Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for servicing a lawn sprinkler head removed from a sprinkler system. Included within a servicing kit is a controller that may be used to regulate the flow of water through the sprinkler head remotely from the sprinkler system, a plug to secure the hole in the sprinkler system from where the sprinkler head was removed, a spacer that may be used to retain the nozzle of the sprinkler head in the deployed position, and a cleaning tool that may be used to dislodge debris from the nozzle water exit perforations. Other features are disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to servicing lawn sprinkler heads. More specifically, a coupling piece permits remote servicing of lawn sprinkler heads with a conventional garden hose. 
     2. Background Information 
     Lawn sprinkler systems for watering lawns include a system of pipes to which lawn sprinkler heads are attached. Lawn sprinkler heads conventionally have a pop-up perforated nozzle through which water issues from the system of pipes to sprinkle a lawn. When not used, a spring acts to maintain the nozzle of the head flush with the surface of the lawn. As pressurized water is fed through the system, the pressure of the water works against the spring to “pop” the nozzle of the head up and over the surface of the lawn. 
     Frequently, the perforations of sprinkler heads become obstructed with debris and restrict the flow of water to the lawn. Moreover, the debris frequently obstructs the vertical path of the nozzle so as to prevent the nozzle from deploying. An inoperative lawn sprinkler head, in turn, prevents the lawn sprinkler system from spraying the lawn in the localized area of the obstructed sprinkler head. 
     Historically, consumers have attempted to service an inoperative lawn sprinkler head as the head remains attached to the lawn sprinkler system. Two persons are required to fix an installed sprinkler head since one person must be stationed remotely at the water control device and the other stationed locally at the sprinkler head. Servicing an inoperative lawn sprinkler head as the head remains attached to the lawn sprinkler system is inconvenient since the obstruction of the sprinkler head generally is hard to reach and sometimes inaccessible. Moreover, coordination between two persons makes the conventional process an undesirably involved process. 
     Alternatively, consumers have attempted to service an inoperative lawn sprinkler head simply by removing and replacing the inoperative sprinkler head with a new sprinkler head. The problem with this solution is that it is expensive. Thus, there is a need for a convenient and less expensive method and apparatus that may be used to clean and service sprinkler heads remote from the sprinkler system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed is a method and apparatus for servicing a lawn sprinkler head removed from a sprinkler system. Included within a servicing kit is a controller that may be used to regulate the flow of water through the sprinkler head remotely from the sprinkler system, a plug to secure the hole in the sprinkler system from where the sprinkler head was removed, a spacer that may be used to retain the nozzle of the sprinkler head in the deployed position, and a cleaning tool that may be used to dislodge debris from the nozzle water exit perforations. Other features are disclosed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an operation of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded assembly view of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a plug being placed within a sprinkler system; 
     FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of controller  50  taken generally off of line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of controller  50 ; and 
     FIG. 6 illustrates kit  200  of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an operation of the invention. Sprinkler head  20  is prepared first by removing sprinkler head  20  from sprinkler system  100  (FIG.  3 ). Nozzle  24  is then raised against a pull down spring (not shown) of sprinkler head  20  and spacer  40  is placed about nozzle  24  so as to hold nozzle  24  up and away from the remainder of sprinkler head  20 . With sprinkler head  20  prepared, pressurized water is brought from hose  10  to sprinkler head  20  so as to force water  12  through perforations  22  of nozzle  24 . The volume and thus the pressure of water  12  is regulated by controller  50 , which is coupled between hose  10  and sprinkler head  20 . The flexibility of hose  10  permits the user to point sprinkler head  20  down into a container to catch water  12  as water  12  is released from nozzle  24 . 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded assembly view of the invention. Hose  10  may be any flexible tube for conveying liquids under pressure. Preferably, hose  10  is a conventional garden hose coupled at a first end to the water system supplying a home and having threaded second end  14 . The threads of threaded second end  14  may be conventional one half inch male pipe threads. 
     Water services enter a home through the water system of a city. The city water pressure is reduced at the inlet to each home to form home water pressure. The pressure of water  12  distributed through sprinkler system  100  of FIG. 3 varies over the length of the system, but is generally much lower than the home water pressure. The pull down springs of sprinkler heads are rated for pressure much lower than home water pressure and may be damaged by such high pressure. Thus it, is important to be able to control the pressure of water  12  after it leaves hose  10  and enters sprinkler head  20 . Provided with the invention for this purpose is controller  50 . 
     FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of controller  50  taken generally off of line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . As shown, controller  50  includes female inlet  52 , male outlet  54 , washer  56 , knob  58 , and ball  60 . Female inlet  52  preferably is formed of one half inch female pipe threads. This permits controller  50  to be coupled to threaded end  14  of a conventional garden hose, such as hose  10  shown in FIG.  2 . Washer  56  works to seat threaded end  14  of hose  10  to minimize leaks between the coupling. 
     Male outlet  54  preferably is formed of one half inch male pipe threads since water is distributed about most homes through pipes having threaded ends of one half inch pipe threads. As shown in FIG. 4, male outlet  54  is in fluid communication with female inlet  52  through lumen  62 . Lumen  62  is an inner open space or cavity through the tube shape of controller  50  that permits water  12  to flow therethrough. To be able to control the pressure of water  12  after it leaves hose  10  and passes through lumen  62 , ball  60  is placed in the path of the water flow and coupled to knob  58 . Knob  58  and ball  60  make up the operative portions of a conventional controllable ball valve. With knob  58  orientated in the direction shown in FIG. 4, water  12  is permitted to flow through controller  50 . By turning knob  58  ninety degrees in one of the directions indicated by arrow  64 , ball  60  blocks the flow of water  14  through lumen  62 . By adjusting knob  58  to an angle between zero and ninety degrees, the flow, and thus the pressure of water  14  is variably controlled after it leaves hose  10  and enters sprinkler head  20 . In this way, water pressure greater than that used within sprinkler system  100  may be applied to nozzle  24  to unclog debris such as grass and dirt from sprinkler head  20 . 
     FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of controller  50 . In this alternative embodiment, controller  50  includes female inlet  52  and female outlet  66  as shown in FIG.  5 . Female outlet  66  may be any thread size. Where controller  50  includes female outlet  66 , kit  200  is provided with water pressure coupler  70 . At end  72 , water pressure coupler  70  is provided with a male thread that is the complement to female outlet  66 . At end  74 , water pressure coupler  70  is provided with male end  74  which preferably is a one half inch male pipe thread. 
     Returning to FIG. 2, sprinkler head  20  is shown with a conventional female water inlet end. Controller  50  is coupled to this female end of sprinkler head  20  at male outlet  54  of controller  50 . Where water pressure coupler  70  is fixed to controller  50 , male end  74  of water pressure coupler  70  is coupled to this female end of sprinkler head  20 . 
     Spacer  24  shown in FIG. 2 is a semi-circle that is extended vertically into a hollow tube. Spacer  40  provides the owner or operator of sprinkler system  100  with the continuous ability to evaluate and repair nozzle  24 . Normally, repair of sprinkler head  20  requires a continuous struggle against the spring that retains the top of nozzle  24  flush with the surface of the lawn. Spacer  40  eliminates this struggle by providing a mechanical wedge between lip  26  of nozzle  24  and rim  28  of sprinkler head  20 . 
     The semi-circular profile of spacer  24  provides an open gap along the length of spacer  40 . This gap is pressed against the sides of nozzle  24  until the gap of spacer  24  expands and slides around the side wall of nozzle  24 . The spring attached to nozzle  24  pulls down on nozzle  24  so that spacer  24  is held in place between lip  26  and rim  28 . This holds nozzle  24  in a fixed extended status, where cleaning tool  202  (FIG. 6) may be used to remove grass and dirt from perforation  22  of nozzle  24 . This also allows a user to apply lubricant to the cylindrical surface of nozzle  24  before testing the functionality of nozzle  24  by raising and lowering nozzle  24 . Preferably, spacer  24  is made of plastic or hard rubber. 
     There are several ways in which an owner or operator of sprinkler system  100  may deploy or raise nozzle  24  to position spacer  40  about nozzle  24 . Preferably, nozzle  24  is raised by one hand as sprinkler head  20  is held in place by a clamping device, such as sprinkler system  100 . Alternatively, water  12  is forced from hose  10  through sprinkler head  20  with sufficient force to overcome the pull down spring and raise nozzle  24 . As water  12  is directed into a bucket, nozzle  24  is raised to be in a position to accept spacer  40 . 
     Even with sprinkler head  20  removed from sprinkler system  100 , it may still be important to be able to operate sprinkler system  100 . FIG. 3 illustrates the use of plug  30  within sprinkler system  100 . Plug  30  includes plug riser  34  and plug cap  32 . Plug riser  34  is an elongated tube preferably threaded at each end with one half inch male pipe threads. One end reaches down to fit within a female thread of T-Joint  36  coupled to pipe  38  of sprinkler system  100 . On the other end may be plug cap  32 . When installed, plug  30  prevents dirt from getting into the open underground sprinkler pipe  38  and works to prevent water from flowing out of T-Joint  36  should sprinkler system  100  be operated while the service work on sprinkler head  20  is being completed. Alternatively, plug  30  may be comprised of a plug riser having one end threaded and the other end permanently sealed. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates kit  200  of the invention. Preferably, kit  200  includes controller  50 , plug cap  32 , spacer  40 , plug riser  34 , and cleaning tool  202  disposed within the interior of kit  200 . Cleaning tool  202  preferably is a plastic “needle-like” tool that is used to pick and remove dirt and grass from clogged and inoperative sprinkler heads. Kit  200  may also include water pressure coupler  70  and a container of lubricant. The lubricant may be any substance, such as grease or oil, that reduces friction when applied as a surface coating to moving parts. Preferably, the lubricant is silicon base so as to hold up in the face of applied water. Base  204  preferably is a molded plastic base having indentations that secure and present the pieces of kit  200  in place. Lid  206  preferably is made of a clear plastic through which prospective purchasers may view presented pieces of kit  200 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, kit  200  includes cleaning tool  202 , spacer  40 , plug  30 , a container of lubricant, water pressure coupler  70 , and controller  50 . Each item is bubble packed into a bubble-packed kit. 
     In operation, lawn sprinkler head  20  of sprinkler system  100  may be serviced by the following actions. Lawn sprinkler head  20  is first removed from a connection such as T-Joint  36  in sprinkler system  100 . Plug  30  is inserted into T-Joint  36  in sprinkler system  100 . Sprinkler head  20  is attached to controller  50  and controller  50  is attached to hose  10 . Nozzle  24  is then displaced from its resting position and spacer  40  is inserted about nozzle  24 . Displacing nozzle  24  from a rest position may include cleaning debris away from nozzle  24  with cleaning tool  202  and lubricating the nozzle with lubricant. Water is then forced from hose  10  through nozzle  24 . 
     By applying the invention, a sprinkler system owner will be able to service an obstructed sprinkler head at any faucet the owner chooses, whether on the side of the home, in the home, or in the garage. Testing remotely from sprinkler system  100  allows the user to check sprinkler head  20  without being sprayed when water  12  is forced through nozzle  24 . 
     Local control over the servicing and maintenance of an inoperative lawn sprinkler head eliminates the need for two or more persons in fixing the sprinkler head. Since only one person is required to operate the invention, the prior technique requirement for communication and coordination between two persons is eliminated. 
     While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention. The scope of each claim term is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.