Abstract:
An impingement sprinkler is provided wherein the first and second limiting pieces of the rotation limiting mechanism are configured with first and second stopping portions extending along the swinging path. As such, when the main body slants upward or downward, the poking rod portion can always contact the first and second stopping portions. Therefore, the first or second limiting pieces can interfere with the poking rod portion and maintain the function of the main body to shift turning directions. In this way, no matter whether the main body slants upward or downward, it can substantially execute the turning action to sprinkle the surroundings. Hence, the practical utility and usage convenience of the product is greatly enhanced.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT  
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
       [0004]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0006]    The present invention relates generally to an impingement sprinkler, and more particularly to an innovative one which, through the first and second stopping portions extensionally formed on the first and second limiting pieces, can substantially execute the turning action when the slanting angle of the main body is adjusted. 
         [0007]    2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
         [0008]    Impingement sprinklers are widely used in large-area crop irrigation and gardening because impingement sprinklers are capable of recycling or reciprocating irrigation in a circular area coverage. To further enhance the utility of the impingement sprinklers, manufacturers have developed impingement sprinklers with an adjustable slanting angle. By adjusting upward or downward, the sprinkling angle of the impingement sprinkler can be changed (i.e., when slanting upward, the sprinkling distance of the parabolic water flow is large, while when slanting downward, the distance is small), so as to meet diversified requirements of the users. What is discussed in the present invention is to improve the turning mechanism of such impingement sprinklers with adjustable slanting angle. 
         [0009]    The structure of a conventional impingement sprinkler is usually made up of a main body, a water connection pipe provided on the bottom of the main body, a swinging frame, a turning mechanism, and a slanting and turning structure arranged on the main body. The turning structure usually comprises two rotary limiting catches configured outside the water connection pipe and a poke rod configured on one side of the main body and extending downward to be between the two limiting catches. When the main body starts to rotate under the drive of the swinging frame, the poke rod will be driven to contact one of the limiting catches, so that the poke rod will deflect and drive the inner mechanism to turn the main body. However, as the poke rod of such a conventional impingement sprinkler is located between the two limiting catches, and there are no other limiting structures around the two limiting catches, when the main body slants upward, there is a possibility that the poke rod may go beyond the limiting catches and cannot touch each other, and consequently, the main body loses the turning function and cannot conduct the recycling irrigation. This will naturally cause uneven irrigation and the convenient and practical functions of the impingement sprinkler are greatly reduced. 
         [0010]    Thus, to overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it would be an advancement if the art to provide an improved structure that can significantly improve the efficacy. 
         [0011]    Therefore, the inventor has provided the present invention of practicability after deliberate design and evaluation based on years of experience in the production, development and design of related products. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The main characteristic of the “impingement sprinkler” disclosed by the present invention is that the first and second limiting pieces of the rotation limiting mechanism are configured with first and second stopping portions extending along the swinging path, so that when the main body slants upward or downward, the poking rod portion can always contact the first and second stopping portions, and therefore the first or second limiting pieces can interfere with the poking rod portion and maintain the function of the main body to shift turning directions. In this way, no matter whether the main body slants upward or downward, it can substantially execute the turning action to sprinkle the surroundings. Hence, the practical utility and usage convenience of the product is greatly enhanced. 
         [0013]    Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a combined perspective view of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an action schematic diagram when the slanting angle of the present invention is adjusted upward. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is an action schematic diagram when the slanting angle of the present invention is adjusted downward. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is an action schematic diagram when the first limiting piece of the present invention rotates around the attaching seat. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an action schematic diagram when the rotation limiting mechanism of the present invention contacts and interferes with the poking rod portion. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8 : a plane view of another embodiment of the rotation limiting mechanism of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]      FIGS. 1 to 5  depict a preferred embodiment of the impingement sprinkler of the present invention. However, such an embodiment is illustrative only and is not intending to limit the scope of patent application. 
         [0023]    The impingement sprinkler  05  includes a main body  10 , comprising a frame portion  11 , and a sprinkler head  12  configured at a position close to the lower edge of the frame portion  11 , wherein the lower end of the main body  10  has an axle tube  101 , and the axle tube  101  can be attached with an attaching seat  13 . 
         [0024]    A rotation guiding mechanism  20  is configured on the frame portion  11  of the main body  10  and comprises a torsional spring  21  and a swinging piece  22 , wherein one side of the swinging piece  22  has a first contacting portion  23 , and the swinging piece  22  corresponds to the interval on the front end of the sprinkler head  12 . Wherein, the attaching seat  13  on the lower end of the main body  10  is to be connected with a water pipe (not shown in the drawing), so that water source can go through the attaching seat  13  into the axle tube  101  and frame portion  11 , and then spray out from the sprinkler head  12 , and the water sprinkled out will drive the swinging piece  22  for reciprocating swinging (the swinging state of the swinging piece  22  is not shown in the drawing), and consequently drive the main body  10  to turn. 
         [0025]    A slant adjustment mechanism  30  is provided between the frame portion  11  and attaching seat  13  of the main body  10 , so that the slanting angle of the main body  10  can be adjusted and the water sprinkling angle of the sprinkler head  12  can be changed (refer to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ). 
         [0026]    A turning control component  40  is configured on one side of the frame portion  11  of the main body  10 , and comprises a second contacting portion  41  and a poking rod portion  42  configured on the lower side of the second contacting portion  41 , capable of swinging and extending downward. Movement of the poking rod portion  42  will drive the second contacting portion  41  and first contacting portion  23  to become aligned or misaligned, so that the turning direction of the main body  10  can be changed, and when the slanting angle of the main body  10  is adjusted, the poking rod portion  42  will slant along with the main body  10  and forms a swinging path A (refer to  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ). Moreover, the first contacting portion  23  disclosed in the present embodiment is configured on the bottom of the swinging piece  22  in the shape of a hooking block, while the second contacting portion  41  is Configured on one side of the frame portion  11  of the main body  10  in the shape of a long block, and one end of the second contacting portion  41  is formed with a hooking portion  43  aligned to the first contacting portion  23 . Moreover, the center of the second contacting portion  41  is configured with as pivot  44  (only shown in  FIG. 3 ), and through left or right swinging of the poking rod portion  42 , the second contacting portion  41  can be controlled to swing around the pivot  44 , so that the hook portion  43  will be elevated to be aligned with the first contacting portion  23  or lowered to be misaligned with the first contacting portion  23  (as shown in  FIG. 3 , the hook portion  43  is aligned with the first stopping portion  23 ). 
         [0027]    A rotation limiting mechanism  50  is provided on a preset position of the attaching seat  13  to limit and interfere with the poking rod portion  42 , further comprising: a first limiting piece  60 , attached to the outside of the attaching seat  13  and defining, an attaching portion  61  and a first stopping portion  62  extending from one side of the attaching portion  61  to the swinging path A of the poking rod portion  42 ; and a second limiting piece  70 , attached to the outside of the attaching seat  13  and located over or beneath the first limiting piece  60 . The second limiting piece  70  forms a sleeving portion  71  and a second stopping portion  72  extending from one side of the sleeving portion  71  to the swinging path A of the poking rod portion  42 , wherein the first and second limiting pieces  60 ,  70  can both be adjusted by rotating around the attaching seat  13  (refer to  FIGS. 6 ,  7 ), so as to limit the rotation range of the main body  10 . 
         [0028]    In this way, through the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72  configured on the first and second limiting pieces  60 ,  70 , when the main body  10  slants upward or downward, the poking rod portion  42  can always contact the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72 , so that the first limiting piece  60  or second limiting piece  70  can interfere with the poking rod portion  42  to maintain the function of the main body  10  to shift its turning direction, and avoid the problem that the main body  10  cannot shift its turning direction because the poking rod portion  42  cannot contact the first and second limiting pieces  60 ,  70  when the main body  10  slants upward or downward. 
         [0029]    Below is a description of the implementation and operation of the present invention: 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72  configured on the first and second limiting pieces  60 ,  70  disclosed in the present invention are in a curved and extending form, and the curve extends along the swinging path A formed by the poking rod portion  42  when the main body  10  is slanted, so that not matter the main body  10  is slanted upward or downward, the poking rod portion  42  can always contact the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72 , or, as shown in FIG.  8 , the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72  are in a slanted and extending form, the same function can be achieved. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , in the present embodiment, the inner side of the attaching portion  61  on the first limiting piece  60  and the sleeving portion  71  on the second limiting piece  70  are configured with a plurality of positioning teeth  80  distributed with intervals, and the outer side of the attaching seat  13  is correspondingly configured with at least one edge  81 , so that when the first and second limiting pieces  60 ,  70  are adjusted, they can be positioned by stages. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the slant adjustment mechanism  30  comprises an axle seat  31  configured on top of the attaching seat  13  and a pivot portion  32  which can be correspondingly attached to the axle seat  31 . Wherein, the axle seat  31  can be attached to one side of the frame portion  11  of the main body  10 , and the pivot portion  32  can go through the frame portion  11  and be pivoted with the axle seat  31 , so that the main body  10  can be rotated around the pivot portion  32 , and the sprinkling angle of the sprinkler head  12  can be changed. When the main body  10  is slanted upward (referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  7 ), as the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72  of the first and second limiting pieces  52 ,  53  are extending along the swinging path A of the poking rod portion  42 , no matter the main body  10  is adjusted to any slanting angle, the poking rod portion  42  can always contact and interfere with the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72 , or, as shown in  FIG. 5 , when the main body  10  is slanted downward, the poking rod portion  42  can also contact and interfere with the first and second stopping portions  62 ,  72 . Therefore, the main body  10  can always maintain the function to shift its rotation direction, and can substantially execute the sprinkling action in the surrounding area.