Patent Publication Number: US-9895703-B1

Title: Sprinkler

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to gardening and, more particularly, to a sprinkler for gardening. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     A typical sprinkler includes a valve inserted in a handle and operatively connected to a button, lever or switch supported on the handle so that the button, lever or switch is operable to control the valve. The button or lever is pressed or the switch is slid to open the valve to allow water to go out of the sprinkler. However, the button, lever or switch can be operated by mistake for sticking out of the handle. The valve is specifically made for a certain model of sprinkler, and so is the button, lever or switch. Hence, the costs for making the sprinkler-specific valve and the button, lever or switch are high. Different models of sprinklers require different assembly processes for including different valves and buttons, levers or switches. Therefore, the cost of assembling the sprinkler is high. Moreover, different assembly processes mean less familiarity and lower precision. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a sprinkler with a neat profile. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a sprinkler for providing water at a continuously adjustable 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a simple, easy-to-make, easy-to-use and reliable sprinkler. 
     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the sprinkler includes a handle, a nozzle, a tube, a valve and a switch. The nozzle is connected to the handle. The tube is made in the handle and includes a window, a main channel in communication with a channel made in the nozzle, an extensive channel, and an intersection via which the extensive channel is in communication with the main channel. The valve includes a gate, a positioning portion formed on the gate, and a connective portion formed on the positioning portion. The valve is rotationally inserted in the main channel so that the connective portion extends out of the tube. The switch includes an arched wall, a fin formed on an arched face of the wall, and a connector formed on an upper edge of the wall and connected to the connective portion of the valve so that the switch is movable with the valve. The fin is movable in the window. The gate completely blocks the intersection as the fin is located in an end of the window. The gate completely opens the intersection when the fin is located in another end of the window. The gate partially opens the intersection as the fin is located between the ends of the window. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sprinkler according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear exploded view of the sprinkler of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial view of the sprinkler shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial and exploded view of the sprinkler shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a valve and a switch of the sprinkler shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of the sprinkler of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the sprinkler taken along a line VII-VII shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the sprinkler in another position than shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the sprinkler in another position than shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is another cross-sectional view of the sprinkler in another position than shown in  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a partial view of the sprinkler in another position than shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a sprinkler  10  includes a handle  11 , a valve  30  and a switch  40  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The handle  11  is connected to a joint  12  at a lower end and connected to a nozzle  13  at an upper end. The handle  11  includes two shells  14  and  15  joined together to define a hollow configuration. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the first shell  14  is formed with a tube  16  extending therein in the handle  11  when the shells  14  and  15  are joined together. The second shell  15  is made with a window  17 . The valve  30  is connected to an upper end the tube  16 . The switch  40  is exposed to the exterior of the handle  11  via the window  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a main channel  18  axially extends throughout the tube  16 . The tube  16  includes a ceiling  19  made with an aperture  20  in communication with the main channel  18 . The diameter of the aperture  20  is smaller than that of the main channel  18 . The tube  16  is formed with a thread  21  near a lower end. The thread  21  is engaged with a thread (not numbered) formed on an internal face of the joint  12  so that the handle  11  is connected to the joint  12 . A sealing ring  22  is arranged between the handle  11  and the joint  12 . In operation, the joint  12  is fitted in an open end of a hose (not shown) so that water can go into the tube  16  from the hose through the joint  12 . An annular flange  23  extends on and around the tube  16  near the upper end of the tube  16 . 
     The valve  30  includes a connective portion  31 , a positioning portion  33 , a gate  34 , a sealing strip  35  and a plate  36 . The connective portion  31 , the positioning portion  33 , the gate  34  and the plate  36  are made in one piece. The gate  34  is a semi-circular rod that includes an arched face and a flat face. The sealing strip  35  is made of an elastic material and attached to the arched face of the gate  34 . The plate  36  extends from the flat face of the gate  34 . The positioning portion  33  is formed at an upper edge of the gate  34  and an upper edge of the plate  36 . The connective portion  31  is formed on an upper face of the positioning portion  33 . The connective portion  31  includes a bore  32  extending therein in a radial manner and a positioning recess  39  in communication with the bore  32 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 10 , the valve  30  is inserted into the tube  16  and, more particularly, the main channel  18  via a lower open end of the main channel  18 . The valve  30  is substantially located near an upper end of the tube  16 . The connective portion  31  extends out of the tube  16  via the aperture  20 . The positioning portion  33  of the valve  30  is abutted against the ceiling  19  of the tube  16 . A sealing ring  38  is arranged between the ceiling  19  and the position portion  33 . The plate  36  divides the main channel  18  into to two channels  37 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 , a periphery of the positioning portion  33 , the arched face of the gate  34 , a face of the sealing strip  35  and an edge of the plate  36  are in contact with an internal face  181  of the main channel  18  of the tube  16  to ensure that the valve  30  is precisely positioned in the main channel  18  in an angular sense, in an axial sense and in a radial sense. The plate  36  enhances the strength of the gate  34 , thereby rendering the gate  34  less vulnerable to deformation. Thus, the gate  34  cannot be pivoted toward a center of the valve  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 5 and 11 , the switch  40  includes a wall  41 , a fin  42 , a shoulder  45  and a connector  47 . The wall  44  is in an arched configuration of about 180 degrees. The fin  42  is formed on a first arched face of the wall  41 . Preferably, the fin  42  is located in a middle portion of the first arched face of the wall  41 . The shoulder  45  is formed on a second arched face of the wall  41 . 
     The connector  47  includes a stem (not numbered), a pin  43 , two hooks  44  and a positioning boss  46 . The stem extends from an upper edge of the wall  41 . Preferably, the stem does not extend a middle portion of the upper edge of the wall  41 . The pin  43  transversely extends from the stem. The hooks  44  longitudinally extend from the pin  43 . The hooks  44  are separated by a gap (not numbered) so that they can be elastically pivoted toward each other. The positioning boss  46  is formed on the pin  43 . 
     The pin  43  of the connector  47  is inserted in the bore  32  of the valve  30 . The hooks  44  are engaged with the connective portion  31 . Thus, the pin  43  is kept in the bore  32 . The shoulder  45  is abutted against the annular flange  23 . Thus, the switch  40  is allowed to smoothly rotate around the tube  16 . The positioning boss  46  is inserted in the positioning recess  39 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the fin  42  of the switch  40  is visible via the window  17  of the second shell  15 . Thus, a user is allowed to hold the handle  11  with a hand and operate the fin  42  to slide and rotate the switch  40  with a finger. In turn, the pin  43  of the switch  40  rotates the valve  30  in the tube  16 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 to 11 , the tube  16  further includes an inclined extensive channel  24  in communication with the main channel  18  at an intersection  26 . The extensive channel  24  is in communication with a channel  25  made in the nozzle  13 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 11 , the fin  42  is located at a first end in the window  17  so that the gate  34  is aligned with the intersection  26  between the main channel  18  and the extensive channel  24 . Now, the sealing strip  35  completely blocks the intersection  26 . Water cannot go into the extensive channel  24  from the main channel  18 . Hence, no water goes out of the nozzle  13 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the fin  42  is located at a second end of the window  17  so that the gate  34  is completely located out of the intersection  26 . Now, the channels  37  are aligned with the intersection  26 . Thus, the intersection  26  is completely opened to communicate the main channel  18  with the extensive channel  24  to allow the water to go into the extensive channel  24  from the main channel  18 . Finally, the water goes out of the nozzle  13 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the fin  42  is located between the first and second ends of the window  17  so that the gate  34  partially blocks the intersection  26 , the channels  37  are partially in communication with the intersection  26 . That is, the intersection  26  is partially opened to allow the water to go into the extensive channel  24  from the main channel  18  at a rate lower than shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 through 9 , the switch  40  and the valve  30  are continuously rotatable to allow continuous adjustment of the degree of openness of the intersection  26  between the completely opened status and the completely closed status. Hence, allowed is continuous adjustment of the rate of providing water from the sprinkler  10  between the highest rate shown in  FIG. 9  and the lowest rate shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The present invention has been described via illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.