Irrigation system and method for its manufacture

Abstract

The invention relates to an irrigation system for cultivated plants, suitable for installation in the ground or installed in the ground, comprising an irrigation hose 1 and a plurality of water drippers 10, each of which is suitable for insertion into a punched hole 2 in the irrigation hose 1. The object of the present invention is to provide an irrigation system that irrigates cultivated plants with deeper roots than conventional "weeds" in such a way that the roots of the entire vegetation, and thus of the cultivated plants plus unwanted "weeds," cannot reach the subterranean water outlet and thus cannot clog it. The water outlet from the irrigation hose 1 should be as close as possible to the root system of the cultivated plant to be irrigated.This irrigation system is characterized by a number of watering bells 4 corresponding to the number of punched holes 2, which have an inlet opening 8 directed towards the irrigation hose 1 and an opposite outlet opening 9 and which are provided with a holding device 3 which is suitable for fastening the watering bell 4 to the irrigation hose 1 and which is obtainable in that the punched holes 2 are only made after the irrigation hose 1 has been laid out along the crops to be irrigated, in the area of ​​the punched holes 2 a watering bell 4 is connected to the irrigation hose 1 by means of the holding device 3 in such a way that the punched hole 2 is arranged in the area delimited by the inlet opening 8, and in each punched hole 2 a water dripper 10 is inserted before or after the irrigation hose 1 is connected to the holding device 3.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an irrigation system for cultivated plants laid in the ground, comprising an irrigation hose, a plurality of water drippers, each of which is inserted into a punched hole in the irrigation hose, and a number of watering bells corresponding to the number of punched holes, which have an inlet opening directed towards the irrigation hose and an opposite outlet opening, which are provided with a holding device which fastens the watering bell to the irrigation hose and which are connected to the irrigation hose in the region of the punched holes by means of the holding device in such a way that the punched holes are arranged in the area delimited by the inlet opening, as well as a method for producing an irrigation system for cultivated plants laid in the ground, in which an irrigation hose is laid out along the crops to be irrigated.

[0002] The feature "laying out the irrigation hose along the crops to be irrigated" encompasses numerous possibilities. For example, with plants arranged in rows, the irrigation hose can extend from one plant to the next in that row, to the end of the row, then be directed to the adjacent row, and then run in the opposite direction to the adjacent row of plants.

[0003] The irrigation hose can also run in a zigzag shape or be laid around a plant.

[0004] The irrigation hose is designed according to the irrigation requirements and the conditions of the area in which the crops are located, as well as the type, size and age of the plants.

[0005] To irrigate crops, such as vines, trees, and bushes, irrigation hoses are commonly used that are laid on or in the ground, or run underground. Such known irrigation hoses are equipped with a water outlet. Such a water outlet is referred to as a punched hole in the context of this application. However, this term refers to all possible configurations of an opening in an irrigation hose through which water can escape.

[0006] Conventional irrigation hoses are equipped with such holes before installation. Irrigation modules are inserted into the hose near these holes, known as labyrinths. These labyrinths, when combined with a hole, are called water drippers. These labyrinths primarily serve the purpose of making it difficult and, if possible, preventing the water outlet from becoming blocked by the roots of crops and / or common weeds.

[0007] However, preventing such blockages is usually not achieved permanently. This requires removing the water from the roots, either mechanically or with toxic chemicals. Mechanical treatment is only effective for a short time. Chemical treatment damages the life in the soil and is only effective for a limited time.

[0008] AT 384849 B discloses a method and device for subsurface irrigation. This involves the use of pipes laid underground containing components, such as waterwheels, that move under the influence of flowing water. Fluid is supplied in separate sections for the treatment, nutrition, and development of plants.

[0009] In conventional irrigation hoses, the punched holes / water outlets with irrigation modules are arranged at a fixed distance from each other. The prefabricated irrigation hose is laid on-site, i.e., near the crops to be irrigated, without the spacing of the crops to be irrigated affecting the spacing of the water outlet holes.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide an irrigation system for crops that is laid underground and equipped with an irrigation hose and several water drippers. This irrigation system is intended to irrigate crops with deeper roots than typical "weeds," such as vines, trees, and bushes, in such a way that the roots of the entire vegetation, and thus the crops plus unwanted "weeds," cannot reach the subterranean water outlet and thus cannot clog it.

[0011] A further object is to provide a method for laying such an irrigation system.

[0012] This problem is solved by the doctrine of independent claims.

[0013] The subject of the invention is therefore an irrigation system for crops that is already installed in the ground. This irrigation system comprises an irrigation hose and several water drippers, each of which is inserted into a punched hole in the irrigation hose.

[0014] This irrigation system has a number of watering bells corresponding to the number of punched holes, which have an inlet opening directed towards the irrigation hose and an opposite outlet opening and which are provided with a holding device that attaches the watering bell to the irrigation hose.

[0015] The watering bells are connected to the irrigation hose by means of the holding device in such a way that the punched holes are arranged in the area bordered by the inlet opening.

[0016] This irrigation system is available because the punched holes are only made in the irrigation hose after it has been laid out along the crops to be irrigated.

[0017] The punched holes are placed in a section of the laid out irrigation hose that is closest to the crop to be irrigated and the water drippers are inserted before or after the irrigation hose is connected to the holding device.

[0018] The feature whereby a watering bell is connected to the irrigation hose by means of the holding device includes two alternatives.

[0019] In the first alternative, the holding device is first connected to the irrigation hose. Then, the watering bell is connected to the holding device.

[0020] In the second alternative, the watering bell is first connected to the holding device. Only then is the combination of holding device and watering bell connected to the irrigation hose.

[0021] The connection between the holder and the irrigation hose is preferably made by clicking the holder onto the irrigation hose. This is possible with both of the alternatives described.

[0022] The connection between the holding device and the watering bell is preferably made by clicking the holding device into the watering bell, either before or after clicking the holding device onto the irrigation hose.

[0023] The pouring bell thus has two openings, namely an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The pouring bell can also be viewed as a type of tube. The inlet opening is preferably smaller than the outlet opening. Furthermore, the diameter preferably widens conically from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.

[0024] The use of watering bells ensures that the irrigation water cannot reach the roots of the vegetation, as this water drips or flows underground through the hollow space of the watering bells. This prevents the water outlet from the irrigation hose or the holes, as well as the water drippers installed therein, from being reached or blocked by the roots of the crops being irrigated or by weeds. Only the deeper-rooted crops being watered are selectively irrigated, and no longer the surface-rooted weeds.

[0025] The irrigation system is preferably achieved by placing the irrigation hose in a previously created furrow along the crops to be irrigated. This furrow is excavated mechanically.

[0026] The water outlet from the irrigation hose should be close to the root system of the crop being irrigated. For the purposes of this documentation, "closeness" refers to a distance that depends on the type of plant.

[0027] For newly planted vines or similar plants, this distance is 5 to 15 cm. For subsequent irrigation of older vines or similar plants, the distance is 5 to 25 cm, based on the center of the root system.

[0028] When irrigating older trees in a ring, for example, the spacing depends on the size of the root system. The diameter of the irrigation ring can be 3 to 5 m. If the irrigation hose is laid in a ring, it is advisable to provide several water drippers and thus punched holes per ring, for example, 2 to 5.

[0029] According to a further preferred embodiment, the watering bells extend from the irrigation hose laid in the ground at an angle of 0° (and thus vertically downwards) up to 15° to the vertical downwards.

[0030] One advantage of this type of subterranean irrigation system, for example, is that the deeper water supply below the soil's surface selectively irrigates only the crops and not shallow-rooted "weeds." Furthermore, the deeper water supply prevents moisture from reaching the soil's surface during irrigation, which would otherwise evaporate and encourage fungal diseases. Water use is thus targeted, minimized, and reduced to less than 50% of the amount required for aboveground irrigation.

[0031] The invention further relates to a method for producing an irrigation system for crops laid in the ground, in which an irrigation hose is laid out along the crops to be irrigated, which is characterized in that an earth furrow is created along the crops to be irrigated, the irrigation hose is placed in this furrow, a hole is punched into the irrigation hose in the section closest to the crop to be irrigated, a watering bell is placed on the irrigation hose in the area of ​​the punched hole and a water dropper is inserted into the punched hole before or after the pouring bell is put on.

[0032] This irrigation system is in particular an irrigation system according to claim 1.

[0033] Preferably, the casting bells are oriented at an angle of 0° to 15° from the vertical, and especially vertically (angle = 0°) downwards. This information refers to the longitudinal direction of the casting bell from the punch hole / inlet opening to the outlet opening.

[0034] After laying out the irrigation system according to the invention, the furrow in which the irrigation system was laid out is preferably filled with soil.

[0035] To attach the watering bell to the irrigation hose, a holding device is preferably used into which the watering bell is clicked.

[0036] The section closest to the crop to be irrigated is the point on the longitudinal axis, or in the longitudinal direction of the irrigation hose, that is closest to the crop. Starting from this point, the section extends in both directions along the longitudinal direction of the irrigation hose. The length of this section depends, among other things, on the size of the crop to be irrigated. This length is ideally 20 to 50 cm in both directions.

[0037] Typically, several crops are supplied with water using one irrigation hose. The above statements therefore conveniently apply to each crop to be irrigated.

[0038] If the irrigation hose is laid in a ring, the entire ring belongs to the area closest to the crop. In this case, several watering bells can be installed if desired. The same applies if the irrigation hose runs in a semicircle or quarter-circle around the crop.

[0039] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary drawings, which are not to scale. The figures show: Fig. 1 a top view of a standard irrigation hose provided with a punched hole, Fig. 2 supervision of the Fig. 1 shown irrigation hose, on which a holding device is placed or clicked onto the irrigation hose in the area of ​​the punched hole by means of a retaining clip, Fig. 3 a top view from below of the Fig. 2 shown holding device, wherein a conventional water dropper is inserted into the punched hole, Fig. 4 a side view of a holding device and a cooperating casting bell in exploded view and Fig. 5 a side view of a retaining clip of a holding device clicked onto the irrigation hose, into which the watering bell is clicked, in the assembled state and laid in the ground and thus below the ground surface.

[0040] In the Fig. 1 shows a section of a conventional irrigation hose 1 in which a punched hole 2 produced in a known manner is provided.

[0041] In the Fig. 2, a holding device 3 for a watering bell 4 is placed or clicked onto the watering hose 1.

[0042] As from the Fig. 3, the holding device 3 has a ring unit 5. A holding clamp 6 is placed on the irrigation hose 1 in such a way that the ring unit 5 encircles the punched hole 2. In other words, the ring unit 5 is located approximately centrally above the punched hole 2. The ring unit 5 and the holding clamp 6 are components of the holding device 3 for securing the watering bell 4 or for clicking it onto the irrigation hose 1.

[0043] In the Fig. 2 shown punch hole 2 is in the Fig. 3, a water dropper 10 of a conventional type is used.

[0044] As from the Fig. 4, the retaining clip 6 is provided towards the irrigation hose 1 with two opposing retaining jaws 11 formed on the ring unit 5, which are dimensioned and shaped such that the irrigation hose 1 can be inserted into the cavity 7 formed between the retaining jaws 11 in a force-fitting manner and thus the retaining clip 6 can be clicked onto the irrigation hose 1 and thereby connected thereto.

[0045] On the side of the ring unit 5 opposite the holding jaws 11, the ring unit 5 can be clicked into the inlet opening 8 of the casting bell 4. This assembled state is shown in the Fig. 5 shown in side view.

[0046] The connection between the holding device 3 and the pouring bell 4 can also be realized by other connecting devices, for example by a screw connection.

[0047] The elements of the casting bell 4 together with the holding device 3 etc. are expediently injection-molded from a plastic material. List of reference symbols 1 irrigation hose 2 punch holes 3 Holding device 4 pouring bell 5 ring unit 6 retaining clip 7 Cavity 8 Inlet opening 9 Outlet opening 10 water droppers 11 Holding jaw

Claims

[1] Irrigation system for crops laid in the ground with an irrigation hose (1), with several water drippers (10), each of which is inserted into a punched hole (2) in the irrigation hose (1) and with a number of casting bells (4) corresponding to the number of punched holes (2), which have an inlet opening (8) directed towards the irrigation hose (1) and an opposite outlet opening (9), which are provided with a holding device (3) which fixes the watering bell (4) on the watering hose (1) and which are connected to the irrigation hose (1) in the area of ​​the punched holes (2) by means of the holding device (3) in such a way that the punched holes (2) are arranged in the area delimited by the inlet opening (8), available by the punched holes (2) are only made after the irrigation hose (1) has been laid out along the crops to be irrigated in this irrigation hose (1), the punched holes (2) are placed in a section of the laid out irrigation hose (1) which is closest to the crop to be irrigated and the water drippers (10) are inserted before or after the irrigation hose (1) is connected to the holding device (3). [2] Irrigation system according to claim 1, characterized by that the inlet opening (8) is smaller than the outlet opening (9). [3] Irrigation system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the holding device (3) has a holding clip (6) which is clicked onto the irrigation hose (1). [4] Irrigation system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the holding device (3) is clicked into the casting bell (4). [5] Irrigation system according to one of the preceding claims, obtainable in that the irrigation hose (1) is inserted and thus laid out in a furrow previously made along the crops to be irrigated. [6] Irrigation system according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that the watering bells (4) extend vertically downwards in the ground from the irrigation hose (1). [7] Method for producing an irrigation system for crops laid in the ground, in which an irrigation hose (1) is laid along the crops to be irrigated, characterized by , that a furrow is created along the crops to be irrigated, the irrigation hose (1) is placed in this furrow, at least one punched hole (2) is made in the irrigation hose (1) in the section which is closest to the respective crop to be irrigated, a downward-facing watering bell (4) is placed on the irrigation hose (1) in the area of ​​the punched holes (2) and a water dropper (10) is inserted into the punched holes (2) before or after the watering bells (4) are placed. [8] Method according to claim 7, characterized by that the soil furrow is created in such a way that it is closest to the crop to be irrigated. [9] Method according to claim 7 or 8 characterized by that the casting bells (4) are aligned downwards at an angle of 0° to 15° to the vertical. [10] Method according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized by that the furrow is filled with soil at the end of the process. [11] Method according to one of claims 7 to 10, characterized by that the watering bells (4) are connected to the irrigation hose (1) by means of a holding device (3) and the holding devices (3) are clicked onto the irrigation hose (1) by means of a holding clip (6).

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