Abstract:
A Lawn Sprinkler Grass Guard is disclosed. Also disclosed is a guard that attachs to a conventional sprinkler to prevent grass from growing too closely to the sprinkler. The guard is further designed such that it is easily attached and detached from sprinklers. The guard also includes an inner sleeve having a bore for accepting a sprinkler therethrough. The guard has a sloped top to allow for ease of clamp installation. Finally, the guard is available in full-circle, half-circle, and quarter-circle versions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to tamper-proof seals for containers and, more specifically, to a Lawn Sprinkler Grass Guard.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Nearly all single family homes constructed today in the United States have irrigation system in order to assist in the proper maintenance of the lawn and other foliage. Many owners of existing homes have recognized the benefits of the installed irrigation system, and also have undertaken to retrofit their yard with below-ground irrigation systems.  
         [0005]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  depict a conventional “popup” sprinkler  10 . When at rest (i.e. when not sprinkling), the sprinkler  10  appears as in  FIG. 1A . The can  12  has been placed below the dirt  16  and connected to a water supply pipe at its bottom (not shown). The sprinkler or popup assembly  14  is attached to the can  12  such that it is at or near the level of the turf  18 . As depicted in  FIG. 1B , when the irrigation system is activated, the water pressure causes the stem  22  to pop up and extend upwardly from the can  12 . The stem  22  terminates at its distal end in a head  24 , where the water actually sprays out from. The stem  22  is attached to the can  12  by the cap  20  screwed thereto.  
         [0006]     One recurring problem with the below-ground systems is that when the sprinkler is activated, and the stem  22  has not yet extended, water tends to spray out through the head  24  while the head  24  is still at the level of the turf  18 . This repeated spraying causes the turf  18  to be damaged and unsightly. What is needed is a device that will protect the turf surrounding a popup sprinkler  10  from spray damage; it would also be desirable if the device was aesthetically pleasing.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Lawn Sprinkler Grass Guard. The guard should attach to a conventional sprinkler to prevent grass from growing too closely to the sprinkler. The guard should be designed such that it is easily attached and detached from sprinklers. The guard should further include an inner sleeve having a bore for accepting a sprinkler therethrough. The guard should further have a sloped top to allow for ease of clamp installation. Finally, the guard should be available in full-circle, half-circle, and quarter-circle versions.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0009]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are side views of a conventional popup sprinkler;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top exploded perspective view of a grass guard assembly of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cutaway side and top views, respectfully, of the grass guard of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cutaway side view of the grass guard of  FIGS. 2 and 3  installed on a conventional popup sprinkler;  
         [0013]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are top perspective and top views, respectively, of a semi-circle grass guard of the present invention; and  
         [0014]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are top perspective and top views, respectively, of a quarter-circle grass guard of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Lawn Sprinkler Grass Guard.  
         [0016]     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  is a top exploded perspective view of a grass guard assembly  30  of the present invention. The assembly  30  comprises a grass guard  32  and a clamp  34  for attaching the grass guard to a sprinkler (not shown). In this embodiment, it can be seen that the guard has an outer circular wall  38  transitioning to a sloped top surface  40  to an inner sleeve  36  at the center. The inner sleeve  36  preferably is formed from a plurality of tabs  42  to allow for variation in diameters of the sprinklers to which the guard  32  is being attached.  
         [0017]     In order to use (i.e. install) the grass guard assembly  30 , the user need simply slide the inner sleeve  36  over the upper end of the can (see  FIG. 1 ). Next, the clamp  34  is slipped over the inner sleeve  36  and tightened in place. In order to make the guard  32  durable and aesthetically pleasing, it is likely that it will be constructed from green plastic (e.g. molded). The clamp  34  may be a conventional pipe clamp as shown, or may be made from rust-proof materials, such as plastic and brass. In other embodiments, the clamp  34  may be integrated into the guard as a unitary assembly (i.e. rather than being removable). Now turning to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , we can further explore the details of this novel invention.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cutaway side and top views, respectfully, of the grass guard  32  of  FIG. 2 . As shown, the inner sleeve  36  has a plurality of slots formed therein in order to form the tabs previously discussed. A bore  46  for accepting the sprinkler can is located at the center of the inner sleeve. A trough  44  is formed where the sloped top surface  40  intersects the base of the inner sleeve; this trough  44  permits the user to access the clamp (see  FIG. 2 ) from atop the guard  32  when the guard  32  is installed on a sprinkler.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3B  depicts the guard  32  from its top; as shown, the outer wall  38  has a circular shape. This design is particularly adapted for situations when the sprinkler is installed in the dirt without any surrounding impingements, such as from a sidewalk or a wall, etc.. When there isn&#39;t anything impinging on the zone that is approximately 2½ inches in diameter from the center of the bore  46 , then there is adequate room for the full circle guard  32  shown here. Since virtually all sprinklers have circular cross-sections, the bore  46  of the guard  32  also has a circular cross-section. The gap between the outer wall and the sprinkler is called an interstitial gap. Now turning to  FIG. 4 , we can see how the device is used.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a cutaway side view of the grass guard  32  of  FIGS. 2 and 3  installed on a conventional popup sprinkler  10 . As shown, the guard  32  is installed even in height with the top of the can  12 , which is typically the same level as the dirt  16 . In new installations, the hole for the sprinkler  10  is simply dug wide enough to accommodate the added space for the guard  32 . In retrofit situations, the user will need to cut back the turf  18  and dig back the dirt  16  until there is adequate space for the guard  32 .  
         [0021]     As discussed previously, the trough  44  provides access to the clamp  34  from above the sprinkler  10 , in the event that the guard  32  needs to be moved or otherwise maintained.  
         [0022]     Since the turf  18  is now set back from the immediate proximity of the S sprinkler  10 , the water spray produced by the sprinkler  10  upon initial activation will hit the sloped top surface rather than the turf  18 . This will protect the turf  18  from damaging direct, high pressure spray. If the guard  32  is made from green plastic, it will add an aesthetically pleasing border around the sprinkler  10 . Furthermore, the turf  18  will be easier to cut with a conventional lawn mower with less fear of damaging the sprinkler&#39;s head. If we now turn to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , we can examine another version of the present invention.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are top perspective and top views, respectively, of a semi-circle grass guard  32 A of the present invention. Unlike the full-circle guard  32  depicted above, the semi-circle guard  32 A does not have a circular outer wall  38 . One portion of the outer wall  38 A is flat, with the remainder of the wall  38  having a circular shape. The cutout portion permits the guard  32 A to be installed on sprinklers that are next to a sidewalk, for example. Of course, the bore  46  and inner sleeve  36  have circular shapes in order to cooperate with the conventional sprinkler. As depicted in  FIG. 5A , the flat portion of the outer wall  38 A is sealed from the outside (i.e. rather than simply having a portion of the trough cut away)—this provides a more pleasing package. Finally turning to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , we can look at yet another guard design and application.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  are top perspective and top views, respectively, of a quarter-circle grass guard  32 B of the present invention. This version is designed for installation where the sprinkler is adjacent to external structures (e.g. sidewalks) on two sides. This embodiment has a curved portion of the outer wall  38 , it further has a first flat portion  38 B and a second flat portion  38 C at a ninety degree angle to the first flat portion  38 B. As should be apparent from the top view of  FIG. 6B , the quarter-circle grass guard  32 B will fit snugly around a sprinkler without requiring much of a gap between the sprinkler and the sidewalks (for example).  
         [0025]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.