Open-Top Drip Irrigation Ring for Easy Clog Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drip irrigation units are prone to plugging due to small openings, leading to uneven water flow and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A cleanable mobile drip irrigation unit with a semi-circular hollow ring and adjustable support legs, featuring an interrupted ring opening and small openings for water distribution, allowing easy cleaning from the top.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If small openings are used in drip irrigation units for water distribution, then water flow control is improved, but plugging occurs frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the cleaning approach by allowing access to the interior of the ring structure from the top opening, rather than requiring access from the bottom or disassembly. This is achieved by making the ring structure open at the top, enabling cleaning tools to reach the small water-distributing openings from above, thus resolving the plugging issue while maintaining precise flow control
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables self-cleaning capability by structuring the ring as an open-top hollow structure where the interior is accessible from the top. This allows the irrigation unit to be easily cleaned and maintained without complex disassembly procedures, addressing the reliability issue while preserving the precision of water flow control through the small openings
2Manufacturing precision
If small openings are used in drip irrigation units, then water distribution precision is improved, but maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reverses the expected cleaning direction by enabling access to the small openings from the top rather than from the bottom. The open-top hollow ring structure allows cleaning tools to be inserted from the top opening to reach and clean the small water-distributing openings, making maintenance easier while preserving distribution precision
Solution Approach 2:
The irrigation unit is segmented into an open-top hollow ring structure with accessible interior space, separating the water distribution function (small openings) from the structural enclosure. This segmentation allows independent access to the small openings for cleaning and maintenance without compromising the precision water distribution capability
3Quantity of substance
If enclosed ring structure is used for irrigation, then water containment is improved, but cleaning accessibility worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The ring structure is segmented to be open at the top rather than fully enclosed, creating a hollow interior that is accessible from above. This segmentation maintains water containment capability through the ring structure while providing easy access to the interior for cleaning the small openings, resolving the contradiction between containment and accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing access to the interior from the bottom or requiring disassembly, the patent inverts the approach by making the top open, allowing cleaning tools to access the interior and small openings from above. This maintains water containment while dramatically improving cleaning accessibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures even and continuous water supply by preventing plugging and facilitating easy maintenance, thus maintaining efficient irrigation.
Implementation Method 1
The water is pressurized and dripped onto the soil adjacent to the plant. It can, however, be delivered in a slow trickle to the soil.
Implementation Method 2
Flow rates for these types of irrigators are typically in the neighborhood of one gallon per hour of water at a pressure of about twenty-five pounds per square inch.
Data Source
AI summary
A drip irrigation unit includes conduits for delivering the irrigation water in small quantities directly to the plants being irrigated. The water is pressurized and dripped onto the soil adjacent to the plant. It can, however, be delivered in a slow trickle to the soil. The device includes a system that can be utilized to clean the device when it becomes clogged and ceases to drip.