Emitter and drip irrigation tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10362740-B2
Application number	US-201615552968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

In the present invention, the pressure reducing flow path reduces the pressure of an irrigation liquid, and guides the irrigation liquid to the flow-rate decreasing part. The bypass flow path guides the irrigation liquid to the flow path opening/closing part in a state where the pressure of the irrigation liquid is maintained at a pressure higher than that of the irrigation liquid that has passed through the pressure reducing flow path. When the pressure of the irrigation liquid is lower than a first pressure, the irrigation liquid passes through the pressure reducing flow path and the bypass flow path to be guided to the discharge part. When the pressure of the irrigation liquid is a second pressure or higher, the irrigation liquid passes through the pressure reducing flow path to be guided to the discharge part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An emitter configured to be joined to an inner wall surface of a tube for distributing irrigation liquid at a position corresponding to a discharging port that communicates between an interior and an exterior of the tube, the emitter being configured to quantitatively discharge the irrigation liquid in the tube out of the tube from the discharging port, the emitter comprising:
a water intake part for intake of the irrigation liquid;
a discharging part disposed to face the discharging port and configured to discharge the irrigation liquid, the discharging part including a discharging, recess;
a first channel configured to connect the water intake part and the discharging recess together, and distribute the irrigation liquid;
a second channel configured to connect the water intake part and the discharging recess together, and distribute the irrigation liquid;
a flow rate reducing part disposed in the first channel and configured to reduce a flow rate of the irrigation liquid in accordance with a pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube;
a channel opening/closing part disposed in the second channel, and configured to open and close the second channel in accordance with the pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube;
a pressure reducing channel disposed in the first channel on an upstream side relative to the flow rate reducing part, and configured to reduce a pressure of the irrigation liquid taken from the water intake part and guide the irrigation liquid to the flow rate reducing part; and
a bypass channel disposed in the second channel on an upstream side relative to the channel opening/closing part, and configured to guide the irrigation liquid taken from the water intake part to the channel opening/closing part while maintaining the pressure of the irrigation liquid taken from the water intake part at a pressure higher than a pressure of the irrigation liquid having passed through the pressure reducing channel, wherein:
in response to the pressure of the irrigation liquid flowing through the tube is smaller than a first pressure, the irrigation liquid taken from the water intake part is guided to the discharging recess through the pressure reducing channel and the bypass channel, and
in response to the pressure of the irrigation liquid flowing through the tube is equal to or greater than the first pressure, the second channel is closed with the channel opening/closing part, and the irrigation liquid taken from the water intake part is guided to the discharging recess through the pressure reducing channel.

2. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
a downstream side of the channel opening/closing part is connected with the flow rate reducing part; and
in response to the pressure of the irrigation liquid flowing through the tube is smaller than the first pressure, the irrigation liquid from the bypass channel is guided to the discharging recess through both of the channel opening/closing part and the flow rate reducing part.

3. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the flow rate reducing part and the channel opening/closing part are independently disposed;
the irrigation liquid from the pressure reducing channel is guided to the discharging recess through the flow rate reducing part; and
the irrigation liquid from the bypass channel is guided to the discharging recess through the channel opening/closing part.

4. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the flow rate reducing part includes:
a flow rate reducing recess;
a first diaphragm part disposed as a partition between an interior of the flow rate reducing recess and the interior of the tube, the first diaphragm part having flexibility;
a flow rate reducing through hole opening at the interior of the flow rate reducing recess, and communicating with one of the discharging recess and the pressure reducing channel;
a first valve seat part disposed to surround the flow rate reducing through hole and face the first diaphragm part without making contact with the first diaphragm part, wherein the first diaphragm part is allowed to make close contact with the first valve seat part when the pressure of the irrigation liquid flowing through the tube is equal to or greater than a second pressure that is greater than the first pressure;
a communication groove formed on a surface of the first valve seat part to which the first diaphragm part is allowed to make close contact, the communication groove being configured to communicate between the interior of the flow rate reducing recess and the flow rate reducing through hole; and
a discharging through hole opening at the interior of the flow rate reducing recess, and communicating with an other of the one of the discharging recess and the pressure reducing channel.

5. The emitter according to claim 4 , wherein:
the emitter is formed of one material having flexibility; and
the first diaphragm part is integrally formed as a part of the emitter.

6. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the channel opening/closing part includes:
a channel opening/closing recess wherein a bypass through hole communicating with the bypass channel opens at an interior of the channel opening/closing recess;
a second diaphragm part disposed as a partition between the interior of the channel opening/closing recess and the interior of the tube, the second diaphragm part having flexibility; and
a second valve seat part disposed to surround the bypass through hole and face the second diaphragm part without making contact with the second diaphragm part, wherein the second diaphragm part is allowed to make close contact with the second valve seat part in response to the pressure of the irrigation liquid flowing through the tube is equal to or greater than the first pressure.

7. The emitter according to claim 6 , wherein:
the emitter is formed of one material having flexibility; and
the second diaphragm part is integrally formed as a part of the emitter.

8. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the water intake part includes a water intake side screen part including a slit opening to the interior of the tube.

9. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the discharging part includes an intrusion preventing part for preventing intrusion of foreign matters from the discharging port.

10. A trickle irrigation tube comprising:
a tube including a discharging port for discharging irrigation liquid; and the emitter according to claim 1 joined to an inner wall surface of the tube at a position corresponding to the discharging port.

Assignees

• Enplas Corp

Inventors

• Kidachi Masahiro

Classifications

• A01G25/023 Primary

  Dispensing fittings for drip irrigation, e.g. drippers · CPC title

• Y02A40/237

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A01G25/02 Primary

  Watering arrangements located above the soil which make use of perforated pipe-lines or pipe-lines with dispensing fittings, e.g. for drip irrigation · CPC title

• A01G2/20

  Layering · CPC title

• A01G2/10

  by means of cuttings · CPC title