SPRINKLER MOTOR WITH BYPASS FILTER FOR GEAR-LUBRICATING WATER

Abstract

The preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a sprinkler motor (e.g., an engine that generates pivoting, rotation or other movement) for a spray hose in which the motor includes a gear mechanism that is lubricated by water sprayed via the spray hose. In the preferred embodiments, a direct water passageway is provided to gear chamber, along with a filter whereby water can be directed to the gears as a lubricant, while preventing debris from entering the gear mechanism.

Claims

1. A sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler, comprising: a motor housing; a water inlet into said motor housing for receiving flowing water from an external water source; a water outlet from the motor housing for discharging flowing water from the sprinkler motor; a water flow path extending through the sprinkler housing from the water inlet to the water outlet for passage of water through the motor housing; a gear chamber separated from the water flow path and which is in fluid communication with the water flow path via a window having a filter that filters dirt and/or debris; a plurality of gears located within said gear chamber; wherein water entering the water flow path passes through said filter into the gear chamber such as to lubricate the gears while dirt and/or debris is inhibited from entry due to the filter.

2. The sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein said water filter has openings sized to allow water to freely pass there-through while inhibiting direct and debris.

3. The sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of gears are plastic gears.

4. The sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of gears are self-lubricating gears.

5. The sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler according to claim 1, wherein said water sprinkler is configured to sprinkle water on vegetation in a yard or garden.

6. A method of lubricating a sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler, comprising: a) providing a sprinkler motor for a water sprinkler, comprising: a motor housing; a water inlet into said motor housing for receiving flowing water from an external water source; a water outlet from the motor housing for discharging flowing water from the sprinkler motor; a water flow path extending through the sprinkler housing from the water inlet to the water outlet for passage of water through the motor housing; a gear chamber separated from the water flow path and which is in fluid communication with the water flow path via a window having a filter that filters dirt and/or debris; a plurality of gears located within said gear chamber; wherein water entering the water flow path passes through said filter into the gear chamber such as to lubricate the gears while dirt and/or debris is inhibited from entry due to the filter; and b) causing water to flow through the sprinkler motor from a water supply source and to enter the gear chamber through the filter such as to lubricate the gears while inhibiting dirt and/or debris from entry.

7. The method of claim 1, further including providing the plurality of gears as plastic gears.

8. The method of claim 1, further including self-lubricating the gears with lubricants contained within the material of the gears.

9. The sprinkler of claim 1, further including using the sprinkler motor for sprinkling water on vegetation within a yard or garden.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] The preferred embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example, in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a sprinkler motor according to some embodiments of the invention;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the filter shown in FIG. 1 independent from the sprinkler motor for reference;

[0048] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a sprinkler motor according to some other embodiments of the invention;

[0049] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the sprinkler motor shown in FIG. 3 from a direction from the right side of FIG. 3; and

[0050] FIGS. 5-8 are background drawings from the above-noted U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,621 for reference.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0051] While the present invention may be embodied in many different forms, the illustrative embodiments are described herein with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as providing examples of the principles of the invention and that such examples are not intended to limit the invention to preferred embodiments described herein and/or illustrated herein.

[0052] The preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a sprinkler motor (e.g., an engine that generates pivoting, rotation or other movement) for a spray hose in which the motor includes a gear mechanism that is lubricated by water sprayed via the spray hose. In the preferred embodiments, a direct water passageway is provided to gear chamber, along with a filter whereby water can be directed to the gears as a lubricant, while preventing debris from entering the gear mechanism.

[0053] As discussed above, in the device of the '621 patent, a partition wall 32 is provided that separates a gear chamber from a water distribution area. According to some embodiments of the invention, a filter element is included within such a partition wall 32. This filter is configured to keep damaging dirt and/or debris from entering the gear chamber while allowing lubricating water to pass through the filter and help inhibit the gears from wearing out prematurely.

[0054] One illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-2. This embodiment can be implemented within a system similar to that shown in system shown in FIGS. 5-8. In particular, the device shown in FIGS. 1-2 can be employed to transmit water therethrough for spraying, while causing pivotal or rotational movement in a like manner to that described above with respect to FIGS. 5-8.

[0055] With reference to FIG. 1, in this illustrative embodiment, a sprinkler motor 100 is provided that includes a housing H having an upper portion 110 and a lower portion 120. As illustrated, the housing H includes a gear chamber 200C that houses gears 200. In the preferred embodiments, the gears 200 can operate in a similar manner to the reduction gears 19 of the background system shown in FIGS. 5-8. Although not illustrated, the gears 200 can be caused to rotate by means of a rotor (similar to the rotor 24 and related structure described in relation to FIGS. 5-8). As with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-8, the gears 200 can be employed to impart external rotation in order to achieve pivotal or rotational or other movement of a sprinkler system that the motor 100 is implemented within.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1, in operation, water enters the sprinkler motor 100 via a receiving tube 130 and follows the flow path FL(1) shown in FIG. 1. The water then exits the receiving tube 130 and enters a flow chamber FLC within the housing H at a position proximate to a lower end of the housing H. The water entering the housing H is laterally deflected along the flow path FL(2) as shown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, the water follows a flow path FL(3) through the housing H and exits the housing H such as to follow the flow path FL(4) and then be discharged for sprinkling discharge from the sprinkler system.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1, the flow chamber FLC is sealed such as to create a fluid flow path through the motor 100. In addition, the flow chamber FLC is separated from the gear chamber 200C. However, according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a window W is provided between the flow chamber FLC and the gear chamber 200C, which window W has a filter 300. The filter 300 is configured to allow water to pass through the window while inhibiting debris and/or dirt from passing there-through. In this manner, water that flows through the sprinkler motor housing H will enter the gear chamber 200C. At the same time, dirt and/or debris will be inhibited from entering the gear chamber 200C. As a result, the water entering the gear chamber 200C can provide lubrication of the gears 200 during operation.

[0058] Preferably, the window W and the filter 300 are configured with a sufficient surface area and porosity to allow water to freely pass through the filter 300 and enter the gear chamber 200C during use (e.g., when water is caused to pass through the flow chamber FLC for sprinkler operation). In addition, the window W and the filter 300 are also preferably configured with a sufficient surface area and porosity to allow water to drain from the gear chamber 200C after use (e.g., when water is no longer caused to pass through the flow chamber FLC for sprinkler operation).

[0059] In some preferred embodiments, the filter element is made of a mesh screen having crossing filaments (e.g., horizontal and vertical filaments), with openings through-holes between the filaments sized to allow water to pass there-through while inhibiting passage of dirt and debris. In some illustrative embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 1000 microns, while in some other embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 500 microns, while in some other embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 400 microns, while in some other embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 300 microns, while in some other embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 200 microns, while in some other embodiments, the holes in the filter will have a maximum diameter of less than 100 microns. In some preferred examples, the holes in the filter have diameters of about 150 microns.

[0060] In some preferred embodiments, the filter is substantially rectangular, and has minimum diameter of a few millimeters or larger. In some illustrative embodiments, the filter has a minimum diameter of over centimeter. In some other illustrative embodiments, the filter has a minimum diameter of over 1 centimeter. In some other illustrative embodiments, the filter has a diameter of over about 2 centimeters. In the preferred embodiments, the filter has a surface area that is sufficient to allow water to readily pass into the gear chamber during operation (i.e., while water is directed through the device for spraying). In addition, in the preferred embodiments, the filter has a surface area that is sufficient to allow the water to readily drain from the gear chamber after operation (i.e., after water has been directed through the device for spraying). In particular, in some most preferred embodiments, the water can enter and/or exit the gear chamber via the filter. As a result, when water enters the gear chamber, the water will remain in the chamber until the water is drain out through the filter.

[0061] In some preferred embodiments, during operation, a sufficient amount of water will enter the gear chamber due to the flow of water to provide lubrication to the gears located within the gear chamber. Towards that end, during use, the gear chamber preferably fills with sufficient water to contact all of the gears within the gear chamber. In some embodiments, the gear chamber will substantially entirely fill with water during use such that all of the gears are submerged in water. In some embodiments, the gear chamber will fill about 75% or more with water during operation. In some embodiments, the gear chamber will fill about 50% or more with water during operation. In some embodiments, the gear chamber will fill about 25% or more with water during operation. In some preferred embodiments, the water within the gear chamber is circulated due to, e.g., rotation of the gears, whereby all or substantially all of the friction surfaces of the gears are lubricated by the water.

[0062] In some preferred embodiments, the gears 200 are plastic gears. In some embodiments, the gears are made with thermoplastic materials, such as, e.g., acetal or nylon, or thermoset materials. In some embodiments, the gears can be made with polyethylene, polyamides or other suitable plastic materials. In some embodiments, the gears are made with self-lubricating plastics (e.g., plastics having added internal lubricants such as, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene or silicone). In some preferred embodiments, the plastic materials are resistant to absorption of moisture or water.

[0063] With reference to FIG. 2, in this illustrative embodiment, the filter 300 includes a frame 310 that supports a mesh screen 305 having filaments extending substantially perpendicular to one another (e.g. horizontally and vertically). In addition, in this illustrative example, the frame 310 includes a lateral wall portion 320. As shown in FIG. 1, the lateral wall portion is arranged to cause water that enters the sprinkler motor 100 through the tube 130 to be caused to turn laterally along the flow path FL(2) into the flow chamber FLC.

[0064] In some illustrative examples, the rotation imparted to the motor 100 by the water flow can be implemented using a rotor that is fixed within the upper portion 110 of the housing H. In such embodiments, the rotation imparted to the rotor would be, in turn, imparted to the gears 200 (e.g., similar to that of the '621 patent discussed above). As in the '621 patent, the rotation imparted to the gears 200 can be imparted to cause an external rotation that is used to impart a motion such as, e.g., pivoting or rotation of the sprinkler device. For example, in some embodiments, the rotation of the gears can impart motion to the tube 130 via an upper gear section 130UG shown in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the tube 130 can, thus, be rotated to impart an external rotation for the sprinkler device which can be imparted externally to further sprinkler gears and/or mechanisms via the lower gear section 130LG. In some alternative embodiments, a rotor of the like could be implemented to directly cause rotation of the tube 130, which could in turn impart rotation to the gears 200, which could in turn impart rotation to sprinkler gears and/or mechanisms. In some preferred embodiments, where the tube 130 is rotated relative to the housing H, additional sealing mechanisms, such as, e.g., o-rings OR, can be employed between a receiving tube of the lower portion 120 of the housing H and the exterior of the tube 130 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0065] A second illustrative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, like parts are shown by like reference numbers, with the addition of a prime reference signi.e.,. Towards this end, FIGS. 3 and 4, show an illustrative sprinkler motor 100 which is similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0066] As shown in, e.g., FIG. 4, in this second embodiment, the window W and filter 300 are formed with a central arced or contoured region 300R. However, the device of this second embodiment operates in a like manner to that of the first embodiment described above. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, according to the second illustrative embodiment, a sprinkler motor 100 is provided that includes a housing H having an upper portion 110 and a lower portion 120. As illustrated, the housing H includes a gear chamber that houses gears 200. In the preferred embodiments, the gears 200 can operate in a similar manner to the reduction gears 19 of the background system shown in FIGS. 5-8. The gears 200 can be caused to rotate by means of a rotor (similar to the rotor 24 and related structure described in relation to FIGS. 5-8). As with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-8, the gears 200 can be employed to impart external rotation in order to achieve pivotal or rotational or other movement of a sprinkler system that the motor 100 is implemented within.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 3, in operation, water enters the sprinkler motor 100 via a receiving tube 130 and follows the flow path FL(1) shown in FIG. 1. The water then exits the receiving tube 130 and enters a flow chamber within the housing H at a position proximate to a lower end of the housing H. The water entering the housing H is laterally deflected along the flow path FL(2) as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the water follows a flow path FL(3) through the housing H and exits the housing H such as to follow the flow path FL(4) and then be discharged for sprinkling discharge from the sprinkler system.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1, the flow chamber sealed such as to create a fluid flow path through the motor 100. In addition, the flow chamber is separated from the gear chamber. However, according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a window is provided between the flow chamber and the gear chamber, which window has a filter 300. The filter 300 is configured to allow water to pass through the window while inhibiting debris and/or dirt from passing there-through. In this manner, water that flows through the sprinkler motor housing H will enter the gear chamber. At the same time, dirt and/or debris will be inhibited from entering the gear chamber. As a result, the water entering the gear chamber can provide lubrication of the gears 200 during operation.

[0069] Preferably, the window and the filter 300 are configured with a sufficient surface area and porosity to allow water to freely pass through the filter 300 and enter the gear chamber during use (e.g., when water is caused to pass through the flow chamber for sprinkler operation). In addition, the window and the filter 300 are also preferably configured with a sufficient surface area and porosity to allow water to drain from the gear chamber after use (e.g., when water is no longer caused to pass through the flow chamber for sprinkler operation).

[0070] Although FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 are depicted in cross-sectional format (i.e., to enable viewing of the interior of the respective sprinkler motors, it should be apparent that the construction of the sprinkler motor would be such as to create a fluid follow path, etc., as discussed above. Thus, e.g., in preferred embodiments, the respective sprinkler motors would be enclosed (i.e., without openings depicted by the cross-sectional cutouts in the figures), such as, e.g., to have a substantially tubular shape or substantially cylindrical shape housing H, H as shown.

Broad Scope of the Invention

[0071] While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the present invention is not limited to the various preferred embodiments described herein, but includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. For example, in the present disclosure, the term preferably is non-exclusive and means preferably, but not limited to. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) means for or step for is expressly recited; b) a corresponding function is expressly recited; and c) structure, material or acts that support that structure are not recited. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology present invention or invention may be used as a reference to one or more aspect within the present disclosure. The language present invention or invention should not be improperly interpreted as an identification of criticality, should not be improperly interpreted as applying across all aspects or embodiments (i.e., it should be understood that the present invention has a number of aspects and embodiments), and should not be improperly interpreted as limiting the scope of the application or claims. In this disclosure and during the prosecution of this application, the terminology embodiment can be used to describe any aspect, feature, process or step, any combination thereof, and/or any portion thereof, etc. In some examples, various embodiments may include overlapping features. In this disclosure, the following abbreviated terminology may be employed: e.g. which means for example.