Self-compensating drip irrigation emitter
AssigneeIrritec S.r.l.
InventorCarmelo Giuffre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a self-compensating drip irrigation emitter. A plurality of novel embodiments are provided, wherein the emitter of the invention is capable of always supplying a substantially constant flow within a range of pressures of a fluid flowing in a pipe (3), from very low to very high pressures. Furthermore, the emitter of the invention has such characteristics as to prevent any accidental and undesired clogging thereof by sediments or debris.
Claims56
A self-compensating drip irrigation emitter, which comprises a body (1) to be fastened to a pipe (3), which body (1) has a flat inner surface (7) at the bottom of a cavity (6), a flexible flat membrane (10) flexibly hung along its perimeter on an annular shoulder (11) above said cavity (6), the top surface (110) of the membrane (10) being compressed by the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), and which has an internal central orifice (5) formed inside said flat surface (7) and perpendicular thereto, which orifice (5) communicates with the exterior of the pipe (3), and which further includes at least one groove (9), formed in said flat surface (7), which extends radially outwards from said central orifice (5) to the peripheral edge of said flat surface (7) so that when pressurized fluid is introduced from said pipe (3) inside said emitter, the membrane (10) is resiliently deformed toward the interior of said cavity (6) and against said flat surface (7), whereas the groove (9) and the internal central orifice (5) operate to limit the flow of the emitter to a substantially constant value, within a range of very low to very high pressures of the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), characterized in that the groove (9), in the end section opening into the internal central orifice (5), branches into at least two separate end grooves (12), both opening outwards at the edge of said orifice (5), a wall member (13) being interposed between the two branch grooves (12).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two branch grooves (12) have equal or different depths to or from each other and/or the main groove (9), and particularly both have the same depth as the main groove (9).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the width of each branch groove (12) may be substantially identical to, but preferably lower than the dimension of the wall member (13) interposed between the two branch grooves (12), in the circumferential direction of the central orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall member (13) has a flat surface (113) extending level with the inner flat surface (7) at the bottom of the cavity (6), the membrane (10) being compressed against it by the pressurized fluid.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flat surface (113) of the wall member (13) interposed between the two branch grooves (12) extends radially beyond the peripheral edge of the internal central orifice (5), toward the center thereof.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flat surface (113) of the wall member (13) interposed between the two branch grooves (12) extends and/or branches to reach one or more portions of the edge of the orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flat surface (113) extends along its longitudinal axis and connects to the diametrically opposite portion of the edge of the central orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall member (13) interposed between the two branch grooves (12) extends radially beyond the peripheral edge of the internal central orifice (5), toward the center thereof and at least partly in the axial direction of said orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall member (13) interposed between the two branch grooves (12) extends with at least one rib (14) to reach at least one portion of the wall of the orifice (5) on the substantially opposite side.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall member (13) interposed between the branch grooves (12) extends along its longitudinal axis and connects to the diametrically opposite portion of the wall of the central orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main groove (9) has one or more branches (15) opening into different portions of the cylindrical surface which delimits the central orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the membrane (10) is made of a relatively soft and flexible material.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is of the type attached and/or soldered inside a pipe (3), and extending peripherally substantially all along the inside circumference thereof.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is of the type attached and/or soldered on one side inside the pipe (3), and extending peripherally along a portion of the inside circumference thereof.
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is of the type attached and/or soldered on the outer surface of a pipe (3), there being provided at least one appendix for communicating with the interior of the pipe (3).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that such means (104, 8, 20) are provided that the pressure exerted on the face (110) of the membrane (10) in direct contact with the fluid flowing inside the pipe (3) is always higher than or equal to the pressure exerted on the opposite face (210).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means consist of a chamber (8) provided at the outer peripheral edge of said inner flat surface (7), which chamber (8) communicates with the cavity (6) via a plurality of pressure reducing labyrinths, whereas the membrane is directly exposed to the fluid flowing in the pipe (3) via an aperture (20) and/or to the same opening (104) communicating with the chamber (8).
A self-compensating drip irrigation emitter, which comprises a body (1) to be fastened to a pipe (3), which body (1) has a flat inner surface (7) at the bottom of a cavity (6), a flexible flat membrane (10) flexibly hung along its perimeter on an annular shoulder (11) above said cavity (6), the top surface (110) of the membrane (10) being compressed by the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), and which has an internal central orifice (9) formed inside said flat surface (7) and perpendicular thereto, which orifice (5) communicates with the exterior of the pipe (3), and which further includes at least one groove (9), formed in said flat surface (7), which extends radially outwards from said central orifice (5) to the peripheral edge of said flat surface (7) so that when pressurized fluid is introduced from said pipe (3) inside said emitter, the membrane (10) is resiliently deformed toward the interior of said cavity (6) and against said flat surface (7), whereas the groove (9) and the internal central orifice (5) operate to limit the flow of the emitter to a substantially constant value, within a range of very low to very high pressures of the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), characterized in that the main groove (9) has one or more branches (15) opening into different portions of the cylindrical surface which delimits the central orifice (5).
A self-compensating drip irrigation emitter, which comprises a body (1) to be fastened to a pipe (3), which body (1) has a flat inner surface (7) at the bottom of a cavity (6), a flexible flat membrane (10) flexibly hung along its perimeter on an annular shoulder (11) above said cavity (6), the top surface (110) of the membrane (10) being compressed by the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), and which has an internal central orifice (9) formed inside said flat surface (7) and perpendicular thereto, which orifice (5) communicates with the exterior of the pipe (3), and which further includes at least one groove (9), formed in said flat surface (7), which extends radially outwards from said central orifice (5) to the is peripheral edge of said flat surface (7) so that when pressurized fluid is introduced from said pipe. (3) inside said emitter, the membrane (10) is resiliently deformed toward the interior of said cavity (6) and against said flat surface (7), whereas the groove (9) and the internal central orifice (5) operate to limit the flow of the emitter to a substantially constant value, within a range of very low to very high pressures of the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), characterized in that an extension (116) of the flat surface (7) toward the interior of the central orifice (5) is provided on at least one of the two side portions directly adjacent to the edge of the groove (9).
A self-compensating drip irrigation emitter, which comprises a body (1) to be fastened to a pipe (3), which body (1) has a flat inner surface (7) at the bottom of a cavity (6), a flexible flat membrane (10) flexibly hung along its perimeter on an annular shoulder (11) above said cavity (6), the top surface (110) of the membrane (10) being compressed by the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), and which has an internal central orifice (9) formed inside said flat surface (7) and perpendicular thereto, which orifice (5) communicates with the exterior of the pipe (3), and which further includes at least one groove (9), formed in said flat surface (7), which extends radially outwards from said central orifice (5) to the peripheral edge of said flat surface (7) so that when pressurized fluid is introduced from said pipe (3) inside said emitter, the membrane (10) is resiliently deformed toward the interior of said cavity (6) and against said flat surface (7), whereas the groove (9) and the internal central orifice (5) operate to limit the flow of the emitter to a substantially constant value, within a range of very low to very high pressures of the fluid flowing in the pipe (3), characterized in that the depth of the groove (9) increases progressively toward the central orifice (5).
An emitter as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that its body (1′) has a transverse and/or angular extension lower than the pipe diameter and than 360° respectively.
A self-compensating drip irrigation emitter, wholly or partly as described, illustrated and for the purposes disclosed above.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.