Dispenser for irrigation chemicals
OwnerI-Chung Hoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Beneficial chemicals and water are dispensed by an irrigation system to vegetation served thereby. The irrigation system includes a water flow path in part defined by a housing of the inventive irrigation chemical dispenser. The dispenser housing includes a single-use disposable and replaceable chambered cartridge holding a premeasured supply of chemical material. The cartridge is sealingly closed by a penetrable diaphragm prior to and after its uniting with the remainder of the dispenser housing. Penetrating means are included by the dispenser for receiving momentum from the flow of water through the housing to penetrate the cartridge diaphragm. The chemical material is then communicated to the flow path for dispensing to the vegetation served by the irrigation system.
Claims18
A dispenser for irrigation chemicals comprising:
- a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, and a first flow path extending between said inlet and said outlet for communicating a flow of irrigating water therebetween, said housing defining bore means opening from said first flow path outwardly thereon for sealingly and removably receiving a chambered cartridge of irrigation chemical, which cartridge includes a penetrable diaphragm sealingly closing said cartridge chamber within said housing bore means, a plunger member reciprocably received in said bore means and movable between a first position spaced from the diaphragm of said cartridge and closing said first flow path and a second position bounding said first flow path and penetrating said diaphragm, said housing and said plunger member cooperating in said second position of the latter to define both a second flow path for water flow from said first flow path to the chamber of said cartridge and a third flow path for flow of water and irrigation chemical from said cartridge chamber to said first flow path, said plunger member including moving means for in response to said flow of irrigating water in said first flow path moving forcefully from said first position to said second position to penetrate said diaphragm member.
A dispenser for irrigation chemicals comprising:
- a housing defining an inlet, an outlet, and a flow path extending from said inlet to said outlet for communicating a flow of water therebetween, said housing including a port intermediate said inlet and said outlet and defining a part of said flow path for determining a water flow direction thereat, a bore opening outwardly upon said housing substantially parallel with said determined water flow direction, a plunger member disposed in said bore and movable substantially parallel to said determined water flow direction between a first positon adjacent said port and a second position spaced therefrom, said plunger member defining both a bluff surface disposed toward said port and a penetrator portion disposed outwardly of said bore, a chambered cartridge member for receiving therein a store of water-dispersable irrigation chemical removably and sealingly received in said bore, said cartridge member defining an opening from said chamber thereof within said housing bore, said cartridge member further carrying a penetrable diaphragm member closing said cartridge opening within said bore, penetrating means carried by said plunger member for penetrating said diaphragm member upon movement of said plunger member from said first position to said second position thereof, passage means for communicating water from said flow path to said cartridge member chamber and for communicating water mixed with said water-dispersable irrigation chemical to said flow path, and aspirator means associated with said passage means for causing a flow of fluid in the latter in response to water flow in said flow path, whereby said water flow in said determined direction imparts momentum to said plunger member to forcefully move the latter from said first position to said second position to open and dispense the contents of said irrigation chemical cartridge.
The method of selectively providing beneficial chemical material to vegetation served by an irrigation system which includes a conduit defining a flow path wherein flows water to said vegetation, said method including the steps of:
- providing a dispenser for irrigation chemicals having a housing, utilizing said housing to define a portion of said flow path, providing a chambered cartridge member including a penetrable diaphragm portion closing an opening to the chamber thereof, utilizing said dispenser housing and said cartridge member to cooperatively define a cavity bounded by said diaphragm portion, disposing a quantity of selected chemical material within the chamber of said cartridge member, providing penetrating means carried by said dispenser housing for penetrating said diaphragm portion to communicate said cartridge chamber with said cavity, communicating said cavity with said flow path, and imparting momentum from said flow of water to said penetrating means to effect said penetration of said diaphragm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.