Water jet regulating cap for water delivery nozzle, particularly for lawn sprinklers with oscillating arm

Abstract: A description is given of a water jet regulating cap for water delivery nozzle, particularly for lawn sprinklers with oscillating arm. The cap is made up of two parts (9, 10) consisting of different plastic materials tightly fixed together: a first part (9), made up of rigid plastic material, has a sleeve-like shape and is attachable to the nozzle (2) in such a way as to be held in an axial direction and revolvable around the axis of the nozzle between two end angular positions; a second part (10) is made up of a soft plastic material of a cup-like shape with a base passed through by an off-center hole (12) alignable or non-alignable with a corresponding off-center hole (4) of the nozzle (2) according to the angular position of the cap (1) with respect to the nozzle (2).

Description: The present invention deals with a water jet regulating cap for water delivery nozzle, particularly for lawn sprinklers with oscillating arm. Lawn sprinklers with oscillating arm, normally used for watering rectangular and square surfaces of lawns and gardens, accommodate a succession of nozzles positioned along an oscillating arm to produce a corresponding succession of water jets directed in an oscillating way towards respective portions of the lawn or garden to be watered. The nozzles set up on the sides are often provided with a cap for the regulation of the water jet, which can be shifted manually from a position of maximum opening of water jet to a position of complete shut-off of the same for the purpose of varying the breadth of the area sprinkled. According to a previous solution proposed by the applicant, the aforementioned regulating cap is made up of one piece of hard plastic material that is made to turn 180 degrees around the axis of the nozzle and is provided with an off-center hole that coincides or not with a corresponding off-centered hole in the nozzle depending on the angular position of the cap. The rigidity of the plastic material used for the cap creates problems for liquid seal when the cap is in the nozzle shut-off position. US-A-3704831 discloses a hose nozzle provided with a jet regulating cap according to the preamble of claim 1. In the light of this, the purpose of the present invention has been to provide a cap for water-jet regulation for the water nozzle, particularly but not exclusively for oscillating arm sprinkler for gardening, which was able to solve the aforementioned sealing problems. According to the present invention the problem has been addressed by way of a water-jet regulating cap as defined in claim 1. In this way, while the first part of rigid plastic material (for instance polypropylene) assures the necessary steady revolvable coupling of the cap to its respective nozzle, the second pan made up of a soft plastic material (for instance thermoplastic rubber) guarantees the desired water-tight containment between the cap and the off-center hole of the nozzle when said cap is in the nozzle shut-off position. In other words, the second part of soft plastic material acts like a water-tight washer completely closing off the off-center hole of the nozzle when the off-center hole of the cap is not in alignment with it. The features of this invention will be made even more clear by the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a liquid delivery nozzle, for instance for oscillating arm sprinklers for lawns and gardens, which is provided with a cap for water jet regulation according to this invention, the whole group being shown in axial section along line I-I of figure 2, with the cap in complete shut-off of water jet. Figure 2 shows the same group in transversal cross-section along line II-II of figure 1; Figure 3 shows only the cap in axial cross-section along line III-III of figure 4; Figure 4 shows the cap in plane view from above; Figure 5 shows the nozzle together with cap, sectioned as in figure 1 but with the cap rotated in position of complete water jet shut-off; Figure 6 shows a cross-section view of the nozzle with cap as in figure 2, but with the cap rotated in position of complete shut-off of water jet. Figure 7 shows, in perspective view, an alternative embodiment of the cap for water jet regulation. In figures 1 and 2, a cap 1 according to the invention is shown in open position attached to a water delivery nozzle 2, for example constituting one of the water delivery nozzles of a sprinkler oscillating arm. Nozzle 2 comprises a body 3, usually in plastic material, axially crossed by an off-center cylindrical hole 4 that constitutes the pipe for the flow of water. Body 3 is formed by base part 5 and by a cylindrical tang 6, the latter provide with an external ring-like convex protrusion 7. Base 5 shows, in turn, an axially protruding tooth 8. Cap 1, better illustrated in figures 3 and 4, is made up of two parts 9 and 10 tightly fixed together. A first part 9 consists of a rigid plastic sleeve , for example polypropylene, that is provided with an internal ring-like concave groove 11 which snaply and receives the external ring-like convex protrusion 7 of tang 6 of nozzle 2 in such a way as to prevent the axial slipping out of the cap from the nozzle, at the same time allowing the cap to turn around the nozzle axis. A second part 10 of cap 1 consists of a cup-shaped body made of soft plastic material , for instance thermoplastic rubber. The base of cup-shaped piece 10 is crossed by an off-center cylindrical hole 12, that is aligned or non-aligned with the corresponding off-center hole 4 of the nozzle depending on whether cap 1 is found in one or the other of two end angular positions with respect to nozzle 2. The aforementioned end angular positions are shown in figures 1-2 and 5-6 and are secured by the engagement of a protruding angular sector 13 of the cup-shaped body 10 with the tooth 8 of base 5 of nozzle 2. When cap 1 is in the open angular position of figures 1 and 2, the two holes 12 and 4 are in alignment with each other and the water flowing into nozzle 2 can come out freely through hole 12. When, however, cap 1 is in the angular shut-off position of figures 5 and 6, the two holes 12 and 4 are not in alignment and the soft material of the cup-shaped body 10 exerts an efficacious water tight shut-off for nozzle 2. Knurling 14 of the cup-shaped piece 10 makes easier the manual rotation of the cap from one to the other of the aforementioned end angular positions. In figure 7 a variant of the cap is illustrated that differs from the previously described embodiment only due to the fact that the base of the cup-shaped body 10 has a cylindrical cavity 15 into which the off-center hole 12 opens.

Claims: Water jet regulating cap for water delivery nozzle, particularly for lawn sprinklers with oscillating arm, said cap (1) being formed by two parts (9, 10) made up of different materials tightly fixed together and being attachable to the nozzle (2) so as to be held in an axial direction and turned around the axis of the nozzle (2) between two end angular positions to make an off-center hole (12) of the cap (1) alignable or non-alignable with a corresponding off-center hole (4) in the nozzle (2) according to the angular position of the cap (1) with respect to the nozzle (2), characterized in that a first part (9) made of a rigid plastic material has a sleeve-like shape, is attachable to the nozzle and arranged around an end tang (6) of the nozzle (2), and in that a second part (10) made of a soft plastic material has a cup-like shape which tightly surrounds at least partly the first part (9), said cup-like part having a base crossed by said off-center hole. Cap in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the said sleeve-shaped part (9) of the cap (1) is attachable to the nozzle (2) by means of snap means (11, 7) able to permit the rotation of the cap (1) around the axis of the nozzle (2) and to prevent an axial slipping out of the same. Cap in accordance with claim 2 characterized in that said snap means (11, 7) comprise an internal concave ring-like groove (11) of the sleeve-like part (9) of the cap (1) that is adapted to accommodate a corresponding external convex ring-like protrusion (7) of the nozzle (2). Cap in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said end angular positions of the cap (1) are secured by engagement of a protruding angular sector (13) of said cup-like piece (10) of the cap (1) with a protruding tooth (8) of the nozzle (2).

Inventors: ROMAN GIANFRANCO, ROMAN, GIANFRANCO
Applicants: CLABER SPA, CLABER S.P.A.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B05B1
IPC codes: B05B1