IRRIGATION DEVICE

Abstract: An irrigation device, especially suited for trickle or drip irrigation comprises a tubular conduit (2) made by connecting opposite edges of at least two plies of plastics, embossing at least one marginal zone (3) of at least one ply to create a labyrinthine passage for liquid. The two plies may be obtained by lengthwise folding an elongated strip of material.

Description: The present invention relates to an irrigation device from which the liquid is ejected through a multiple number of openings along the extension of the device. There have been known already irrigation hoses of rubber or plastics which had openings along their extension from which water was ejected in the form of a spray. These hoses had been produced in a conventional way by extrusion, the openings being made in a subsequent step. It has been known also to insert metallic or plastic nozzles into such openings. As known, the wall thickness of such hoses is considerable. Also known from DE-A- 2, 835, 117 is an irrigation device as defined in the precharacterizing part of claim 1. It is also known to make hose conduits by folding thin plastics sheets and fusing together the free edges of the plastic strip. These hoses - in one form or another - are mainly used for drip- or trickle irrigation. Such conduits include usually a labyrinthine passage including numerous bows and bends or are subdivided into a number of chambers with apertures in the partitions between chambers, all of which cause a decrease of pressure in the medium flowing there-through, until the medium leaves the conduit in the form of a slow trickle or dropwise. The present invention provides an irrigation device as defined in claim 1. The irrigation device has a conduit which is produced by making a tubular conduit either by connecting two or even more plies of plastics along two oppositely disposed edges of at least one of the plies, embossing at least one longitudinal marginal zone of at least one ply, by making a groove, or folding an elongated strip of thin plastics foil and so creating two plies, lying on one another, embossing a groove at least at one free longitudinal edge of the strip which - in both said cases - extends at an angle relative to the lengthwise direction of the strip or conduit and fusing or otherwise connecting together the marginal portions of the free edges of the plies, the area of the fused or otherwise connected portion i.e. the length of the groove being greater than the wall thickness of the conduit so produced. In each of the said ways a hose like conduit is produced from the main lengthwise extension of the interior thereof extend the embossed grooves forming outlet spouts through which a liquid medium flowing in the main conduit can leave as a spray under the pressure prevailing in the main conduit. In certain practical embodiments, the said outlet spouts may lead either directly or via a distributing conduit into a labyrinth of the kind referred to above. The passages, as well as the distributing conduits and the labyrinths - as has been stated - are obtained by embossing the sheet material, the resulting grooves being either in the marginal zone of the plies extending along the main conduit or could be in a portion of one or more of the plies overlying the main conduit or even in the wall of the said conduit itself. These and further features of the invention will become clear from the following description which has reference to the accompanying drawings. Figs. 1, 1a - 3, 3a and 4 show in fractional perspective views some practical embodiments. The outlet spouts as well as the distributing conduits and also the labyrinths obtained by embossing may be of whatever cross-section, i.e. square, semi-circular, circular, trapezoidal or triangular, etc. Turning first to Fig. 1 there is shown a main conduit 11 consisting of a strip of plastic sheet which is lengthwise folded. The two superposed onto one another plies are designated by numerals 11a and 11b. Marginal portions of the strip which extend radially from the inflated part forming the conduit 11 are embossed to form outlet spouts 12 from the interior of conduit 11. These spouts lead into a distribution conduit 13. From the latter connecting passages 14 lead into a labyrinthine conduit 15 of generally known formation. The said labyrinthine conduit 15 delivers the water via connections 16 to outwardly emitting conduits 17. All these conduits are obtained by appropriately embossing the marginal portions 11a and/or 11b, in a known way. The openings from conduit 11 into spouts 12 as already stated are preferably formed as narrow apertures preventing the passage of grains of sand or other impurities. Such bodies while being prevented from passing into the distributing conduit 13 are continuously removed by the steadily rinsing and flushing flow of water in conduit 11. From conduit 13 the flow proceeds into the labyrinth 15 through passage 14 where - in a known way - the pressure of the flow is reduced, so that emission of water via passages 17 and from emitting outflow ports 7 occurs in the form of a slow trickle or dropwise. The arrangement of Fig. 1A is similar to that of Fig. 11 and in both Figures the same reference numerals are used for identical parts. In Fig. 1A - however - the labyrinthine conduit 15 feeds via connection 16 a distributing conduit 16′ which extends besides the whole length of main conduit 11. The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 includes - as the one of Fig. 1 - the main conduit 11, spouts 12, the distributing conduit 13 from which the passages 14 lead into the labyrinth 15. So far the arrangement is not different of Fig. 1. However, water flows from labyrinth 15 at 15′ into a second distributing conduit 13a and from there through 15″ to second labyrinth sections 18 from which trickle - or dropwise emission takes place at 19. The embodiment of Fig. 3 also comprises the main conduit 11 consisting of two distinct parts 11a and 11b, the latter being covered by a third semi-circularly profiled part 11c. All three parts 11a, 11b and 11c are joined together at their contacting surfaces and longitudinal free edges. Part 11c is embossed to form a distributing conduit 100 which communicates with the interior of conduit 11 via at least one aperture 111 in part 11b. Spouts (not seen in the drawing but equivalent to passages 14 of the already described embodiments) lead via a distributor conduit 13 into a labyrinth 15 from which emitting outflow spouts 17 are branched off. Since the conduit 100 conduit 13 and the labyrinth 15 are included in part 11c, the whole assembly is - in this case - not positioned in a portion radially extending from conduit 11, but lies on the outside of conduit 11 proper. The embodiment shown in Fig. 3A is almost identical with that of Fig. 3, but - as shown by broken lines - the first stage of the emitting outflow spouts 17 could extend the whole length besides the conduit 11. Incidentally, ply 11b - in this case - does not reach to the edges of 11a and 11c. The embodiment of Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. 3. But according to Fig. 4 the ply 11a is connected along both its longitudinal edges with interposition of a plane sheet 11c to a flat sheet 11b which hadbeen embossed in the same way as part 11c in Fig. 3, creating a first distributing conduit 112 into which water flows from conduit 11 via opening 111 and from there through spouts 113 into a second distributing conduit 114 and from there into the labyrinth 15 and emitting spouts 17 as described. In all the embodiments shown filtering of the water takes place - in the manner described - at the passage from the main conduit into a distributing conduit, the water is then made to flow through a labyrinth for the purpose of reducing pressure and the flow is finally divided into several sections which are emitted strictly separated from one another, or not.

Claims: An irrigation device comprising a water supply conduit (2, 11) which is fed with water from the mains and which consists of at least two overlying plies (11a, 11b, 11c) which are joined together at contacting surfaces, the joint (3) of the plies (11a, 11b, 11c) being interrupted by non-joined sections thus creating a plurality of passages (4, 12, 113) from the supply conduit (2, 11), a) said passages (4, 12, 113) forming a plurality of filtering spouts, the axis of each of the spouts (4, 12, 113) extending at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the supply conduit (2, 11), b) said spouts (4, 12, 113) are each longer than the wall thickness of the supply conduit (2, 11), c) the cross sectional area of each filtering spout (4, 12, 113) leading from the supply conduit (2, 11) into a distribution conduit (10, 13, 114) is smaller than the passages of spouts (14, 40) leading from the distribution conduit (10, 13, 114) to the emitting conduits, d) said filtering spouts (4, 12, 113) leading from the supply conduit (2, 11) into a distribution conduit (10, 13, 114) from which emitter spouts (7, 15, 17, 18, 19) are branched off, characterized in that said filtering spouts (4, 12, 113) each comprise a groove embossed in at least one ply (11a, 11b) at one of said non-joined sections and each define an exit spout (4, 12, 113) leading from said supply conduit (2, 11), said spouts (4, 12, 113) leading into said distribution conduit (10, 13, 114) from which conduits (14) are branched off leading into a labyrinthine throughflow passage (15) from which further connecting passages (16, 18) lead into liquid emitting outflow conduits (7, 19). An irrigation device according to claim 1, characterized in that it said distribution conduit is an elongated distribution conduit (10, 13, 114) and in that said labyrinthine throughflow passage (11, 15, 18) partitions the flow of water into a number of different flows each of which is quantitatively decreased due to friction. An irrigation device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said elongated distribution conduit (13) and labyrinth passages (15) deliver water into a second distributing conduit (13a, 16¹, 21), partitioning the flow of water into a number of different flows each of which is quantitatively decreased due to friction. An irrigation device according to claim 3, characterized in that it includes a second labyrinth (18) formed of bows and bends from which second labyrinth (18) water is emitted in the form of a trickle or dropwise. An irrigation device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a semi-circularly or arch profiled strip (11c) is provided within the main supply conduit (11), said distribution conduit (13, 13a, 21, 114), said labyrinth (15, 18) and said liquid emitting outflow conduits (7, 17, 19, 40) being embossed in that part of said main conduit (11) which overlies said strip (11c). An irrigation device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said distribution conduit (13, 13a, 16') has at least one end which is sealed.

Inventors: GILEAD, GIDEON
Applicants: U.S. FARM PRODUCTS LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A01G25
IPC codes: A01G25