WO1984002828A1

WO1984002828A1 - Pressure-regulated drip feed device

Info

Publication number: WO1984002828A1
Application number: PCT/AU1984/000012
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alfred Denholm Tucker
Original assignee: Ris Irrigation Systems Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Ris Irrigation Systems Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1983-01-19
Filing date: 1984-01-19
Publication date: 1984-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 1986-07-19
Also published as: IT8467053A0; ZA84416B; GR79175B; IT8467053A1; IT8452851V0; IT1178826B; NZ206880A; FR2539329A1; JO1331B1; EP0132262A1; FR2539329B3

Abstract

A pressure-regulated drip feed device having a hollow body (1) and a hollow cap (8) forming therebetween a chamber (4) with a fluid inlet (3) and outlet (12), and a resilient disc (18) in the chamber, the disc (18) being confined in the chamber (4) to be free to move under pressure of fluid flowing through the chamber (4), the centre of the disc engaging a metering groove (16) in a seat adjacent to the fluid outlet, the edge face of the disc engaging a primary groove (19) extending around and over the edge portion of the disc.

Description

"PRESSURE-REGULATED DRIP FEED DEVICE"

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a pressure-regulated drip feed device and in particular it relates to a device generally known as a "button" outlet which can be attached to a hose carrying a fluid by piercing the hose to allow the fluid to flow through the button device at a controlled rate.

THE PRIOR ART

According to an earlier Patent Application of ours, No. PCT/AU82/00100, a device of the general type is described and in that earlier device a body has an inlet member on it opening to a space defined peripherally by an upstanding cylindrical wall over which fits a cap having an outer wall with a thread matching a thread on the outside of the upstanding cylindrical wall and having also an inner wall which terminates in a transverse wall communicating with a central outlet, this cap being adapted to hold between it and the inlet member a button including a resilient membrane across it which, according to the earlier device, had through it a perforation to allow a metered flow of water through the membrane to a seat in the cap which was provided with a radial metering groove, the button comprising an outer rim with the membrane across it intermediate its ends and positioned clear of the seat which contains the metering groove so that at low pressure the fluid simply passes through the aperture in the membrane and into the space behind it and out through the outlet in the cap without the metering groove being effective, but as water pressure increases the membrane is deflected onto the seat by an amount proportional to the pressure existing on the inlet side .of the resilient membrane so that as pressure increases the resilient membrane is forced harder onto the seat and into the metering groove to limit the flow, the purpose being to regulate the flow irrespective of the pressure existing in the fluid within the pipe or hose to which the inlet member of the button device is fitted.

One of the problems with this type of slow feed device is to be able to avoid blockage of the metering groove or metering member because generally these devices are used in irrigation purposes with water which may contain impurities and sediment and these will tend to block the metering apertures or orifices and render the device non-operative.

According to another earlier patent, AU A 80 775/82 a resilient disc is freely supported in a chamber to separate a fluid inlet from a fluid outlet and the disc has at least one channel form to extend past the edge of the disc and extending through a frusto conical portion of the body to the outlet so that fluid pressure forces the disc progressively down onto a seat so formed along which seat the metering channel extends to the outlet so that as the resilient disc is pressed to the seat it progressively covers the seat to the outlet and the groove is preferably of tapering cross section so that with a higher fluid pressure the whole of the groove is covered and the resilient member is pressed into it to control the flow. OBJECTIVE AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of such a device in which the problem of blockage will be materially reduced and generally completely avoided, and this is achieved by having on the cap, which screws down onto the body, a shaped rim-support for the resilient membrane, the resilient membrane being a disc without a perforation and of a dimension such that its marginal edge portions rest on the rim-support in the cap which surrounds the outlet aperture and seat but is spaced from the seat so that when low water pressure exists the resilient membrane has its edge portion urged onto the rim-support but has its centre part clear of the seat which contains the metering groove.

To allow a flow of water to behind the resilient membrane in relation to the inlet, the inner wall and the rim-support has in it a primary groove which is so arranged that the required amount of fluid can flow through this primary groove and out through the outlet in the-' cap during low water pressure but, as water pressure increases, the resilient membrane is moved down onto the seat and seals the seat against flow through the outlet, but the metering groove in the seat then controls the amount of fluid flowing through the device.

As the pressure increases so the resilient membrane is forced further into the metering groove and the primary groove to effect the necessary restriction and by careful design it is possible to have a very uniform flow of fluid. The fluid of course, to get to the outlet in the cap, has to flow through the rim-support fluid primary groove and by appropriately shaping the rim- support, it is possible to have this control the action of the resilient membrane.

The primary groove commences in the inner wall of the cap and extends down into the rim-support but gradually expands in size inward in the direction of flow so that the primary groove has an apex formed in part in the inside of the inner wall and extends with gradually expanded size through the rim-support to give a progressively increasing dimension to this groove.

Thus any impurities which lodge at the entrance to the primary groove once it leaves the entrance, which it can do when the water flow to the device is cut off,is washed through the groove because of its gradually increasing dimensions and generally the dimensions are such that the primary groove is itself wide enough when the resilient membrane is not pressed onto it to allow any impurities to flow out through the outlet.

The invention will be seen to consist generally in a hollow body onto which a hollow cap engages to form therebetween a chamber which opens through the wall of the base to a fluid inlet and centrally through a wall of the cap to a fluid outlet, the chamber having in it a resilient member which regulates fluid flow through the chamber, characterised by

(a) a resilient disc freely supported to extend across the chamber, (b) a rim-support on the cap extending inwardly from the outer edge of the chamber and shaped to progressively be engaged inwardly by the edge portion of the resilient disc when the inner portion of the

5 disc is urged towards the fluid outlet in the cap by fluid flow through the inlet in the base,

(c) a seat surrounding the fluid outlet in the cap spaced to be engaged by the central portion of the disc when deflected by the fluid flow,

_]__Q (d) a main metering groove in the face of the seat placing the chamber into communication with the outlet when the disc is urged thereon, and

(e) a fluid bypass in the rim-support extending around the edge of the disc to form a primary groove 5 separated from the metering groove by a recess between the rim-support and the seat.

Thus, according to this invention the resilient disc is positioned in a chamber which confines the disc but the disc, including its edge, is free to _Q move in the chamber under pressure of the fluid flowing through the chamber to control the flow through a metering groove in a seat adjacent to the fluid outlet and also through a primary groove around and over the edge portion of the disc.

5 The wall of the chamber has an annular rim-support for the outer portion of the disc which is shaped to progressively be engaged by the disc when urged towards the wall to give progressive flexing control of the disc, and the primary groove is preferably _Q tapered to expand in area along the flow path of the fluid.

OMPI BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the inven ion,

FIG. 2 is a central transverse section of same, FIG. 3 is an underside view of the cap,

FIG. 4 is a central transverse section of the cap only,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail in transverse section of the portions of the body and cap which define -*^•" the chamber, showing the resilient disc therein as at low fluid pressure, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the disc under relatively heavy pressure.

PREFERRED FORM OF THE INVENTION ⁵ A body 1 has attachment flanges 2 and a centrally projecting fluid inlet 3 which opens into a chamber

4 formed between the body 1 and a transverse wall

5 which extends across a cap 6 which screws down onto an upstanding wall 7 on the body 1, the wall ⁰ 7 and a shroud 8 having interengaging threads 9, the shroud 8 being outwardly spaced from a cylindrical wall 10 which at least at its base 11 engages the shroud 8 with a fluid-tight join.

The transverse wall 5 has an outwardly projecting ⁵ fluid outlet 12 which communicates at its inner end with the chamber 4.

The fluid outlet has an annular seat 15 around the fluid outlet 12, in which seat 15 is a metering groove 16. Surrounding, but spaced outwardly from, the annular seat 15 is a rim-support 17 which forms a support for the outer edge portion of a resilient disc 18 which serves as the fluid control member, the rim-support 17 having in it a primary groove 19, the shape of which is shown in FIG. 3 as well as in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, which acts in conjunction with the metering groove 16 to regulate water flow. The face of the rim-support 17 which is engaged by the resilient disc 18 is contoured to control disc flexing under fluid pressure and preferably has a flat marginal section joined to a truncated conical part.

The primary groove 19 extends through the rim- support 17 and around the edge of the resilient disc 18 and is so designed that any impurities lodging at the entrance of the groove will be dislodged on flexing of the resilient disc and will be washed through the groove because of its increasing dimension in the direction of fluid flow and will flow out of the outlet as said. The primary groove 19 serves to control flow from the fluid inlet 3 to the part of the chamber 4 on the outlet side of the resilient disc 18 while the metering groove places that part of the chamber 4 into communication with the actual fluid outlet 12 when the resilient disc 18 is urged against the seat 15.

FIG. 6 shows how the edge of the disc 18 moves inward when heavy fluid pressure exists, the disc thus having its edge portions free to move laterally for sediment cleaning purposes. As will be seen the resilient disc is- dimensioned to extend across the chamber but is of lesser thickness than the depth of the chamber whereby the disc floats in the chamber during liquid flow through the chamber. _> Also the rim-support is intermediate the depth of the chamber in relation to the seat which contains the metering groove.

The primary groove is of an expanding width near its outlet portion.

The resilient disc can be formed of rubber or plastic having a sufficiently resilient nature so that it can lie on the face 20 of the transverse wall of the body against the fluid inlet 3 of this member, and when the cap 6 is screwed down the inner wall 5 of the cap makes a tight seal with the wall of the base, but the chamber 4 in which the disc is seated is itself of a dimension to neatly receive the disc with the disc lying on the face 15.

The disc is freely positioned so that when fluid enters the chamber 4 the disc contacts the rim-support 17 from an outer marginal portion 21 contains the metering groove 16.

The primary groove 19 which is formed in the rim-support 17 has a flexing control of the resilient • disc 18 exerted from the marginal edge portion 21 inward as the resilient disc is displaced inwards onto the annular seat.15 by the pressure fluid.

C PI From the foregoing it will be realised that the invention comprises a button drip device of a type generally similar to that described in the afore¬ said earlier Patent Application but with the difference that the flow control simply comprises a disc of resilient material, the edge of which fits neatly into the chamber 4 formed between the cylindrical wall 10 of the cap and the body 1, which chamber has a shaped wall to form the rim-support 17, that is the wall towards the outlet, so that a progressively acting rim-support 17 is formed for the resilient disc as it flexes inwards, and in this rim-support 17 is an expanding primary groove 19 so arranged that, any sediment or impurities are dislodged when the resilient disc retracts to its normal unflexed position such as when the water supply to the device is cut and are then washed outwardly through the primary groove 19 and out of the metering groove 16 if any has lodged at this area.

The resilient disc 18 has a face 22 which is positioned toward the fluid outlet 12 which face 22 as said progressively inwardly engages the rim-support 17 when pressure fluid from the fluid inlet 3 presses the resilient disc 18 toward the seat 15 and away from the face 20, the recess 23 separating the rim-support 17 from the seat 15 and then the metering groove 16 from the primary groove 19. The purpose of the primary groove 19 is to regulate the differential pressure on the two sides of the resilient disc and by doing this regulate the pressure on the resilient disc on the metering groove in accordance with the mains pressure of the fluid existing at the time, but the arrangement also aids clearing of sediment from both grooves because if the metering groove is blocked by sediment the differential pressure from the two sides of the disc is relatively the same and causes the disc to flex under its own resiliency to open the channels and release impurities.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A pressure-regulated drip feed device having a hollow body onto which a hollow cap engages to form therebetween a chamber which opens through the wall of the base to a fluid inlet and centrally through a wall of the cap to a fluid outlet, the chamber having in it a resilient member which regulates fluid flow through the said chamber, characterised in that the resilient member is a disc positioned in the said chamber to be confined thereby but the disc, including its edge, is free to move in the said chamber under pressure of the fluid flowing through the said chamber to control the flow through a metering groove formed in a seat adjacent to the fluid outlet and also through a primary groove around and over the edge portion of the said disc, said grooves being separated by a recess surrounding the said seat, whereby differential fluid pressure exists on the two sides of the disc to control disc action.

2. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 1 characterised in that the wall of the said chamber has an annular rim-support for the outer portion of the said disc which is shaped to progressively be engaged by the disc when urged towards the said wall to give progressive flexing control of the disc.

3. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 2 characterised in that the primary groove is tapered to expand in area along the flow path of the fluid.

4. A pressure-regulated drip feed device having a hollow base onto which a hollow cap engages to form therebetween a chamber which opens through the wall of the base to a fluid inlet and centrally through a wall of the cap to a fluid outlet, the chamber having in it a resilient member which regulates fluid flow through the chamber, characterised by

(a) a resilient disc freely located in the said chamber to extend across the said chamber, (b) a rim-support on the said cap extending inwardly from the outer edge of the chamber and shaped to be engaged by a face on the said disc adjacent the edge portion thereof when the said disc is urged towards the said fluid outlet. (c) a seat surrounding the said fluid outlet in the cap spaced to be engaged by the central portion of the disc when deflected by the fluid flow,

(d) a metering groove in the face of the said seat placing the said chamber into communication with the said fluid outlet when the said disc is urged thereon, and

(e) a primary groove in the said rim-support extending around the edge of the said disc to form a primary metering groove separated from the metering groove by a recess between the said rim-support and said seat.

5. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 4 characterised in that the said rim-support slopes toward the said outlet to be progressively inwardly engaged by the edge portion of the said face on the said resilient disc facing the said fluid outlet.

O PI v^

6. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 5 characterised in that the said rim-support has a substantially conical contour to control movement of the said resilient disc under pressure from fluid entering the said fluid inlet.

7. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 4 characterised in that the said resilient disc is dimensioned to extend across the said chamber but is of lesser thickness than the depth of the said chamber whereby the said disc is free to move in the said chamber during liquid flow through the said chamber and in that the said rim-support is intermediate the depth of the said chamber in relation to the said seat which contains the said metering groove.

8. A pressure-regulated drip feed device according to claim 4 characterised in that the said primary groove is of an expanding width near its outlet portion whereby the said resilient disc edge portion is pressed into at least the said expanded portion when the said disc is pressed against the said rim-support by fluid flow through the said chamber.

OMP