Patent Application
20090283615
This invention relates to irrigation sprinklers and, more particularly, to a sprinkler having a spray head nozzle for improved irrigation relatively close to the nozzle.
A common type of irrigation sprinkler is one having a spray head nozzle that produces a fan-shaped spray. These nozzles are often designed to distribute water in a specific arcuate pattern about the nozzle, such as quarter, half, three-quarters, or full-circle nozzle configurations that distribute water in 90°, 180°, 270°, or 360° arcs, respectively, about the nozzle. Such spray heads are frequently mounted on either a stationary riser, or a pop-up riser that is mounted in a housing buried in the ground. With respect to a pop-up riser, the riser generally is retracted into the housing when the sprinkler is not in use and moves vertically upwards and above the ground when the sprinkler is in use.
One desirable feature of such spray head nozzles is a matched precipitation rate, such that the rate of water distribution is the same regardless of the specific arcuate nozzle configuration. In other words, it is desirable to have quarter, half, three-quarters, full-circle, and other nozzle configurations that distribute proportional volumes of water. For example, it is desirable to design a series of spray head nozzles where the half-circle nozzle distributes twice the volume of water that a quarter-circle nozzle would per unit of time, given the same supply pressure. Accordingly, it is desirable to have spray head nozzles in which different arcuate nozzle configurations operate to distribute the same volume of water per unit area and unit time.
One significant shortcoming of sprinklers having spray head nozzles is the difference in water distribution for terrain relatively close to the sprinkler compared to water distribution to terrain relatively distant from the sprinkler. More specifically, sprinklers having spray head nozzles frequently fail to provide sufficient water close to the sprinkler itself. Often, such sprinklers provide little, if any, water to the terrain immediately adjacent the sprinkler and extending radially outwardly a given distance from the sprinkler.
One attempt to address this problem has been to provide a number of sprinklers spaced close together to compensate for any dry areas near each sprinkler. This solution, however, is not optimal. It results in increased cost based on the use of superfluous sprinklers and also may lead to uneven and wasteful water distribution with certain areas receiving more water than desired.
Another attempt to address insufficient close-in water distribution has been through the use of a spray nozzle having two outlets: a primary outlet for watering relatively distant terrain and a secondary outlet for close-in watering. This solution has produced mixed results. In some conventional spray head nozzles, water is distributed from the secondary outlet at too high a pressure and velocity, thereby providing little additional water to the terrain close to the sprinkler. Also, in many conventional sprinklers, the secondary outlet (and/or the flow channels leading to the secondary outlet) must be relatively small in size to distribute water close to the sprinkler, resulting in the frequent clogging of the secondary outlet and/or flow channels with grit or other particles.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spray head nozzle that distributes water to terrain relatively close to the nozzle. Also, it is desirable that the nozzle be usable to achieve a matched precipitation rate for different arcuate nozzle configurations. Further, there is a need for a spray head nozzle that is less susceptible to clogging by particulate matter in the water and that allows such particulate matter to be easily cleaned from the nozzle.
With reference to
As described further below, the spray head nozzle 10 includes, among other things, a flow channel that is molded into and among the threads of the nozzle 10. The molding of this flow channel in this manner provides several significant advantages. The use of a flow channel among the threads allows for a pressure drop resulting in improved close-in watering of terrain. The amount of the pressure drop depends on the exact course of the flow channel through the threads, which may be modified for different models of nozzle 10. This molding also allows the flow channel to be relatively large in cross-sectional diameter, which limits the amount of clogging by grit. Further, the flow channel may be cleaned of grit relatively easily by simply unscrewing the nozzle from the riser and rinsing the threads.
As can be seen in
The nozzle 10 preferably includes a deflector 18, a nozzle body 20, a throttling screw seat 21, and a throttling screw 22. As can be seen in
The throttling screw 22 includes a head 24, a shank 26, and a slotted end 28. The slotted end 28 may be adjusted by a screwdriver, or other hand tool, to move the head 24 of the throttling screw 22 closer toward or further away from a filter 30 and the incoming water stream. The throw distance is reduced as the head 24 is moved closer to the filter 30, and it is increased by moving it in the opposite direction.
As shown in
The upper cylindrical portion 34 extends upwardly from the center plate 36. It has a slightly greater diameter than the lower portion 32 and substantially the same inner diameter as the center plate 36. The upper annular edge 48 of the upper cylindrical portion 34 is adapted for abutting engagement with the underside surface 50 of the deflector 18, as described further below.
As can be seen in
As shown in
As shown in
The deflector 18 also includes other features, in addition to the posts 64, 66, 68, and 70, to improve mounting of the deflector 18 to the nozzle body 20. An arcuate rib 88 extends downwardly from the underside surface 50 of the base plate 78 of the deflector 18. The rib 88 engages the upper annular edge 48 of the nozzle body 20 along the interior circumference of the upper edge 48 to minimize lateral movement of the nozzle body 20 relative to the deflector 18. In addition, the deflector hub 84 preferably extends downwardly from the underside surface 50 of the base plate 78 to engage the upwardly projecting nozzle body hub 52, again to minimize lateral movement of the nozzle body 20 relative to the deflector 18. The deflector 18 and nozzle body 20 may be bonded together in accordance with conventional fastening methods, preferably by welding.
The deflector 18 also is formed to provide a flow passage 92 to the primary outlet 14 for relatively distant water distribution. More specifically, as shown in
The primary outlet 14 is formed by the engagement of the deflector 18 with the nozzle body 20. More specifically, the top edge of the primary outlet 14 is formed by the top wall 104, the sides of the primary outlet 14 are formed by the two opposing sidewalls 102, and the bottom of the primary outlet 14 is formed by the upper annular edge 48 of the nozzle body 20. The slot 94 and deflector recess 96 may be sized and shaped in various ways such that the volume of water that flows therethrough is regulated for different models to achieve a matched precipitation rate through the primary outlet 14. For example, the deflector recess 96 of one nozzle 10 may be shaped for quarter-circle water distribution, as shown in
As shown in
The throttling screw seat 21 also preferably includes an annular portion 154 defining a central bore 156 therethrough. The top surface 158 of the annular portion 154 has a circular rib 160 that varies in height about its circumference, and the rib 160 and bore 156 define an inner flange portion 162 therebetween. The top surface 158 is shaped to act as a seat for the throttling screw 22 when the screw 22 is fully advanced toward the seat 21 to reduce the throw distance of the nozzle 10 to a shut-off condition. Use of this throttling screw seat 21 allows the use of a filter 30 having a relatively large diameter (such as compared to that shown in
As can be seen in
As shown in
During operation, water flows upwardly through the riser 12, through the filter 30, and through the bore 156 of the throttling screw seat 21, and then flows downwardly through the axial notches 166 and into the collection groove 168. Water then flows through the radial notch 106 formed in the lower edge 108 of the nozzle body 20. It then enters the flow channel 46 formed in the external threads 38 of the nozzle body 20, and the flow channel 46 terminates in a recess 110 formed on the exterior of the nozzle body 20. The cross-sectional size of the flow channel 46 is small in size relative to that of the slot 94 in the deflector 18, resulting in close-in water distribution. The nozzle body recess 110 is preferably wedge-shaped with side walls 112 and a top wall 114 and is formed on the exterior lower surface of the center plate 36. The recess 110 may be any of various shapes to achieve the desired water distribution pattern, such as quarter-circle or half-circle water distribution, but preferably corresponds to the arcuate shape of the deflector recess 96.
With reference to
As can be seen from
The use of this flow channel 46 achieves a pressure drop by creating a series of orifice openings between the wall 118 of the flow channel 46 in the nozzle body 20 and the threaded portion of the riser 12. The cross-sections of these orifices alternate in size corresponding to the alternation in riser threads 42 and riser grooves 120. Narrow orifices are defined by riser threads 42 that project towards the flow channel wall 118. In contrast, wide orifices are defined by riser grooves 120 that are relatively distant from the flow channel wall 118.
It is known that orifices can be used in series to reduce the pressure and velocity of water flow. Orifices used in series achieve a greater reduction in pressure and velocity than would be achieved through the use of a single orifice of uniform cross-section. Thus, the series of orifice openings in the flow channel 46 acts to reduce pressure. Further, when there are a number of orifices in series, the relative size of the openings created can be relatively large in comparison to single orifice passageways required to achieve comparable pressure drops in conventional sprinklers. In other words, to achieve the same pressure and velocity drop, a single orifice would have to be very small in size. A benefit of a series of relatively larger orifices is the use of a larger channel size which reduces the chance of clogging by grit. Further, any particulate matter that does become lodged in the flow channel 46 may be easily cleaned out by unscrewing the nozzle body 20 from the riser 12. Many current sprinkler designs require a special tool to unclog such passageways.
In a second form, as shown in
The cross-sectional size of the flow channel 46 and 146 and/or the number of directional changes may be modified, as desired, for different nozzle models to tailor the close-in water distribution characteristics. First, the amount of water supplied to the secondary outlet 16 can be controlled by modifying the size of the channel 46 and 146 by adjusting the depth and number of the mating threads 42 of the riser 12. Deeper mating threads 42 will reduce the amount of water supplied to the secondary outlet 16, as will an increase in the number of mating threads 42. Second, the number of directional changes may be adapted to achieve a desired pressure drop. One significant advantage of this design is that the greater the number of orifices in series and/or number of directional changes, the larger the cross-sectional diameter the openings can be for the purpose of increasing tolerance for grit.
During operation of the nozzle 10, water flows in accordance with two flow paths. In one flow path, water flows from a pressurized water source to the riser 12, through the central bore 156 of the throttling screw seat 21, through the interior of the lower portion 32 of the nozzle body 20, through the deflector post groove 94, and through the primary outlet 14. Water flowing along this first flow path retains much of its energy and velocity so that it is distributed to terrain relatively far from the nozzle 10. In the second flow path, water flows from the water source, upwardly through the riser 12, upwardly through the bore 156 of the throttling screw seat 21, downwardly through the axial notches 166 into the collection groove 168, through the radial notch 106, upwardly along the flow channel 46 (
An alternate preferred embodiment of the nozzle 210 is shown in
As shown in
Also, in one form, as shown in
An alternative preferred form of a filter 330 for use with nozzle 210 is shown in
As shown in
The upper portion 234 projects upwardly from the center plate 236. The upper portion 234 preferably has the same diameter as the lower cylindrical portion 232, the center plate 236, and the wall portion 280 of the deflector 218. Thus, when the deflector 218 is mounted to and overlies the nozzle body 220, the two components form an elongated cylindrical body having a uniform diameter.
The center plate 236 preferably has four apertures 256 for the insertion of a like number of deflector posts therethrough. The apertures 256 are preferably spaced equidistantly about the center plate 236. In addition, a nozzle body hub 252 projects upwardly from the center plate 236 and defines a central bore 254 for the insertion of the throttling screw 222 through the center plate 236.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13-15, the nozzle body 220 includes a flow channel 246 and 346 to a secondary outlet 216 for water distribution to areas relatively close to the nozzle 210. In contrast to the above embodiments, the flow channel 246 and 346 is located in the threading 238 on the interior circumferential surface 239 of the nozzle body 220. The entrance to the flow channel 246 and 346 is preferably a fan-shaped notch 306 located above the internal threading 238, just below the center plate 236. The flow channel 246 and 346 extends downwardly away from the deflector 218 and through the internal threads 238 of the lower cylindrical portion 232. The flow channel 246 and 346 terminates in a wedge-shaped recess 310 formed in the bottom edge 308 of the lower cylindrical portion 232. The wedge-shaped recess 310 has sidewalls 312 and a top wall 314. Thus, unlike the previously-described embodiments, water flows downwardly through the flow channel 246 and 346 and away from the center plate 236. Other shapes for the notch 306 and the recess 310 may be used.
The secondary outlet 216 is completed when the nozzle body 220 is mounted to the riser 212. More specifically, the wedge-shaped recess 310 combines with a shoulder 315 of the riser 212 when the nozzle body 220 threadedly engages the riser 212. The shoulder 315 of the riser 212 provides the bottom of the secondary outlet 216. The primary and secondary outlets 214 and 216 are preferably positioned so that they cover the same arcuate segment of terrain.
The path of the flow channel 246 and 346 among the internal threads 238 may be designed in the same manner as described above. For example, as shown in
During operation of the nozzle 210, water flows along a first flow path and along a second flow path. In the first flow path, as with the nozzle 10, water flows from a water source, through the interior of the lower cylindrical portion 232, through the slot 294 in deflector post 264, and through the primary outlet 214. The second flow path, however, is different from that shown and described with respect to nozzle 10. Unlike the previously-described embodiments, the nozzle 210 has a flow channel 246 and 346 with an entrance located above the threads 238 and water flows downwardly from this entrance to a recess 310, located at the bottom 308 of the nozzle body 220 and defining part of the secondary outlet 216. In the second flow path, water flows from the riser 212, through the notch 306 in the nozzle body 220 above the threads 238, downwardly along the flow channel 246 and 346 formed among the threads 238, and through the secondary outlet 216.
The flow channel may be tortuous, i.e., have a number of directional changes (
In general, the pressure experienced by water being distributed from conventional nozzles having only one outlet is on the order of 30 psi. The pressure experienced by water being distributed from the secondary outlet in the preferred embodiments depends on the nature of the flow channel to the secondary outlet, i.e., tortuous or non-tortuous, and on the length and cross-sectional area of the flow channel. In the preferred embodiments described herein, the pressure at the secondary outlet is on the order of 6 psi, resulting in a reduction in pressure on the order of 80% from the entrance to the exit of the flow channel. Further, in the preferred embodiments, in order to achieve this general pressure drop, the length of the flow channel ranges from about 0.2 inches (non-tortuous flow channel) to about 0.7 inches (tortuous flow channel). In addition, as described above, the riser threads and grooves create a series of alternating orifice openings for portions of the flow channel that cut perpendicularly through the threads. The cross-sectional area of these orifice openings preferably alternates between about 0.0002 square inches (relatively constricted orifice openings) and 0.001 square inches (relatively non-constricted orifice openings).
The foregoing relates to preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. It is understood that other embodiments and variants are possible which lie within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
