Patent ID: 8267115

Claim:
An adjustable fluid emitter for an irrigation system, the emitter comprising: a casing having an upper wall and a lateral wall a body disposed at least partly within the casing, a longitudinal position of the body within the casing being adjustable, a volume being defined between the upper wall of the casing and the body; a membrane that is elastically deformable, the membrane dividing the volume into a first chamber and a second chamber; an inlet port connecting the volume to a fluid supplying source, the inlet port fluidly communicating with said first chamber; an outlet port fluidly communicating with said second chamber through said body; said first chamber and said second chamber being in fluid communication one with the other through a communicating duct external to said membrane; and a support member defined in the casing or the body and retaining in a fixed position an outer edge of said membrane dividing the first chamber from the second chamber, such that only one of the casing or the body contacts the outer edge of the membrane, said member allowing said membrane to be elastically deformed when said membrane is subjected to a fluid pressure difference between said first chamber and said second chamber, wherein said membrane is deformable such that at least a portion of the membrane changes position with respect to said outlet port, thereby modifying a flow rate of a fluid through said outlet port depending on the fluid pressure difference, wherein a deformation of the membrane causes the membrane to become closer or more distanced from the outlet port, controlling and maintaining constant the flow rate of the fluid through said outlet port despite variations in a fluid pressure at least at the inlet or outlet ports, and wherein a longitudinal adjustment of the body mechanically changes a position of the membrane with respect to the outlet port.