Weather override irrigation control systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021392829-A1
Application number	US-202117322727-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2021
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 23, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, provide an irrigation sensor system, comprising: a rain funnel comprising an upper opening and at least one wall tapering from the upper opening to a lower aperture; and a tipping bucket positioned to receive water falling from the lower aperture while the tipping bucket is positioned such that a central longitudinal axis of the tipping bucket is not aligned with an axis extending through the lower aperture of the funnel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An irrigation sensor system, comprising:
a rain funnel comprising an upper opening and at least one wall tapering from the upper opening toward a lower aperture; and a tipping bucket positioned to receive water falling from the lower aperture while the tipping bucket is positioned such that a central longitudinal axis of the tipping bucket is not aligned with the lower aperture and offset from an axis extending through the lower aperture of the funnel.

2 . The sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor positioned below the tipping bucket and vertically aligned with at least a portion of the tipping bucket; and a protection diaphragm positioned between the tipping bucket and the temperature sensor, and comprising water disbursement plate and a plurality of drain apertures, wherein the water disbursement plate extends over the temperature sensor and to the plurality of drain apertures causing rain water released by the first rain bucket and the second rain bucket to drain through the drain apertures away from the temperature sensor; a communication transceiver; and a sensor control circuit communicatively coupled with the temperature sensor and the transceiver, wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to receive temperature data and cause the transceiver to transmit the temperature data.

3 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the central longitudinal axis of the tipping bucket is offset, along a pivot axis about which the tipping bucket rotational pivots, from the lower aperture of the funnel and not aligned with the lower aperture of the funnel, wherein the pivot axis is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the tipping bucket.

4 . The sensor system of claim 3 , wherein the central longitudinal axis of the tipping bucket extends along a length of the tipping bucket, is perpendicular to a width of the tipping bucket along the pivot axis, and is positioned along a center of the width of the tipping bucket, such that the axis extending through the lower aperture of the funnel is offset from the center of the width of the tipping bucket.

5 . The sensor system of claim 3 , further comprising:
the tipping bucket comprises a first rain bucket, a second rain bucket positioned adjacent the first rain bucket and an extended wall extending between the first and second rain buckets and configured to alternately align, in response to a tipping of the tipping bucket, a first face extending from the first rain bucket and a second face extending from the second rain bucket with the lower aperture; a bucket holder, wherein the tipping bucket is pivotably secured with the bucket holder enabling the tipping bucket to transition between a first position with the first face of the extended wall aligned with the aperture to direct water into the first rain bucket and a second position with the second face of the extended wall aligned with the aperture to direct water into the second rain bucket; and a trigger secured relative to the extended wall to transition between a first station when the tipping bucket is in the first position, and a second station when the tipping bucket is in the second position; a trigger detector positioned relative to the trigger and configured to activate in response to the trigger passing within a threshold distance of the trigger detector and output a tip signal; a communication transceiver; and a sensor control circuit communicatively coupled with the trigger detector and the transceiver, wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to receive the tip signals and cause the transceiver to transmit rain signals corresponding to a predefined amount of accumulated rain in response to the tipping of the tipping bucket.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the funnel further comprises a drip extension extending from the lower aperture, wherein an end of the drip extension is positioned at least level with upper edges of opposing side walls of the tipping bucket extending from the extended wall.

7 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor positioned below the tipping bucket and vertically aligned with at least a portion of the tipping bucket; a protection diaphragm positioned between the tipping bucket and the temperature sensor, and comprising water disbursement plate and a plurality of drain apertures, wherein the water disbursement plate extends over the temperature sensor and to the plurality of drain apertures causing rain water released by the first rain bucket and the second rain bucket to drain through the drain apertures away from the temperature sensor.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the bucket holder is secured with the diaphragm such that the tipping bucket is separated from the diaphragm by a distance.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the diaphragm comprises tab mountings; and
the bucket holder comprises at least a pair of flexible tabs each comprising a lateral ridge configured to engage the tab mountings and secure the bucket holder with the diaphragm.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the diaphragm comprises mounting at least a pair of protrusions extending from the diaphragm and each protrusion comprising a recess forming the tab mountings and configured to receive at least a portion of a corresponding and aligned one of the lateral ridges of a corresponding one of the flexible tabs.

11 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a central housing positioned about the tipping bucket, and comprising a first partial control board cavity separated by a first control board cavity wall from the tipping bucket; and a base housing comprising a second partial control board cavity, wherein the base housing is configured to cooperated with the central housing cooperating the first partial control board cavity and the second partial control board cavity forming a control board cavity; and a control board comprising the sensor control circuit, the trigger detector and power source couplers electrically coupled with at least the sensor control circuit and the trigger detector, wherein the control board is mounted within the control board cavity.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a removable power source holder comprising a holder base and a power source retaining slot extending from the holder base and configured to retain at least one removable power source, and wherein the holder base is configured to close the control board cavity while aligning the at least one removable power source with the power source couplers.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the rain sensor further comprises a first wireless transceiver coupled with the sensor control circuit wherein the sensor control circuit is configured to cause the first wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit the rain signals and the temperature sensor data.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tipping bucket comprises a first rain bucket, a second rain bucket positioned adjacent the first rain bucket and an extended wall extending between the first and second rain buckets and configured to alternately align, in response to a tipping of the tipping bucket, a first face extending from the first rain bucket and a second face extending from the second rain bucket with the lower aperture;
wherein the funnel comprises a drip extension extending from the lower aperture, wherein an end of the drip extension is positioned to be within a threshold vertical separation distance (Y) from upper edges of opposing side walls of the tipping bucket, wherein the threshold vertical separation distance is proportional to

Assignees

• Rain Bird Corp

Inventors

• Marsano Jorge A
• Porrazzo Joseph G
• Price John E
• Reddy Hari

Classifications

• Y10T137/1866

  For controlling soil irrigation · CPC title

• A01G25/165 Primary

  Cyclic operations, timing systems, timing valves, impulse operations · CPC title

• G01W1/02

  Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed (G01W1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01W1/14

  Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F) · CPC title