Pop-up sprinkler device with drainage valve

Abstract: A pop-up sprinkler device (3) is described comprising an external housing (4) and an internal mobile part (5) that is provided with a delivery head (9), that partially comes out of the external housing (4) when it is supplied with water in pressure that is coming from a supply pipe below (1). The lower end of said internal mobile part (5) is provided with a valve (14) that closes the water inlet once the pressure of supply of the same water stops. The valve (14) has small slots (16) that are suitable to allow, in the absence of pressure, the drainage of the water toward said pipe below (1).

Description: The present invention refers to a sprinkler device provided with antifreeze controlled discharge anti-stream valve. The use of watering systems comprising disappearing or pop-up sprinklers, that is sprinklers that are normally situated under the surface of the ground in lawns or similar, and a portion of which having function of water output emerges during the stage of watering of the surrounding ground is generally known. Such sprinklers are provided with a head that is fastened to the mobile part of the sprinkler that delivers water and that is subject to the up and down movement of sprinklers of that type. In watering systems of the aforementioned type, in the case of grounds with variable levels, the sprinklers are located at different heights as regards one another. When the system is turned off the water that is at a high level descends toward the pop-ups that are at low level, thus tending to overflow from the latter and to soak and deteriorate the surrounding ground. In order to obviate this problem the most recent construction watering pop-ups utilise a valve, called anti-stream valve, that is forced by a spring to close the water inlet when the system is not in pressure any more. On the other hand, inside the sprinklers of this type there remains a certain amount of water, corresponding to the vertical extension of the sprinkler, that in winter time can freeze and can therefore destroy the sprinkler. US-A-4 699 321 discloses a sprinkler head drain valve according to the preamble of claim 1. In view of the state of the art herein described, object of the present invention is to realize a pop-up sprinkler device that is provided with an anti-stream valve that allows to solve the aforesaid problem. According to the present invention, such object is reached by means of a pop-up sprinkler device comprising an external housing and a mobile internal part that is provided with a delivery head, that partially comes out of the external housing when supplied with water in pressure that is coming from a supply pipe below, the lower end of said internal mobile part being provided with a valve that closes the water inlet at the stop of the pressure of supply of the same water, characterized in that said valve has small, slots that allow, in the absence of water supply pressure, the drainage of the water toward said pipe below. Owing to the present invention it is possible to realize a pop-up sprinkler device provided with an anti-stream valve that by means of appropriate slots allows the slow drainage of the water that is left inside the sprinkler when the pressure of supply stops. The characteristics and the advantages of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, which is illustrated as a non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a watering system comprising pop-up sprinkler devices according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section view according to a vertical plane of a pop-up sprinkler with anti-stream valve according to the invention; Figure 3 is a bottom view of the anti-stream valve of the sprinkler device in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section view in magnified scale, of the anti-stream valve of the sprinkler device in Figure 2. With reference to Figure 1 there is schematically shown a part of a watering system located on a ground with variable levels and comprising a series of supply pipes 1 for underground pop-up sprinklers according to the present invention. The pipes 1 end into a drainage chamber 2, that is situated at the lowest level of the watering system and has at its inlet a drain valve 50 with opening spring that opens and empties the system in the absence of pressure in the pipes 1. Said sprinklers 3, illustrated more in detail in Figure 2, comprise an external tubular housing 4 that has a lower mouth 17 fixable to the supply pipe 1 and contains a tubular mobile part 5 inside it, that is arranged coaxially to the housing 4 and around which a spring 6 is wound that reacts between an upper ring 7 that is fastened to the external housing 4 and a lower ring 8 that is supported by the mobile part 5. A delivery head 9 from which the water delivery jet comes out in an adjustable way is fastened on the latter. The ring 7 has an external thread for the screwing of a lid 10 that is provided with a central hole 11, in which the head 9 is housed. The lower end of the mobile part 5 has an external side toothing 18 with which an inside toothing of the ring 8 is turningly coupled so as to be able to assume different angular positions and thus adjust the direction of the water jet The ring 8 alternates external projections and side recesses that engage with corresponding recesses and projections 19 of the housing 4 so as to guide the vertical movement of the mobile part 5. The ring 8 has a lower part 12 that is made up of a ring with smaller diameter, that has a central hole 20 in which an axial extension 13 of a valve 14 shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4 is inserted, that co-operates with the edge 21 of a passage 22 that is interposed between the mouth 17 and the upper part of the housing 4. The valve 14 comprises a disk 15 with low thickness, generally made of rubber that is provided with small radial slots 16 that, when the valve is closed, allow the drainage of the water contained in the sprinkler toward the pipe below 1 of the watering system. When the sprinklers 3 are operating, supplied with water in pressure through the underground pipes 1, the mobile part 5 is thrust toward the top against the action of the spring 6 up to partially comes out of the tubular housing 4 and to allow the head 9 to deliver water on the surrounding ground by means of a jet of water whose direction is adjusted by the toothed coupling between the lower end of the mobile part 5 and the ring 8 that is angularly locked in the housing 4. Once the pressure of the water stops the spring 6 thrusts the valve 14 to close the inlet of water into the sprinklers 3 through the respective mouths 17. However the water that is inside the sprinklers 3 slowly drains toward the pipe below 1, and then toward the drainage chamber 2, with the drain valve 50 open, by means of the slots 16 of the valve 14. It is thus possible to avoid that during the winter the water that is left inside the sprinklers freezes and thus destroys the same sprinklers.

Claims: Pop-up sprinkler device (3) comprising an external housing (4) and an internal mobile part (5) provided with a delivery head (9), that partially comes out of the external housing (4) when being supplied with water in pressure coming from a supply pipe below (1), the lower end of said internal mobile part (5) being provided with a valve (14) that closes the water inlet at the stop of the pressure of supply of the same water, characterized in that said valve (14) has small, slots (16) that allow, in the absence of water supply pressure, the drainage of the water contained in the sprinkler toward said pipe below (1). Sprinkler device according to claim 1, characterized in that said slots (16) are arranged radially in the lower surface of the valve (14). Sprinkler device according to claim 1, characterized in that said mobile part (5) has an external toothing (18) on the bottom with which a ring (8) is engaged, that is engaged in a sliding and angularly not turnable way with said external housing (4).

Inventors: ROMAN GIANFRANCO, ROMAN, GIANFRANCO
Applicants: CLABER SPA, CLABER S.P.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B05B15
IPC codes: B05B15