Pop-up sprinkler with top serviceable diaphragm valve module

Abstract

A top serviceable pop-up sprinkler includes a main cylindrical outer housing having a female threaded inlet at a lower end thereof A spring biased tubular riser is mounted inside the outer housing for vertical reciprocation through an opening in an upper end of the outer housing. A nozzle is fixed in a nozzle head rotatably mounted at an upper end of the riser for ejecting a stream of water. The nozzle is rotated over an adjustable arc by a conventional turbine, gear drive and arc adjustable reversing mechanism. A valve actuator component assembly, including a pilot valve, solenoid and pressure regulator is mounted in a generally rectangular component housing that is connected to the side of the cylindrical outer housing. A lid of the component housing aligns with, and effectively forms a part of, a circular ground support flange that extends horizontally from the upper end of the outer housing. The riser opening is eccentrically located in the circular ground support flange. A diaphragm valve module is mounted in the lower end of the outer housing for controlling the flow of water through the inlet in response to the opening and closing of the solenoid actuated pilot valve. The diaphragm valve module is configured so that it is removable as a unit from the outer housing through the opening in the upper end of the outer housing upon extraction of the riser. Thus, when the diaphragm valve fails, as is often the case, the diaphragm valve module can be easily repaired or replaced after removing the riser, without having to dig up the sprinkler. The diaphragm valve module is releasably held in position in the lower end of the outer housing by a snap ring having a pair of peripheral annular portions that can be radially retracted by squeezing opposing tabs on a central resilient connecting portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.