Abstract:
An improved sprinkler has a flow altering device to change water direction and control the direction of a blade wheel. A gear set causes a sprinkler head&#39;s repetitive rotation. The sprinkler head includes a set of corresponding upper plate and lower plate to divide an interior chamber of the sprinkler head to two chambers: a control chamber and a gear chamber. A water inlet pipe connects only with the control chamber to provide water to enter the control chamber. The upper plate and the lower plate form a filtering channel interconnecting between the control chamber and the gear chamber. The water from the control chamber can flow into the gear chamber through the filtering channel. The filtering channel filters the large/coarser particle debris in the water and the water flowing into the gear chamber can lubricate and cool the gear set in the gear chamber.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Embodiments of the invention generally relate to an improvement on sprinkler head structure. In particular, aspects of the invention relate to a multi-chambered interior of the sprinkler head to alleviate damages thereto due to debris contained in water. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     In one previously known technology, a common sprinkler includes an inlet pipe having water flowing into the interior of the sprinkler before the water exits from the nozzle of the sprinkler. After an extended use, debris of various sizes in the water enters the sprinkler without any filtering, and cause damages to the gears inside the interior of the sprinkler. Consequently, the operation of the sprinkler is interfered and the usage life of the sprinkler is reduced. 
     Similarly, other kinds of sprinkler describe a divided interior, but during operations, each gear may easily damaged when friction among the gears increases when the lubrication and cooling from the water decreases. As such, the temperature between the gear chamber and the control chamber will be different and the water pressure may concentrate in the control chamber. This phenomenon further leads to a lack of balance between the water pressure and temperature in the gear chamber. Also, in these existing designs, a driving pinion is exposed on the outside of the gear chamber and a blade rim meet with the driving pinion to cause a connected movement between one another. Consequently, the driving pinion and the blade rim are not enclosed completely inside the gear chamber. As such, they are easily affected negatively by external forces and the gears&#39; operations will also be negatively affected. Also, because the driving pinion and the blade rim are exposed outside of the gear chamber, when the water flows from the control chamber to the gear chamber, the water will escape from the location where the driving pinion and the blade rim meet. As such, the gear chamber in these types of sprinklers must be completely separate from the water distribution system to prevent water seepage situation. This further prevents the gear chamber get proper lubrication and cooling from the water. In addition, even if lubricant were added in the gear chamber, the lubricant will still slowly leak from the blade in the un-enclosed gear chamber. Thus, eventually, the lubricant will be lost and the purpose of lubrication of the gear chamber using the lubricant will be lost as well. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the invention overcome deficiencies of prior technologies by providing an interconnected channel within the sprinkler head. Aspects of the invention provide an improved sprinkler that uses a movable piece which includes a gear chamber and a control chamber. A set of dividers or dividing plates or blades (an upper blade and a lower blade) separates the gear chamber and the control chamber. The separation forms or results a water filtering space to direct water to flow from the control chamber and prevent water with debris to enter the gear chamber. As such, the water from the control chamber can be filtered in the water filtering space, filtering out water with debris, before it enters the gear chamber. Thus, aspects of the invention not only provide lubrication and cooling from water to the gear set during its operations, but also protect the gear set by preventing an accumulation of debris. Aspects of the invention also ensure the smooth operations of the gear set and maintain a balanced water temperature and pressure between the gear chamber and the control chamber and achieve an optimal balance of the temperature and pressure. 
     Alternative aspects of the invention provide a gear set that is completely or substantially completely enclosed within the interior of the gear chamber of movable piece and can mesh with the blade of the main gear and the stationary gear of the inlet pipe. Such design ensures the complete protection of the gear chamber, prevents external interferences and prevents unexpected seepage of water from the gear chamber, and maintains the optimal usage condition of the sprinkler. 
     According to another aspect, an improved sprinkler includes a water switching device to change a water flow direction to control a blade and a direction of a gear set to oscillate a movable set. The sprinkler includes a set of an upper divider and a lower divider positioned within an interior of the movable set and dividing the interior of the movable set into a water control chamber and a gear chamber. The water control chamber includes a water switching device therein, and the gear chamber includes a gear set therein. The movable set includes a bottom end, and the bottom end of the movable set includes a connecting pipe with a stationary gear section. The stationary gear section meets with a gear within the gear set. The gear set is substantially or completely enclosed in the gear chamber, and the water flowing inside the connecting pipe is accessible to the control chamber only to direct water to the control chamber. The upper divider and the lower divider comprise a set of matching ribs and receiving grooves that form a water filtering space to enable the water from the control chamber to flow through the filtering space before seeping through the gear chamber while filtering out larger particles in the water and assisting in cooling and lubrication of the gear set. In another aspect, the As such, aspects of the invention further prevent frictional damages between gears in the gear set and to maintain the water pressure and temperature differences between water in the control chamber and the gear chamber. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Other features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploding perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is one cross-section view of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is another cross-section view of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a movable set of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section view of the movable set according to  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view from an end of the movable set according to  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is perspective view of the movable set with a lid according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-section view from a bottom end of the movable set according to  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-section view from the top end of the movable set according to  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-section view of the movable set according to  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged cross-section view of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 13  is another cross-section view of a gear chamber according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following list shows reference characters used through  FIGS. 1-12 :
           10 —a water inlet;     11 —a connecting pipe;     111 —a stationary gear;     112 —a restricting o-ring;     12 —an adjustable valve;     121 —an adjustable opening;     20 —a restricting connector;     21 —a restricting space;     30 —a movable set;     301 —a restricting handle;     302 —a collecting space;     31 —an end box;     311 —wall groove;     312 —a lower divider;     313 —a first rib;     314 —a first section;     315 —a second section;     316 —a hole;     317 —a small diameter chamber;     32 —a cover;     321 —a second rib;     322 —an upper divider;     323 —a receiving groove;     324 ,  324 ′—openings;     325 —a semi-circle space;     326 —an opening;     327 —a first duct;     327 ′—a second duct;     328 —a water outlet space;     3281 —a rod;     3282 —a spring;     3283 —a washer;     329 —a release cover;     3291 —a pressure release opening;     33 —a control chamber;     34 —a gear chamber;     35 —a filtering space;     40 —a water switching device;     41 —a switching handle;     42 —a moving piece;     50 —a gear set;     51 —a first set of gears;     52 —a second set of gears;     60 —a blade;     61 —a driving gear;     62 —a blocking member;     70 —an outlet.       

     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view illustrates one embodiment of the invention. The following discussions of  FIG. 1  should also refer to  FIGS. 2-4  for parts or references illustrated therein. A sprinkler  100  is moved by a sprinkler control set to oscillate the sprinkler body based on an angle. The sprinkler control set includes a water inlet  10  which is connected to a water source. The water inlet  10  includes in its interior a connecting pipe  11  and an adjustable opening  121  connecting to an adjustable valve  12 . The adjustable valve  12  thus can adjust the water flow. At the top of the water inlet  10 , the water inlet  10  includes a restricting space  21  having a restricting connector  20  to provide a space for a movable set  30  having a restricting handle  301  and a water switching device  40 . The water switching device includes a switching handle  41 . The water switching device  40  is set one side of the movable set  30 , and a moving piece  42  which is moved by the switching handle  41 . 
     The other side of movable set  30  also includes a gear set  50 . The gear set  50  includes a front set of gears  51  and a second set of gears  52 . The front set of gears  51  and second set of gears  52  meet a blade  60  of a driving gear  61  and a stationary gear  111  of the connecting pipe  11 . As such, the restricting handle  301  of the movable set  30 , the switching handle  41 , and the water switching device  40  can be correspondingly restricted of the oscillation within the restricting space  21  to a maximum angle and further restrict the switching handle  41  and the water switching device  40  to switch water flowing direction. This changes the rotational direction of the blade  60 . This moves the gear set  50  and the second set of gears  52  to follow the rotation direction of the stationary gear  111  to change the rotation direction of the movable set  30  to further control the oscillation&#39;s maximum angle. 
     At the tope of the movable set  30 , an embodiment includes an outlet  70  for the water to exit therefrom. The movable set  30  also includes an end box  31  and a cover  32 , the end box  31  (please also refer to  FIGS. 5-7 ) includes in on the interior side of the wall grooves  311  that will match with ribs  321  of the exterior wall of the cover  32  (please refer to  FIGS. 8-11 ). This enables the cover  32  to close with the end box  31  inside the wall of the end box  31  of the movable set  30 . The movable set  30  also, within the end box  31  and the cover  32 , includes a corresponding lower divider  312  and an upper divider  322 . The corresponding lower divider  312  and the upper divider  322  provide the space for the water switching device  40  (please also refer to  FIG. 12 ) to be placed in a control chamber  33 . The movable set  30  also includes a gear chamber  34  for housing the gear set  50 . 
     At the one end of the lower divider  312  includes a rib  313  that matches to a receiving groove  323  of the upper divider  322 , in which the receiving groove  323 &#39;s dimension (width and depth) is slightly larger than the size of that of the rib  313 . As such, the space between the matched rib  313  and the receiving groove  323  forms a space or duct to filter water in a filtering space  35 . The filtering space  35  is accessible to a first section  314 , which is semi-circular in shape, with the control chamber  33  under one side of the lower divider  312 . The water in the filtering space  35  is also accessible to the gear chamber  34 . The water in the filtering space  35  is also accessible on the other side connecting to the gear chamber  34 , which includes a semi-circle second section  315 , having a smaller size than that of the first section  314 , which interconnects with the control chamber  33 . In one embodiment, as the rib  313  of the lower divider  312  and the receiving groove  323  of the upper divider  322  meet, the lower divider  312  and the upper divider  322  may form a passageway. For example, the size of the rib  313  may fit exactly in the receiving groove  323  such that, as the rib  313  and the receiving groove  323  meet, each of the gear chamber  34  and the control chamber  33  is in a sealed or a substantially sealed chamber. In such an embodiment, the gear chamber  34  and the control chamber  33  each form a separate and independent space from one another. In this example, lubricants may be added to the gear chamber  34  such that the gear set  50  can be lubricated by the lubricants. 
     Hence, the top side of the first section  314  and the bottom side of the second section  315  extend a small diameter chamber  317  that connects to the control chamber  33  and the second section  315  and thus connected with the connecting pipe  11 . Thus, the connecting pipe  11 &#39;s stationary gear  111  can fit within the first section  314  and the gear chamber  34  and the second set of gears  52  can fit therewith, and the gear set  50  can be completely protected within the gear chamber  34  without subjecting the gear set  50  to external impact. 
     The connecting pipe  11  and the small diameter chamber  317  also include a restricting o-ring  112  to prevent water leaks. And this enables the connecting pipe  11 &#39;s interior wall to be blocked by the second section  315  and the o-ring  112  and only be connected with or accessible to the control chamber  33 . The water is then conducted to the connecting pipe  11 , small diameter chamber  317 , and the second section  315  to enter the control chamber  33 . 
     The switching handle  41  has a hole  316  in a corresponding position on the end box  31  and the cover  32 . Openings  324  and  324 ′ are two water outlets on the top and the bottom ends of the control chamber  33 . The moving piece  42  will move as it is supported by the switching handle  41  in the middle, and, as it moves, it will alternately cover the opening  324  and block the opening  324 ′ or vice versa. At one side of the tope of the upper divider  322  near the control chamber  33 , a semi-circle space  325  is connected with the gear chamber  34 . The center of the exterior of the cover  32  includes an opening  326 , and it is connected with the semi-circle space  325  and the gear chamber  34  to provide the driving gear  61  and the front set of the gears  51  of the gear set  50  to meet. The opening  326  is on top of the movable set  30  and is surrounded by the blade  60  which create a collecting space  302  to hold water. The collecting space  302  is connected to the openings  324  and  324 ′, and the opening  324  includes a blocking member  62  between the blade  60  and the driving gear  61  and thus separating the collecting space  302  from the gear chamber  34 . The collecting space  302  includes a first duct  327  and a second duct  327 ′ that connects to the openings  324  and  324 ′, respectively. This allows water to flow from the openings  324  or  324 ′ to the ducts  327  or  327 ′, respectively, before the water is collected at the collecting space  302 . 
     When in the collecting space  302 , the water pushes the rotation of the blade  60  and the driving gear  61 , which in turn push the gear set  50  and the movable set  30  to make rotation of the stationary gear  111  before moving the switching handle  41  and the restricting handle  301 . When reaching its maximum angle in the restricting space  21 , the switching handle  41  will alternately move in the other direction when it reaches its movement limit. This it will leave the position to block the opening  324 , for example, and changes the water flowing direction. At the same time, the switching handle  41  causes changes in the rotational directions of the blade  60 , the driving gear  61  and the gear set  50  and thus causes the movable set  30  to oscillate to the other direction. 
     Also, the surrounding wall of the semi-circle space  325  includes a water outlet space  328  between the collecting space  302 , and the sprinkler also includes a pressure release opening  3291 , which includes a release cover  329  fitting the space  328 . Within the outlet space  328 , a rod  3281  is included therein and fits into the release opening  3291 . A spring  3282  and a washer  3283  are also used. As the washer  3283  receives force from the spring  3282  and thus closes the release opening  3291 , when the water pressure in the control chamber  33  increases, the water will push against the washer  3283  to actuate  3282  to open the release opening  3291  to enable some water to flow to the outlet space  328  through the release opening  3291 . The water in the collecting space  302  will exit via the outlet  70  to achieve pressure relieving purpose. At the same time, by separating the gear chamber  34  from the control chamber  33  through the upper divider  322  and the lower divider  312 , the connecting pipe  11  is only accessible to the control chamber  33 , thus preventing water flowing into the gear chamber  34 . Water with debris or sediments might accumulate within the gear chamber  34  under the prior technology, and the workings of the gear set  50  in the gear chamber  34  are negatively affected. Thus, as water flows to the control chamber  33 , through the filtering space  35  created by the upper divider  322  and the lower divider  312  that seep into the gear chamber  34 , the gear set  50  can be lubricated and cooled by the water, thus reducing damages due to friction between the gears. This further alleviates the water temperature difference and pressure differences in the control chamber  33  and the gear chamber  34 . And the larger or more coarse particles of the water debris or sediments are blocked by the filtering space  35  and do not enter the gear chamber  34  to ensure optimal workings of the gear set  50 . In another example, the filtering space  35  is able to filter impurities or finer sand such that filtered water or water with less impurities or debris may enter the gear chamber  34 . 
     Also, the width of the receiving groove  323  is approximately larger than that of the rib  313  to form a narrow gap. The depth or height of the receiving groove  323  is greater than that of the rib  313  to form a larger duct. Thus, the debris in the water can flow through the narrower gap of the receiving groove  323  and the rib  313  before the larger duct of the receiving groove  323  and the rib  313  before reaching another narrower gap to enter into the gear chamber  34 . This will create multiple filtering stages, which further prevents debris in the water from entering into the gear chamber  34 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 13 , an illustration showing a cross-section view of a gear chamber, such as the gear chamber  34 , of according to an embodiment of the invention. In this example, lubricant may be added to the gear chamber  34  such that the gear set  50  may function more efficiently and parts therein may operate more smoothly with reduced friction. Moreover, the rib  313  and the groove  323  with the lubricant may improve sealing of the filtering space  35 , and the gear set  50  in the gear chamber  34  may form an independent space or chamber to prevent or avoid leaking of the lubricant. This embodiment further improves the operations of the parts herein described. 
     In operation, water enters the sprinkler from the water source through the water inlet  10  and the connecting pipe  11 . The water next enters the movable set  30 , which includes the set of dividers that separates the movable set  30  into the control chamber  33  and the gear chamber  34 . The set of dividers thus can filter debris from the water that enters the gear chamber  34 . According to one embodiment, this achieves the functions of cooling and lubricating of the gear chamber  34 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its various embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention. 
     Having described the invention in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. 
     When introducing elements of the embodiments(s) of the present invention, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions or products without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.