A dripper for drip irrigation and a drip irrigation system

Abstract

This invention discloses a dripper and drip irrigation system for drip irrigation, including a dripper body and an adjusting shaft. The dripper body contains a circular cavity with an inlet at its front end and an opening at its rear end. The adjusting shaft passes through the opening and is placed within the cavity. A locking structure is provided between the cavity and the adjusting shaft, which engages the adjusting shaft, allowing it to rotate around a plane perpendicular to its own axis. The hollow cavity inside the inlet is cylindrical, and the axis of the cylindrical cavity coincides with the axis of the adjusting shaft. Because the shaft rotates vertically and does not move back and forth, the overlapping area of ​​the first and second grooves gradually increases with the rotation of the adjusting shaft, achieving fine adjustment of the water flow. This solves the problem of excessive adjustment range in existing drippers using a threaded method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dripper structure technology, and in particular to a dripper and drip irrigation system for drip irrigation. Background Technology

[0002] A dripper is attached to the end of a water pipe to control the water flow, allowing it to flow out in droplets or a thin stream. A typical dripper consists of a tubular outer shell and an internal threaded valve stem. Turning the nut rotates the valve stem, moving it away from the bottom of the tubular shell, increasing the distance between the valve stem tip and the shell's bottom, thus increasing the water flow. This allows for adjustment of the water output by controlling the nut. Due to cost constraints, drippers are generally made of plastic, resulting in a relatively large thread pitch. Even slight turns significantly alter the valve stem's movement, leading to large variations in water flow and preventing precise adjustments. In drip irrigation systems, multiple drippers are typically connected to a single line; excessive adjustments can cause some drippers to flow excessively while others receive almost no water. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide a dripper and drip irrigation system for drip irrigation to solve the problem of excessive adjustment range of existing drippers using a threaded method.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a dripper for drip irrigation, comprising a dripper body and an adjusting shaft. The dripper body includes a circular accommodating cavity, with an inlet at the front end and an opening at the rear end. The adjusting shaft passes through the opening and is placed within the accommodating cavity. A locking structure is provided between the accommodating cavity and the adjusting shaft, which locks the adjusting shaft in place, causing it to rotate around a plane perpendicular to its own axis. The hollow cavity inside the inlet is cylindrical, and the axis of the cylindrical cavity coincides with the axis of the adjusting shaft. A first groove is provided on the outer side of the cylindrical inlet and near the front end of the adjusting shaft. A control head is provided at the front end of the adjusting shaft and is placed inside the hollow cavity of the inlet. A rotation control structure for driving the adjusting shaft to rotate is provided at the rear end of the adjusting shaft. The middle part of the control head is cylindrical and fits into the hollow cavity of the inlet. A second groove is provided on the front part of the control head on the side opposite to the first groove. When the adjusting shaft rotates in a vertical plane, the overlapping area of ​​the first groove and the second groove increases. An outlet is provided on the side wall of the dripper body.

[0005] Furthermore, the distance between the rear end face of the second groove and the first groove gradually decreases along the circumferential direction, or the distance between the front end face of the first groove and the second groove gradually decreases along the circumferential direction.

[0006] Furthermore, when the adjusting shaft rotates to its maximum position in the vertical plane, the first groove and the second groove retain a certain overlapping area; or the first groove and the second groove occupy between 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the circumference of the circle they occupy.

[0007] Furthermore, a sealing ring surrounding the adjusting shaft is provided between the accommodating cavity and the adjusting shaft.

[0008] Furthermore, the engaging structure includes an annular platform and a positioning protrusion. The annular platform is disposed on the side of the adjusting shaft, and the positioning protrusion is disposed within the accommodating cavity. The positioning protrusion abuts against the rear end face of the annular platform, and the rear end face of the annular platform is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting shaft.

[0009] Furthermore, the annular platform sidewall is provided with a transverse groove for the positioning protrusion to pass through, and the positioning protrusion passes through the transverse groove when the adjusting shaft passes through the opening.

[0010] Furthermore, a locking protrusion is provided at the middle position of the rear end face of the annular platform and / or a stop protrusion is provided at the end position of the rear end face of the annular platform.

[0011] Furthermore, the dripper body is provided with support feet on its side wall for inserting into the soil.

[0012] Furthermore, the rotation control structure can be a rotation handle, a rotation nut, a rotation screw hole, or an electrically controlled rotation motor.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention provides a drip irrigation system, including a valve, a pipeline and a dripper, wherein the outlet end of the valve is connected to one end of the pipeline and the other end of the pipeline is connected to the dripper, and the dripper is a dripper for drip irrigation as described in any one of the present invention.

[0014] Unlike existing technologies, the adjustment shaft in the above-mentioned technical solution is placed inside the receiving cavity. A locking structure ensures that the adjustment shaft can only rotate around a plane perpendicular to its own axis, preventing it from moving back and forth. One side of the cylindrical opening has a first groove, while the other side is still part of the cylindrical opening, thus creating a close fit with the central cylindrical part of the control head. This prevents water from flowing out from other parts, ensuring that water can only flow out from the overlapping portion of the first and second grooves. When the dripper is not activated, the first and second grooves are on opposite sides, with little or no overlap. Water will only enter through the second groove of the inlet, while the second groove is blocked by the side wall of the cylindrical opening opposite the first groove, preventing water from flowing out. When the dripper needs to be activated, the adjustment shaft is rotated via a rotation control structure. The second groove rotates to the position of the first groove, gradually increasing the overlapping area. Water from the second groove then flows into the first groove, and subsequently flows through the receiving cavity to the outlet and out. Because the rotating shaft rotates in a vertical plane and does not move back and forth, the overlapping area of ​​the first and second grooves can gradually increase as the rotating shaft rotates, achieving fine adjustment of the water flow. This solves the problem of excessive adjustment range in existing drippers using a threaded method. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall external structure of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall cross-sectional structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the adjusting shaft of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the dripper body of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a rendered schematic diagram of the adjustment shaft of the present invention being removed from the dropper body;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a magnified schematic diagram of the local structure where the first and second grooves overlap to the minimum.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a magnified schematic diagram of a portion of the structure where the first and second grooves overlap significantly.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the control head.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0024] 1. Dripper body;

[0025] 2. Adjust the shaft;

[0026] 10. Receptacle cavity;

[0027] 11. Water inlet;

[0028] 12. Opening;

[0029] 13. Snap-fit ​​structure;

[0030] 110. Internal hollow cavity;

[0031] 111. First groove;

[0032] 20. Control head;

[0033] 3. Rotation control structure;

[0034] 200. The middle part of the control head;

[0035] 201. Second groove;

[0036] 4. Water outlet;

[0037] 5. Sealing ring;

[0038] 130. Circular platform;

[0039] 131. Positioning protrusion;

[0040] 132. Horizontal groove;

[0041] 6. Positioning protrusions;

[0042] 7. Stop the protrusion;

[0043] 8. Support legs. Detailed Implementation

[0044] To explain in detail the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the technical solution, the following description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0045] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The term "embodiment" appearing in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it specifically limit its independence or connection with other embodiments. In principle, in this application, as long as there are no technical contradictions or conflicts, the technical features mentioned in each embodiment can be combined in any way to form corresponding implementable technical solutions.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the use of related terms herein is merely for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit this application.

[0047] In the description of this application, the term "and / or" is used to describe the logical relationship between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A exists, B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously. Additionally, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" logical relationship.

[0048] In this application, terms such as “first” and “second” are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual quantity, hierarchy or order relationship between these entities or operations.

[0049] Unless otherwise specified, the use of terms such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” or other similar expressions in this application is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, which does not exclude the presence of additional elements in a process, method, or product that includes the stated elements, such that a process, method, or product that includes a list of elements may include not only those defined elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, or product.

[0050] Similar to the interpretation in the Patent Examination Guidelines, in this application, expressions such as "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number; expressions such as "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments in this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two), and similar expressions related to "multiple" are also interpreted in this way, such as "multiple groups" and "multiple times," unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the space-related expressions used, such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "vertical," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the specific embodiments or drawings. They are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments of this application or for the reader's understanding, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific position, a specific orientation, or be constructed or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0052] Unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," and "setting," as used in the description of the embodiments of this application, should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral setting; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art to which this application pertains, the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] Please see Figures 1 to 8 This invention provides a dripper for drip irrigation, comprising a dripper body 1 and an adjusting shaft 2. The dripper body 1 includes a circular cavity 10. The cavity 10 has a water inlet 11 at its front end and an opening 12 at its rear end. The adjusting shaft 2 passes through the opening 12 and is placed within the cavity 10. A locking structure 13 is provided between the cavity 10 and the adjusting shaft 2, which locks the adjusting shaft 2, causing it to rotate about a plane perpendicular to its own axis. The hollow cavity 110 inside the water inlet 11 is cylindrical, and the axis of the cylindrical opening coincides with the axis of the adjusting shaft 2. The water inlet 11 is located within the cylindrical opening... A first groove 111 is provided on the outer side and near the front end of the adjusting shaft 2. An adjusting head 20 is provided at the front end of the adjusting shaft 2. The adjusting head 20 is placed inside the hollow cavity 110 of the water inlet 11. A rotation control structure 3 for driving the adjusting shaft 2 to rotate is provided at the rear end of the adjusting shaft 2. The middle part 200 of the adjusting head 20 is cylindrical and fits the hollow cavity 110 of the water inlet 11. A second groove 201 is provided on the front part of the adjusting head 20 on the side opposite to the first groove 111. When the adjusting shaft 2 rotates in the vertical plane, the overlapping area of ​​the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 increases. A water outlet 4 is provided on the side wall of the dripper body 1.

[0054] The adjusting shaft 2 of this invention is placed inside the receiving cavity 10. Through the engaging structure 13, the adjusting shaft 2 can only rotate around a plane perpendicular to its own axis, meaning it will not move back and forth. Here, "back and forth" refers to the same as the front and rear ends of the receiving cavity 10. This differs from the threaded connection of the prior art, where the shaft moves back and forth during rotation. One side of the cylindrical opening has a first groove 111, and the other side is also a cylindrical opening, thus forming a close fit with the cylindrical shape of the middle part 200 of the control head. This prevents water from flowing out from other parts, ensuring that water can only flow out from the overlapping portion of the first groove 111 and the second groove 201. When the dripper is not turned on, the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 are on one side and the other side, respectively. That is, the front part of the control head 20 mentioned above has the second groove 201 on the side opposite to the first groove 111; they do not overlap or overlap very little, so the water flow will only enter through the second groove 201 of the inlet 11, while the second groove 201 is blocked on the side wall of the cylindrical opening opposite the first groove 111, so the water flow will not flow out. Figure 6 As shown. When it is necessary to turn on the dripper to dispense water, the control structure 3 is rotated to control the rotation of the adjusting shaft 2, thereby turning the dripper... Figure 6 As the adjusting shaft rotates counterclockwise, the second groove 201 gradually emerges and rotates to the position of the first groove 111. The overlapping area of ​​the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 then gradually increases. Figure 7 As shown, the water in the second groove 201 will flow to the first groove 111, and then flow into the receiving cavity 10 to the outlet 4 and out. Since the rotating shaft rotates vertically and does not move back and forth, the overlapping area of ​​the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 can gradually and slowly increase as the rotating shaft 2 rotates, achieving fine adjustment of the water flow. This solves the problem of excessive adjustment range in existing drippers using a threaded method.

[0055] The dripper of this embodiment, as demonstrated in the experiment, achieves more linear and uniform adjustment, and can support simultaneous dripping from multiple drippers. Existing drippers, lacking fine adjustment, tend to produce significant dripping even with slightly hot water. In specific experiments, using the same water pump (500 ml / min), the dripper of this invention can support simultaneous dripping from 20 drippers without any drippers failing to dispense water. Most commercially available drippers, however, can only support simultaneous dripping from 10-15 drippers; exceeding this number often results in individual drippers failing to dispense water.

[0056] It should be noted that a cylindrical shape is the preferred option. In some embodiments, a conical structure with a large opening at the rear end and a small opening at the front end can also achieve the purpose of the present invention. This is a slight modification of the cylindrical shape and should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0057] The second groove 201 here is defined at the front and extends through to the front end plane of the control head 20. It can be a short arc-shaped groove with equal width at both ends. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the distance between the rear end face 2011 of the second groove 201 and the first groove 111 gradually decreases along the circumferential direction, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the direction of the shrinking circumference here is the opposite of the rotation direction when the overlapping area of ​​the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 increases. Thus, when the water flow is turned on and rotated, as the overlapping area of ​​the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 increases, the distance between the rear end face of the second groove 201 and the first groove 111 decreases. This means that after rotating for the same angle, the circumferential length of the overlapping area remains the same, but the longitudinal length decreases. Therefore, for the same rotation angle, the increase in overlapping area is smaller, and the increase is smaller. During rotation, the overlapping area increases, but the increase gradually decreases, avoiding excessive water flow increase during control, allowing for more precise water flow adjustment and improved control accuracy. Since the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 are opposite each other, this embodiment can be modified so that the distance between the front end face of the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 gradually decreases along the circumferential direction; the principle is the same.

[0058] This invention can achieve complete shut-off of water flow or maintain a minimum water flow. When maintaining a minimum water flow, the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 retain a certain overlap area when the adjusting shaft 2 is fully rotated in the vertical plane. Full rotation can be achieved by setting a limiting structure between the adjusting shaft 2 and the dripper body 1, or directly by designing the circumferential angle of the grooves. In this embodiment, when the user rotates the adjusting control structure 3 to its full position, the dripper still maintains a certain minimum water flow channel due to the preset overlap area, rather than being completely shut off. This prevents the dripper from being completely shut off due to accidental operation, thereby avoiding abnormal increases in upstream pipeline pressure and protecting system safety. Simultaneously, the dripper always maintains a small amount of water flow, preserving the basic activity of the plant roots and preventing water shortage.

[0059] Since this invention controls the flow by overlapping the areas of the first groove 111 and the second groove 201, and the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 need to be staggered when the water is turned off, to avoid the overlapping area being too small and thus resulting in a low controllable water flow, the first groove 111 and the second groove 201 preferably occupy between 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the circumference of their respective circles, and more preferably 1 / 2 of the circumference. This allows for a wide range of adjustments to meet different water flow adjustment needs.

[0060] To allow water to flow out from the outlet 4, a sealing ring 5 is provided between the receiving cavity 10 and the adjusting shaft 2, surrounding the adjusting shaft 2. The sealing ring 5 allows all the water flowing from the inlet 11 to flow out through the outlet 4. The outlet 4 and inlet 11 of this invention are merely illustrative; in some embodiments, the inlet 11 and outlet 4 can be interchanged.

[0061] The locking structure only needs to be able to lock the adjusting shaft in place so that it can rotate in a vertical plane. For example, a hollow cap (similar to a pen cap) can be added to the rear end of the dropper body to cover the adjusting shaft, thus preventing it from falling off while allowing it to rotate in a vertical plane. Alternatively, an annular groove can be provided in the accommodating cavity, with the plane of the groove perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting shaft. Then, an annular protrusion can be provided on the side of the adjusting shaft and placed in the annular groove, thus allowing the adjusting shaft to rotate in a vertical plane. Further, the locking structure 13 includes an annular platform 130 and a positioning protrusion 131. The annular platform 130 is disposed on the side of the adjusting shaft 2, and the positioning protrusion 131 is disposed in the accommodating cavity 10. The positioning protrusion 131 abuts against the rear end face of the annular platform 130. The rear end face of the annular platform 130 is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting shaft 2, that is, the rear end face is a plane, thus ensuring that the adjusting shaft 2 can rotate in a plane without moving back and forth. The annular platform 130 can be formed by cutting a groove in the surface of the adjusting shaft 2, with the front end of the groove forming the annular platform 130; or an annular protrusion can be provided on the side of the adjusting shaft 2, with the rear end of the annular protrusion forming the annular platform 130. This embodiment achieves the engagement of the dripper.

[0062] Furthermore, the annular platform 130 has a transverse groove 132 on its sidewall for the positioning protrusion 131 to pass through. When the adjusting shaft 2 passes through the opening 12, the positioning protrusion 131 passes through the transverse groove 132. The transverse groove 132 allows the positioning protrusion 131 to pass through, facilitating assembly. In some embodiments, the transverse groove 132 may not be used; the positioning protrusion 131 can be installed by passing through the receiving cavity 10 from the outside and then pressing against the rear end sidewall of the annular platform.

[0063] In some embodiments, a locking protrusion 6 is provided at the middle position of the rear end face of the annular platform 130 and / or a stop protrusion 7 is provided at the end position of the rear end face of the annular platform 130. The locking protrusion 6 is generally a semi-circular protrusion. When the positioning protrusion rotates to the locking protrusion, it will be blocked, which can realize the reminder that it has rotated to a certain position. Of course, it can still be rotated over with force. This allows for assembly by force to rotate over it, while providing a locking reminder during normal use by the user. The stop protrusion 7 can stop the rotation after it has reached the desired position. For example, it can be a protrusion block. When the rotation reaches the end, the positioning protrusion will hit the stop protrusion, thus stopping the rotation.

[0064] Furthermore, the dripper body 1 is provided with a support foot 8 for inserting into the soil on its side wall. The support foot 8 allows it to be fixed in the soil. Furthermore, the rotation control structure 3 can be a rotating handle, a rotating nut, a rotating screw hole, or an electrically controlled rotating motor. Figure 3 The instructions suggest turning the handle or the nut. You can turn it with a wrench, or with a screwdriver to turn the screw hole. An electrically controlled motor can control the dripping head to drip water.

[0065] On the other hand, this invention provides a drip irrigation system, including a valve, a pipeline, and a dripper. The outlet end of the valve is connected to one end of the pipeline, and the other end of the pipeline is connected to the dripper, wherein the dripper is a dripper for drip irrigation as described in any one of the present invention. This drip irrigation system allows for fine adjustment of the water flow, solving the problem of excessive adjustment range caused by the threaded adjustment method of existing drippers.

[0066] It should be noted that although the above embodiments have been described herein, this does not limit the scope of patent protection of the present invention. Therefore, any changes and modifications made to the embodiments described herein based on the innovative concept of the present invention, or equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applying the above technical solutions to other related technical fields, are all included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dripper for drip irrigation, characterized by: The device includes a dripper body and an adjusting shaft. The dripper body contains a circular cavity with an inlet at its front end and an opening at its rear end. The adjusting shaft passes through the opening and is placed within the cavity. A locking structure is provided between the cavity and the adjusting shaft, securing the adjusting shaft and allowing it to rotate about a plane perpendicular to its own axis. The inlet has a cylindrical hollow cavity whose axis coincides with the axis of the adjusting shaft. The inlet is located outside the cylindrical cavity. A first groove is provided on one side near the front end of the adjusting shaft. An adjustment head is provided at the front end of the adjusting shaft and is placed inside the hollow cavity of the water inlet. A rotation control structure for driving the adjusting shaft to rotate is provided at the rear end of the adjusting shaft. The middle part of the adjustment head is cylindrical and fits into the hollow cavity of the water inlet. A second groove is provided on the front part of the adjustment head on the side opposite to the first groove. When the adjusting shaft rotates in a vertical plane, the overlapping area of ​​the first groove and the second groove increases. A water outlet is provided on the side wall of the dripper body.

2. The dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the rear end face of the second groove and the first groove gradually decreases along the circumferential direction, or the distance between the front end face of the first groove and the second groove gradually decreases along the circumferential direction.

3. The dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the adjusting shaft rotates to its maximum position in the vertical plane, the first groove and the second groove retain a certain overlapping area; or the first groove and the second groove occupy between 1 / 3 and 2 / 3 of the circumference of the circle.

4. The dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring is provided between the accommodating cavity and the adjusting shaft, surrounding the adjusting shaft.

5. The dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The engaging structure includes an annular platform and a positioning protrusion. The annular platform is disposed on the side of the adjusting shaft, and the positioning protrusion is disposed in the accommodating cavity. The positioning protrusion abuts against the rear end face of the annular platform, and the rear end face of the annular platform is perpendicular to the axis of the adjusting shaft.

6. The dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The annular platform sidewall is provided with a transverse groove for the positioning protrusion to pass through, and the positioning protrusion passes through the transverse groove when the adjusting shaft passes through the opening.

7. A dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The annular platform has a locking protrusion at the middle of its rear end face and / or a stop protrusion at the end of its rear end face.

8. A dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dripper body has a support foot on its side wall for inserting into the soil.

9. A dripper for drip irrigation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation control structure is a rotation handle, a rotation nut, a rotation screw hole, or an electrically controlled rotation motor.

10. A drip irrigation system, characterized in that: It includes a valve, a pipeline, and a dripper. The outlet end of the valve is connected to one end of the pipeline, and the other end of the pipeline is connected to the dripper. The dripper is a dripper for drip irrigation as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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