Patent Publication Number: US-8528836-B2

Title: Leak stopping sprinkler heads

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of water conservation and more specifically to lawn irrigation sprinkler heads designed to prevent water loss should the sprinkler head be damaged. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An increasing number of homes with lawns are irrigated with automatic sprinkler systems. These systems consist of a series of subterranean pipes attached to a water source through shutoff valves. The valves are usually connected to an electric timer. A series of sprinkler heads are attached to the pipes and serve to irrigate the lawn and gardens. As the sprinklers are controlled automatically by the electric timer, the sprinkler heads may be broken off or damaged at any time. If the sprinkler system is activated by the timer after the head is broken and no one is around to observe, the sprinkler system can send hundreds of gallons of water out of the broken head before the break is noticed and the system shut down. As a further problem, damage may result to the lawn in hot weather if the system is not run at all while waiting for repair of the broken head. In order to prevent the waste of large quantities of water and to prevent damage to lawns and gardens due to lack of watering, a system is needed that will shut of damaged or missing sprinkler heads while allowing other sprinkler heads attached to the system to remain in operation. A number of devices have been developed to address these problems. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,140, issued to Davis, discloses a snap-off plug valve. This device will shut off flow through the line when a downstream emitting element, such as a sprinkler head, is destructively removed from the line. A fracture groove on the exterior of the valve body defines a structurally weakest point and is axially located on the body between an upstream valve seat and a downstream limit stop. The limit stop maintains the valve in an open position during normal operation. Should the downstream emitting element be destructively removed, the supply line will break at its weakest point. The limit stop, being located downstream of the weakest point, will also be removed allowing the valve to close in response to inlet water pressure only, preventing loss of water from the supply line. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,732, issued to Sirkin is directed to a water sprinkler head with integral off-on water flow control valve and adaptive fittings therefore. The device in this patent provides a gradual shut off of water at the sprinkler head. The mechanism that shuts off the water to the upper part of the pop-up shaft below where the screen and insert are located is a reverse plunger containing small holes at its perimeter through which water passes from the riser pipe. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,306, issued to Yianilos illustrates a fail safe lawn sprinkler device. This device includes a sprinkler head and a valve assembly which couples the sprinkler head to the tap. The valve assembly includes a valve member, a coupling member, and a short nipple. The coupling member is connected to the tap by the nipple and has male threads at its upper end which engage female threads on the sprinkler head. 
     The valve member is located within a central axial bore of the coupling member and movable axially thereof in a vertical direction between an open or flow permitting position and a closed or flow preventing position. The sprinkler head maintains the valve member in its flow permitting position. However, when the sprinkler head is not in place on the assembly, the valve member is free to move in response to the flow of water through the tap to its flow preventing position, when water under pressure is being supplied to the water supply pipe. 
     If the sprinkler head is not in place on the tap, the valve member is permitted to move upwardly under the force of water supplied through the water supply pipe to its flow preventing position such that its valve surface engages the valve seat, sealing the outlet through the reduced diameter portion and bore of the coupling member. This shuts off the flow of water through the tap. Thus, the sprinkler head assembly with the valve assembly according to the present invention, permits water to flow out of the tap only when the sprinkler head is in place. 
     U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0034712, published for Kah, Jr., disclose a broken sprinkler flow restriction or flow shut off suppressor for sprinkler This device includes a spring loaded restriction valve. The restriction valve may be inserted into the sprinkler body at a threaded inlet portion thereof before the inlet pipe is screwed into the sprinkler body to supply water to the sprinkler That is, the restriction valve is preferably positioned in the threaded area between the sprinkler body and the inlet pipe. The restriction valve preferably includes body portion, a valve member and a spring. Valve body is formed of an annular washer-like plate with one or more downwardly extending ribs. The ribs terminate at their lower ends in a guide ring. The valve member includes a valve disk and a downwardly extending valve stem which is positioned in the guide ring. A peripheral surface of the disk cooperates with a valve seat formed by complimentary surface on the radially inner margin of plate to open and close the valve. The guide ring guides the vertical movement of the valve stem. 
     The valve remains open unless or until the force of the water flowing through the valve pushes the valve member upward. Spring is partially compressed on assembly and presses against the flange to keep the valve open until the pressure exerted by the flow overcomes the bias of the spring to push the valve member upward into the closed position. This occurs when the pressure of the water flow reaches a predetermined pressure level sufficient to cause a differential pressure across the disk area of valve member to overcome the preload force of spring to keep the valve member down and the flow area between the opening and the disk open. As the valve member moves upward into the closed position, the opening is eliminated and the flow of water is cut off or restricted depending on the diameter fit between the outside circumference of the disk and the opening. 
     A predetermined pressure at which the valve member is moved into the closed position preferably corresponds to a flow rate in the sprinkler that is likely to cause damage and/or indicate a damaged sprinkler, for example, approximately 5-6 gallons per minute (GPM). The spring may be selected such that the spring bias is overcome at any desired flow rate. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,603, issued to Chang is directed to a device for preventing flooding caused by sprinkler failure. This device includes a fitting means which is designed such that its outer diameter fits tightly to the inner diameter of the riser. There is a valve seat affixed to the fitting means. The plug is movable in the axial direction and it is positioned upstream of the valve seat. The spring means provides a mechanical force to keep the plug away from the valve seat under normal flow rates so that the water can flow through the opening between the plug and the valve seat. There is a dashpot means which consists of a cylinder, piston, and piston rod. The cylinder is affixed to the fitting means by the supporting legs. The interior of the cylinder is filled with a viscous fluid and there are narrow flow paths communicating between the two sides of the piston. The piston is attached to the plug. Because the piston must move with the plug, a portion of the fluid in the cylinder is forced to flow from one side of the piston to the other whenever the plug moves. As a consequence the speed of the moving piston is limited by the volumetric rate of flow of the fluid through the narrow flow paths and the flow resistance through the narrow flow paths results in a damping force which resists movement of the plug. 
     Under normal conditions the water flows from the tee joint, around the plug, and exists through the outlet port. Hydrodynamic drag on the plug arising from the flow tends to drive the plug toward the valve seat. This force, which is approximately proportional to the second power of the flow rate, is transmitted to the spring by the piston and causes a compression of the spring. The spring is so designed that it can support the drag force resulting from normal flow, but not the force arising from flows substantially greater than normal. In the case of a missing sprinkler nozzle, or when the riser is broken, the flow increases substantially, resulting in an even greater increase in the hydraulic drag since the drag increases as the second power of the flow. This increased drag can overcome the spring force and, by pushing the plug towards the outlet port, eventually cause the plug to contact the valve seat. Thus, the flow disclosed shut-off device will remain open and not affect normal operation with intact risers and sprinkler heads, but it will close and shut off the water flow in the event either the sprinkler head is missing or the riser is broken. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide lawn irrigation sprinkler heads that include a self-sealing feature should the head become damaged or destroyed. It is a further objective to provide such sprinkler heads that function to prevent leaks without human interaction. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide sprinkler heads that will permit other sprinkler heads on a circuit to function with the loss of one or more heads on a circuit. It is yet a further objective to provide self-sealing sprinkler heads that are reliable and relatively maintenance free. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide such sprinkler heads that are durable, inexpensive and easily installed. 
     While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses all of the deficiencies of prior art leak stopping sprinkler head inventions and satisfies all of the objectives described above. 
     (1) A leak stopping sprinkler head, providing all of the desired features can be constructed from the following components. A cylindrical hollow body is provided. The hollow body has an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion is fluidly connected to a valve body. The upper portion has a spraying nozzle at a top end. The upper portion has a first predetermined internal diameter and the lower portion has a second, larger predetermined internal diameter. The valve body includes an upper connection, a valve seat fluidly connected to the upper connection and a lower connection. The lower connection is fluidly connected to a water supply line. 
     A hollow regular spheroid is provided. The spheroid has a diameter larger than the first predetermined internal diameter and smaller than the second predetermined diameter, an attachment point on an outer surface and a series of perforations. The perforations permit water to pass through the spheroid. A rigid connecting rod is provided. The connecting rod has a first end and a second end and is attached at the first end to the attachment point. A sealing disk is provided. The sealing disk has a diameter larger than the valve seat and a central connecting point on an upper surface. The connecting point is hingedly attached to the second end of the connecting rod. The connecting rod is located inside of the hollow body and the valve body and is sized to hold the sealing disk away from the valve seat when the hollow spheroid is restrained from upward movement by the first predetermined diameter within the cylindrical hollow body. Any of removal or destruction of the cylindrical hollow body permits the hollow spheroid to be urged upwardly by pressure of water flowing upwardly in the hollow body, the spheroid pulls the rigid connecting rod and the sealing disk upwardly, causing the sealing disk to seat against the valve seat, thereby terminating the flow of water upwardly through the hollow body. The sealing disk is held against the valve seat by water pressure from the water supply line. 
     (2) In a variant of the invention, the sealing disk includes a resilient upper surface. The resilient upper surface provides an improved seal to the bottom end of the sprinkler riser pipe. 
     (3) In another variant, the regular spheroid is a sphere. 
     (4) In still another variant, the sealing disk further includes a central aperture. The aperture penetrates the disk and is sized and shaped to produce a sound when water flows through the aperture under pressure from the supply line. The sound alerts a user to a broken or missing sprinkler head. 
     (5) In yet another variant, a leak stopping sprinkler head, includes a hollow cylindrical casing. The casing has a top surface, a central aperture penetrating the top surface, a surrounding vertical wall and a threaded attachment at a lower end of the vertical wall. The threaded attachment connects the casing to a water supply line. A sprinkler pipe is provided. The pipe has an upper end, a lower end and has a spray nozzle located at the upper end. The pipe is sized to fit slidably through the central aperture. 
     A sealing flange is provided. The flange is located about an outer circumference of the sprinkler pipe at a height to limit upward travel of the sprinkler pipe to a first predetermined distance through the central aperture as water pressure from the water supply line urges the sprinkler pipe upwards. The flange bears against an underside of the top surface of the casing. A self-closing spring operated valve is provided. The valve is held in an open position by the sprinkler pipe located through it. The valve controls the flow of water from the water supply line into the casing and the sprinkler pipe. The valve moves to a closed position if the sprinkler pipe moves upwardly beyond the first predetermined distance due to breakage or removal of either or both of the casing and the sprinkler pipe, thereby terminating the flow of water from the water supply line. 
     (6) In a further variant the valve further includes a sphere. The sphere is pivotally mounted in a spherical seat. The seat is in fluid connection with the water supply line and the casing. The sphere has a passage through it. The passage is sized to fit slidably about the sprinkler pipe. An elastic member is provided. The member urges the sphere to rotate to a closing position in the spherical seat, thereby terminating the flow of water from the water supply line. The sprinkler pipe is located through the passage upon mounting of the sprinkler head, thereby holding the valve in an open position. The valve moves to the closing position upon removal of the sprinkler pipe from the passage due to either breakage or removal of either or both of the casing or the sprinkler pipe. 
     (7) In a final variant of the invention, the valve further includes a circular seat. The seat is sized to fit slidably about the sprinkler pipe and is in fluid connection with the water supply line and the casing. A valve door is provided. The valve door is hingedly mounted and sealably located adjacent the seat. A closing spring is provided. The spring urges the valve door toward the seat. The sprinkler pipe is located through the valve door upon mounting of the sprinkler head, thereby holding the valve door in an open position. The valve moves to a closed position upon removal of the sprinkler pipe from the valve door due to either or both of breakage or removal of either the casing or the sprinkler pipe. 
     An appreciation of the other aims and objectives of the present invention and an understanding of it may be achieved by referring to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a partial cross-sectional side elevational view of a first embodiment of the invention illustrating a fixed sprinkler head with emergency shut-off valve in an open position; 
         FIG. 1A  is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the valve body and shut-off valve of the  FIG. 1  embodiment, illustrating the valve in the open position; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional side elevational view of the  FIG. 1  embodiment after the sprinkler head has been damaged and the shut-off valve is in a closed position; 
         FIG. 2A  is a partial cross-sectional side elevational view of the valve body and shut-off valve of the  FIG. 1  embodiment, illustrating the valve in the closed position; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the cylindrical hollow body of the  FIG. 1  embodiment illustrating a spherical, perforated spheroid controlling the position of the shut-off valve; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross-sectional side elevational view of the valve body and shut-off valve of the  FIG. 1  embodiment, illustrating the valve in the closed position and an orifice in the valve disk designed to provide a whistling noise upon breakage of the sprinkler head; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention, illustrating a pop-up sprinkler pipe in a lowered position and an emergency shut-off valve in an open position; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment, illustrating the pop-up sprinkler pipe in a raised position and the emergency shut-off valve in the open position; 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment, illustrating the pop-up sprinkler pipe in a raised position after breakage of the sprinkler head and the emergency shut-off valve in the closed position; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial cross-sectional side view of the valve body of the  FIG. 5  embodiment illustrating a circular valve seat and valve combination; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment incorporating an alternative spherical shut-off valve shown in the open position; and 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of the  FIG. 5  embodiment incorporating the alternative spherical shut-off valve shown in the closed position after breakage of the sprinkler head. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     (1)  FIGS. 1-10  illustrate a leak stopping sprinkler head  10 , providing all of the desired features that can be constructed from the following components. A cylindrical hollow body  14  is provided. The hollow body  14  has an upper portion  18  and a lower portion  22 . The lower portion  22  is fluidly connected to a valve body  26 . The upper portion has a spraying nozzle  30  at a top end  32 . The upper portion  18  has a first predetermined internal diameter  34  and the lower portion  22  has a second, larger predetermined internal diameter  38 . The valve body includes an upper connection  42 , a valve seat  46  fluidly connected to the upper connection  42  and a lower connection  50 . The lower connection  50  is fluidly connected to a water supply line  54 . A hollow regular spheroid  58  is provided. The spheroid  58  has a diameter larger than the first predetermined internal diameter  34 , an attachment point  62  on an outer surface  66  and a series of perforations  70 . The perforations  70  permit water  74  to pass through the spheroid  58 . A rigid connecting rod  78  is provided. The connecting rod  78  has a first end  82  and a second end  86  and is attached at the first end  82  to the attachment point  62 . 
     A sealing disk  90  is provided. The sealing disk  90  has a diameter  94  larger than the second predetermined internal diameter  38  and a central connecting point  98  on an upper surface  102 . The connecting point  98  is hingedly attached to the second end  86  of the connecting rod  78 . The connecting rod  78  is located inside of the hollow body  14  and sized to hold the sealing disk  90  away from the valve seat  46  when the hollow spheroid  58  is restrained from upward movement by the first predetermined diameter  34  within the cylindrical hollow body  14 . Removal or destruction of the cylindrical hollow body  14  permits the hollow spheroid  58  to be urged upwardly by pressure of water  74  flowing upwardly in the hollow body  14 . The spheroid  58  pulls the rigid connecting rod  78  and the sealing disk  90  upwardly, causing the sealing disk  90  to seat against the valve seat  46 , thereby terminating the flow of water  74  upwardly through the hollow body  14 . The sealing disk  90  is held against the valve seat  46  by water pressure from the water supply line  54 . 
     (2) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the sealing disk  90  includes a resilient upper surface  106 . The resilient upper surface  106  provides an improved seal to the valve seat  46 . 
     (3) In another variant, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the regular spheroid  58  is a sphere  110 . 
     (4) In still another variant, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the sealing disk  90  further includes a central aperture  114 . The aperture  114  penetrates the disk  90  and is sized and shaped to produce a sound when water  74  flows through the aperture  114  under pressure from the supply line  54 . The sound  118  alerts a user (not shown) to a broken or missing sprinkler head  10 . 
     (5) In yet another variant, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5-7 , a leak stopping sprinkler head  12 , includes a hollow cylindrical casing  126 . The casing  126  has a top surface  130 , a central aperture  134  penetrating the top surface  130  and a threaded attachment  142  at a lower end  146  of the casing  126 . The threaded attachment  142  connects the casing  126  to a water supply line  58 . A sprinkler pipe  150  is provided. The pipe  150  has an upper end  154 , a lower end  158  and has a spray nozzle  162  located at the upper end  154 . The pipe  150  is sized to fit slidably through the central aperture  134 . 
     A sealing flange  166  is provided. The flange  166  is located about an outer circumference  170  of the sprinkler pipe  150  at a height  174  to limit upward travel of the sprinkler pipe  150  to a first predetermined distance  178  through the central aperture  134  as water pressure from the water supply line  54  urges the sprinkler pipe  150  upwards. The flange  166  bears against an underside  180  of the top surface  130  of the casing  126 . A self-closing spring operated valve  182  is provided. The valve  182  is held in an open position  186  by the sprinkler pipe  150  located through it. The valve  182  controls the flow of water (not shown) from the water supply line  54  into the casing  126  and the sprinkler pipe  150 . The valve  182  moves to a closed position  190  if the sprinkler pipe  150  moves upwardly beyond the first predetermined distance  178  due to breakage or removal of either or both of the casing  126  and the sprinkler pipe  150 , thereby terminating the flow of water from the water supply line  54 . 
     (6) In a further variant as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the valve  182  further includes a sphere  194 . The sphere  194  is pivotally mounted in a spherical seat  198 . The seat  198  is in fluid connection with the water supply line  54  and the casing  126 . The sphere  194  has a passage  202  through it. The passage  202  is sized to fit slidably about the sprinkler pipe  150 . An elastic member  206  is provided. The member  206  urges the sphere  194  to rotate to a closing position  210  in the spherical seat  198 , thereby terminating the flow of water  78  from the water supply line  54 . The sprinkler pipe  150  is located through the passage  202  upon mounting of the sprinkler head  12 , thereby holding the valve  182  in an open position  214 . The valve  182  moves to the closing position  210  upon removal of the sprinkler pipe  150  from the passage  202  due to either breakage or removal of either or both of the casing  126  or the sprinkler pipe  150 . 
     (7) In a final variant of the invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the valve  182  further includes a circular seat  218 . The seat  218  is sized to fit slidably about the sprinkler pipe  150  and is in fluid connection with the water supply line  54  and the casing  126 . A valve door  222  is provided. The valve door  222  is hingedly mounted and sealably located adjacent the seat  218 . A closing spring  226  is provided. The spring  226  urges the valve door  222  toward the seat  218 . The sprinkler pipe  150  is located through the valve door  222  upon mounting of the sprinkler head  12 , thereby holding the valve door  222  in an open position  230 . The valve  182  moves to a closed position  234  upon removal of the sprinkler pipe  150  from the valve door  222  due to either or both of breakage or removal of either the casing  126  or the sprinkler pipe  150 . 
     The leak stopping sprinkler heads  10  and  12  have been described with reference to particular embodiments. Other modifications and enhancements can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.