Channel-less drip irrigation emitters and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11937556-B2
Application number	US-202117402234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2021
Priority date	Aug 13, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

Drip irrigation emitters having low activation pressures, desirable flow rates, and are configured to clog less than existing emitters are provided. The disclosed emitters include membrane cavities that are devoid of a channel and a land to help advance fluid through the cavity, to an outlet, and to an outside environment. Instead, the membrane cavities have various shapes and configurations that, in conjunction with a depressed membrane, help to drive fluid out of the membrane cavity and to an outside environment. The shapes of the membrane cavities include a sinusoidal configuration, a cylindrical shape configuration, and a flat bottom configuration. Various features of such emitters, and methods of using the same, are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drip irrigation emitter, comprising:
an inlet;
a body;
a membrane cavity formed in the body, the membrane cavity having an opening formed therein;
an outlet in fluid communication with the membrane cavity;
a membrane disposed above a bottom surface of the membrane cavity, the bottom surface of the membrane cavity having each of the opening and the outlet associated therewith, the opening and the outlet being disposed on opposed sides of the bottom surface of the membrane cavity; and
a flow path formed in the body, the flow path having an entry point that is in fluid communication with the inlet and an exit point that is in fluid communication with the opening formed in the membrane cavity, the flow path being configured to decrease a pressure of fluid flowing therethrough as it passes from the entry point to the exit point,
wherein the membrane cavity is devoid of a channel through which fluid passes as it moves from the membrane cavity, to the outlet, and to an outside environment.

2. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the membrane cavity comprises a sinusoidal shape.

3. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the membrane cavity comprises a cylindrical shape having each of the opening and the outlet associated therewith.

4. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 3 , wherein the opening and the outlet are disposed kitty-corner with respect to each other, off-center from an approximate center of the bottom surface of the membrane cavity.

5. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the membrane cavity is substantially flat across its surface area and has each of the opening and the outlet associated therewith.

6. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 5 , wherein the opening is disposed a first distance from an approximate center of the bottom surface of the membrane and the outlet is disposed a second distance from the approximate center, the first distance and the second distance not being equal to each other.

7. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the outlet comprises an elongate slot having wings extending from opposed sides of a center of the outlet.

8. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein an activation pressure of the emitter is approximately in the range of 0.1 bar to 0.3 bar.

9. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein a flow rate of the emitter once activated is approximately in the range of 0.1 liters per hour to 8.0 liters per hour.

10. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the outlet is configured to discharge fluid from the membrane cavity directly to an outside environment at all activation pressures.

11. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the fluid path is the same path of travel for fluid at all activation pressures.

12. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 11 , wherein the channel is configured to receive the membrane to increase flow resistance.

13. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a fluid flow path that is substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the membrane when the membrane is in an undeformed state.

14. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is configured to deflect into the membrane cavity to create a substantially constant flow rate without deflecting into a channel formed within a surface the defines the membrane cavity, the channel having a fluid flow path that is substantially parallel to a bottom surface of the membrane when the membrane is in an undeformed state.

15. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 ,
wherein the bottom surface includes a first central axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the bottom surface and a second central axis substantially perpendicular to the first central axis and extending in the lateral direction, and
wherein the opening and the outlet are disposed on opposed sides of the second central axis and are substantially aligned with the first central axis.

16. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 15 , wherein the first and second central axes each extend along the bottom surface and bisect the bottom surface.

17. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 ,
wherein the body includes a top body surface and a bottom body surface opposite the top body surface, and
wherein the flow path and the membrane cavity are formed as recesses in the top body surface of the body.

18. The drip irrigation emitter of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface is devoid of a land formed on and raising away from the bottom surface.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Sokol Julia
• NARAIN Jaya
• Winter V Amos Greene
• Costello Jeffrey
• Kumar Dheekshita
• Mclaurin Tristan J

Classifications

• A01G25/023 Primary

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

• Y02A40/22

  Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion · CPC title