Attachable sprinkler deflector

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to sprinkler attachments and sprinkler guards for blocking spray therefrom. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a rapidly deployable and inexpensive sprinkler guard that blocks spray from a sprinkler in a given orientation, wherein the sprinkler may be of rotary or stationary type.

#Sprinklers and sprinkler systems are commonly deployed devices that are utilized to distribute water over a defined area without requiring the user to manually direct the spray of water or hold a water hose. These devices vary between the simple hose attachment article to the more sophisticated systems involving deployable sprinkler heads joined by a series of buried water supply lines. These devices are very convenient, and are an indispensible part of agriculture, general lawn care and professional turf management. However, it is well known that these systems often create an uneven or overreaching spray pattern when in operation, particularly in bordered areas or those that are often deployed in residential environments. Sprinklers are deployed for the purposes of spreading water in an encompassing manner, where all areas of a lawn or farm are provided water for growth; however, it is not desirable to spray onto surfaces not requiring watering, for instance onto adjacent sidewalls, against houses, onto cars or further onto parts of trees or lawns that do not require constant watering or exposure to moisture.

#Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

#FIG. 1 shows a frontal perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 shows an overhead perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

#Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the sprinkler guard. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for rapidly and easily deploying on existing sprinklers and providing a means to control spray patterns thereof. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a frontal perspective of the preferred embodiment of the sprinkler guard 11 of the present invention. The guard 11 comprises a spray deflector 15 having a surface 16 adapted to accept directed sprinkler spray and prevent the spray from passing through the deflector 15 and therefore effectively divert it away from an area behind the deflector surface 16. The base of the deflector 15 attaches to a sprinkler attachment means 12, which comprises a first and second deformable attachment arm 13. The arms 13 are adapted to surround the standpipe or riser of a sprinkler, whereafter a zip tie fastener, clasp or similar attachment means is fed through apertures 17 along the arms and tightened around the exterior of the sprinkler riser and the attachment means 12. The deformable nature of the arms allows risers of differing geometry to be accommodated for, while the simple attachment means allows swift attachment and subsequent removal if desired.

#The deflector structure is of sufficient stiffness to withstand the pressure exerted on its inward face 16 such that the deflector is not readily deformed when the sprinkler spray is directed at the guard. In this way, the deflector 15 does not yield to the high water pressure and therefore diverts the water along the deflector surface and outwards from its originally intended direction. The shape of the deflector 15 is one of octagonal, square or circular pattern that is of sufficient width to establish the desired stiffness and to create an adequate deflector surface 16 such that spray is not directed over a given area required to remain dry.