Patent Publication Number: US-2009236490-A1

Title: Irrigation Emitter Stake

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to means for fixing an irrigation pipe to the ground beside a plant. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With many kinds of irrigation emitters, there is a need to fix the irrigation pipe close to the irrigated plant, to the cultivation substrate (soil) or to the pot with the plant. A few examples of devices with such function are presented in the U.S. application Ser. No. 10/644,086, including a stake with a clamp holding the pipe perpendicular to the stake axis, a stake with an internal channel exiting under the soil surface 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stake for holding a pipe, which may be elastic, near a plant. Said pipe having a first end portion and a second portion bendable relative to the first end portion; the stake having at one end thereof a tip adapted for being driven into the soil, and at the other a head for retaining said pipe, the head comprising a distal retaining portion for holding the first portion of the pipe, a first proximal retaining portion adapted for accommodating the second portion of the pipe in a first position coaxial with the first portion of the pipe when held in the distal retaining portion, and a second proximal retaining portion adapted for optionally accommodating the second portion of the pipe in its second position in which the pipe is bent, the first and second proximal retaining portions meeting at a transition region such that the change between the first and second position of the second portion of the pipe relative to the first portion of the pipe is achievable without removing said first portion from the distal retaining portion. 
     Said stake may be formed such that said pipe is bendable at an area of merger between the first and second portions thereof, said first and second proximal retaining positions meet at a transitional region and said transition region is so formed as to smoothly accommodate the pipe at said area of merger, when the pipe is in its second position. 
     Said stake may include a distal retaining portion includes inward protruding elements adapted to tightly retain said first portion of the pipe. The 
     Said stake may be formed such that the first and second proximal retaining portions are in the form of respective first and second proximal recesses extending along respective first and second axes oriented relative to each other at an angle corresponding to that between the first and second positions of the second portion of the pipe. The axes of said stake may lie in one plane. 
     Said stake recesses may have sides open in one direction perpendicular to each of said axes. The stake may have an elongated shape and a main axis, and said distal retaining portion and first proximal recess are portions of one elongated recess extending along said main axis. The stake may be formed with said second proximal recess has an element overhanging the open side thereof, such that said second portion of the pipe may be inserted into said second proximal recess under said overhanging element or removed from said second proximal recess only by elastic bending of said pipe at said area of merger, the bending being achievable without removing said first end portion of pipe from said distal retaining portion of the stake. This angle may be in the range of 30-120°. 
     Said stake may have a channel with an inlet adapted to receive water from said pipe and an outlet facing said tip. 
     The stake having at least one additional proximal retaining portion similar to said second proximal retaining portion, providing holding said second portion of the pipe in said stake at a position different from said first and second positions thereof relative to the first portion of the pipe when held in the distal retaining portion. 
     The stake may be an integral body free of movable parts and may be made of polymer material. 
     The stake may be capable of preassembly with said pipe for packaging with the second portion of the pipe being in said first position. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a stake assembly comprising a stake having any of the features described above and a pipe comprising a first end portion and a second portion bendable relative to the first end portion, with the first end portion of the pipe being held by the distal retaining portion of the stake and the second portion of the pipe being movable between the first and second positions thereof. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a package including the stake assembly as described in the previous aspect, with the second portion of the pipe being in its first position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, an embodiment will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stake in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show two possible ways of retaining an irrigation pipe in the stake of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , there is shown a stake  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The stake  10 , which is rigid, has an elongated tip  12  extending along a longitudinal axis X, which is driven into soil  13 , and a head  14  for retaining an irrigation pipe  20  (see also  FIGS. 2A and 2B ). The irrigation pipe  20  has a first end portion  26  and a second portion  27  adjacent the first end portion  26 , and is elastic. The second portion  27  is bendable relative to the first end portion  26  at an area  25  of their merger. 
     The head  14  is formed with an elongated axial recess  16  having a distal retaining portion in the form of a distal recess portion  17  adapted to axially receive the first, end portion  26  of the pipe and a proximal retaining portion in the form of a proximal recess portion  19  adapted to receive the second portion  27  of the pipe including its merger area  25 , in a position coaxial with the first portion of the pipe. The distal recess portion  17  has several bridges  22  closing its open side  23  so that the first end portion  26  of the pipe may be inserted in the distal recess portion  17  only axially. The bridges  22  protrude inwardly into the distal recess portion  17  to such an extent as to retain the end portion  26  of the pipe when it is pushed, via the proximal recess portion  19  into the distal recess portion  17 . 
     The head  14  is further formed with a lateral recess  18  extending along an axis X′ at an angle α to the axis X, and meeting with the proximal recess portion  19  of the axial recess  16 , at a transition region  30 . 
     The proximal recess portion  19  and the lateral recess  18  are open in the same direction so as to allow the displacement of the second portion  27  of the pipe from the proximal recess portion  19 , after having bent the pipe at the merger area  25  thereof, into the lateral recess  18 , with the first portion of the pipe  26  being retained in the distal recess portion  17 . The transition region  30  between the proximal recess portion  19  and lateral recess  18  is formed with a rounded wall  32  to smoothly accommodate the merger area  25  of the pipe when the second portion  27  thereof is inserted in the lateral recess  18 . 
     The lateral recess  18  has an open side with an overhanging element  28  partially obscuring the open side, to keep the second portion  27  of the pipe in place when inserted in the lateral recess  18 . 
     The stake is formed with a channel  33  abutting the distal recess  17 , with an inlet  34  adapted to receive water from the first end portion  26  of the pipe and an outlet  35  spaced from the inlet  34 , e.g. disposed close to the elongated tip  12 , for providing irrigation water to the soil  13 . 
     The cross-section of the stake may stake many profiles, for example star-like. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  explain the stake  10  usage. With reference to  FIG. 2A , the first end portion  26  of the pipe is inserted into the recess  16 , in axial direction. The first end portion  26 , passes under the bridges  22  until abutment against inlet  34 , whereby it is retained within distal recess  17 . Thus, the irrigation pipe  20  may be fixed in a vertical position with respect to the soil surface. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2B , after fixing the first end portion  26  of the pipe in the distal recess portion  17 , the second portion  27  of the pipe may be manually removed from the proximal recess portion  19 , bent at the merger area  25 , then squeezed into the lateral recess  18 , being retained in this orientation by the overhanging element  28 , without removing the first end portion  26  from its location at the end of the distal recess portion  17 . After releasing the pipe, the second portion  27  thereof will tend to straighten and so will be biased to the upper side of the lateral recess  18 , under the overhanging element  28 . This will prevent the pipe from accidentally slipping out of the lateral recess  18 . Thus, the irrigation pipe may be fixed in an angled or vertical position with respect to the soil. The rounded transition wall  32  ensures that the pipe turns smoothly, without forming a bending fold. 
     In this case, the axis X of the elongated recess  16  and the axis X′ of the lateral recess  18  lie in one plane. The turn angle α may be practically from 30-120°. Alternatively, another lateral recess may be formed at the other side of the head  14 , at a different angle α to the axis of the elongated recess  16 . 
     The stake is manufactured as an integral body, i.e. without movable parts, for example from plastic material by injection moulding or any other suitable method. 
     It will be appreciated that the stake of the present invention may be implemented in many different ways. For example, retaining means such as clips or a labyrinth may be used instead of the elongated recess  16  with the bridges  22  or instead of the lateral recess  18  with the overhanging element  28 . 
     The stake  10  may be assembled with the pipe  20  to form a stake assembly, and packaged as an assembled item. When packaged the second portion  27  of the pipe  20  may being in its first position. 
     The novel stake provides fixing of the irrigation pipe at a selectable angle, in vertical or angled position, by a simple and handy means, without the risk of folding and clogging the pipe. It is a simple product which may be manufactured in mass quantities by industrial methods.