Anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter

Abstract

A drip irrigation emitter with an anticlogging attribute. In the case of multi season crops, the lifespan of the drip irrigation pipe and the installation as a whole must follow the life span of the crop itself. Commonly, drip irrigation installations sometime in their life span get clogged and are thus rendered unusable due to the clogging occurring in the drip irrigation emitters themselves. Despite the use of filtering systems for the irrigation water, objects/dirt of miniscule cross-sectional areas are carried with the water that cannot be filtered at the filtering systems, thus entering the drip irrigation pipe and reaching the labyrinths of the individual emitters. This issue is catastrophic for the cultivation as irrigation of the crop is not performed uniformly leading to lower yield and income loss and possibly leading to the total loss of the plantation and the unavoidable replacement of the drip irrigation pipes.

Claims

1. An anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter, comprising: a water flow channel, a labyrinth that is formed by the water flow channel, axial symmetric teeth that protrude from walls of the water flow channel, a relaxation bath and a plurality of consecutive separators extending from a water entry point to a water exit to the relaxation bath, the consecutive separators dividing an initial water flow into two flows that converge at a back of each individual separator, wherein each separator is placed so that a tip of the separator is located between tips of a pair of the axial symmetric teeth and according to an axis passing through a middle of the walls of the channel wall so that there are always two flow paths so that, if a foreign object clogs one of the flow paths, there will be an equal pressure exerted on the foreign object from an opposite side producing resulting moments on surfaces of the foreign object acting to force the foreign object to move through the distinct flow paths and gradually out of a pipe to which with which the emitter is associated to prevent clogging of the emitter.

2. The anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter according to claim 1, wherein the separators are of the same size and shape.

3. The anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter according to claim 1, wherein the separators are of different sizes and shapes.

4. The anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter according to claim 1, wherein the teeth are of the same size and shape.

5. The anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter according to claim 1, wherein the teeth are of different sizes and shapes.

6. The anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the separators and teeth are made of an elastomeric material that allows sufficient deformation to facilitate preventing of clogging of the labyrinth by a foreign object by allowing the foreign object to move out of the drip irrigation emitter.

7. An anti-clogging drip irrigation emitter, comprising: a relaxation bath, a labyrinthine water flow channel extending from a water entry point to a water exit to the relaxation bath, each of opposed walls of the water flow channel having a series of spaced, axial symmetric teeth protruding therefrom, and a series of consecutive separators extending from the water entry point to the water exit to the relaxation bath, the separators being positioned in the flow channel spaced from the protruding teeth, wherein each separator has a tip that is located between tips of two opposing teeth of the opposed walls, and wherein the separators divide an initial water flow into the water flow channel into two flows, a first of the two flows being between a first of the opposed walls and a first side of the separators and a second of the two flows being between a second of the opposed walls and a second side of the separators, wherein the two flows converge between a front end and a back end of consecutive pairs of individual separators, wherein the separators and opposed walls with the teeth are adapted to cause, if a foreign object clogs one of the two flow paths, a pressure to be exerted on the foreign object from an opposite side of the separators resulting in moments on surfaces of the foreign object acting to force the foreign object to move through the flow paths and gradually out of a pipe with which the emitter is associated to prevent clogging of the emitter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a conventional cylindrical emitter where the following elements are depicted: a the water insertion filters, b labyrinth channel, c teeth that form the turbulent flow, and d relaxation baths.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a flat emitter bearing a new type of labyrinth having a water insertion filter, a labyrinth's channel, teeth that protrude from the walls of the channel, separators and d a water relaxation bath.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a flat emitter bearing a new type labyrinth that is placed at 90 from the water insertion point.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a cylindrical emitter bearing a new type labyrinth.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a flat emitter bearing a new type labyrinth internally.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a flat emitter bearing a new type labyrinth with a plurality of separators in the water flow channel of different geometry.

(7) FIG. 7 shows an emitter bearing a new type labyrinth a plurality of separators in the water flow channel of different geometry.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a cylindrical emitter bearing separators of different size and geometry.

(9) FIG. 9 shows channel cross-sections having different geometry in case that water flows in the labyrinths have to have different velocities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) The new type labyrinth can be applied to closed type emitters the labyrinth is positioned internally in the emitter or open type emitters the labyrinth is formed between the emitter and the inner surface of the pipe, flat or cylindrical, in tape form or embossed on the pipe's inner surface.

(11) According to the first embodiment of the invention the emitter is produced employing an injection molding process or 3D printing and bears filters F through which water is inserted in the channels of the emitter. The water is then led to the entry of the labyrinth that is formed by the water flow channel C, the teeth T that protrude from the walls of the channel walls and the separator S that is preferably placed symmetrically in elation to the walls of the channel C. The teeth T and separator S pattern is repeated so that vaults Y are formed in which the water pressure is nearly constant whereas moving from one vault Y to the next the water pressure drops so that when water exits to the relaxation bath the water pressure is practically zero. The emitter can be produced in cylindrical, flat form, as tape or embossed on the pipe's surface.

(12) According to the second embodiment of the invention, the labyrinth is comprised of the water flow channel C, the teeth T that protrude from the walls of the channel and the separators S.sub.i & S.sub.j (FIGS. 6, 7 & 8), that are preferably placed at equal distances from the walls of the channel. The first row of separators leads the water flow to hit the next separator or separators S so that the next separators are shifted in relation to the first row of separators S and preferably at half the distance between the ends of every two separators of the preceding row. The next row follows the topology of the first row and so forth.

(13) According to the third embodiment of the invention, the emitter is of the closed type (FIG. 5) and bears the labyrinth internally. In this case, the emitter can be flat or cylindrical.

(14) According to the fourth embodiment of the invention, the labyrinth comprises the water flow channel C, the teeth T that protrude from the walls of the channel and the separators S.sub.i & S.sub.j (FIGS. 6, 7 & 8), bears all separators S.sub.i & S.sub.o or part of said separators of elastomeric materials so that their deformation under pressure can be facilitated in case a foreign body of unfavourable cross-sectional geometry or size clogs the flow path.

(15) In any of the above cases, the emitter could be regular or pressure compensated, and in the latter case, it self regulates the water flow that exits to the relaxation bath and then through holes/slits to the environment, bearing a silicone membrane or other elastomeric material in selected places so that the flow is restricted according to the applied pressure.