Abstract:
A sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow of a sprinkler has an inlet-driving unit, an outlet valve and a discharge rotor. The inlet-driving unit has a body and a cover combined with the body, respectively having a first connection portion and a second connection portion communicating with each other. The discharge rotor is collaborated with the outlet valve and is driven by water stream. The discharge rotor and the outlet valve respectively have upper valve holes and lower valve holes corresponding to each other. Each of the upper valve holes and the lower valve holes has a guide plane. By respectively adjusting the overlapping area between the upper valve holes and the lower valve holes and the guide planes thereof, water can be discharged at different flow rates intermittently, thereby simplifying the sprinkler adapter device with a sprinkler and allowing to demonstrate different water spray patterns.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a sprinkler adapter device, and more particularly to a sprinkler adapter device applied to a sprinkler and coupled to a water hose to intermittently discharge water at different water flow rates. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Sprinkler systems currently applied to gardening have conduits connected to a water source and multiple sprinkler adapters mounted on the conduits and connected to other water manifolds or sprinkler heads so as to spray water over a place that is large in area. Based on the site condition to be deployed and the expected water spray patterns, various sprinkler heads are mounted on conduits that are also connected to a water source to meet a customized requirement. However, technically, such sprinkler adapters only allocate water from the water source to different conduits in the sprinkler systems, and have very limited function and need to be further improved. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a sprinkler adapter device able to intermittently discharge water at different water flow rates. 
         [0006]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the sprinkler adapter device has an inlet-driving unit, a rotary seat, an outlet valve, a discharge rotor and a cover. 
         [0007]    The inlet-driving unit has a body, a spindle and a spin element. The body is hollow and has a chamber and a first connection portion. The chamber is defined in the body. The first connection portion is formed on the body and communicates with the chamber. The spindle is mounted in the chamber. The spin element is rotatably mounted around the spindle. 
         [0008]    The rotary seat is hollow, is driven by the spin element to rotate, and has a top board having a shaft hole mounted around the spindle. 
         [0009]    The outlet valve is mounted on the spindle and has a disk and multiple lower valve holes. The disk has a top surface. The lower valve holes are formed through the disk and spaced with an interval between each other. Each lower valve hole has an opening and a lower guide plane. The lower guide plane is formed between an inner wall of the lower valve hole and the top surface of the disk. The discharge rotor is connected with the rotary seat to rotate relative to the outlet valve, and has a partition board and multiple upper valve holes. The partition board has a bottom surface. The upper valve holes are formed through the partition board to respectively correspond to the lower valve holes. Each upper valve hole has an opening and an upper guide plane. The upper guide plane is formed between an inner wall of the upper valve hole and the bottom surface of the partition board. A gap formed between each upper guide plane and the partition board communicates with a gap formed between a corresponding lower guide plane and the disk when the upper guide plane overlaps the lower guide plane. 
         [0010]    The cover is hollow, and has an end and a second connection portion. The end is mounted on the body. The second connection portion communicates with an inner space of the cover. 
         [0011]    After pressurized water flows into the sprinkler adapter device, the water pressure drives the spin element of the inlet-driving unit to rotate with the rotary seat, and synchronously drives the discharge rotor to rotate. With the design of the upper valve holes of the discharge rotor and the lower valve holes of the outlet valve, water can flow through the upper valve holes and the lower valve holes at different flow rates when the portions of the upper valve holes respectively overlapping those of the lower valve holes are varied. When the upper guide planes of the upper valve holes respectively overlap the lower guide planes of the lower valve holes and most of the portions of the upper valve holes respectively misaligning with those of the lower valve holes, only a small amount of water can pass through the lower valve holes and the upper valve holes to the water outlet. Accordingly, when assembled with a sprinkler head, the sprinkler adapter device provides an adequate amount of water for generating different water spray patterns. Additionally, the discharge rotor can be smoothly and steadily rotated relative to the outlet valve. 
         [0012]    Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is another exploded perspective view of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side view in partial section of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged operational side view in partial section of a discharge rotor and an outlet valve of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is another enlarged operational side view in partial section of the discharge rotor and the outlet valve of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7A  is a first operational top view of an upper valve hole of the discharge rotor and a lower valve hole of the outlet valve in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7B  is a second operational top view of an upper valve hole of the discharge rotor and a lower valve hole of the outlet valve in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7C  is a third operational top view of an upper valve hole of the discharge rotor and a lower valve hole of the outlet valve in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 , mounted on a seat; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is another perspective view of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 , mounted on a seat and connected with a sprinkler head; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 10  is yet another perspective view of the sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in  FIG. 1 , connected with another sprinkler head. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a sprinkler adapter device having multiple rates of output flow in accordance with the present invention has an inlet-driving unit  10 , a rotary seat  20 , an outlet valve  30 , a discharge rotor  40  and a cover  50 . 
         [0026]    The inlet-driving unit  10  has a body  11 , a shaft seat  12  and a spin element  13 . The body  11  is hollow and has a chamber  111 , an opening, inner threads, a first connection portion  113 , a water inlet  114  and a shoulder  112 . The chamber  111  is defined in the body  11 . The opening is formed through a top of the body  11  and communicates with the chamber  111 . The inner threads are formed on an inner wall of the body  11  and extend downwardly from the opening. The first connection portion  113  is formed on a lower portion of the body  11 , is reduced in diameter relative to the body  11 , and has threads formed around a periphery of the first connection portion  113 . The water inlet  114  is formed through a bottom of the first connection portion  113  and communicates with the chamber  111 . The shoulder  112  is formed on an inner wall of the body  11  and is adjacent to the first connection portion  113 . 
         [0027]    The shaft seat  12  is hollow and has a bottom board, a sidewall, a spindle  121 , a positioning hole  122  and multiple water holes  123 . With further reference to  FIG. 4 , the bottom board is mounted and positioned on the shoulder  112  of the body  13 . The sidewall is formed around a perimeter of the bottom board. The spindle  121  is centrally formed on and protrudes upwardly from the bottom board. The positioning hole  122  is formed in a top of the spindle  121  and has a non-circular section. The water holes  123  are formed obliquely through the bottom board, so that an angle is defined between the axis of each water hole  123  and that of the bottom board. 
         [0028]    The spin element  13  is annular and has a board, multiple annular walls formed around a perimeter of the board, a shaft hole  131 , multiple passages  135 , two slots  132 , multiple blades  133 , two guide pieces  134  and two driving elements  14 . The shaft hole  131  is centrally and axially formed through the board of the spin element  13  and is mounted around the spindle  121  of the shaft seat  12 . The passages  135  are circumferentially formed through the spin element  13  and around the shaft hole  131 . The slots  132  are oppositely formed through the board of the spin element  13 . The blades  133  are radially and separately formed on a bottom of the spin element  13  and respectively correspond to the water holes  123  of the shaft seat  12 . Each guide piece  134  is formed inside one of the slots  132  and extends obliquely and upwardly from the board of the spin element  13 . Each driving element  14  may be a metal ball and is received in one of the slots  132  and on a corresponding guide piece  134 . 
         [0029]    The rotary seat  20  is hollow and has a top board and an annular wall formed around a perimeter of the top board, an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the shaft seat  12 , multiple top bars  22 , a shaft hole  21 , multiple locating holes  23 , multiple through holes  24  and two push blocks  25 . The top bars  22  are radially formed on and protrude upwardly from the top board. The shaft hole  21  is centrally formed through the top board. Each locating hole  23  is formed through one of the top bars  22  and is adjacent to the shaft hole  21 . The through holes  24  are formed through the top board of the rotary seat  20  and each through hole  24  is formed between two adjacent top bars  22 . The push blocks  25  are oppositely formed on and protrude from an inner wall of the annular wall of the rotary seat  20 . Because the shaft hole  21  of the rotary seat  20  is mounted around the spindle  121  of the shaft seat  12  and the spin element  13  is received in the rotary seat  20 , the push blocks  25  respectively correspond to the slots  132  and the driving elements  14  of the spin elements  13 . When each driving element  14  centrifugally and outwardly abuts a corresponding push block  25 , the rotary seat  20  is selectively rotated synchronously with the spin element  13  when the driving elements  14  respectively abut against the push blocks  25 , or stays still when the driving elements  14  and the push blocks  25  are separated. 
         [0030]    The outlet valve  30  has a disk  31 , a shaft column  32 , a rod hole  33  and multiple lower valve holes  34 . The shaft column  32  is formed on and protrudes downwardly from a bottom of the disk, has a non-circular cross section corresponding to that of the positioning hole  122 ,and is mounted in the positioning hole  122  of the spindle  121 . The rod hole  33  is centrally formed through the disk  31  and formed in the shaft column  32 . The lower valve holes  34  are circumferentially formed through the disk and spaced at an equal distance apart from a rotation center of the shaft column  32 . With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each lower valve hole  34  has a lower guide plane  341  formed between an inner wall of the lower valve hole  34  and a top surface of the disk  31 . The lower guide plane  341  may be a chamfer plane. 
         [0031]    The discharge rotor  40  has a partition board  43 , multiple upper valve holes  44 , a collar  42 , and a flange  41 . The partition board  43  has a center rod  431  centrally formed on and protruding from a bottom surface of the partition board  43 , and is rotatably mounted in the rod hole  33  of the outlet valve  30 . The upper valve holes  44  are circumferentially formed through the partition board  43  and spaced at an equal distance apart from a rotation center of the center rod  431  to respectively correspond to the lower valve holes  34 . The distance from the rotation center of the center rod  431  to each of the upper valve holes  44  is equal to that from the rotation center of the shaft column  32  to a corresponding lower valve hole  34 . Each upper valve hole  44  has an upper guide plane  441  formed between an inner wall of the upper valve hole  44  and the bottom surface of the partition board  43 . The upper guide plane  441  may be a chamfer plane. The upper guide plane  441  of each upper valve hole  44  is opposite to the lower guide plane  341  of the corresponding lower valve hole  34  when the upper valve hole  44  coincides with the lower valve hole  34 . The collar  42  is annularly formed on and protrudes from the partition board  43 . The flange  41  is formed on and protrudes outwardly from the bottom of the partition board  43 , and has multiple engagement blocks  45  and a recess  46 . The engagement blocks  45  are formed on and protrude from a bottom of the flange  41  and respectively engage the locating holes  23  of the rotary seat  20  so that the discharge rotor  40  and the rotary seat  20  can rotate simultaneously. The recess  46  is formed in a bottom of the flange  41  to receive the disk  31  of the outlet valve  30 , and communicates with the upper valve holes  44 . 
         [0032]    When the discharge rotor  40  is rotated relative to the outlet valve  30 , a front portion between the top surface of the disk  31  and each of the upper valve holes  44  and the lower valve holes  34  in the rotation direction is defined as a front hole edge, and an opposite portion to the front portion is defined as a rear hole edge. In the present embodiment, the upper guide plane  441  of each of the upper valve holes  44  is formed on a corresponding front hole edge and the lower guide plane  341  of each of the lower valve holes  34  is formed on a corresponding rear hole edge. 
         [0033]    Furthermore, preferably, a ratio between a longitudinal height of the upper guide plane  441  of each upper valve hole  44  and that of the lower guide plane  341  of a corresponding lower valve hole  43  is  3 : 4 . A length of each of the upper guide planes  441  formed around an opening of a corresponding upper valve hole  44  is less than one half of the perimeter of the opening of the upper valve hole  44 . A length of each of the lower guide planes  341  formed around an opening of a corresponding lower valve hole  34  is less than one half of the perimeter of the opening of the lower valve hole  34 . 
         [0034]    With reference to  FIG. 7A , when the discharge rotor  40  is rotated clockwise relative to the outlet valve  30  and the upper guide planes  441  respectively align with the corresponding lower guide planes  341 , small edge portions of the openings of the upper valve holes  44  and the lower valve holes  34  are overlapped. However, a gap formed between each upper guide plane  441  and the partition board  43  communicates with a gap formed between a corresponding lower guide plane  341  and the disk  31  so that water flows through the lower valve holes  34 , the lower guide planes  341  and the upper guide planes  441  to the upper valve holes  44  at a low flow rate. 
         [0035]    After the discharge rotor  40  is further rotated clockwise relative to the outlet valve  30  and the upper valve holes  44  and the lower valve holes  34  are partially overlapped, the water flow rate flowing from each of the lower valve holes  34  to a corresponding upper valve hole  44  increases. With reference to  FIG. 7B , when the discharge rotor  40  is further rotated clockwise relative to the outlet valve  30  and each of the lower valve holes  34  aligns with a corresponding upper valve hole  44 , water directly flows from the lower valve holes  34  to the upper valve holes  44  at a high flow rate. 
         [0036]    With reference to  FIG. 7C , when the discharge rotor  40  is further rotated clockwise relative to the outlet valve  30  and the overlapped portion of each of the upper valve holes  44  and a corresponding lower valve hole  34  decreases, water directly flows from the lower valve holes  34  to the upper valve holes  44  at a medium flow rate. 
         [0037]    With further reference to  FIG. 7A , when the discharge rotor  40  is rotated clockwise relative to the outlet valve  30  and the upper guide planes  441  respectively align with the corresponding lower guide planes  341  again, water flows through the lower valve holes  34 , the lower guide planes  341  and the upper guide planes  441  to the upper valve holes  44  back at a low flow rate. 
         [0038]    The cover  50  is hollow, takes a form of an annulus, and has a base portion, threads, a second connection portion  501 , a water outlet  502 , a first O-ring  51  and a second O-ring  52 . The base portion is annular and hollow. The threads are formed on a periphery of the base portion. The second connection portion  501  is formed on and protrudes upwardly and centrally from the base portion, and is reduced in diameter relative to the base portion. The water outlet  502  is formed through the second connection portion  501  and has a bore diameter corresponding to an inner diameter of the collar  42  of the discharge rotor  40 . The second O-ring  52  and the first O-ring  51  are sequentially mounted on the flange  41  of the discharge rotor  40 . The second O-ring  52  and the first O-ring  51  may be made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or teflon), i.e. a wear-resistant material, and a waterproof material respectively. When the threads on the base portion of the cover  50  are screwed into the inner threads at the opening of the body  13 , an inner side of the cover  50  abuts against the first O-ring  52  and the second O-ring  51 . The second connection portion  501  may have threads formed on an inner wall of the second connection portion  501  or on a periphery of the second connection portion  501 . 
         [0039]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , when the discharge assembly is operated, pressurized water enters the chamber  111  of the body  10  through the water inlet  114  of the body. Water further passes through the water holes  123  of the shaft seat  12  and propels the blades  133  of the spin element  13  to rapidly spin the spin element  13 . A centrifugal force as a result of the rapid rotation of the spin element  13  moves the driving element  14  in a corresponding slot  132  obliquely and upwardly along the guide piece  134  to abut against an inner wall of the rotary seat  20 . When each driving element  14  abuts against a corresponding push block  25  on the inner wall of the rotary seat  20 , the rotary seat  20  is rotated with the spin element  13 . Meanwhile, water is also filled in the chamber  111  between the body  11  and the cover  50 , and the corresponding parts including the shaft seat  12 , the spin element  13 , the rotary seat  20  and the outlet valve  30  to maintain a consistent pressure everywhere inside the sprinkler device so that the rotary seat  20  and the discharge rotor  40  are smoothly rotated when being driven to rotate. 
         [0040]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when each upper valve hole  44  on the partition board  43  of the outlet valve  40  corresponds to and aligns with a corresponding lower valve hole  34  on the disk  31  of the outlet valve  30 , pressurized water rapidly flows through the lower valve holes  34  and the upper valve holes  44  to the water outlet  502  of the cover  50  at a high flow rate as shown in  FIG. 7B . When each upper valve hole  44  of the partition board  43  is further rotated relative to a corresponding lower valve hole  34  and the upper valve hole  44  gradually departs from the opening of the lower valve hole  34  as shown in  FIG. 7C , pressurized water flows through the lower valve holes  34  and the upper valve holes  44  to the water outlet  502  of the cover  50  at a medium flow rate. When each upper valve hole  44  of the partition board  43  is further rotated relative to a corresponding lower valve hole  34  and the upper guide plane  441  of each upper valve hole  44  overlaps the lower guide plane  341  of the lower valve hole  34 , pressurized water flows through the lower valve holes  34 , the gap formed between the lower guide plane  341  and the upper guide plane  441 , and the upper valve holes  44  to the water outlet  502  of the cover  50  at a low flow rate. Despite a low flow rate, water flow is not fully blocked and a small amount of water still flows through the discharge rotor  40  to the water outlet  502  of the cover  50 . With the upper valve holes  44  of the discharge rotor  40  and the lower valve holes  34  of the outlet valve and the alignment of the upper guide planes  441  and the lower guide planes  341 , water can flow out of the water outlet of the cover at different flow rates. 
         [0041]    With reference to  FIG. 8 , the sprinkler adapter device can be mounted on a seat  60 . The seat  60  has a water inlet  61  and a mounting connector. The water inlet  61  is formed on one end of the seat  60  to connect to a water source. The mounting connector is formed on another end for mounting the first connecting portion  113  of the sprinkler adapter device on the seat  60 . The body of the sprinkler adapter device may be integrally formed on the seat  60 . Hence, water flowing from the water source can enter the body  11  through the water inlet  61 . With reference to  FIG. 9 , a sprinkler head  70  may be mounted on the second connection portion  501  of the cover  50 . With reference to  FIG. 10 , another type of sprinkler head  70 A may be mounted on the second connection portion  501  of the cover  50 . The sprinkler adapter device of the present invention can be adapted to meet the varied mounting situations for various sprinkler systems in practice. 
         [0042]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.