Emitter and drip irrigation tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943045-B2
Application number	US-201415037950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An emitter is arranged inside a tube and has: an emitter main body that is constituted by a resin molded body that has at least a recessed part and a through hole; and a flexible film that is joined to at least one surface of the emitter main body and that forms a flow path by closing off the recessed part and an opening part of at least one part the through hole. The emitter has a discharge amount adjusting part that is for making adjustments in accordance with the water pressure inside the tube. When the pressure of an irrigation liquid that is inside the tube is at or above a set value, the film slackens, and the discharge amount adjusting part narrows the flow path of the liquid and reduces flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An emitter for quantitatively discharging irrigation liquid in a tube from a discharge port communicating between an inside and an outside of the tube, the emitter being configured to be joined to an inner wall surface of the tube configured to distribute the irrigation liquid at a position corresponding to the discharge port, the emitter comprising:
an emitter main body composed of a resin molded body including at least a recess and a through hole;
a flexible film joined to at least one surface of the emitter main body, the flexible film forming a channel by sealing at least a part of an opening of the recess and the through hole,
wherein:
the emitter further comprises:
an intake part for receiving the irrigation liquid in the tube,
a liquid receiving amount regulating part for regulating a flow rate of the irrigation liquid received from the intake part in accordance with a pressure of the irrigation liquid in the intake part,
a pressure reduction part for allowing the irrigation liquid supplied from the liquid receiving amount regulating part to flow therethrough while reducing the pressure of the irrigation liquid,
a discharge rate regulating part for regulating a flow rate of the irrigation liquid supplied from the pressure reduction part in accordance with the pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube, and
a discharge part to which the irrigation liquid, having a flow rate controlled by the discharge rate regulating part, is supplied, the discharge part being to be facing the discharge port;
the discharge rate regulating part includes:
a diaphragm part being a part of the film and being disposed to block a communication between a channel on a downstream side relative to the pressure reduction part and an inside of the tube,
a valve seat part depressed with respect to the diaphragm part and disposed at a position where the valve seat part faces the diaphragm part in the channel on the downstream side relative to the pressure reduction part without making contact with the diaphragm part, but the valve seat part being capable of making close contact with the diaphragm part,
a hole opening at the valve seat part and communicating with the discharge part, and
a groove formed on the valve seat part and configured to communicate between the hole and the channel on outside relative to the valve seat part;

the diaphragm part makes close contact with the valve seat part when the pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube is equal to or higher than a predetermined value;
the liquid receiving amount regulating part includes a valve element protruding from a fixed end in the channel of the irrigation liquid inside the emitter, the valve element opening toward the downstream side upon receiving the pressure of the irrigation liquid on an upstream side;
the valve element includes a flexible thin part, and a thick part extending from the thin part; and
when the pressure of the irrigation liquid on the upstream side relative to the liquid receiving amount regulating part is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the thin part is bent, and the valve element opens toward the downstream side.

2. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
a planar shape of a boundary between the thick part and the thin part is linear, and the thick part is a portion of the valve element, the portion having a larger thickness toward a downstream side of the valve element.

3. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the liquid receiving amount regulating part further includes a fixed part disposed at a position adjacent to the valve element when viewed in plan view,
each of the valve element and the fixed part has a planar shape of a sector, and
the valve element and the fixed part are disposed alternately in a circumferential direction when viewed in plan view.

4. An emitter for quantitatively discharging irrigation liquid in a tube from a discharge port communicating between an inside and an outside of the tube, the emitter being configured to be joined to an inner wall surface of the tube configured to distribute the irrigation liquid at a position corresponding to the discharge port, the emitter comprising:
an emitter main body composed of a resin molded body including at least a recess and a through hole;
a flexible film joined to at least one surface of the emitter main body, the flexible film forming a channel by sealing at least a part of an opening of the recess and the through hole,
wherein:
the emitter further comprises:
an intake part for receiving the irrigation liquid in the tube,
a liquid receiving amount regulating part for regulating a flow rate of the irrigation liquid received from the intake part in accordance with a pressure of the irrigation liquid in the intake part,
a pressure reduction part for allowing the irrigation liquid supplied from the liquid receiving amount regulating part to flow therethrough while reducing the pressure of the irrigation liquid,
a discharge rate regulating part for regulating a flow rate of the irrigation liquid supplied from the pressure reduction part in accordance with the pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube, and
a discharge part to which the irrigation liquid, having a flow rate controlled by the discharge rate regulating part, is supplied, the discharge part being to be facing the discharge port;

the discharge rate regulating part includes:
a diaphragm part being a part of the film and being disposed to block a communication between a channel on a downstream side relative to the pressure reduction part and an inside of the tube,
a valve seat part depressed with respect to the diaphragm part and disposed at a position where the valve seat part faces the diaphragm part in the channel on the downstream side relative to the pressure reduction part without making contact with the diaphragm part, but the valve seat part being capable of making close contact with the diaphragm part,
a hole opening at the valve seat part and communicating with the discharge part, and
a groove formed on the valve seat part and configured to communicate between the hole and the channel on outside relative to the valve seat part;

the diaphragm part makes close contact with the valve seat part when the pressure of the irrigation liquid in the tube is equal to or higher than a predetermined value,
the emitter main body and the film are molded integrally with one type of flexible material; and
the film turns about a hinge part connecting the emitter main body and the film, and is joined to the emitter main body.

5. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the emitter main body further includes at least one protrusion on a surface to which the film is joined, and
the film has at least one positioning hole into which the protrusion is fitted.

6. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein the emitter main body and the film are joined together by bonding, pressure bonding, or welding.

7. A trickle irrigation tube comprising:
a tube; and
at least one emitter, the emitter being the emitter according to claim 1 disposed on the tube.

8. The emitter according to claim 1 , wherein:
the intake part includes a screen part for catching a floating material in the irrigation liquid, and
the screen part includes:
a slit formed in the film, and
a recess formed in the emitter main body so as to be in communication with the slit and to extend in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the slit.

9. The emitter according to claim 4 , wherein:
the emitter main body further includes at least one protrusion on a surface to which the film is joined, and
the film has at least one positioning hole into which the protrusion

Assignees

• Enplas Corp

Inventors

• Kidachi Masahiro

Classifications

• B05B1/3006

  the controlling element being actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed (B05B1/323 takes precedence; single-unit outlet valves actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed B05B11/0062) · CPC title

• A01G25/023 Primary

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

• A01G25/165

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

• B05B12/085

  responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged (B05B1/3006, B05B1/323 take precedence; spray pistols designed to control volume of flow with the controlling means being fluid actuated B05B7/1254) · CPC title

• 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