Patent ID: 6854664
Filing Date: 2005-02-15
Classification: B05B

Abstract:
1. A top serviceable pop-up sprinkler, comprising: an outer housing having an inlet at a lower end thereof; a riser mounted inside the outer housing for vertical reciprocation through an opening in an upper end of the outer housing; a nozzle mounted in an upper end of the riser for ejecting a stream of water; at least one valve actuator component supported by the outer housing; a diaphragm valve module mounted in the lower end of the outer housing and connectable to the valve actuator component for controlling the flow of water through the inlet in response to actuation of the valve actuator component, the diaphragm valve module being removable as a unit from the outer housing through the opening in the upper end of the outer housing upon removal of the riser from the outer housing; and the diaphragm valve module including a radially retractable and expandable snap ring made of a resilient flexible semi-circular member for releasably holding the diaphragm valve module in an operative position in the lower end of the outer housing, the snap ring being mounted to a cover of the valve module for holding the diaphragm valve module in an operative position in the lower end of the outer housing, the snap ring including a pair of opposing annular portions that fit within an annular groove in an interior wall of the outer housing when the snap ring is in an expanded condition, each opposing annular portion of the snap ring having a guide portion extending radially inwardly thereof, the cover of the diaphragm valve module having projections that ride in slots in the guide portions to control the radial retraction of the opposing annular portions to facilitate the withdrawal of the snap ring from the annular groove in the interior wall of the outer housing to thereby permit the diaphragm valve module to be removed from the outer housing through the opening in the upper end of the outer housing upon removal of the riser from the outer housing.