Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – With signals – indicators – recorders – meters or changeable...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-24
2004-05-11
Douglas, Lisa A. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
With signals, indicators, recorders, meters or changeable...
C239S200000, C239S205000, C239S569000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732946
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to irrigation sprinkler heads and, more particularly, to a pop-up style sprinkler head having an integral device for indicating the position and facilitating the repair of the sprinkler head if it is damaged.
2. Description of the Background
Underground lawn irrigation systems commonly comprise a network of buried pipes connected at regular intervals to sprinkler heads. The RAINBIRD™ SP40 series pop-up spray head manufactured by Rain Bird Mfg. Corp., 145 N. Grand Ave., Glenboro, Calif., 91741 is an exemplary pop-up style sprinkler head representative of the prior art.
FIG. 1
illustrates a pop-up style sprinkler head connected to an underground irrigation system. The sprinkler head
102
extends upwardly from an elbow or “T” joint
104
, and only the uppermost portion of head
102
is exposed beyond the surface of the ground. Sprinkler head
102
typically comprises a cylindrical housing
107
containing an internal pop-up riser
112
capped by a nozzle
108
. Nozzle
108
emits a spray when actuated by water pressure, and the spray pattern is fixed as determined by the type of nozzle
108
attached to riser
112
.
At the end of an irrigation cycle, the water pressure shuts off, and an internal spring mechanism retracts the riser
112
back into housing
107
of the sprinkler head. The retracted nozzle lies flush at ground level and is protected from damage by lawn mowers, power trimmers, foot traffic or other ground level hazards which could dislodge the nozzle
108
from riser
112
. It is not uncommon for grass or foliage to overgrow the sprinkler head thereby obscuring it from view in the retracted position.
During the course of normal use it is also not uncommon for grit or debris to fall into the sprinkler head
102
. An accumulation of this foreign matter prevents the riser from fully retracting, leaving riser
112
extended from housing
107
, and exposing nozzle
108
above the surface of the ground. A pass with a lawn mower can easily dislodge the exposed nozzle
108
from riser
112
, thereby damaging the sprinkler head
102
. The damaged riser thereafter will not be affected by the application or removal of water pressure.
Alternatively, nozzle
108
may simply become dislodged due to pedestrian traffic or unscrewed from riser
112
rendering sprinkler head
102
defective. Damaged or defective sprinkler heads are difficult to locate, either because they become entirely submerged in large pools of water, or because grass obscures the location of sprinkler head
102
when the riser is in the complete or partially retracted position.
If nozzle
108
is dislodged from sprinkler head
102
, an uncontrolled geyser gushes from the sprinkler head during subsequent irrigation cycles. This has several adverse consequences. First, it results in flooding of one area of the lawn, which damages turf and promotes disease. Second, under-watering of adjacent areas of the lawn usually occurs as a result of decreased water pressure to the downstream sprinkler heads. Also, the geyser unnecessarily wastes water during the irrigation cycle, and depending on the location and time of day, geysers may go undetected for extended periods of time.
Replacing the defective sprinkler head with an entirely new sprinkler head remedies the geyser problem. However, even after the geyser is observed locating the damaged sprinkler head once the sprinkler shuts-off is difficult because of the flooding or natural overgrowth problems discussed above. Moreover, once the defective sprinkler head is found, making the a repair entails digging-up the damaged sprinkler head. This requires undue expense and effort and damages the lawn in the area of the repair.
Alternatively, the defective sprinkler head can be repaired by replacing the missing nozzle. However, this simple remedy is complicated by the fact that, in its retracted position, the riser
112
is not easily accessible inside the narrow body of sprinkler head
102
. The force from a retracting spring (not shown) must be overcome to lift riser
112
from housing
107
, and the narrow cylinder of sprinkler head
102
does not easily permit one to grasp riser
112
. Without a device to withdraw the retracted riser
112
, the threads on the riser remain inaccessible, and a new nozzle cannot be attached without disassembling the complete sprinkler head which in turn usually requires excavating around the unit.
Few devices in the prior art have addressed the problem of signaling the position of a damaged sprinkler head. U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,824 to Frimmer teaches a shut-off valve for use in a sprinkler head. The shut-off valve is positioned in the riser of the sprinkler head. A short perforated tube extends from the valve, and is spring biased against the underside of the sprinkler head nozzle. If the nozzle is dislodged, the shut-off valve is immediately forced upwardly where it engages a valve seat and prevents the flow of water from the head. The tube extending through the top of the sprinkler head also immediately signals that the sprinkler head is damaged.
Unfortunately, the Frimmer '824 signaling device is a short fixed tube which becomes susceptible to damage from the same causal sources (rotary mowers, foot traffic or other ground hazards) because it deploys an instant after the nozzle is dislodged. It is highly likely in the case of the lawn mower inflicted damage that the mower would immediately truncate the signaling device negating its intended purpose. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a sprinkler head with an integral apparatus for indicating the location of the damaged or defective sprinkler head (and facilitating its repair) that would deploy only when the nozzle is dislodged and water pressure is applied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a lawn irrigation sprinkler head incorporating a signaling device to indicate the position of the lawn sprinkler head if/when damaged.
It is another object of the present invention to enable the signaling device to facilitate the repair of the damaged head by providing a means to extract the riser from the inside of the damaged sprinkler head in order to replace a missing nozzle.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide an integral shut-off valve on the alert and retrieval device to prevent the uncontrolled flow of water from a damaged sprinkler head during an irrigation cycle.
According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing a pop-up style lawn sprinkler head comprising an internal signaling and riser retrieval apparatus. The sprinkler head comprises a hollow, generally cylindrical housing threaded on the lower end for attachment to an elbow or “T” fitting on an irrigation pipe. The housing comprises an internal central channel occupied by a riser. A nozzle seals the top of the sprinkler head assembly when the riser is fully retracted in the housing.
The signaling and retrieval mechanism is a brightly colored, multi-stage telescoping element which resides in the central cavity of the riser. Under normal operating conditions, the device accompanies the riser as it is forced upwardly from the sprinkler head body by water pressure during a normal irrigation cycle. Water flows through the riser around the device and out the nozzle. In an undamaged sprinkler head, the upward telescoping movement of the device is limited by the nozzle. However, if the nozzle is dislodged, the water pressure causes the telescoping elements of the device to extend upwardly. When the irrigation cycle is complete, the self-latching device remains visible projecting from the top of the damaged sprinkler head.
Projecting from the sprinkler head, the brightly colored device signals the location of the damaged head, and is used to facilitate the replacement of the missing nozzle. Pulling upwardly on the device lifts the riser from the sprinkler head housing. This exposes the threads on the top of the rise
Douglas Lisa A.
Law Offices of Royal W. Craig
LandOfFree
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