Abstract:
A multi-purpose watering device that operates as a handheld device and ground based watering device. The device consists of a long handle leading to a turret sprinkler with water distribution on at least two sides. One side is used in a ground based position to water small to medium area lawns and the other is used for watering when the device is used in a held position. A valve on the turret face allows the operator to switch select which will distribute water. The device also contains a rotating sprinkler head suited for watering of large areas. When the rotating head is actuated, water is redirected from the turret head to the rotating head.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This Application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/184,325, entitled GARDEN WATERING DEVICE, filed Jul. 15, 2011, which application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/364,680, entitled GARDEN WATERING DEVICE, filed Jul. 15, 2010, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present invention relates to garden watering devices and, more particularly, to a combination sprinkler device having multiple water distribution features. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The watering of lawns, landscape areas and potted plants requires a number of watering devices. The production of these devices requires resources to manufacture and result in additional expense to the consumer. Consumers are interested in saving time, reducing clutter, and acquiring watering devices that offer them more value. In addition, consumers are unlikely to compromise their requirements for specific spray patterns for specific tasks. Retailers are interested in conserving shelf space and increasing revenue per square foot of store area. 
         [0004]    A device is therefore needed that addresses these consumer requirements while providing high value for retailers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The objective of the present invention is to offer a garden watering device that incorporates the aforementioned benefits to both consumers and retailers by providing the functionality of multiple spray patterns incorporated by means of a turret dial within a turret dial. Storage space in a consumer&#39;s garage or garden shed is reduced by incorporating a rotary sprinkler such as a gear drive or impulse head that folds into the device body for storage when not in use. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, by combining multiple spray dials within a single article, raw materials and other manufacturing resources are conserved at many levels of the manufacturing process. Moreover, through these combinations, the retailer recognizes the economic and operational benefits of conserving retail merchandising and stock space. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sprinkler in accordance with one embodiment of the invention showing the rotating head mechanism in a disengaged position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the sprinkler of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the sprinkler of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a sprinkler of  FIG. 1  showing the rotating head mechanism in an engaged position. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a sprinkler with a fixed rotating head in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a sprinkler with a rotating head engaged in a different position in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]      FIGS. 1-6  depict a water sprinkler having a turret-style head that features a turret dial within the turret dial. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the water sprinkler device  200  includes a two-sided turret head  100  and a device body  120 . The device body  120  has a water inlet valve  105  attached to a tubular member  106 . The tubular member  106  includes a valve  107  for controlling the water flow. 
         [0016]    A rotating sprinkler head  101 , which may be a rotating gearbox-style sprinkler head, is shown in  FIG. 1  in a disengaged position within a recess  122  within the device body  120 . When disengaged, the rotating sprinkler head  101  may sit substantially parallel to the device body  120 , reducing the height and profile of the device  200 . The rotating head may be a gear drive sprinkler such as one reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,501 to Hadar, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. It will be understood that types of rotating sprinkler heads other than the gear drive sprinkler could be used. 
         [0017]    The turret head  100  includes a device base  201 . The rotating sprinkler head  101  is attached to the device base  201  by a hinge member  99 , which may be any hinge member or other method of moveably coupling the rotating sprinkler head  101  to device  200  as known the art, including any pivotal or slidable coupling. The angle of the pivot point may be such that the rotating head mechanism  101  can be laid flat against the sprinkler body  120  when not in use, or be moved into a position perpendicular to the body  120  when the rotating head device  101  is to be used in the ground-based position as shown in  FIG. 5 . By positioning the rotating head  101  in the upright position, a gasket  113  at the base of the rotating head  101  connects with a port  114  on the device body. Water is then directed into the gear drive head  101  via a water channel  98 , shown in phantom, first passing through flow selector  107 . The flow selector may include a ball valve, a barrel valve, or any other valve appropriate for controlling water flow as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0018]    When the rotating head  101  is disengaged as shown in  FIG. 1 , the flow of water will continue into the turret head  100 . In one embodiment, the turret head has discharge points  111  along its upper surface. Rotating the upper turret head  100  allows the operator to select a variety of water discharge patterns associated with the different discharge points  111 . 
         [0019]    Turret type sprinkler heads are common hose end watering devices, and in terms of the routing of the water within the turret head itself to the various spray pattern outlets, U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,981 to Hayes would serve as an adequate example. The Hayes patent is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0020]    As shown in more detail in  FIG. 2 , the turret head  100  contains a lower turret assembly  109  that is capable of discharging water through the bottom of the turret head  100 . Referring back to  FIG. 1 , an inner turret dial  108  can be accessed through the upper surface of the turret head  100 . The outside diameter of the inner turret dial  108  is less than the inside diameter of the aperture  96  within turret head  100  that receives the turret dial  108 . 
         [0021]    The turret head  100  resides within the device base  201 , and can rotate within the device base  201 , which allows selection of the water flow pattern among the upper discharge points  111  and the lower turret assembly  109 . When turret head  100  is rotated so that turret dial  108  is aligned with the water outlet within the turret head  100 , the water will be directed to the lower turret assembly  109 . Rotation of the turret head  100  within the device base  201  may be similar to that disclosed within the &#39;981 patent to Hayes previously referenced. The routing of water within the lower turret assembly  109  could be comparable to what is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,897, also to Hayes, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0022]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the device  200  also includes a support structure  112  located to the rear of the device body  120  and proximate the water inlet  105 . This serves to elevate the body portion  120  of the sprinkler off the ground  97  to such an extent that an individual can easily place a hand between the body  120  and the ground  97  when the device body  120  rests on the ground  97 . A grip  110  is disposed on the underside of the body  120 , thus making the device easy to pick up and maintain the handle in position out of direct contact with the ground  97 . 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the turret head  100  has a substantially flat bottom surface  92  that generally remains flush with the bottom edge of the device base  201  as does the lower turret assembly  109 . The lower turret assembly  109  is free to move relative to turret body  100  by rotation of dial  108  as shown in  FIG. 1  and described above. As the turret body  100  rotates, so too does the lower turret assembly  109 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  illustrates rotation of the lower turret assembly  109  by dashed lines  93  showing the assembly  109  in alternate positions. Call out  94  identifies the space between the outside diameter of turret head  100  and the inside diameter of device base. Accordingly, turret head  100  is able to rotate within the device base  201 . As shown, the diameter of the upper part of the head  100  is greater than the lower part of the head  100 , the lower part having a reduced diameter in order to fit within the base  201 . 
         [0025]    Lower turret assembly  109  may have a diameter generally less than the aperture  96  within which it sits; however, a component of the assembly  109 , such as a gasket or O-ring (not shown), may protrude circumferentially beyond the diameter of the assembly  109  to interface with the aperture  96 . Furthermore, this ring or other element may engage a receiving channel within aperture  96  passing through turret head  100 . Other configurations will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, such as a lower turret assembly  109  having an extreme upper or lower portion of its diameter, a portion that extends beyond the upper surface of turret head  100 , a surface  92  such that the lower turret assembly  109  is effectively captured within the turret body  100  yet free to rotate by manual actuation of dial  108 , or other interfaces between the lower turret assembly  109  and the rest of the turret head  100 . The device base  201  will have a water outlet (internal, not shown) that admits water to the lower turret assembly  109  when it is properly aligned with water outlet as described above. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows the sprinkler device  200  with the rotating head  101 , in an operable vertical position. The rotating head  101  is shown as a gear drive sprinkler such as described in the aforementioned &#39;981 patent to Hayes. Again, it will be understood that types of rotating sprinkler heads other than the gear drive sprinkler could be used. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment of the device  200 ′ wherein like numbers denote similar features, and wherein the rotating head  101  is fixedly coupled to the turret head  100  in an integral fashion, omitting the hinge element  99  and the ability to move the rotating head  101  into a disengaged position. This permanent engagement can be accomplished as part of the manufacturing process or by means of a mechanical connection such as threads. In this embodiment  200 ′, the rotating head  101  would not hingedly pivot from a use to a storage position; however, in some embodiments, the rotating head  101  may be able to disconnect from the device  200 ′ altogether when not in use. 
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of a sprinkler device  200 ″ wherein the rotating head  101  is connected to the device body  120  rather than the turret head  101 ; the device is otherwise the same as that described and shown with respect to  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0029]    Other teachings related to a gear drive sprinkler and its incorporation with a turret head for varying methods of dispensing water may be found in U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 61/287,524, 61/287,537, 61/287,519 and 61/498,411 and PCT Application No. US2010/061063 by Helmsderfer et al., each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
         [0030]    While the present invention has been illustrated by a description of various preferred embodiments and while these embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The various features of the invention may be used alone or in numerous combinations depending on the needs and preferences of the user.