Patent ID: 8403237

Claim:
An articulated nozzle system, comprising: a) a water inlet for receiving water from a water supply; b) a nozzle cap for receiving the water from the water supply via the water inlet, and for directing the water exiting the nozzle cap, the water exiting the nozzle cap having an average flow direction away from a nozzle cap base plane, the nozzle cap being in fluid communication with the water inlet; c) a nozzle cap driver for orienting the nozzle cap about a central pivot point to adjustably define the average flow direction, the nozzle cap driver being linked to the nozzle cap; d) a driver support surface for supporting the nozzle cap driver in a driver support plane, wherein the driver support plane is defined by a central axis normal to the driver support plane, the intersection of the central axis and the driver support plane defining a driver plane center; e) a nozzle cap support for supporting the nozzle cap, wherein the nozzle cap support has a central pivot point and a fixed support portion, the fixed support portion being substantially stationary relative to the driver plane center; and f) a drive module for moving the nozzle cap driver along the driver support plane, wherein i) changing a radial displacement of the nozzle cap driver relative to the driver plane center is operable to change an elevation angle of the average flow direction relative to the nozzle cap base plane, and ii) the average flow direction lies in a trajectory plane that is orthogonal to the nozzle cap base plane, the trajectory plane being definable by Cartesian coordinates originating at the central pivot point, the trajectory plane having a first dimension parallel to the nozzle cap base plane and a second dimension orthogonal to the nozzle cap base plane, the average flow direction being resolvable to be defined by a trajectory plane base component that is parallel to the first dimension and a trajectory plane elevation component that is parallel to the second dimension, wherein changing the angular orientation of the nozzle cap driver about the driver plane center is operable to change an angular orientation of the trajectory plane base component, the drive module being linked to the nozzle cap driver, and the driver support surface being within the drive module.