Patent Application
20110233310
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a sprinkler and, more particularly, to a flow controller for use in a sprinkler.
2. Related Prior Art
Sprinklers are commonly used in gardening. A conventional sprinkler includes a lever. The lever is operable to control the flow rate of water sprinkled from the conventional sprinkler. Different types of plants in different phases of growth require different amounts of water. A user exerts various forces on the lever to cause the conventional sprinkler to sprinkle water onto the plants at different flow rates. It is however difficult to control the flow rates precisely. Moreover, a professional nursery garden is generally large. The user has to exert the forces on the lever for a long time, and this is exhausting and could entail sore palms and wrists of the user.
To solve the foregoing problems, there have been devised sprinklers with ratchet-based mechanisms to retain the sprinklers at various flow rates for a long time. However, it is technically difficult to provide a sprinkler with a ratchet-based mechanism since a sprinkler is small. Moreover, some of the ratchet-based mechanisms cannot be rotated in two directions. Hence, a user often has to rotate the ratchet-based mechanism for almost 360 degrees in a direction to switch the sprinkler from one flow rate to another although he or she might only have to rotate the ratchet-based mechanism for only several degrees in an opposite direction. This causes inconvenience and wastes a lot of water.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a sprinkler with a conveniently operable flow controller.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the flow controller includes a handle, first and second valves, and first and second levers. The handle includes an inlet, an outlet, a first chamber in communication with the inlet and outlet and a second chamber in communication with the outlet. A first end of the first valve is movable in the first chamber between a shutting position for shutting the inlet and an opening position for opening the inlet. A second end of the first valve is outside the first chamber. The first lever is pivotally connected to the handle and located against the second end of the first valve. The first lever is operable to move the first valve to the opening position. The second valve is rotationally located in the second chamber for controlling the flow rate of water going through the outlet. The second lever is connected to the second valve. The second lever is operable to rotate the second valve.
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
Two stops 131 are formed on opposite sides of the handle 10, respectively. Each of the stops 131 is located near a related one of two open ends of the second chamber 13. Two annular ridges 14 are formed on opposite sides of the handle 10, respectively. Each of the annular ridges 14 extends around a related one of the open ends of the second chamber 13. A lug 16 is formed on a front face of the handle 10, near an end of the handle 10. A slot 161 is defined in the lug 16. A ring 17 is pivotally connected to the handle 10, near an opposite end of the handle 10. A section of the ring 17 is rotationally located in an aperture defined in a lug extending from the handle 10.
The first valve unit 20 includes a first valve 21 and a spring 22. The first valve 21 is in the form of a rod movably inserted in the first chamber 15. The first valve 21 includes a piston-like portion 211 formed at a first end and another piston-like portion 212 formed on a middle section. A sealing ring 213 is located in a groove defined in and around the periphery of the piston-like portion 211. Another sealing ring 214 is located in a groove defined in and around the periphery of the piston-like portion 212 of the first valve 21. The spring 22 is a compression spring.
The first lever 30 is made of a plastic strip for example. The first lever 30 includes two rings 31 formed on a side near an upper end and a mask-like portion 32 formed thereon at the upper end. Two apertures 321 are defined in the mask-like portion 32 of the first lever 30. The first lever 30 further includes a recess 34 defined in an opposite side near a lower end.
The second valve unit includes a second valve 40 and two sealing rings 43. The second valve 40 is in the shape of a drum. The second valve 40 includes an arched channel 41 defined in the periphery and a semi-cylindrical face 42 formed on the periphery. The recess 41 extends for about 180 degrees and the semi-cylindrical face 42 therefore extends for about 180 degrees. The second valve 40 further includes a tunnel 45 axially defined therein and four recesses 451 defined in the wall of the tunnel 45. Two of the recesses 451 are located near an end of the second valve 40 while the other recesses 451 are located near an opposite end of the second valve 40. Two arched cutouts 44 are defined in the periphery of the second valve 40. Each of the arched cutouts 44 is located near a related one of the ends of the second valve 40. Each of the sealing rings 43 is located in a groove defined in and around the periphery of the second valve 40.
The second lever 50 is substantially a U-shaped element, with two opposite discs 51 formed at two ends thereof. Two hooks 511 extend from each of the discs 51.
In assembly, the spring 22 is provided on and around the first valve 21 before the first valve 21 is movably located in the first chamber 15 defined in the handle 10. The piston-like portion 211 of the first valve 21 is located in and seals the small section 152 of the first chamber 15. The piston-like portion 212 is located in and seals the large section 151 of the first chamber 15. The spring 22 is compressed between the piston-like portion 212 of the first valve 21 and the shoulder 153 of the first chamber 15. An opposite second end of the first valve 21 is located outside the first chamber 15.
The rings 31 of the first lever 30 are provided on and around the annular ridges 14 formed on the handle 10. Thus, the first lever 30 is pivotally connected to the handle 10. The mask-like portion 32 of the first lever 30 covers the lug 16 of the handle 10. A pin 33 is inserted in the slot 161 of the lug 161 through the apertures 321 of the first lever 30. Thus, first lever 30 is retained on the handle 10. The first lever 30 is in contact with the second end of the first valve 21.
The second valve 40 is rotationally located in the second chamber 13 defined in the handle 10. The sealing rings 43 are in contact with the wall of the second chamber 13 and seal the second chamber 13. The arched cutouts 44 receive the stops 131 so that the rotation of the second valve 40 in the second chamber 13 is confined in a predetermined range. The recess 41 is in communication with the outlet 12.
The hooks 511 of the second lever 50 are located in the recesses 451 of the second valve 40. Thus, the second lever 50 is connected to the second valve 40. The second lever 50 is operable to rotate the second valve 40. Moreover, the discs 51 of the second lever 50 keep the second valve 40 in the second chamber 13 of the handle 10.
In use, a nozzle is connected to outlet 12 of the handle 10 although not shown. Thus, the flow controller controls the flow rate of water to be sprinkled from the nozzle.
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The present invention has been described via the detailed 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.
