Irrigation sprinkler nozzle having deflector with micro-ramps
AssigneeRain Bird Corporation
InventorEugene Ezekiel Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spray nozzle for an irrigation sprinkler is provided, where the nozzle has a deflector that is configured with depending ribs. Each of the ribs has micro-structures that cooperate with other geometry of the rib and deflector to define a plurality of different micro-ramps for dividing the discharged water into different sprays having different characteristics that can be combined to achieve a spray pattern.
Claims25
An irrigation spray nozzle comprising:
- a nozzle body defining at least in part one or more fluid discharge flow passages for the passage of water;
- and
- a deflector to deflect water received from the one or more fluid discharge flow passages, the deflector having radially extending ribs depending from an underside of the deflector, adjacent ones of the ribs forming channels for water flow therebetween, a plurality of the ribs from the radially extending ribs, each rib of the plurality of the ribs having a pair of opposing sides, and each side comprises at least a first step extending into an adjacent one of the channels and at least partially in a radially extending direction such that a micro-ramp extends into the adjacent one of the channels for directing a portion of the water flow, the micro-ramp being spaced from a bottom of the channel defined by the underside of the deflector, the micro-ramps on the pair of opposing sides of each of the plurality of the ribs being spaced from each other.
An irrigation spray nozzle comprising:
- a base having a longitudinal axis and at least one water passage extending through the base;
- and
- a deflector body having a deflector portion and a neck, the deflector portion being positioned to receive a discharge of water from the at least one water passage and redirecting the discharge of water generally radially outward, the deflector portion having a plurality of radially-outward extending, depending ribs with adjacent ones of the depending ribs forming channels for water flow therebetween, the plurality of radially-outward extending, depending ribs each having a pair of sidewalls and a bottom wall, the sidewalls each at least partially defining a plurality of distinct micro-ramps projecting laterally into the channels and spaced from a bottom of the channels defined by an underside of the deflector portion, for dividing the discharge of water into different sprays for irrigating different areas adjacent the irrigation spray nozzle.
A method for forming a spray of water from an irrigation spray nozzle, the nozzle having a deflector with a plurality of radially-outward extending, depending ribs forming channels for water flow therebetween, the ribs each having a pair of sidewalls and a bottom wall, the sidewalls each having at least one step projecting laterally a first distance from the sidewall and spaced from a bottom of the channel, the method comprising:
- discharging water against the deflector;
- and
- deflecting at least some of the water generally radially outward along a plurality of flow paths disposed between adjacent pairs of the ribs and the bottom of the channels, a first of the flow paths on a side of the step closer to the bottom wall having a first fraction of the total discharged water volume and a second of the flow paths on a side of the step opposite the bottom wall having a second fraction of the total discharged water volume, the second fraction being different than the first fraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.