partition between two chambers. The first chamber contains a leafed wheel. The second chamber contains a gear train. The partition includes two channels via which the first chamber is in communication with the second chamber. The current-switching unit includes two tabs, two connectors, a valve and a switch. The first tab extends in the second chamber from the partition. The second tab extends in the second chamber from the partition. The first connector extends toward the first tab in the second chamber. The second connector extends toward the second tab in the second chamber. The valve includes two pivots. The first pivot extends in a gap between the first tab and the first connector. The second pivot extends in a gap between the second tab and the second connector. The switch includes a lever and a valve-moving element. The lever includes a first section extending out of the movable base and a second section extending in the movable base. The valve-moving element grabs the valve. The first section of the lever is operable to pivot the second section of the lever so that the valve-moving element causes the valve to close one of the channels.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
The current-switching unit 20 includes two tabs 21 and 22, two connectors 23 and 24, a sharp protuberance 25, a valve 26, and a switch 27. The tabs 21 and 22 extend from a face of the partition 11 in the chamber 13. The channels 14 and 15 are located between the tabs 21 and 22. The tab 21 includes a supporting face 211 extending between two recesses 212. The tab 22 includes a supporting face 221 extending a same plane with the supporting face 211.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The switch 27 includes a lever 271 and a valve-moving element 272. The valve-moving element 272 is formed with a plate 2721, two cantilevers 2722 and two rods 2723. The cantilevers 2722 extend from a face of the plate 2721. Each of the rods 2723 perpendicularly extends from a corresponding one of the cantilevers 2722. The lever 271 extends from another face of the plate 2721.
Referring to
The lever 271 includes a first section extending out of the chamber 13 through a slot 16 made in the wall of the chamber 13. The lever 271 includes a second section extending in the chamber 13, between the connectors 23 and 24. The cantilevers 2722 extend above the membrane 261. The rods 2723 extend between the extensions 262, in the recesses 212. Each of the halves of the membrane 261 is located between the plate 2721 and a corresponding one of the rods 2723.
Referring to
For example, as shown, the lever 271 is pivoted to a position by the first section. Thus, the valve-moving element 272 is moved to a position where one of the rods 2723 abuts one of the extensions 262 to cause one of the halves of the membrane 261 to close the channel 14 so that the current of water is admitted into the chamber 12 from the chamber 13 through the channel 15.
Alternatively, although shown, the lever 271 can be pivoted to another position by the first section. Thus, the valve-moving element 272 is moved to another position where the remaining one of the rods 2723 abuts the remaining one of the extensions 262 to cause the remaining one of the halves of the membrane 261 to close the channel 15 so that the current of water is admitted into the chamber 12 from the chamber 13 through the channel 14.
The present invention has been described via illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
