Delivery nozzle for flexible-hose irrigation systems

Abstract: The nozzle comprises a grip casing (2) with an approximately rectilinear shape inside which, in a longitudinal direction, there is a rigid pipe (4) for water passage formed by an upstream section (7) and a downstream section (9) separated by an internal cavity (10) of the nozzle casing and a push-button (11) movably inserted in said cavity (10) to allow and, alternatively, to cut off the flow of water along the abovementioned pipe. The push-button (11) is substantially in the shape of a half-disc with an internal passage (19) extending from one side to the other of the same and is rotatably inserted in the cavity (10) so that it can be rotated round an axis perpendicular to the direction of the passage of the water between an open position and a closed position. On each side of the push-button (11) there is a seal (22) substantially in the shape of an 8, one half of which (24) frames a corresponding end of the internal passage (19) of the push-button and, when the push-button is in the open position, the facing pipe section (7, 9) and whose other half (25) frames an adjacent portion (20) of the side of the push-button (11) suitable for arranging itself in front of the same pipe section (7, 9) when the push-button is in the closed position.

Description: The present invention relates to a delivery nozzle for flexible-hose irrigation systems. Various types of delivery nozzles are known and widely distributed that can be applied to the outlet of a flexible irrigation hose to allow the user to direct the flow of water where it is more appropriate. The simpler ones and those of older design only provide for the control of the shape of the jet, accomplished by rotation of a terminal diffusor, without the possibility of cutting off the same. Others, on the other hand, have the shape of a pistol and are provided with a trigger to allow the delivery of water to be varied down to the complete cutting off of the jet. The variation of the shape of the jet is in this case entrusted to a diffusor located at the outlet of the pistol. Finally, there is a type of an essentially straight nozzle with terminal diffusor, that entrusts the cutting off of the jet to a push-button that can be moved inside a cavity of the casing of the nozzle, transversally to the direction of the flow of the water, between an open position and a closed position wherein the jet is cut off. In this latter type of nozzle there is the problem of the lateral water seal along the path of the water, that is satisfactory with the push-button closed, when a suitable plug held by the push-button engages with a fixed seal to cut off the flow of water completely, but that is far less so with the push-button open, when the abovementioned engagement is missing. DE-A-2112252 discloses a delivery nozzle according to the preamble of claim 1, which is provided with a lever trigger and a cage-like seal. In view of this state of the art, the object of the present invention is to provide a delivery nozzle of an essentially rectilinear type with a push-button for cutting off the flow, that offers maximum guarantees of lateral water seal both with the push-button closed and with the push-button open. According to the invention such object is attained by a nozzle as further defined in claim 1. Thanks to the use of the abovementioned push-button with an 8-shaped seal there is thus obtained a safe and perfect water seal both at the inlet and at the outlet of the push-button. The features of the present invention will be made more evident by the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof illustrated as a non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a nozzle according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows the abovementioned nozzle in a plan view from above; Fig. 3 shows the same nozzle in a cross-section taken along line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows in a longitudinal cross-section the enlarged detail, in the open position, of the push-button for operating the nozzle of Figs. 1-3; Fig. 5 shows in a longitudinal section the enlarged detail, in the closed position, of the push-button for operating the nozzle of Figs. 1-3; Fig. 6 shows one side of the abovementioned operating push-button; Fig. 7 shows the detail of a seal associated with the abovementioned side; Fig. 8 shows said seal as sectioned taken along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7. The nozzle shown in the drawings comprises a grip 1 formed by a casing of plastic material 2 provided with weight-saving windows 3, inside which there extends a rigid pipe 4 through which the water is to flow from a fitting 5 for a flexible delivery hose to a variously-shaped diffusor 6, screwed onto a threaded end of the casing 2. The internal pipe 4 is divided into an upstream section 7 connected to the fitting 5 and a downstream section 9 connected to the diffusor 6. Between the two sections 7 and 9 of the pipe there is interposed a semicircular cavity 10, that is closed laterally by a cover 13 and wherein a cut-off push-button 11 substantially in the shape of a half-disc with operating planes 12 accessible from the outside of the grip is rotatably housed so that it can rotate round an axis 14 perpendicular to the rigid pipe 4. Thanks to the engagement of a leaf-spring with a protrusion 15 engaged with fixed notches 16 of the bottom of the cavity 10 the rotation of the push-button 11 takes place in successive steps between two end positions determined by the engagement of the protrusion 15 with end abutments 17 and 18 (Figs. 4 and 5). In the position of Fig. 4 an internal passage at an angle 19 extending from one side to the other of the push-button links the two sections 7 and 9 of the pipe, allowing the free flow of water toward the diffusor 6. This position is thus defined as the open position of the push-button. In the position of Fig. 5 the internal passage 19 is, on the other hand, displaced at an angle with respect to the two sections 7 and 9 of the pipe, that are consequently closed by respective lateral portions 20 of the push-button 11. The flow of water is thus cut off by the push-button 11, whose position is thus defined as closed. With each side of the push-button 11 there is associated a seal 22 substantially in the shape of an 8 (Figs. 7 and 8), that is inserted in a groove 23 with a similar shape obtained in the side of the push-button (Figs. 4-6). One half 24 of the seal 22 frames a corresponding end of the internal passage 19 of the push-button 11 and, when the push-button is in the open position of Fig. 4, it also frames the facing section 7 or 9 so as to ensure a perfect lateral water seal along the flow of water. The other half 25 of the seal 22, on the other hand, frames an adjacent portion of side 20 of the push-button 11 that, with the push-button in the closed position of Fig. 5, is located in front of the abovementioned section 7 or 9 of the pipe. In both positions the lateral water seal upstream and downstream from the push-button 11 is thus ensured. It should be considered that the threaded engagement of the diffusor 6 on the casing 2 allows not only the replacement of the diffusor with another possibly more suitable for the specific use required, but also the interposition of an extension with suitable fittings to allow the nozzle to reach places that are far away and otherwise inaccessible.

Claims: Delivery nozzle for flexible-hose irrigation systems, comprising a casing (2) with an approximately rectilinear shape inside which, in a longitudinal direction, there is a rigid pipe (4) for water passage formed by an upstream section (7) and a downstream section (9) separated by an internal cavity (10) of the nozzle casing and an externally controlled valve member (11) rotatably inserted in said cavity to be rotated round an axis perpendicular to the direction of said pipe (4) between an open position wherein an internal passage (19) of the valve member (11) is aligned with said upstream and downstream pipe sections (7, 9) to allow the flow of water from one of these to the other and a closed position wherein the sides of the valve member (11) closes said pipe sections (7, 9) to cut off the passage of the water, characterized in that said valve member is a rotary push-button (11) substantially in the shape of a half-disc rotatably inserted in said cavity (10) and that there is provided on each side of the push-button (11) a seal (22) substantially in the shape of an 8, one half of which (24) frames a corresponding end of the internal passage (19) of the push-button and, when the push-button is in the open position, the facing pipe section (7, 9) and whose other half (25) frames a portion of the side of the push-button (11) adjacent said end of the internal passage (19) which portion is faced to said pipe section (7, 9) when the push-button is in the closed position. Nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that said seal (22) is inserted in a groove (23) with a similar shape obtained in the side wall of the push-button (11). Nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the side of the push-button (11) has a leaf-spring with a protrusion (15) engaged with fixed notches (16) of the bottom of said cavity (10) to allow the rotation of the push-button (11) in successive steps between two end positions determined by the engagement of said protrusion (15) with fixed end abutments (17, 18).

Inventors: ROMAN GIANFRANCO, ROMAN, GIANFRANCO
Applicants: CLABER SPA, CLABER S.P.A.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B05B1
IPC codes: F16K5, B05B1