System component, in particular a component for a fluid distribution system, method for manufacture thereof and system, in particular irrigation system, comprising said system component

Abstract

The invention concerns a system component, in particular a component of a fluid distribution system such as a hydraulic system or the like, which component is provided with a base body and with an outer camouflage coating layer covering at least part or all of said base body, wherein said layer exhibits a pattern or a graphic motif with a camouflage effect comprising one or more colours and configured to reproduce the external appearance of the installation environment and / or of elements or objects present in said installation environment, wherein the installation environment may be a natural environment or an environment created by human intervention. The invention also relates to a system consisting of a combination of said system components externally provided with a camouflage coating of the aforementioned type.

Description

[0001] "Components for the realization of systems , in particular irrigation systems , method for their manufacture and system, in particular irrigation system, comprising said components . "

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention relates to construction components of systems , in particular irrigation systems , a method for their manufacture and a system, in particular hydraulic and irrigation system, comprising said components .

[0004] As components for systems , such as hydraulic systems , but not limited thereto , and in particular irrigation systems , the present invention refers to any constructive unit of said system, such as , by way of example but not limited thereto , pipes of any type , material and size intended to be positioned visibly in an environment , such as , for example , on the ground or suspended or attached to a floor or to a wall , either outside or inside environments . Such components further comprise fittings , valves , filters , external drippers , valve actuation timers , junction boxes , boxes for accessories such as meters or the like and / or boxes or manholes and other accessories or mounting structures that constitute manufacturing components of a hydraulic system, in particular an irrigation system, a system for the distribution of electric energy and / or a system for channeling cables of communication lines or any other system that combines tubular elements with connection , derivation and / or control elements .

[0005] In the present description and in the claims , by the term systems in particular hydraulic and more specifically irrigation systems , are meant irrigation systems intended both for the agricultural sector and for the gardening sector , including parks or flowerbeds , and also systems of other kinds such as systems for the distribution of other types of liquid and / or gaseous fluids and / or systems for electric energy and / or channeling systems for cables such as , for example , cables of communication lines or any other system combining tubular elements with connection , derivation and / or control elements for housing any kind of longitudinal elements or any kind of fluids .

[0006] In the present description and in the claims , by the term "hydraulic systems" is meant any type of system for distributing fluids , including gaseous fluids , and more specifically systems for the distribution of liquids and in particular of water not limited to the field of irrigation .

[0007] With reference to a specific preferred example , at present , the components for the construction of hydraulic systems , in particular irrigation systems , are composed of materials of black , brown or otherwise solid color , whose environmental impact is considerable especially with respect to urban areas , gardens , private gardens , and in agriculture , since said colors differ substantially in chromatic terms from the appearance of the installation environment of the system. All this generates an aesthetic environmental impact that modifies and degrades the natural appearance .

[0008] Document US2017072623A1 describes a coating and a method for permanently coating a pipe with a camouflage pattern using a thermoplastic shrink film, a hydro-dipping coating process or multilayer covering panels of the pipe . The coating serves to encapsulate or securely and permanently cover a substantial portion of a pipe with a camouflage design or pattern , making it less visible thanks to camouflage with the environment . The cited document provides for the aid of systems for fixing the coating to the outer surface of the pipe , which can be of different types , for example also of mechanical or equivalent type , including hook-and-loop fasteners , magnets or similar , or of chemi cal / physical type such as fixing by adhesives and friction couplings and others . These systems are used to fix an inner coupling film of the coating to an outer surface of the pipe . The coating further includes an outer layer , such as an external film, a sheet or the like , which carries or exhibits a camouflage design or pattern that may be made in accordance with the installation environment of the pipe . The color and pattern displayed on the camouflage scheme create a visual effect that integrates the pipe with the external or internal environment . In this way , the pipe is less visible . The camouflage effect is effective for improving the aesthetics of a garden or for concealing the pipe for strategic purposes .

[0009] It is worth noting here that camouflage does not have a merely aesthetic purpose , but by making the pipe optically difficult to see , it also makes it harder to identify for malicious persons who aim at theft or even mere damage and / or for visual identification of the pipe by animals that may damage the pipe through mechanical actions on it .

[0010] The pipe according to the above-mentioned document provides for an application of the coating in a subsequent and separate phase of covering or encapsulating the pipe in said coating and further requires fixing systems which , although solid, do not generate a structural integration of the coating layer with the material of the pipe surface , so that even if the coupling between pipe and coating is relatively strong , it is certainly sensitive to separation actions exerted with a certain force and / or to decay of the coupling due to degradation of chemi cal / physical bonds caused by environmental stresses , such as heat , frost , humidity, etc . The present invention therefore aims at the realization of construction components of systems , in particular irrigation systems , and at a method for their manufacture , which exhibit a camouflage pattern or motif on the outer visible surface presenting an extremely stable coupling and little degradable over time , especially with respect to the separation of said camouflage pattern or motif from the material of the pipe .

[0011] A further object is to reduce the camouflage time , avoiding processes of applying a camouflage coating performed after the manufacturing process of the pipe itself or of another type of system component .

[0012] A further object consists in extending the possibility of providing an external camouflage coating also for system components more complex in morphology and / or having a structure composed of several parts mutually coupled or couplable .

[0013] Another object is to provide system components equipped with an external camouflage coating that can be combined with one another for the construction of a system, in particular hydraulic and irrigation system, which is entirely provided , for each of its components , with an external camouflage coating .

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to realize an irrigation system comprising a combination of system components provided with an external camouflage coating , the camouflage coatings of which combine with one another in such a way as to confer a camouflage effect to the entire system or to at least a portion thereof for which a camouflage effect is desired .

[0015] According to a first aspect , the present invention relates to a component of a system, in particular a hydraulic system of the type described above , said component being provided with an outer layer of camouflage coating reproducing a design or a graphical motif with a camouflage effect , comprising one or more colors and configured to reproduce the external appearance of the installation environment and / or of elements or objects present in said installation environment , or configured to reproduce also non-natural aesthetic effects , such as , for example , aesthetic effects of decoration of residential or commercial environments .

[0016] According to one embodiment , the camouflage coating layer may present , not exclusively, a shimmering appearance over its entire extension or only over predetermined zones .

[0017] Alternatively or in combination with said not exclusively shimmering appearance , the camouflage coating layer may also exhibit a metallic appearance over its entire extension and / or only over certain areas .

[0018] By the term "not exclusively shimmering , " in the sense of the present invention , is meant a pattern or motif whose shapes and / or color or colors can vary according to two or more spatial directions , for example in a longitudinal and / or circumferential and / or radial direction , such effect being considered not exclusive of other effects , as will be specified in greater detail later and in the examples of the figures .

[0019] Said patterns or motifs may be combinations of shapes and / or colors that exert a camouflage effect in the installation environment .

[0020] The installation environment may be any environment and may be characterized at least in part by the presence of natural elements or structural elements built by humans , such as , for example , floors , walls , ceilings , or other constructions .

[0021] Alternatively or in combination , said patterns or motifs are constituted by patterns or motifs that reproduce the aesthetic surface appearance of trunks , branches of vegetal plants , natural ornamental plants or artificial ornamental plants , types of soil , such as sandy soil , lawn , gravelly soil or crushed stone , or earth , foliage , or combinations of these patterns or motifs .

[0022] In some applications , it is possible to provide an embodiment in which said patterns or motifs may represent the appearance of a fabric or similar .

[0023] Still according to one embodiment , the appearance reproduced by the camouflage coating layer may be that of processed wood, as for example in the case of floors , walls , or structures made of processed wood .

[0024] A particular embodiment may provide that the appearance of said designs or motifs reproduces the external appearance of ground coverings , such as , by way of example and not exhaustively, mulching sheets or layers or any other type of ground covering .

[0025] With reference to mulching , this may be made by natural materials , such as straw, pieces of bark , and others , or the material may be non-natural , such as a fabric , a nonwoven fabric , a net , and said natural and non-natural materials may exhibit different colors .

[0026] It is also possible to provide designs or fantasy motifs that do not have a purely camouflage purpose but are intended to harmonize the aesthetic appearance of the system components with the installation environment , generating particular and pleasant aesthetic combinations as in the field of interior decoration . In one example , said pattern (s) or motif (s) may be constituted by a polka-dot pattern or by a pattern with polka dots .

[0027] The system components may be provided with combined patterns or motifs consisting of a combination of two or more of the aforesaid variants of patterns or motifs . When the system component is made , for example , of two or more parts mutually couplable and decouplable , as in the case of fittings having a central sleeve and two tightening nuts arranged at the two opposite ends of said fitting , according to one embodiment , said parts may all have a camouflage coating layer that is identical , or alternatively, one or more of said parts may have a camouflage coating with a patterns and / or motif that is different from that of one or more or all of the remaining parts , and / or at least some of said parts may have no camouflage coating at all .

[0028] In one embodiment , when the system extends along zones differing in their visual appearance , the patterns or motifs of the system components in the different zones may also be provided with a different patterns or motif configured to exert a camouflage effect suitable for the corresponding zone .

[0029] As system components , rigid pipes , flexible pipes , pipes composed of elements of variable length and interconnected with one another , drip pipes with internal and / or external drippers , corrugated pipes , flexible garden hoses , anti- torsion hoses , fittings configured to be sealingly coupled with one or more pipes , valves , filters , and other accessories combinable with one or more of said components , such as brackets , supports , fixing elements or similar , are provided .

[0030] A particular application is that intended for so-called drip wings , which are used in the field of agricultural irrigation . In this type of pipe , a longitudinal row of individual drippers or a continuous tape comprising , in sequence , a predetermined number of drippers integrated into said continuous tape is applied, by chemical and / or physical adhesion , to the inner wall of the pipe along at least one longitudinal band thereof . Drip wings are known , for example , from the web page available at https : / / irri tec . i t / prodotti / irrigazione-a-goccia / . In the case of so-called tape-type pipes , also referred to as drip sleeves , such as the drip irrigation pipe known as Irritec Tape of Irritec S . p .A. , the pipe wall is thin and folded onto itself in the form of a tubular tape and wound into a coil . The application of an external coating in a postprocessing phase of the finished pipe can be complex due to the flexibility of the tubular tape , which easily yields and deforms under external mechanical actions .

[0031] When the system components are fittings or other types of components made of different parts of substantially non- deformable or flexible material and having complex shapes , the application of a coating according to the state of the art described above proves relatively difficult , if not impossible , when complete encapsulation of the component is desired . For example , the use on a complex component such as a fitting of a heat-shrink film results in making tightening or unscrewing operations of the rings impossible without damaging the coating applied by the heat-shrink film during rotation of said rings .

[0032] Similar problems also arise for other types of components or other embodiments of the coating applied to a finished product that does not have a simple tubular shape .

[0033] According to one embodiment , in combination with said pattern (s) or motif (s) , the component may be provided along at least a portion of its extension with a graphical marking consisting of one , two or more lines of a predetermined color . This color may be identical for all lines or all the lines or a portion thereof may have a color different from that of the other lines .

[0034] In the case of components consisting of pipes according to one or more of the variants described above for this type of component , said one , two or more lines may extend parallel to one another and parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pipe .

[0035] Said one , two or more lines may also exhibit positions relative to the three-dimensional shape of the component which positions are indicative of mounting structures or parts of the corresponding component that are not visible or are hardly visible externally : for example , in the case of pipes provided with an internal longitudinal row of drippers , said one or more lines constitute a positional reference of said row of drippers relative to the angular extension of the pipe' s peripheral wall .

[0036] Said one , two or more lines may exhibit circumferential widths identical to or different from one another and may be circumferentially spaced equally or differently from one another .

[0037] According to one feature , at least one line may have a width substantially corresponding to the width of an internal row of drippers coupled to the pipe .

[0038] In the case of system components consisting of pipes , said pipes can be made in various ways , for example according to one of the exemplary embodiments described above , and can also be corrugated pipes , flexible garden hoses , and antitwist pipes , or other types of pipes .

[0039] In a first embodiment , the pipe comprises a tubular core consisting of a monochromatic base layer on whose outer mantle surface the coating constituted by said one or more patterns and / or motifs is overlaid; in an alternative embodiment , said pipe comprises a tubular core consisting of one or more layers of monochromatic material on whose outer mantle surface the coating constituted by said one or more patterns and / or motifs is overlaid; a further variant provides a pipe with a tubular core composed of one or more iridescent layers and on whose outer mantle surface the coating constituted c is overlaid; pipes of variable length interconnected with one another so as to form one or more branches and on whose outer mantle surface the coating constituted by said pattern (s) and / or motif (s) is overlaid, configured so as to simulate or reproduce the appearance of a trunk with respective branches .

[0040] The aforesaid variants are exemplary of the possibilities of combination of the more general characteristics that make it possible to apply to the components of the hydraulic system elements that exert the camouflage effect .

[0041] As regards the aforesaid fittings and / or accessories , analogously to the different variants provided for the pipe , these too can have a base body consisting of monochromatic or colored material and of a single layer or of a combination of monochromatic , colored, or iridescent layers , the outer visible surface of said base body being at least partly or completely covered with one or more of the aforesaid patterns or motifs with one or more colors different from those of the base body .

[0042] As regards the materials in which the components of the hydraulic system are made , these can be made of any suitable material selected from currently known materials .

[0043] In one embodiment , particularly suitable for the field of irrigation , but not limited thereto , said hydraulic system components are made of plastic material both as regards the layer (s) forming the tubular core or the base body and as regards the coating layer that reproduces the camouflage pattern (s) or motif (s) .

[0044] Typical non-limiting examples of these polymers are virgin or recycled polymeric material , and in particular polyethylene , polypropylene , PVC , polyesters , EVA, or combinations or mixtures of these polymers when compatible .

[0045] The different colorations of the layers and also of the coating layer that reproduces the pattern (s) and / or motif (s ) can be obtained thanks to the mixing in the polymeric material forming said layer of one or more inks and / or of one or more pigments .

[0046] Moreover , according to a further characteristic that can be provided in combination with one or more whatsoever of the preceding embodiments and / or variant embodiments , in the polymeric material of one or more of the layers forming the tubular core and / or the base body of the hydraulic circuit component and / or the coating layer that forms the pattern (s) or motif (s) there can be mixed one or more additives with different functions , such as , for example , organic or inorganic particles , natural or synthetic reinforcing fibers , chemical additives with protective functions for the hydraulic system component , such as active ingredients effective to protect components from attacks by roots and / or by animals and / or additives for water treatment , such as , alternatively or in combination , additives for water disinfection , additives that mix with the water to correct its composition , to modify the pH , additives with biocidal functions , additives with antifreeze functions , additives with fertilizer function or for the treatment of soil and / or crops .

[0047] According to a further characteristic , the coating layer that reproduces the pattern (s) and / or motif (s) can be two- dimensional , namely forming a smooth outer surface , that is , which does not present thickness variations along the same .

[0048] Alternatively, said camouflage coating layer can present a three-dimensional outer surface structure , namely with local thickness variations that form combinations of surface reliefs and depressions so as to enrich the purely graphic and chromatic camouflage effect also from the point of view of a three-dimensional texturing of the surface .

[0049] Such three-dimensional structure is not to be confused with the making of pipes of the corrugated type , but pertains to the making of sensory effects that are detectable to the touch and that can mimic three-dimensional surface structures of natural materials and also , for example , wood or trunk effects that are detectable to the touch as well as to sight .

[0050] Said three-dimensional structuring of the surface is not even to be confused with the fact that a possible network of reinforcing fibers embedded in the material of the pipe can determine a sort of surface deformation of the outer surface of the pipe in the form of an imprint of said network .

[0051] In one embodiment it is possible to provide a distribution of reliefs and depressions provided in the camouflage coating layer that is made in register with the graphic and chromatic appearance of the pattern or motif , thereby increasing the camouflage effect .

[0052] This characteristic makes it possible to realize patterns or motifs that faithfully reproduce the appearance of natural materials such as , for example , the grain of wood or of a bark and / or the knots of branches and / or the surface texturing of sand, soil and / or gravel or the like .

[0053] According to a further characteristic , the pattern or the patterns or the motif or the motifs can be made so as to comprise combinations of shapes and colors that are combined so as to constitute a hidden code for encoding provenance and authenticity information of the product and that make it possible to detect whether the product is authentic or is a counterfeit .

[0054] In this case a certification information is graphically encoded in a part of the pattern or motif , and thanks to a reader and a processing system the information encoded in graphic form is decoded, making the certification information accessible and thus making possible a direct verification of the authentication certificate and, in the event of noncorrespondence , the generation of a signal or a warning of non-authenticity .

[0055] The coating layer that reproduces the patterns or the motifs can consist of a single layer or of a combination of layers superposed on one another which present different patterns or motifs and which can present colors different from one another and which , in the condition applied to the component of the hydraulic system, can complete one another , for example by occupying non-coincident zones or at least partially coincident zones or completely coincident zones of the outer surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body of said component of the hydraulic system so as to form in combination the final overall pattern or motif .

[0056] In one embodiment , the camouflage appearance of the pattern or motif is obtained by the combination of zones having the color of the camouflage layer or of the two or more camouflage coating layers and of zones having the color of the outer surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body of the system component .

[0057] In this case it is possible to provide that the zones having the color of the outer surface of the tubular core or of the base body are constituted by transparent zones of the camouflage coating layer or by zones of said camouflage coating layer in which there are provided through apertures from side to side of said layer .

[0058] In one embodiment , the body of the component , in particular the tubular core of the pipe , has a uniform color , whereas the camouflage coating layer consists of two or more layers superposed on one another and provided with a pattern or a motif of a different color for each layer , the final camouflage pattern or motif being obtained thanks to the combination of said two or more layers that form the camouflage coating layer applied to the core .

[0059] In an embodiment variant wherein , in combination with one or more patterns or with one or more motifs carried by the camouflage coating layer , there is provided a line that extends along the longitudinal axis of the pipe or two or more lines that extend along said longitudinal axis , thanks to the fact that the camouflage coating layer is composed of two or more superposed layers of different color and optionally also having different patterns or motifs , said one or more lines can be made by providing longitudinal slits of the width of a corresponding line through which the immediately underlying layer is visible . Said slits can extend only for the thickness of the outermost layer of the layers that form the coating layer , or they can be provided in a position that is radially coincident and / or at least partially radially coincident in two or more layers that coat the tubular core or in all the layers that coat the tubular core , the line and the color thereof being constituted by the visible part of the surface of said tubular core or of the layer of material immediately underlying the last layer provided with said slit .

[0060] With reference to the embodiment that provides a tubular core and a coating layer consisting of two layers of different color , the outermost layer can present a continuous longitudinal slit , namely it may fail to cover outwardly the entire circumference of the pipe , while through said slit the second underlying layer that forms the camouflage coating layer is visible and thus generates a line of the color of said second layer that forms the camouflage coating layer .

[0061] By providing more longitudinal slits in said outermost layer , a corresponding number of lines can be formed . By providing that at least some of the longitudinal slits provided in the outermost layer are coincident with a corresponding longitudinal slit also in said second layer , it is possible to generate lines of different color , respectively, of the color of said second layer and of the color of the tubular core or of a layer immediately underlying said second layer .

[0062] According to yet another possible embodiment that can be provided in combination with one or more whatsoever of the embodiments and / or variant embodiments and / or characteristics described above , a component can present different patterns or motifs and / or different colors or color gradations for partial zones of the extension of the outer surface of said component .

[0063] In one embodiment in which the component presents a substantially tubular shape or a round section at least along one direction , said two or more zones of the camouflage layer having said different patterns or motifs and / or said different colors or said different color gradations can be constituted by sectors having a predetermined angular extension with reference to the longitudinal axis of the tubular section .

[0064] It is also possible to provide that said zones have any shape and extension along the outer surface of the component whatsoever .

[0065] As regards the manufacturing process of the aforesaid components of the hydraulic system provided with an outer coating with a camouflage effect , it is possible to use different processes that are particularly suitable for the structural configuration and compatible with the manufacturing processes of the different components .

[0066] In the case of pipes , in particular plastic pipes , and made according to one or more of the variants described above , it is possible to use a coextrusion process that provides the coextrusion of at least one layer that forms the tubular core or of one or more layers that form the tubular core and of the coating layer that reproduces the one or more patterns and / or the one or more motifs .

[0067] According to an embodiment variant for making the component it is also possible to use manufacturing techniques such as , for example , the so-called blow extrusion used, for example , for the making of corrugated products , such as in particular corrugated pipes .

[0068] It is also possible to provide rotating extrusion equipment or equipment that uses ultrasounds .

[0069] The coloring and / or the differentiated patterns or motifs for one or more layers that form in combination the camouflage coating layer can be obtained by means of extrusion heads that make it possible to mix into the polymeric material one or more inks and / or one or more dyes and / or one or more pigments having colors different from one another and in such a way that said inks and / or dyes and / or pigments do not mix with one another or in such a way as to obtain a mixing only of a part or of all of said inks and / or pigments and / or dyes with one another . Notwithstanding that the preferred process consists of the coextrusion process of the various layers that constitute the core of the pipe and said one or more layers that form the camouflage coating layer both from the structural point of view and from the point of view of the final patterns or motifs reproduced on said camouflage layer , an alternative manufacturing process provides the application to the tubular core and / or to the base body of the hydraulic circuit component of the coating layer by means of a hydrographic or immersion printing process . This is a technique known and widely used industrially in fields other than that of components for hydraulic circuits . More details on this type of applications of patterns or motifs to workpieces are accessible at the following web page : https : / / thecolor . blog / it / stampa- idrografica / # : ~ : text=La%20stampa%20idrografica%20%28conosciut a%20anche%20come%20stampa%20idrografica%2C , sono%20applicate%2 0alla%20superficie%20di%20un%20prodotto%203D .

[0070] This type of process is advantageous above all in the application of the camouflage coating on components not having a longitudinal extension or a geometry that allows production by extrusion , such as , for example , components of the type of fittings and other types described above .

[0071] Alternatively to this process variant , the camouflage coating layer (s) can be applied by lamination of a film that carries printed thereon the pattern (s) or the motif (s) on the tubular core and / or on the base body .

[0072] The coating process by lamination can take place according to two possible variants :

[0073] In one embodiment variant the film comprises a substrate on which the pattern and / or the motif is printed, and said substrate is applied to the surface of the tubular core or of the base body together with the pattern and / or the motif printed thereon , and the substrate of the film remains anchored to the tubular core and / or to the base body;

[0074] A further embodiment variant provides that the base support constitutes only the vector of the pattern or motif printed thereon , which is applied to the surface of the tubular core and of the base body by direct contact by transfer from the base support of the film to the outer surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body, while the substrate is subsequently detached and removed .

[0075] The printing application on the substrate of the film can take place by any known printing system. Typically this type of film is used in the field of making finishing coatings of coverings , such as tiles , panels or the like , and can be transferred from said field to that of the making of components for hydraulic systems .

[0076] In the embodiment variant of the process of applying the camouflage coating layer by lamination , when the final chromatic effect of the camouflage coating layer also comprises a color component of the outer surface of the tubular core or of the base body, the support film can be of transparent material and the zones printed thereon can leave free zones of said transparent film through which the coloration of the outer surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body must show through .

[0077] In the variant in which the camouflage coating layer is applied by transfer from a support film, the zones not covered by the printed parts on said support film remain without coating and the outer surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body are not covered by printed elements , thereby generating the pattern or motif as a combination of zones of the color of said surface of the tubular core and / or of the base body and zones of the color of the elements printed on the transfer film and applied to the outer surface of said tubular core and / or of the base body by said transfer .

[0078] Further processes of application of the coating layer are possible , such as , for example : application by ink or paint bath ; application by printing ; application by offset printing ; application by inkjet printing (inkjet) application by use of laser sources without or in combination with the presence of a reactive layer on the surface of the component ; application by a layer reactive to laser light and additivated to improve visibility . It is worth recalling here that for some types of components only some of the types of processes listed above are feasible or at least preferable .

[0079] For example , in the case of fittings the application of the camouflage coating layer or layers can preferably take place by means of a hydrographic printing process or by means of an ink or paint bath or by means of lamination of a preprinted film or by means of printing or also by means of inkjet printing .

[0080] As regards the making of the camouflage coating layer or layers in which a variation of thickness is provided in such a way as to form combinations of reliefs and depressions , that is , a three-dimensional surface texturing , this can be obtained with the coextrusion processes and / or with the lamination processes and / or with the printing processes described above , modifying the thickness of the layers of the inks or of the paints or of the colored polymers in the various zones of application of the outer surface of the tubular core or of the base body correspondingly to the desired three-dimensional effect .

[0081] The present invention also relates to a hydraulic system, in particular an irrigation system comprising at least one pipe segment that can be made according to one or more of the variants described above and also comprise corrugated pipes , having a predetermined length and a predetermined diameter , with at least one or both ends thereof respectively coupled with a connecting fitting to at least one further pipe segment and / or to at least one further accessory or component of the hydraulic system, such as , for example , a valve , a filter or the like , and wherein at least one of said pipe segments and at least one of said fittings and / or at least one of said accessories or components is provided with an outer camouflage coating layer that reproduces a pattern or a graphical motif with a camouflage effect , comprising one or more colors and configured so as to reproduce the external appearance of the installation environment and / or of elements or objects present in said installation environment .

[0082] According to a further characteristic , said system comprises at least two pipe segments each having a predetermined length and / or a predetermined diameter that can be identical or different from one another and fittings between said two pipe segments which present connecting ends with respectively one end of a respective pipe segment , and in which said fittings are configured to connect together the two pipe segments with orientations that are not parallel to one another and such as to mimic branches with at least one bifurcation .

[0083] According to an embodiment variant , the pipe can also be coupled with connections that on one side can be male and on the other female .

[0084] According to a further characteristic , when the system crosses zones having external appearances different from one another , for example ground consisting of sand or soil and areas covered with grass or wooded areas , the component or components of said system that are intended to be installed in the zones having different external appearances are provided with a camouflage coating corresponding to the external appearance of the zone of placement in the field .

[0085] In one embodiment , this can be achieved by subdividing the pipe segments according to the different zones they are intended to cross and providing fittings that are likewise provided with a camouflage coating corresponding to the external appearance of the zone in which they are intended to be positioned .

[0086] According to further possible embodiment variants , the system components may comprise supporting or fastening components , such as brackets or other supports , and said components may rest on the ground or be fixed to walls or vertical supports , or even be suspended from hanging supports .

[0087] Said supporting components may also be externally coated with a camouflage coating layer that may exhibit patterns or motifs harmonized with or corresponding to those of the other components , or alternatively, such as to clearly differ from them in order to be more easily identifiable .

[0088] The features and advantages of the present invention will be described in greater detail in the following description of some embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings , in which :

[0089] Figures 1 to 6 show perspective and side views of pipe segments exhibiting three different types of camouflage coatings , calibrated with reference to three different installation environments .

[0090] Figure 7 shows an embodiment of a pipe provided with a camouflage coating made with a plurality of different layers .

[0091] Figure 8 shows a cross-section of a circumferential sector of a pipe provided with a camouflage coating according to an embodiment of the present invention , wherein the outer surface of the camouflage layer exhibits a three-dimensional profile , namely shaped so as to have different thicknesses forming reliefs and depressions , and also areas provided with openings .

[0092] Figure 9 shows an example of a pipe according to the present invention wherein the outer camouflage coating layer exhibits a rough surface , that is , it is three-dimensionally shaped forming reliefs and depressions .

[0093] Figure 10 shows an example of a system component consisting of a filter .

[0094] Figure 11 shows an example of a system component consisting of a tube-to-tube fitting provided with locking nuts and having a camouflage coating on the body of the fitting and on the nuts .

[0095] Figure 12 schematically shows an example of a system constructed with system components according to the present invention , wherein the installation environment exhibits different external appearances with which the system must camouflage itself in the corresponding portions .

[0096] Figure 13 shows an example of a realization of components according to the present invention wherein the pattern or motif of the camouflage coating layer constitutes an encoder of certification information of product authenticity, said information being constituted by the graphical elements of a predetermined zone of said pattern or motif , which zone is identifiable by means of invisible and / or hidden markers .

[0097] Figures 14 to 24 show different exemplary embodiments of types of push-fit fittings made according to the present invention .

[0098] Figure 25 shows a further embodiment of a pipe made according to the present invention .

[0099] Figure 26 shows a further embodiment wherein the surface of the component is divided into several zones having predetermined shapes and extensions , each of which exhibits a different pattern or motif and / or a different color and / or a different color gradation , and wherein the component is , by way of example , a tubular component .

[0100] The figures show different embodiments comprising different features , which may be provided in combination with one or more or part of the features shown in the different figures .

[0101] With reference to the pairs of Figures 1 , 2 ; 3 , 4 ; 5 , 6 , these show pipe segments exhibiting three different camouflage patterns of the outer camouflage layer and which are made so as to differentiate the external appearance of the pipe as little as possible from that of the installation environment , or to best simulate the resemblance to natural elements normally present in the installation environment , all without significantly increasing the cost of the system components in order to limit the difference compared to the cost of traditional components .

[0102] As can be seen from the figures , the outer camouflage coating may comprise at least one , two or more colors , or the same color in different shades . This is expressed by the different gradations of gray .

[0103] Although all the examples shown relate to a single type of component , namely a rigid pipe , the invention applies similarly to all possible components or mounting structures or accessories of fluid systems regardless of the type of material from which they are made and the field of use .

[0104] The application of a coating layer that is provided with a pattern or a motif , or with a combination of several patterns or several motifs , which are configured to camouflage with the external appearance of an installation environment or with elements normally present in said installation environment , can take place on any type of surface and, as will be seen below, with a plurality of different processes .

[0105] In the specific field of application of hydraulic systems and particularly of irrigation systems , the problem of camouflage in order to reduce environmental impact is particularly important , since normally the system components are simply laid on the ground in view and therefore remain exposed to sight . In addition , these components generally comprise a large quantity of product , such as pipes and fittings , which are laid to carry irrigation water to the crops . The impact is significant both in the agricultural field and in gardening , where the aesthetic appearance is not only relevant to limit environmental impact but is also one of the objectives of garden design and installation . However , the invention also finds application in the case of system installation in non-natural environments in which the characteristic appearance of the environment is that of manmade structures and / or of structures defining said non-natural environment . Examples of such installation environments may be streets , walls , masonry, vertical supporting structures for system components and / or elevated suspension structures of at least part of the system components , or also areas where the ground is covered by mulching sheets and / or by layers of mulching material or by layers of gravel or the like .

[0106] In one possible embodiment , at least some or all of the components may present a coating layer whose pattern (s) or motif (s) are made according to decorative fantasy patterns intended to aesthetically harmonize the appearance of said system components with the installation environment . A nonlimiting example consists of a pattern formed by or including a polka-dot pattern .

[0107] The present invention therefore also finds application in the field of furnishing or decoration of environments , such as residential environments , wherein system elements not made or not capable of being concealed within walls must at least be harmonized in their appearance with the aesthetic characteristics of the environment and / or with elements present therein .

[0108] In the field of irrigation , the system components are generally made of plastic material and, therefore , the examples illustrated and described hereinafter refer to this type of component . However , a person skilled in the art is fully capable of modifying the described features to apply the camouflage coating also to components made of other materials , such as metallic ones .

[0109] In a first , more general embodiment , not illustrated in detail , the system component according to the present invention consists of a base body, made in one piece or formed by two or more parts mutually couplable or coupled, and which base body is made of plastic material such as , for example , virgin or recycled polymeric materials or mixtures of virgin or recycled materials or virgin materials of fossil or non-fossil origin , recycled . Said polymeric materials may comprise , for example , one or more materials from the following non-limiting list : polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate , or mixtures of polymers or copolymers thereof .

[0110] To calibrate the mechanical characteristics of the components produced therefrom, the mass of said polymers may be added, alternatively or in combination , with filler particles consisting of organic and / or inorganic materials or mixtures thereof , reinforcing fibers of natural and / or synthetic origin or mixtures of said fibers .

[0111] Plasticizers may be added to the polymer mass to calibrate the elastic deformability and flexibility of the component , particularly in the case of pipes according to one or more whatsoever of the embodiment variants provided therefor .

[0112] Examples of organic and inorganic fillers , natural and synthetic reinforcing fibers , and plasticizers , as well as other types of additives , are known to the person skilled in the art , since they are commonly used in the field of plastic product manufacturing .

[0113] Moreover , in combination with one or more of the materials and additives described above , there may also be added additives intended to provide additional functions , such as additives that produce a protective effect against the proliferation of roots along said components and / or that protect said components against animal attacks and / or additives for water treatment , such as , alternatively or in combination , additives for water disinfection , additives that mix with water to correct its composition , to modify the pH , additives with biocidal functions , antifreeze additives , additives functioning as fertilizers or for soil and / or crop treatment .

[0114] Examples of these additives with protective functions are also known and are described in multiple documents , including , for example , JPH0542991B2 , CN112126142A, JP2004250675A, US4680328A.

[0115] Depending on the type of system component , different manufacturing processes are provided .

[0116] Thus , for example , in the case of pipes , the preferred manufacturing process consists of extrusion .

[0117] Substantially all extrusion and coextrusion techniques are possible . For example , blow extrusion techniques can also be provided . This technique allows the manufacture of components such as corrugated pipes .

[0118] It is also possible to provide rotating extrusion equipment or equipment employing ultrasounds .

[0119] As regards components such as fittings , filters , terminals , valves , and other components , the plastic production of these components is carried out using molding processes .

[0120] On the outer surface of the base body, at least one camouflage coating layer is applied, comprising one or more camouflage patterns or motifs configured to confer an external appearance of the component to which said layer is applied such as to camouflage with the installation environment , namely to reproduce its external appearance and / or to simulate elements naturally and / or typically present in said environment , thereby simulating as closely as possible the external appearance of such elements .

[0121] As will be described in greater detail below, the outer camouflage coating layer can be applied to the base body by using different coating techniques , and the choice among these techniques is also determined or influenced by the type of manufacturing process of the system component .

[0122] With regard to the definition of the system component , it must also be considered that this term also refers to only those parts of said component which are externally visible . Thus , for example , the term also includes housings , boxes , cases , or similar structures for system components that are housed therein and deployed in the field within said housings , boxes , or cases , in which case the camouflage coating according to the present invention is applied to the outer surface of the base body of said housings , boxes , or cases . This may be , for example , the case of drive actuators , meters , or other components .

[0123] In the basic embodiment of the present invention , therefore , the system component— such as a pipe or other type of component— is constituted by a base body comprising a layer of monochromatic polymeric material , on the outer surface of which there is superimposed a camouflage coating layer comprising one or more patterns or one or more motifs in one or more colors or in one or more gradations of the same color .

[0124] A pipe forming part of said first embodiment is therefore composed of a base body constituted by a monochromatic layer with a superimposed pattern having an appearance in one or more colors and configured to camouflage with the external appearance of the outer installation environment and / or with elements present in said installation environment . Embodiments may provide that the base body and / or the camouflage coating layer are composed of at least one layer , that is , of two or more superimposed layers .

[0125] An embodiment of a system component according to the present invention , such as a pipe or the like , provides that said component is constituted by a base body comprising one or more monochromatic layers and at least one or more external camouflage layers , which exhibit and / or form a pattern having an appearance in one or more colors and with an external appearance suitable to camouflage with the external appearance of the installation environment and / or with elements present in said installation environment .

[0126] A further embodiment , constituting a possible variant of the above embodiments without departing from the general principle of the invention , provides that said system component— such as , in particular , said pipe— is constituted by a base body with one or more iridescent layers , that is , having different appearances , and by one or a plurality of superimposed external camouflage layers , which exhibit or form a pattern having an appearance in one or more colors and with an appearance that camouflages with the external appearance of the installation environment and / or with an element present in said installation environment .

[0127] Typically, the external appearances of the installation environment or of the elements naturally present in these environments are , for example and without limitation , represented by branches of plants , sand, grass , gravel , soil , leaves , fabrics , or combinations and / or juxtapositions thereof .

[0128] Particular system components are constituted by pipes . These may be rigid pipes or flexible pipes , or compressible in a flattened tape-like form, or even corrugated pipes . The system components may also include special pipes such as the so-called drip pipes provided with internal and / or external drippers .

[0129] Said components , and in particular the pipes , may further comprise , on the exposed camouflage layer , one , two , or more lines extending along the longitudinal extension of the pipe , such as those indicated by reference numeral 1 in Figures 1 to 6.

[0130] In the case of drip pipes provided with internal drippers , said longitudinal line or lines may also constitute position references for the dripper devices applied inside the pipe and not directly visible from the outside thereof .

[0131] Unlike the examples shown , said line or lines may also be absent .

[0132] With reference to system components in the form of pipes of any type , for example according to one or more of the pipe variants described above and for any application , Figure 7 shows an example of a multilayer structure comprising :

[0133] - a base body constituted by a tubular core , which consists of

[0134] • a base layer 70 of polymeric materials , which may consist of virgin or recycled polymeric materials , such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate ;

[0135] • a base layer 71 in which organic or inorganic particles , reinforcing fibers , or any natural or synthetic chemical additive have been added to protect the product from attacks by roots and animals ;

[0136] • a base layer 72 made of polymeric materials of black color or any other color or combination of two or more colors ;

[0137] - a camouflage coating layer consisting of : • a plastic coating 73 covering the base layer 72 , which may consist of virgin or recycled polymeric materials such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate ;

[0138] • a plastic coating 74 to which organic or inorganic particles , reinforcing fibers , or any natural or synthetic chemical additive have been added to protect the product from attacks by roots and animals ;

[0139] • a plastic coating 75 of polymeric materials , black or of any other color or combination of two or more colors , metallized or non-metallized;

[0140] • a very thin coating layer 76 of polymeric materials , which may consist of virgin or recycled polymeric materials , such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate , and which is superimposed on the first material in irregular shapes ;

[0141] • one or more perforations and / or openings in the upper zones of the polymeric material of one or more of the various layers 71 to 76 , which allow portions of the lower layers to be visible and are schematically indicated by openings 77 , 78 , 79 , and 80 of different depths , that is , extending respectively from the outside toward the inside through one , two , three , or four layers , but which may extend as far as the surface of the innermost base layer 70 by passing through all the upper layers .

[0142] The individual layers 70 to 76 , and in particular the one or more layers forming the camouflage coating layer , are fastened to each other by chemi cal / physical coupling , for example by means of adhesives and / or coextrusion processes and / or printing according to one or more of the variants described and listed above , it being possible also to provide a combined execution of said processes . With reference to Figure 7 , it should be noted that it shows a multilayer embodiment comprising as many as seven layers , which , however , may also not be provided in alternative embodiments , since the essential features of the present invention are constituted by the presence of a single-layer base body on the outside of which at least in part a camouflage coating layer is applied, constituted at least by a single layer . Therefore , the embodiment of Figure 7 describes both a multilayer example with seven layers and, at the same time , also the possible sub-combinations of said seven layers .

[0143] As already pointed out , the choice of the process for applying the camouflage coating in the form of one or more layers is mainly influenced by the manufacturing process of the system component .

[0144] Thus , for example , in the case of components consisting of pipes , their manufacture generally provides for the use of extrusion and coextrusion processes when these are made up of two or more base layers . In this case , therefore , it is possible to use the same coextrusion technology for applying to the single- or multilayer tubular core also the coating layer , likewise in single- or multilayer variants , whereby the camouflage coating layer can be applied to the tubular core during the manufacturing process of the pipe .

[0145] The extrusion process also allows application at a later stage after pipe manufacture , in which case the one or more layers forming the coating layer are extruded and directly applied to the outer surface of the pipe .

[0146] Still with reference to system components constituted by pipes , the application of the camouflage coating layer can also take place using different processes , such as those already mentioned above , and which include , without limi tation :

[0147] - a hydrographic or immersion printing process ; - lamination of a film carrying on it the printed pattern (s) or motif (s) onto the tubular core and / or onto the base body;

[0148] - a printing process by transfer from a support film to the outer surface of the tubular core ;

[0149] - ink or paint bath application ;

[0150] - application by printing .

[0151] The printing application processes may also include inkjet printing .

[0152] It is also possible to provide patterns or motifs that are made by a combination of the aforementioned camouflage coating application techniques .

[0153] Still according to an embodiment , in addition it is possible to provide , coupled to the camouflage coating layer , at least one laser-light-reactive layer , which is additivated with substances to improve visibility .

[0154] The techniques for producing and / or applying the coating layer other than coextrusion are easier to apply or are preferred for producing the camouflage coating layer in the case of other system components .

[0155] Figures 10 and 11 show two views of , respectively, a filter and a tube-to-tube fitting (that is , for joining the ends of two pipe segments together) , which are made according to the present invention .

[0156] In this case , said system components are constituted by a combination of parts mutually couplable , and in particular , with respect to the parts externally visible in the condition of use , respectively : a sleeve with threaded ends 100 , a tubular chamber 101 , and a closing terminal 102 sealed by a threaded ring nut 103 for the filter , and a connecting sleeve 110 with two threaded locking ring nuts 111 and 112 for the fitting . Said parts are generally produced by molding in appropriate molds , and the application of the camouflage coating layer according to one or more of the preceding combinations and variants may advantageously take place using one or a combination of processes selected from the following :

[0157] - hydrographic or immersion printing process ;

[0158] - lamination of a film carrying the printed pattern (s) or motif (s) on the tubular core and / or on the base body;

[0159] - printing process by transfer from a support film to the outer surface of the tubular core ;

[0160] - ink or paint bath application ;

[0161] - printing application ;

[0162] - offset printing application ;

[0163] - inkjet printing application .

[0164] Also in the case of these types of system components , the base body and / or the camouflage coating layer may be singlelayer or multilayer and / or of one or more colors and even in the case of these components , one or more layers may comprise one or more additives such as , for example , one or more of the additives described above in relation to substances that prevent root proliferation and / or animal attacks , and / or water treatment additives , such as , alternatively or in combination , additives for water disinfection , additives that mix with water to correct its composition or modify its pH , additives with biocidal function , antifreeze additives , additives functioning as fertilizers or for soil and / or crop treatment .

[0165] As regards the materials , even in the case of these components , it is possible to provide plastics constituted by virgin or recycled polymeric materials or mixtures of virgin or recycled materials , or of virgin materials of fossil or non-fossil origin , recycled . Said polymeric materials may comprise , for example , one or more materials from the following non-limiting list : polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate , or mixtures of polymers or copolymers thereof .

[0166] The camouflage coating layer , in its various variants , may include , in combination with the bidimensional graphic patterns — that is , patterns which do not cause variations in the thickness of said camouflage coating layer — combinations of reliefs and recesses that produce a three-dimensional effect on the surface of said camouflage coating layer . These combinations of recesses and reliefs , or three-dimensional textures , may be configured so as to combine with the purely graphic appearance of the patterns or motifs in order to mimic or simulate three-dimensional surface structures of the elements or environments whose appearance is intended to be reproduced on the component . Thanks to the three-dimensional structure , it is possible to generate a wood- or trunk-like effect perceptible to the touch .

[0167] Figure 8 schematically shows the trend of the variations in thickness of a camouflage coating layer applied on a portion of a cylindrical base body indicated with 80 . The thickness of the camouflage coating layer varies between a maximum value corresponding to the relief areas indicated with 81 and minimum values corresponding to the depressions indicated with 82 , and it may even reduce to zero at openings in said coating layer .

[0168] Figure 9 shows a roll of pipe in which the camouflage coating layer exhibits said three-dimensional surface structure that imitates the grain of a wooden branch or the like .

[0169] The variations in thickness may also be realized in the layer (s) forming the base body of the system components . In such case , the camouflage coating layer may also exhibit thickness variations that add to those of the base body layer or layers or may have a constant thickness . The variations in the thickness of the coating layer and / or of the base body may be obtained by different processes , such as , for example , by the zone-differentiated superposition of a plurality of layers forming the camouflage coating layer .

[0170] In the case of printing application , it is possible to apply in certain areas a greater number of layers of ink than in other areas , thereby generating reliefs and depressions .

[0171] Alternatively or in combination , the base body, with or without a camouflage coating layer , or with only part of the layers forming said camouflage coating layer applied, may be subjected to surface shaping by means of embossing molds or the like , which are configured to imprint a predetermined three-dimensional structure on the surface of the component .

[0172] With reference to Figure 12 , this schematically shows an example of a hydraulic system, such as an irrigation system or the like , realized by means of a combination of components according to the present invention .

[0173] By way of theoretical example , the system extends across four different zones having a different external appearance , for example soil , gravel , grass , and woodland, which zones are indicated by references Zl , Z2 , Z3 , and Z4 .

[0174] A main system consisting of pipe segments Hl , H2 , and H3 extends along three of these zones , and, as shown , the external appearance of pipes Hl , H2 , and H3 is such as to reproduce and camouflage with the external appearance of the zones in which said pipe segments are positioned . This is illustrated by the fill pattern of the zones and of the rectangles representing said pipes .

[0175] The pipe segments are joined together by fittings R1 and R2 or T1 and T2 , which respectively represent a tube-to-tube fitting and a branching "T"-type fitting . Also in the case of these fittings , they are externally provided with a camouflage coating configured to reproduce the external appearance of the corresponding positioning zone .

[0176] From fittings T1 and T2 depart , respectively, a branch pipe D3 connected through an elbow Cl to a branch segment D4 , and a branch pipe DI connected through a tube fitting R3 to an extension segment D2 .

[0177] The branch fittings DI to D4 have smaller diameters than the main branch pipes Hl to H3 , and, in the case of branch lines D3 and D4 and the connecting elbow Cl , these components are located in zone Z4 and are therefore externally provided with a camouflage coating suitable for the external appearance of the environment of zone Z4 . Branch DI is located in zone Z2 and extends into zone Z3 with extension D2 and fitting R3 . While branch DI has a camouflage coating with a pattern reproducing the external appearance of the installation environment of zone Z2 , the fitting R3 and the extension D2 located in zone Z3 both have camouflage coatings with patterns reproducing the external appearance of the installation environment of zone Z3.

[0178] In zone Zl , a "V"-type branching fitting indicated as R4 extends the main pipe H3 into two divergent branches D5 and D6 having a smaller diameter than pipe H3 .

[0179] The "V"-type fitting R4 and branches D5 and D6 are located in zone Zl and thus are provided with an external camouflage coating reproducing the external appearance of the environment of zone Zl .

[0180] Despite the schematic nature of Figure 12 , it can be understood that , by varying the colors and the sizes of the various pipe segments and branches , it is possible to create system portions capable of simulating and reproducing quite faithfully branches or trunks with offshoots , or similar structures — for example , to simulate or reproduce a branch with a main trunk provided with bark and with colorations consisting of various shades of brown , and one or more branches having color tending more towards green or various shades of green and having smaller diameters than those of the main trunk .

[0181] In an embodiment example , said system may be composed of components having different types of camouflage layers differing in pattern or motif and / or color and / or color gradation characteristics , selected and configured so as to represent a plant with branches , optionally including external online drippers or internal drip pipes with in-line drippers , which likewise have a specific camouflage coating .

[0182] In a possible variant of the above embodiment , the external drippers may be made with a shape and / or a camouflage surface layer provided with patterns and / or motifs and / or colors which , in combination with the shape , represent and / or simulate the external appearance of fruits , berries , and / or inflorescences , or the like .

[0183] Figure 13 shows a particular improvement application of the camouflage coating layer of components according to the present invention .

[0184] With reference numeral 130 is indicated a system component , exemplarily in the form of a pipe , but which may be any type of component .

[0185] The pattern of the camouflage coating , and in particular a portion thereof , highlighted for example by the boundary of broken lines 131 , may be used as a graphic coding system for information relating to product authenticity certification .

[0186] It is possible , in fact , that a portion of a camouflage pattern present in at least one zone having a predetermined position , perimeter , and size , is uniquely associated with certification information . Such unique association may be recorded in a database . The portion of pattern of said zone provided on a system component can be read by a sensor , such as a camera or similar device 132 , which transmits the reading to a control unit 133. The database may reside directly in the control unit 133 , i . e . , in a memory thereof , and said control unit may be provided with a processor on which is loaded or loadable a comparison program for comparing the reading signals from the sensor 132 with the pattern portions stored in the certification database . When the comparator detects , in the database , the presence of the pattern portion read by the sensor , it can emit a confirmation signal of certification on a display 134 connected to the control unit 133 , and, in combination , may also display information data relating to the component . Otherwise , the comparator may signal that the product cannot be certified as authentic .

[0187] As shown in Figure 13 , the database containing the records of unique association between camouflage pattern portions and the authenticity certification information of the system component may reside , alternatively or in combination , on a remote server 135 , for example located at the production site or in associated units , and the signals from the reader 132 are transmitted from the local control unit 133 to the remote unit 135 , in which the comparison program is loaded or loadable and from which it is executed .

[0188] To make identifiable the zone whose pattern portion is used as a unique identification code of the authenticity information , said zone can be identified by a combination of graphical elements encoding position , size , and shape coordinates of the pattern zone as a graphic code .

[0189] In the figure , such graphical elements may be in the form of bits that graphically encode said position , shape , and size information , and are shown in Figure 13 highlighted by reference number 136. Advantageously, these bits encoding the position , size , and shape of the pattern zone , with the function of graphically encoding the authenticity certification information , may be made using inks visible only under certain frequencies and / or by magnetic codes or the like .

[0190] As regards the reader 132 , the local control unit 133 , the display 134 , and the remote unit 135 , these may be implemented using conventional general -purpose hardware on which the specific control , communication , and comparison software are loaded .

[0191] As already stated above , the term system component used in the present description and in the claims is a generic definition encompassing any component that may be present in a system, even only optionally .

[0192] In addition to the components already listed above , said components may also comprise objects such as boxes for meters or other accessories , control units , and / or pits or only pit covers , such as those for housing valves or other system components .

[0193] Figures 10 and 11 respectively show a filter externally coated on each of its structural parts with a camouflage coating , and a compress ion -type fitting , that is , provided with coupling terminals for a pipe including threaded locking nuts . In both cases , all structural parts visible from the outside are provided with a camouflage coating . In the examples , this coating is identical for each of the parts composing the filter and the sleeve . However , it is also possible , for example , that some of the structural parts of the filter and / or sleeve present camouflage coatings with patterns and / or colors and / or color gradations differing from each other , either over the entire outer surface or in partial zones thereof . Figures 14 to 24 show different exemplary embodiments of camouflage coatings of various types of push-fit fittings , consisting of a cross push-fit fitting shown in Figures 14 to 16 , an elbow push-fit fitting shown in Figures 17 to 19 , and a "T"-shaped push-fit fitting shown in Figures 20 to 22 .

[0194] The three different types of camouflage coating correspond to three different color gradations . Moreover , although the fittings are not provided with one , two , or more lines as in the examples of pipe sections of Figures 1 to 6 , in an embodiment variant it is possible to provide , in combination with the pattern of the camouflage coating layer , said one , two , or more lines . These may be oriented along the axial extension of the body of the fitting or may also have a non-parallel course relative to said axial extension of the fitting body, and when two or more lines are provided, said lines may also be arranged parallel to one another .

[0195] Figures 23 and 24 show two views of two different types of connection sleeves provided with a camouflage coating according to the present invention . The sleeve of Figure 23 has a threaded connection at one end, while the opposite end is made with a push-fit terminal .

[0196] The sleeve of Figure 24 has a push-fit terminal at both ends .

[0197] Figure 25 shows a further embodiment example of a pipe made according to the present invention .

[0198] In this embodiment , the tubular core of the pipe has a uniform color , for example black , and is not visible in the figure , whereas the camouflage coating layer is constituted by two superimposed layers , each provided with a different pattern or motif and / or a different color for each layer . The final visible camouflage pattern or motif shown in the figure is obtained by the combination of said two layers forming the camouflage coating layer applied to the tubular core , which is completely coated around its entire circumference .

[0199] The coating layer also features a line 200 extending along the longitudinal axis of the pipe . In the illustrated embodiment , the lower layer 210 , that is , the one closest to or directly superimposed on the tubular core , has a uniform color , while the outermost layer 220 of the two layers forming the camouflage coating layer 230 presents a longitudinal through slit 240 , that is , it does not overlap the lower layer 210 of the two layers forming the camouflage coating layer along the entire circumference , leaving a circumferential sector open , such that through said longitudinal slit of the outermost layer the underlying lower layer is visible . When said longitudinal slit 240 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe , a continuous line is thus generated , extending along the entire length of the pipe and having the color of said lower layer 210 , different from the two layers forming the camouflage coating layer 230 .

[0200] When two or more lines extending along said longitudinal axis are provided, said lines may be formed by providing a corresponding number of longitudinal slits having a width corresponding to that of a respective line , through which the immediately underlying layer is visible .

[0201] It is possible to provide different variants for the realization of said lines , depending on the number of layers superimposed on the tubular core .

[0202] In fact , said one or more slits may extend only through the thickness of the outermost layer of the two layers forming the coating layer , or they may be arranged in a radially coincident and / or at least partially radially coincident position in two or more underlying layers of those coating the tubular core , or in all the layers coating the tubular core . In this way, depending on the depth of one of said slits— that is , on how many layers are provided with it— the line and its color will depend on the color of the layer immediately underlying the innermost layer provided with said through slit .

[0203] By providing multiple longitudinal slits in said outermost layer , a corresponding number of lines can be formed , and by providing that at least some of the longitudinal slits provided in the outermost layer are coincident with a corresponding longitudinal slit also in said second layer or , where present , in one or more further radially inner layers , lines of different colors can be generated, respectively of the color of the layer immediately underlying the last layer provided with said slit . Lines of different colors can therefore be obtained by providing multiple superimposed coating layers having different colors beneath the camouflage coating layer , and by providing that the longitudinal slits are made in a predetermined different number of layers for each corresponding line , so that the color of said line corresponds to that of the layer immediately underlying the last layer provided with said through slit . An example of a pipe comprising a plurality of superimposed layers is described with reference to Figure 7 , and the above technique may be applied to said pipe in order to realize one or more longitudinal lines having a different color and / or also a different length .

[0204] In the illustrated example , only one line is provided, which has a circumferential width of the pipe substantially corresponding to that of a row of drippers applied on the inside of the pipe , and said line is positioned substantially in a position coincident with the extension of said row of drippers .

[0205] With continued reference to the example of Figure 21 , said pipe exhibits a three-dimensional surface structure tending to mimic the natural grain of wood . With continued reference to this last embodiment , the pipe may also easily be provided, in combination with the pattern or patterns or the motif or motifs of the camouflage coating layer , with at least one line made discontinuous . This may comprise a plurality of segments of identical length arranged at identical distances from each other , and / or may be formed by repetitive or random sequences of segments of different length that are spaced at different intervals from one another .

[0206] In this case , the longitudinal slit is made correspondingly discontinuous , that is , consisting of a succession of slit segments , between which there are interposed segments where the layer or layers provided with said slit segments are continuous around the entire circumference of the pipe .

[0207] This embodiment can be used to characterize or express specific technical characteristics of a pipe and / or to apply to the pipe itself graphical coding , such as , for example , a barcode or a bidimensional graphic code that may function as a certification-of-origin code .

[0208] With reference to Figure 26 , this figure illustrates a pipe segment 300 having an external camouflage coating which is subdivided into longitudinal bands 310 and 311 having a predetermined angular extension ; said bands may also have a predetermined axial extension , with a succession of said bands being provided, aligned in the longitudinal direction of said tubular component .

[0209] Each of said bands 310 and 311 exhibits a different motif or pattern and, in combination , also a different color and / or a different color gradation with respect to the other zones .

[0210] It is possible to provide a subdivision into more than two longitudinal bands having an angular extension so as to complete each other by covering the entire outer mantle surface .

[0211] Such example can be extended to any form of component and constitutes a simplified example of a more general embodiment in which the camouflage layer is constituted by two or more zones of said camouflage layer , at least some of which zones exhibit a pattern and / or motif and / or color and / or color gradation differing from one another .

[0212] This feature may be provided in combination with any of the embodiments and / or characteristics described above .

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A system component , in particular a fluid distribution system such as a hydraulic system or the like , said component being provided with a base body and with an outer camouflage coating layer covering at least part or all of said base body, wherein said layer exhibits a pattern or a graphic motif with a camouflage effect , comprising one or more colors and configured to reproduce the external appearance of the installation environment and / or of elements or objects present in said installation environment , wherein the installation environment may be a natural environment or an environment created by human intervention .2 . Component according to claim 1 , characterized in that said patterns or motifs are patterns or motifs that reproduce the surface aesthetic appearance of trunks , branches of plants , types of terrain such as sandy soil , grass , gravel , or earth , foliage , or a combination of these patterns or motifs , and / or said patterns or motifs may represent the appearance of a fabric or the like , or have decorative or furnishing effects , or an appearance corresponding to coverings such as mulches , or the like , of walls , floors , roads , or other man-made structures .

3. System component according to claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the component is selected from one or more of the following components , or a combination thereof : rigid pipes , flexible pipes , pipes consisting of interconnected elements of variable length , drip wings with internal and / or external drippers , so-called drip wings consisting of pipes within which longitudinal rows of single dripping units are coupled, or a tape consisting of a row of dripping units integrated into said tape , or also so-called drip sleeves consisting of tubular tapeswith continuous or discontinuous strip drippers applied to the inner peripheral surface of said tubular tapes , corrugated pipes , garden hoses , anti-torsion hoses , fittings configured to sealingly couple with one or more pipes , valves , filters , and other accessories combinable with one or more of the aforementioned components , boxes , housings , covers , cabinets for meters and / or control units and / or other accessories , pits or pit covers only .4 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein in combination with said pattern or patterns or said motif or motifs , the component is provided, along an extension thereof , with a graphic marking consisting of one , two , or more lines having a predetermined color common to all lines or a different color for at least two of said lines or for at least a portion thereof , said one , two , or more lines optionally indicating positions of mounting structures or parts not visible or hardly visible from the outside of the corresponding component with reference to its three- dimensional shape , said one , two , or more lines optionally being discontinuous according to predetermined distributions of segments having at least partly different lengths and / or spaced from each other to a different extent and / or so as to graphically encode information .5 . Component according to claim 4 , wherein said component is a pipe and said one , two , or more lines extend parallel to one another and / or parallel to the longitudinal axis of said pipe , whereas optionally, in the case of pipes provided with dripping devices , at least one or more of said lines optionally constitute positional references for said dripping devices .6 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein said component is alternatively constituted by a base body composed of one or more base layers , optionally monochromatic and of identical or different colors , and wherein an outer surface of the mantle of said base body is superimposed with a coating layer that exhibits or forms said pattern or patterns and / or said motif or motifs , and wherein said camouflage coating layer is formed by one or more superimposed layers , optionally with said patterns or motifs of the camouflage coating layer being obtained from the combination of patterns and / or motifs provided on each or at least part of the layers forming said camouflage coating layer , in particular at least the two radially outermost layers .7 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , characterized in that the layer or layers forming the base body and / or the layer or layers forming the camouflage coating layer are made of a polymeric material or a combination of polymeric materials , either virgin or recycled, or mixtures of virgin fossil or non-fossil recycled materials , such as optionally one or more materials selected from the following non-limiting list : polyethylene , polypropylene , polyvinyl chloride , polyesters , ethylene -vinyl acetate , or mixtures of polymers or copolymers thereof .8 . Component according to claim 7 , wherein to said one or more polymers or combinations of polymers are added filler particles consisting of one or more organic and / or inorganic materials and / or mixtures thereof and / or one or more reinforcing fibers of natural and / or synthetic origin or mixtures of said fibers .9 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein , in combination with one or more of the materials and additives described above , there may also be added additives intended to provide additional functions , such as additives producing a protective effect against the proliferation of roots along said components and / or protecting said components against animal attacks and / or additives for water treatment , such as , alternatively or in combination , water disinfection additives , additives that mix with water to correct its composition or modify the pH , biocidal additives , antifreeze additives , additives functioning as fertilizers or for soil and / or crop treatment .10 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein one or more inks and / or one or more pigments are mixed with the material of one or more of the layers forming the base body and / or one or more of the layers forming the camouflage coating layer .11 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein at least said camouflage coating layer may exhibit an external three-dimensional surface structure , that is , with local thickness variations forming combinations of surface reliefs and recesses so as to add to the purely graphic and chromatic camouflage effect also a sensory, at least tactile , effect , that is , a three-dimensional surface structure , optionally wherein the combination of reliefs and recesses provided at least in the camouflage coating layer is registered with the graphic and chromatic appearance of the pattern or motif , thereby enhancing the camouflage effect .12 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein at least one outermost layer or two or more superimposed outer layers are provided withcontinuous or discontinuous through openings extending parallel or transverse to a longitudinal development direction of said component .

13. Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein at least one predefined portion , in terms of position , perimeter shape , and size , of a pattern or motif constitutes a unique coding element of information regarding the origin and authenticity of the product , said portion of pattern or motif being uniquely associated with said origin and authenticity information , said portion of pattern being identified in terms of position , perimeter shape or contour , and dimensions relative to the overall pattern or motif by coding markers of positional , shape , and dimensional information , said markers being applied within the pattern or motif in correspondence with said portion of pattern or motif and consisting of elements not directly visible to the human eye , i . e . a partial combination of graphic elements forming said pattern or motif , said combination being unrecognizable to the human eye as a marker , and said component being provided in combination with a reader of said one or more markers and said portion of pattern or motif and with a comparator of the reading signal from said reader with records of a database comprising uniquely associated pairs of pattern or motif portions and origin and / or authenticity information , as well as signaling means controlled by said comparator for signaling the origin and / or authenticity of the product when said portion of pattern or motif read by the reader corresponds to a portion of pattern or motif present in said database , and for signaling counterfeiting when said portion of pattern or motif read by the reader is not present in said database .14 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , characterized in that said component is formed by two or more mutually couplable and decouplable parts , all said parts being provided with a camouflage coating having an identical pattern or motif for all said parts , or at least one or some of said parts of the system component having a camouflage coating different from that of the remaining parts and / or having no camouflage coating .15 . Component according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein the camouflage layer comprises two or more zones , said two or more zones , or at least part thereof , being made with a pattern and / or motif and / or color and / or color gradation different from the other zones and / or from at least part of the other zones .

16. A manufacturing method of a hydraulic system component made according to one or more of the preceding claims , wherein the production process of the component with one or more camouflage coating layers comprises a coextrusion process of one or more layers forming the base body and one or more layers forming the camouflage coating layer , or a blown extrusion process , or an extrusion process using rotating equipment , or an extrusion process employing ultrasounds , or an extrusion process including dispensers of one or more different inks and / or one or more different dyes and / or one or more different pigments to at least one or more of the co-extruded layers .17 . A manufacturing method of a component according to one or more of the preceding claims , comprising the steps of : manufacturing the base body of the component without an outer camouflage coating layer ; applying to the base body of the component the coating layer by applying at least one or more layers formingsaid camouflage coating layer , alternatively or in combination , by means of : a hydrographic or immersion printing process ; lamination on said base body of one or more layers of the camouflage coating layer , one or more of which in the form of a film carrying said one or more patterns or said one or more motifs printed thereon ; transferring onto the base body of one or more layers constituting the camouflage coating layer from a transfer support , which is subsequently removed; ink or paint bath application ; printing application ; offset printing application ; ink-jet printing application ; application using laser sources , with or without a laser-reactive layer on the system component .18 . A system, in particular a fluid distribution system, in particular a hydraulic system and more particularly an irrigation system, comprising at least one pipe segment having a predetermined length and diameter , with at least one or both ends thereof respectively coupled to a connecting fitting to at least one further pipe segment and / or to at least one further accessory or component of the hydraulic system, such as , for example , a valve , a filter , or the like , a housing box for accessories such as a meter and / or a control unit and / or at least one pit or pit cover for housing accessories , wherein at least one of said pipe segments and at least one of said fittings and / or at least one of said accessories or components is provided with an outer camouflage coating layer exhibiting a pattern or graphic motif with a camouflage effect comprising oneor more colors and configured to reproduce the external appearance of the installation environment and / or of elements or objects present in said installation environment .

19. The system according to claim 18 , characterized in that it comprises at least two pipe segments each having a predetermined length and / or a predetermined diameter , said diameters and / or lengths being the same or different from one another , and fittings between said two pipe segments , said fittings having connection ends respectively coupled with one end of a respective pipe segment , and wherein said fittings are configured to connect the two pipe segments to one another with mutually non-parallel orientations such as to mimic branches with at least one offshoot .20 . The system according to claim 18 or 19 , characterized in that the components of said system exhibit different patterns or motifs of the camouflage coating layer corresponding to the external appearance of the environment where said system components are positioned .21 . A kit comprising various components for constructing a fluid distribution system, in particular for liquids and especially for hydraulic systems , said components being made , at least in part , according to one or more of the preceding claims 1 to 15 , for the manufacture of a system according to one or more of claims 18 to 20 .

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