EP2651567B1 - Oscillating sprinkler arrangement - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a square sprinkler arrangement with a square sprinkler and a shaft housing.

For sprinkling of lawns in particular circular and sector sprinklers and square sprinklers are common, which typically contain a driven by a water-driven rain gear gear sprinkler head with a nozzle assembly. Both types of sprinklers are known as Aufstellregner which are supplied via a hose with water and spatially installable on a floor surface, and as a pop-up sprinkler, which are arranged long term at a fixed location in a buried in the ground shaft housing known. The pop-up sprinkler arrangements have, in the rest position, an upper side approximately at the same level as the surrounding ground, which can be entered and crossed over by conventional lawn care appliances.

In circular and sector sprinklers of Versenkregnertyps a sprinkler head is vertically slidably guided in the sprinkler housing and pivotable in a raised position about a vertical pivot axis, wherein a nozzle array transversely to the pivot axis emitted water jet sweeps a circle or circle sector about the pivot axis. The sprinkler head can be lowered in any swivel angle position. In the lowered rest position, the nozzle assembly is hidden under the top of the sprinkler assembly and the top of the sprinkler head forms part of the accessible top of the sprinkler assembly.

Square sprinklers have a horizontal pivot axis in the regular operating position and a nozzle arrangement which emits a jet fan as a spray pattern. The jet fan irrigates an approximately rectangular area during the oscillating pivoting of the sprinkler head. Square grapple pick-up sprinklers are commonly housed in a shaft housing with a movable lid. The lid is closed when the sprinkler is idle and can be opened under the action of water supplied with sufficient pressure. The square sprinkler arranged in the shaft housing can emit the fan jet through the cover opening when the cover is open and can also be lifted under the action of the water pressure in relation to the rest position. The lid is typically pivotable about a hinge disposed on the edge of the lid opening.

Such a pop-up sprinkler is scripture, for example, in the disclosure WO 03/066236 A1 described. It is proposed to automatically open the manhole cover for operating the sprinkler by the water pressure of the supply line to the sprinkler.

In the known square pop-up sprinklers shows that problems can occur in particular by the surrounding the manhole housing plant growth.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved sprinkler arrangement with a countersink square sprinkler.

The invention is described in the independent claim. The dependent claims contain advantageous refinements and developments of the invention.

In the square sprinkler arrangement according to the invention eliminates the need for the transition of the sprinkler head through the recess in the lid surface from the rest position to the operating position to lift a lid and close the lid when changing to the rest position. In particular, this can avoid problems due to incomplete opening or closing of a hinged lid. The recess in the top surface, at least in the rest position of the sprinkler head is closed by this itself.

The closing of a recess in the lid surface by the sprinkler head itself proves to be more reliable than closing the shaft opening by a hinged lid, in which the closing force is only weak at a circumferential position opposite the hinge and stalks projecting from the surrounding plant growth over the shaft edge Leaves can prevent complete closure and then ants can colonize the shaft interior. In addition, the recess closing sprinkler head can be raised only with special effort, whereas a pivotable manhole cover z. B. can be opened by playing children and sprinkler settings can be changed.

Advantageously, the sprinkler head is raised from the rest position into the operating position vertically over the cover surface, whereby jet bladders, which are lowered in a shaft housing and operated by quadrangular sprinklers, are avoided or at least reduced. The lifting of the sprinkler head is advantageously carried out against a vertically resetting spring force under the action of the water pressure applied to the square sprinkler. After elimination of the water pressure, the sprinkler is pulled by the vertically resetting spring force down to the rest position. The sprinkler head is advantageously moved vertically including the sprinkler gear.

The information above, below, vertically and horizontally are to be understood in the following as referring to the typical installation position of the shaft housing in the ground.

In the raised operating position of the square sprinkler is oscillated by the sprinkler gear oscillating about a substantially horizontal pivot axis. The swivel angle limits are advantageously variable with adjustable per se adjusting means, for example by means of rotatable about the pivot axis collars.

In a particularly advantageous development, the spray pattern generated by a nozzle arrangement of the sprinkler head in operation, which typically forms a jet fan with a plurality of individual beams, adjustable, in particular with regard to expansion and / or inclination in a pivot plane containing the pivot axis, with the sprinkler head pivoted. The adjustment means associated with such an adjustment are advantageously arranged on at least one in the direction parallel to the pivot axis direction end face of the sprinkler head.

Adjusting means associated with the swivel angle limits and / or adjusting means associated with the blasting pattern are advantageously manually operable and inaccessible under the cover surface in the rest position and thus protected against unauthorized operation, for example by playing children. An actuation can take place during sprinkler operation, in the case of a rain head raised manually against a vertical restoring force, or preferably after removal of a cover detachable from the shaft housing and forming the cover surface.

A in the rest position of the sprinkler head the recess in the lid surface occlusive and bridging surface of the sprinkler head preferably does not protrude beyond the plane of the recess surrounding the recess and formed as enterable surface lid surface and is therefore not excessive when a person on the top of the Viereckregner arrangement occurs loaded. The surface bridging the recess in the rest position of the sprinkler head is advantageously substantially planar and lies at least approximately in a plane with the cover surface surrounding the recess.

The sprinkler head can be supported against a force acting vertically downwards on the rain head located in the rest position force, for example, upon entering the top of the Viereckregner arrangement, at the edge of the recess in the Deckelfäche. Preferably, the sprinkler head is supported directly or indirectly, for example via the gear housing or a carrier sleeve, at a support structure arranged below the lid area in the shaft housing. In this way, the cover of the shaft housing can be lifted in a particularly advantageous manner even with lowered sprinkler head of the shaft housing to grant access to the shaft interior and to the adjustment or adjustment.

The sprinkler head can be displaced from its lowered rest position at a force acting from above stress even against a spring force down.

Preferably, the sprinkler head takes in the rest position with respect to the shaft housing a predetermined defined Ruheschwenkstellung about the pivot axis. Since the sprinkler head can take any deviating from the quiescent position pivot positions when turning off the water supply within the possible pivoting range, is provided in an advantageous embodiment that effect between sprinkler head and shaft housing, in particular between sprinkler head and cover of the shaft housing effective guide means angular alignment of the sprinkler head in the rest position. The sprinkler head is this advantageously in operation relative to an oscillating about the pivot axis directed output shaft in a defined, constant drive angular position and can be rotated by the guide means during vertical lowering in the rest position relative to the then substantially fixed drive shaft.

A rotatable, but in sprinkler operation solid connection between sprinkler head and drive shaft can be given for example by a spring arrangement which holds the sprinkler head during the sprinkler operation in the constant drive position relative to the output shaft. In a preferred embodiment, the connection of the sprinkler head by an overload protection, also referred to as vandalism protection, given, which allows a twisting of the sprinkler head relative to the output shaft, advantageously also over a set swivel angle limit, when exceeding an effective in the rain operation holding torque, and preferably the set pivot angle limits remains unchanged and the sprinkler head automatically returns to the next sprinkler operation again in the predetermined by the set swivel angle limits swivel angle range. Such overload protection with retention of the swivel angle limits are for oscillating driven square sprinklers or Sektorregner in different versions, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, for. B. from the DE 10 2008 030 022 A1 known and therefore not described here.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide means comprise at least one side edge of the recess in the lid surface, and a side surface of the sprinkler head which slidably adjoins the rain head when the sprinkler head is lowered.

In a preferred embodiment, in the rest position of the sprinkler head, the recess closing and thereby upwardly facing surface of the Sprinkler head the nozzle opening of the nozzle assembly of the sprinkler head. The Ruheschwenkstellung the sprinkler head is preferably a center position of the adjustable pivoting range.

Advantageously, the sprinkler head is rotatable relative to the shaft housing about a vertical axis of rotation aligned. For this purpose, advantageously at least one part of the cover containing the recess or preferably the entire cover can be positioned and fixed relative to the shaft housing buried in the ground about the vertical axis of rotation in different orientations.

Fig. 1

eine Schrägansicht einer Regneranordnung in Ruhestellung,

Fig. 2

die Anordnung nach Fig. 1 mit aufgeschnittenem Schachtgehäuse,

Fig. 3

die Regneranordnung in Betriebsstellung,

Fig. 4

eine Bewegungsabfolge zwischen Betriebsstellung und Ruhestellung,

Fig. 5

einen vergrößerten Ausschnitt aus Fig. 4 (C),

Fig. 6

die Regneranordnung bei abgenommenem Deckel.

The invention is illustrated below with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the figures still in detail. Showing:

Fig. 1

an oblique view of a sprinkler arrangement at rest,

Fig. 2

the arrangement after Fig. 1 with cut open shaft housing,

Fig. 3

the sprinkler arrangement in operating position,

Fig. 4

a movement sequence between operating position and rest position,

Fig. 5

an enlarged section Fig. 4 (C) .

Fig. 6

the sprinkler arrangement with the cover removed.

Fig. 1 shows in a view obliquely from above a shaft housing SG of a square sprinkler arrangement according to the invention. The shaft housing SG is provided for burying in a bottom surface and has at a lower end a water connection WA. The shaft housing SG surrounds with an in the example substantially cylindrical outer wall AW an interior, which is closed at the top by a removable cover DE. The lid DE is, as indicated by the arrow DR, rotatable about a vertical axis. About locking AM, which act manually operable between the cover and shaft housing SG, the lid can be fixed in different, preferably arbitrary rotational positions about the vertical axis of rotation. The locking means can advantageously also serve to secure the lid against lifting of the shaft housing. In the upwardly facing cover surface DF of the lid, a recess AU is provided, which is closed in the rest position shown the quadrangular sprinkler arrangement by a surface RF of the lowered under the lid surface DF sprinkler head of the quadrangular sprinkler. The outer surface RF of the sprinkler head contains in the illustrated preferred embodiment, one or more openings of a nozzle assembly DA, which may preferably be slightly lowered against the surface RF of the sprinkler head. The surface RF of the sprinkler head is preferably substantially planar and lies approximately in the same plane as the surrounding cover surface DF.

Fig. 2 shows the arrangement after Fig. 1 in an oblique view with a different angle and with slotted shaft housing SG. The sprinkler head RK is supported with respect to a horizontal pivot axis SA on both sides of a sprinkler gear, the sprinkler gear in particular a in Fig. 2 located on the left fixed housing part GF and a in Fig. 2 lying right, about the pivot axis SA rotatable housing part GA has. By means of collars SR are the swivel angle limits of oscillating during operation Pivoting movement of the sprinkler head about the swivel axis SA manually adjustable. In addition, the jet pattern emitted by the nozzle arrangement can be changed via adjusting means VS. Such adjusting means are known per se. The sprinkler gear is supplied with water for operation via a water-bearing housing part GW. The water flows through the rain gear in the presentation Fig. 2 from left to right and from the rotated gear member GA in the sprinkler head and is discharged through the nozzle assembly DA in a spray pattern with a plurality of individual jets. The spray pattern generated by the nozzle arrangement DA is adjustable in a preferred embodiment, for example in the expansion of the fan beam and / or in the inclination of the fan beam in a plane containing the pivot axis SA and the nozzle outputs of the band-shaped nozzle assembly DA, during operation with the sprinkler head.

In the stationary housing part GF is a water-driven turbine and a speed-reducing gear train housed, which drives an output shaft in a reversible direction of rotation about the pivot axis SA. The output shaft is coupled to the rotatable housing part GA. For the construction of the rain gear various designs are known. In particular, the turbine with the gear train can also be arranged in the rotatable housing part, in which case a countershaft fixed relative to the gear housing GF can then also be regarded as the output shaft as the output shaft.

The sprinkler head is supported at axially opposite ends against a water-carrying housing GW and / or the gear housing, which is fastened to the upper end of a vertically displaceable piston KO. The piston KO is guided in a piston guide KZ of the shaft housing and a sleeve FH and vertically displaceable.

When water is supplied under increased pressure to the sprinkler arrangement from a water source connected to the water connection WA, the piston KO is displaced upwards against the spring force of a downwardly pressing spring FE under the effect of the water pressure, the sprinkler head RK being moved over the cover surface DF of FIG Cover DE is raised to the operating position. In this operating position, the sprinkler head is pivotable about the pivot axis SA over a limited pivot angle range in both opposite pivot directions. The pivoting takes place via the rain gear, which is acted upon by a part of the water flowing to the nozzle arrangement as a drive medium. The water flows from the water connection WA through the interior of the piston KO into the water-bearing housing part GW of the quadrangular sprinkler and from there through the sprinkler gear to the sprinkler head RK.

Fig. 4 shows in several views (A) to (E) a sequence of a displacement of the sprinkler head of the in Fig. 4 (A) shown operating position in the rest position Fig. 4 (D) and a new lifting in the operating position.

In Fig. 4 (A) is the pivotability of the sprinkler head RK illustrated by a maximum pivot angle range SW in the operating position by the sprinkler head is drawn in a first extreme position in a solid line and in a second extreme position in a broken line. However, the pivoting movement over the swivel angle range SW is not limited by abutment of the sprinkler head on the cover surface but by the adjusting rings SR of the adjusting device for the swivel angle limits. For the in Fig. 4 (A) shown operating position of the sprinkler, the influx of water with increased pressure from a water source must be open.

If the supply of water is interrupted, the water pressure which has kept the piston KO in the raised position counter to the downward-resetting spring FE decreases and the piston is pulled down vertically under the action of the spring force of the spring FE, as in a first intermediate position in FIG Fig. 4 (B) is shown. Since at this stage only the water in the guide KZ below the piston is pressed through the rain gear, the activity of the sprinkler can be disregarded.

It is in Fig. 4 (B) to illustrate the function assuming that the sprinkler head is in a pivoted against a center position laterally pivoted position when the water supply is turned off and begins the movement of the piston KO down. A side wall RS of the sprinkler head engages an edge AK of the recess AU in the cover surface and the force acting on the sprinkler head via the piston KO and the sprinkler head suspension on the pivot axis SA, caused by the spring FE, leads to a force the rain head acting torque about the pivot axis SA, which is directed so that the sprinkler head is erected.

An output shaft of the sprinkler gear between the fixed and the co-rotated gear housing part is already to be regarded as immovable fixed at this stage. The sprinkler head or with this with respect to the pivot axis SA rotatably connected housing part GA of the transmission are connected to the output shaft of the transmission in a known manner so that a relative rotation of the sprinkler head against the output shaft of the transmission without destroying the gear, the sprinkler head or Coupling structures between gear head and output shaft occur. Such a relative rotation permitting connection can in particular be given by an overload protection, which holds the sprinkler head with a holding torque in a defined rotational position to the output shaft of the transmission, but which upon application of torque to the sprinkler head, which exceeds such a holding torque triggers and allows a non-destructive rotation of the sprinkler head relative to the output shaft. Such overload protection devices are known per se as so-called vandalism fuses with oscillating operated sprinklers against damage caused by improper force. In the present invention, such overload protection systems are specifically used as means for aligning the sprinkler head in a rest-pivoting position.

As a result, the sprinkler head RK of the in Fig. 4 (B) Position shown by overcoming the holding torque of the coupling between the sprinkler head and output shaft of the transmission in the in Fig. 4 (C) shifted position and finally in the in Fig. 4 (D) erected position shown relative to the transmission housing. In the in Fig. 4 (D) illustrated rest position of the sprinkler head, the nozzle head is fed with its nozzle array DA containing surface RF in the recess AU in the lid surface and centered in this and aligned with lying substantially vertically above the pivot axis SA nozzle assembly DA. The recess AU in the cover surface is closed by the sprinkler head and bridged by the surface RF of the sprinkler head. The surface RF is approximately in one plane with the surrounding lid surface DF.

When the water supply is reopened, the piston is moved upwards again under the action of the water pressure and the sprinkler head is hereby kept in the upright orientation while initially maintaining the upright orientation Fig. 4 (E) shown raised operating position on the Deckelfäche DF shifts. The gear housing is laterally in one of the cover surface DF guided down the guide of the lid side. In the raised position of the sprinkler head, the output shaft of the sprinkler gear, which is now again traversed by water, is placed in the oscillating rotational movement about the pivot axis SA. The sprinkler head can initially remain in the illustrated upright position, until the correct angle assignment of sprinkler head and output shaft of the sprinkler mechanism occurs again due to the movement of the pivot axis and the previously triggered overload protection again comes into drive engagement and the sprinkler head on an oscillating pivoting movement about the pivot axis SA for regular sprinkler operation.

In particular, using a z. B. from the DE 10 2008 030 022 A1 Known overload clutch can be pivoted in the lowering of the sprinkler head this in the event that both swivel angle limits are on the same side of a vertical center plane ME, also on the plane closer to the center plane swivel angle limit, without adjusting the swivel angle limit. After re-raising the sprinkler head this is automatically returned to the swivel angle range between the set swivel angle limits.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged section Fig. 4 (C) in which it is illustrated how a side surface RS of the sprinkler head RK rests downwards on the edge AK of the recess AU during the movement of the piston KO under the force of the spring FE. During the further downward movement of the piston of the sprinkler head is in the illustration Fig. 5 pressed in a clockwise direction in a further upright position and the side surface RS of the sprinkler head RK slides along the edge AK along the recess until the sprinkler head RK finally rests with its upwardly facing outer surface RF completely in the recess AU between the opposite edges and the recess closes. In the enlarged section after Fig. 5 are also the adjusting means VS for changing the expansion of the fan jet of the nozzle assembly shown, which are advantageously under an axial projection of the outer surface RF of the sprinkler head and inaccessible covered completely in the rest position rain head hidden and therefore can not be easily operated without authorization.

Fig. 6 shows how the lid DE can be lifted with the sprinkler head RK lowered from the shaft housing SG upwards, whereby the upper shaft opening is released for cleaning purposes or for access to the adjusting means and adjusting the square sprinkler. A guide FU is sized with substantially vertical side walls so that the sprinkler head can slide through this guide FU when the cover DE is removed or mounted. With the cover removed, in particular, the sprinkler head RK can thus be removed from the shaft of the piston KO and the guide sleeve FH, in which a union nut UM provided for releasably securing the sprinkler head in the embodiment shown is released. Instead of fastening by means of a union nut, other fastening means such. B. bayonet provided. After removal of the sprinkler head from the shaft housing, for example, a filter device, not shown, arranged in the course of the water flow can be cleaned or replaced.

The features indicated above and in the claims, as well as the features which can be seen in the figures, can be implemented advantageously both individually and in various combinations. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described, but can be modified in many ways within the scope of expert knowledge.

Claims (15)

1. Oscillating sprinkler arrangement having an oscillating sprinkler, which contains a sprinkler gear mechanism (GE) and a sprinkler head (RK) which can be pivoted with oscillating action about a horizontal pivot axis (SA), and having a shaft housing (SG), which encloses the oscillating sprinkler and is delimited in the upward direction by a cover surface (DF), characterized
   in that the sprinkler head (RK) can be displaced vertically relative to the shaft housing (SG) between a lowered, rest position and a raised, operating position,
   and in that the cover surface (DF) contains an aperture (AU) which can be closed by the sprinkler head (RK) in the rest position of the latter.
2. Arrangement according to Claim 1, characterized in that a surface (RF) of the sprinkler head (RK), said surface being oriented upwards in the rest position of the sprinkler head (RK), forms an essentially continuous surface with the enclosing cover surface (DF).
3. Arrangement according to Claim 2, characterized in that the continuous surface forms a horizontally planar surface.
4. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sprinkler head (RK), in the rest position, is supported vertically in a tread-resistant manner.
5. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a surface (RF) of the sprinkler head (RK), said surface being oriented upwards in the rest position of the sprinkler head (RK), contains nozzle openings of a nozzle arrangement (DA).
6. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sprinkler head (RK), in the rest position, assumes a defined pivoting-rest position about the pivot axis (SA).
7. Arrangement according to Claim 6, characterized in that, during displacement from the operating position into the rest position, guide means pivot the sprinkler head into the pivoting-rest position.
8. Arrangement according to Claim 7, characterized in that the sprinkler head (RK), during pivoting operation brought about by the guide means, can be pivoted relative to an output shaft of the sprinkler gear mechanism.
9. Arrangement according to Claim 7, characterized in that the guide means contain at least one abutment surface on the periphery of the aperture (AU), said abutment surface interacting with a mating surface of the sprinkler head (RK).
10. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that adjusting means (VS) for manually adjusting those parameters of the oscillating sprinkler which determine the sprinkling surface area are located inaccessibly beneath the cover surface (DF) in the rest position of the sprinkler head (RK) and are accessible above the cover surface (DF) in the operating position.
11. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cover surface (DF) is formed by a cover (DE) which, together with the sprinkler head (RK), can be rotated about a vertical axis relative to the shaft housing (SG).
12. Arrangement according to Claim 11, characterized in that the cover (DE) can be arrested in different rotary positions.
13. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it is possible to adjust a jet pattern generated by a nozzle arrangement (DA) of the sprinkler head (RK) during operation, and the adjusting means (VS) assigned to such an adjusting operation are arranged on at least one axial end side of the sprinkler head (RK), as seen in relation to the pivot axis (SA).
14. Arrangement according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the pivoting-angle limits of the oscillating pivoting movement can be set in unalterable fashion, and the setting means associated with such setting capability are designed in the form of adjusting rings which can be rotated about the pivot axis.
15. Arrangement according to Claim 10 and Claim 14, characterized in that the setting means, during displacement of the sprinkler head (RK) into the lowered, rest position, allow rotation beyond a set pivoting limit, the retaining force of the overload clutch being overcome in the process, without the pivoting-angle limit being altered and, during displacement of the sprinkler head into the raised, operating position, guide said sprinkler head back into the angle range between the pivoting-angle limits.

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