Patent Publication Number: US-10322421-B2

Title: Sprinkler

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a continuation-in-part application that claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to a non-provisional application, application Ser. No. 14/685,606, filed Apr. 14, 2015. 
    
    
     NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to any reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to an irrigation device, and more particularly to an above ground sprinkler with adjustable spray volumes and patterns. 
     Description of Related Arts 
     Generally, there are various irrigation systems available now. An above-ground sprinkler is one of the irrigation systems that provides multiple irrigation modes. For example, the above-ground sprinkler is connected to a garden hose and is set at a specific zone for controlling irrigation areas. Moreover, the above-ground sprinkler can serve as a supplemental water source for providing additional water at the insufficient watering area. Alternatively, the above-ground sprinkler can be used as a main water source at specific zones and can be moved to from one specific position to the other for irrigation. 
     Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,146, an above-ground adjustable spray pattern sprinkler is disclosed. The above-ground sprinkler includes a head that rotates about an angle determined by a pair of arc adjustment rings. Rotation of the head is driven by a drive mechanism with a rotor rotationally driven by fluid flowing to the head. The drive mechanism includes a valve disposable in two positions for control of the direction in which the rotor rotates. A reduction gear drive transmits torque from the rotor to the head to drive the head to rotate. The head includes a cover with an outlet aperture and a flow control member that rotates within the cover to dispose one of nozzles in alignment with the outlet aperture. A deflection screw or a slider with a plurality of deflectors may be used to provide variable deflection of water sprayed from the outlet aperture. 
     The cover also has a shaft extended through the central opening of the plate of the flow control member. The shaft has a bore that is threaded to receive the attachment screw. The interior shelf of the opening of the cap may be aligned and flushed with the end of the flow control member when the head is assembled so that installation of the attachment screw tends to keep the cap and the flow control member in place, with respect to the cover. 
     Additionally, the cover has a detent mechanism positioned on the plate. The detent mechanism may be in a form of a ball-and-spring detent. The plate may have a plurality of indentations and/or ridges (not shown) aligned with the extension tubes so that the ball is able to slide toward the plate when each extension tube is aligned with the outlet aperture. Hence, the detent mechanism resists rotation of the flow control member that moves any of the extension tubes out of alignment with the outlet aperture. 
     Moreover, the cover and the flow control member may be assembled together via an attachment screw. After the remaining components of the sprinkler have been assembled, the deflector flow control member may be rotatably coupled to the cap via the attachment screw. The flow control member and the cap are attached to the cover by an attachment screw. The cap is held in place also by the attachment screw. In summary, the attachment screw holds the cap, the follow control member and the cover together. The flow control member is rotatable about the generally vertical axis to align any of the tubular extensions with the outlet aperture. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a sprinkler which comprises a main body. The main body comprises a housing and a control device. The housing has a first end and a second end. The first end of the housing has a hose connecting structure for connecting with a water source via a water hose or a water pipe. The second end of the housing has a connecting unit. 
     The main body further comprises a driven mechanism supported in the housing, wherein the driven mechanism is preferably a driver gear being driven to rotate by water pressure and water flowing direction, so as to control the rotatable irrigating direction of the sprinkler. Accordingly, the first end of the housing is connected to a water hose operatively linked to a water source while the second end of the housing is operatively coupled with the control device. 
     The control device comprises a base, a first cover, a second cover, and an adjustment unit. The base comprises a tubular sleeve and a plurality of guiding conduits radially extended from the tubular sleeve. The control device further comprises a plurality of nozzle heads coupled at the guiding conduits respectively, wherein the nozzle heads have different spraying patterns. 
     The first cover comprises a top platform and an assembling unit downwardly extended from the top platform. The assembling unit has at least two symmetrical windows, wherein the windows are preferably aligned with each other. The second cover has a center through hole and a leg fringe downwardly extended from a surrounding wall of the center through hole. 
     The connecting unit of the housing comprises a tubular axle. The main body further comprises a bridge. The tubular axle has a vertical water channel, wherein the water channel is communicatively linked to an accommodating cavity of the housing for allowing the water to flow from the accommodating cavity to the water channel. The tubular axle further has a plurality of lateral water passageways radially and outwardly extended from the water channel. The bridge has two or more edge sides and two or more bridge ribs formed thereat. 
     Accordingly, the inner diameter of the bottom rim of the base matches with the outer diameter of the second end of the housing. The outer diameter of the outer rim of the second cover matches with the diameter of the top end of the base. The first cover is coupled at the central through hole of the second cover at a position that the bridge ribs of the bridge are engaged with the windows of the assembling unit of the first cover respectively when the first cover is pressed downwardly. As a result, the control device is securely coupled at the housing. 
     These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a sprinkler according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially sectional view of the sprinkler according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the sprinkler according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the sprinkler according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The following description is disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present invention. Preferred embodiments are provided in the following description only as examples and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined in the following description would be applied to other embodiments, alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     With the aids of the Figures shown below, the content of techniques, features, and embodiments of the present invention is herein described, so as for the examiners to further understand the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3  of the drawings, the sprinkler comprises a main body  1 , wherein the main body  1  comprises a housing  11 , a control device  2 , and a first cover  4 . The housing  11  has a first end  11   a  and a second end  11   b . The first end  11   a  of the housing  11  has a hose connecting structure located at a bottom end of the housing  11  for connecting with a water source via a water hose or a water pipe. The second end of the housing  11  is formed on top of the housing  11  and is preferably coaxial with the first end  11   a  of the housing  11 . The second end  11   b  of the housing  11  is upwardly extended and formed a connecting unit  12 . The connecting unit  12  is coaxially extended from the second end  11   b  of the housing  11  and is operatively coupled with the control device  2 . The main body  1  further comprises a driven mechanism  111 , which is preferably a driven gear unit, supported in the housing  11 , wherein the driven mechanism  111  is driven to rotate by water pressure and water flowing direction, so as to control the rotatable irrigating direction of the sprinkler. 
     The control device  2  comprises a base  21 , a second cover  3 , and an adjustment ring  5 . The base  21  comprises a tubular sleeve  24  and a plurality of guiding conduits  22  radially extended from the tubular sleeve  24 . The base  21  has a protruding rim  21   a  radially protruded from a bottom rim of the base  21 , wherein a diameter of the protruding rim  21   a  is larger than a diameter of the upper portion of the base  21 . The control device  2  further comprises a plurality of nozzle heads  23  coupled at the guiding conduits  22  respectively and radially supported at a peripheral wall of the base, wherein the nozzle heads  23  have different spraying patterns. According to the preferred embodiment, there are at least four nozzle heads  23 , wherein each of the nozzle heads  23  has one or more spraying outlets, wherein the spraying outlets have different shape configurations for providing different spraying patterns. 
     The first cover  4  comprises a top platform  41  and an assembling unit  42  downwardly extended from the top platform  41 . The assembling unit  42  has at least two symmetrical windows  421 , wherein the windows  421  are preferably aligned with each other. The second cover  3  has a center through hole  31  and a leg fringe  32  downwardly extended from a surrounding wall of the center through hole  31 . 
     The connecting unit  12  of the housing  11  comprises a tubular axle  13  having a vertical water channel  13   a , wherein the water channel  13 A is communicatively linked to an accommodating cavity  11   a   1  of the housing for allowing the water to flow from the accommodating cavity  11   a   1  to the water channel  13   a . The tubular axle  13  further has a plurality of lateral water passageways  131  radially and outwardly extended from the water channel  13   a  to guide the water to flow from the water channel  13   a  to the water passageways  131 . Accordingly, the top end of the tubular axle  13  is a closed end and the bottom end thereof is an opened end. The main body  10  further comprises a bridge  14  integrally extended from the top end of the tubular axle  13 , wherein the bridge  14  has two or more edge sides  141  and two or more bridge ribs  142  formed thereat. 
     The adjustment ring  5  is coaxially coupled at the base  21 , wherein an inner diameter of the adjustment ring  5  matches with an outer diameter of the protruding rim  21   a , such that the adjustment ring  5  is coaxially coupled at the protruding rim  21   a  to drive the base  21  to rotate when the adjustment ring  5  is rotated. It is worth mentioning that when the base  21  is rotated, the tubular axle  13 , the bridge  14 , the first cover  4 , and the second cover  3  are stationary that they will not be rotated correspondingly. 
     The assembling method of the sprinkler of the present invention comprises the following steps. 
     (1) Extend the connecting portion  12  of the housing  11  through the tubular sleeve  24  of the control device  2  until the top portion of the connecting portion  12  is located above the open top end of the tubular sleeve  24 . In other words, the bridge  14  is located above the top end of the tubular sleeve  24  to ensure the bridge  14  to be aligned with the center through hole  31  of the second cover  3 . 
     (2) Securely couple the first cover  4  onto the connecting portion  12 , wherein the first cover  4  is pressed to tightly engage with the connecting portion  12  to prevent the first cover  4  being detached from the connecting portion  12 , such that the control device  12  is secured to the housing  11  to ensure the rotational movement of the control device  12  with respect to the housing  11 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the bottom rim of the base  21  matches with an outer diameter of the second end of the housing  11 , such that the base  21  is coaxially coupled on top of the housing  11 . The outer rim of the second cover  3  is fittingly coupled at a top end of the base  21 , wherein the first cover  4  is coupled at the second cover  3  at a position that the assembling unit  42  is downwardly extended through the center through hole  31  until the center through hole  31  is covered by the top platform  41 , such that the bridge ribs  142  of the bridge  14  are engaged with the windows  421  of the assembling unit  42  of the first cover  4  respectively when the first cover  4  is pressed downwardly. As a result, the control device  2  is securely coupled at the housing  11  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Accordingly, the control device  2  is provided at the top end of the housing  11 , wherein the guiding conduits  22  of the base  21  are radially extended from the tubular sleeve  24  thereof to an outer peripheral wall of the base  21 . The nozzles  23  are provided at outlet ends of the water conduits  22  respectively. It is worth mentioning that the nozzles  23  provide different spraying patterns respectively. The adjustment ring  5  is coaxially coupled at the bottom end of the base  21 . 
     The tubular axle  13  is upwardly, integrally, and coaxially extended from a center of the housing  11 , wherein the water channel  13   a  is formed within the tubular axle  13  and is orientated in a vertical configuration. It is worth mentioning that the top end of the water channel  13   a  is a closed end. The water passageways  131  are radially extended from the water channel  13   a . Preferably, the water passageways  131  are perpendicular to the water channel  13   a  at a position below the closed top end thereof. The bridge  14  is integrally extended from the top end of the tubular axle  13 , wherein the bridge ribs  142  at the edge sides  141  of the bridge  14  are engaged with the windows  421  of the first cover  4 . In particular, when the tubular axle  13  is inserted through the tubular sleeve  24  of the base  21  and when the second cover  3  is engaged with the top rim of the base  21 , the first cover  4  is coupled at the center through hole  31  of the second cover  3 . Therefore, when a downward force is applied on the first cover  4 , the bridge ribs  142  are forced to engage with the windows  421  of the first cover  4  to ensure the securely locking engagement between the control device  2  and the housing  11 . 
     The adjustment ring  5  is coupled between the housing  11  and the base  21 . In particular, the adjustment ring  5  is coaxially coupled around an outer peripheral surface of the base  21  at the bottom rim thereof. Accordingly, the adjustment ring  5  is manually driven to rotate by the user. When the adjustment ring  5  is rotated, the base  21  is driven to rotate correspondingly to selectively align each of the water passageways  131  with one of the water conduits  22 . 
     According to the preferred embodiment, the attachment between the housing  11  and the control device  2  is a quick attachment and does not require any attachment screw. It is worth mentioning that the housing  11  and the control device  2  are tightly coupled by the engagement between the bridge ribs  142  of the housing  11  and the windows  421  of the first cover  4 , such that the control device  2  cannot be detached from the housing  11 . In other words, the attachment between the housing  11  and the control device  2  is a screw-less attachment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the driven mechanism  111  is received in the housing  11 , wherein the driven mechanism  111  is constructed to include driven gears, a valve assembly, cog gears, and rotor. When the valve assembly is actuated to open for controllably allowing the water to enter into the accommodating cavity  11   a   1 , the rotor is rotated at either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction to synchronously control a rotational direction of the housing  11 . As a result, the sprinkler of the present invention provides two revisable spraying directions that the sprinkler can spray at either the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction. It is worth mentioning that the driven mechanism  111  is operated by the water pressure and the water flowing direction. Other mechanisms worked with water pressure and the water flowing direction can be incorporated with the sprinkler of the present invention. 
     Accordingly, when the water enters into the accommodating cavity  11   a   1  of the housing  11 , the water is guided to flow into the water channel  13   a  through the tubular axle  13 . When the adjustment ring  5  is rotated to drive the base  21  to rotate correspondingly, the water channel  13   a  is selectively aligned with an inlet end of the water conduit  22 , such that the water is guided to flow from the outlet end  221  of the water conduit  22  to the corresponding nozzle  23  for spraying the water out of the sprinkler. 
     One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.