Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
FLOW I)IVII)ING DEVICE FOR GARI)ENING PIPES
1'he present invention relates to a flow dividing device and, more
particularly, to a flow dividing device for gardening pipes.
A conventional flow dividing device for gardening pipes comprises a
main body having a first side provided with a plurality of water outlets and a
second side provided with a water source connector connected to a water
source to supply water to the water outlets, a plurality of pipe connectors
each
mounted on a respective one of the water outlets of the main body and each
connected to a gardening pipe which is connected to a water output equipment,
such as a sprinkler or the like, and a plurality of control valves mounted on
a
respective one of the water outlets of the main body to open and close the
respective water outlet. I-Iowever, the conventional flow dividing device has
a
coinplicated construction, thereby greatly increasing the costs of
fabrication.
In addition, the control valves and the pipe connectors of the flow dividing
device are mounted individually, so that the conventional flow dividing device
is not operated easily and conveniently.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a flow
dividing device for gardening pipes, wherein the water flow of each of the
water control switches is opened and closed by rotation of the operation knob,
thereby facilitating a user operating each of the water control switches.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a flow
dividing device for gardening pipes, wherein when the pipe connector is
2
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
detached from the operation knob, the pivot shaft of the pipe connector is
rotatable in the mounting hole of the operation knob so that the pipe
connector
is rotatable relative to the operation knob and is freely rotatable with the
gardening pipe to facilitate a user rotating the gardening pipe relative to
the
main body freely.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a flow
dividing device for gardening pipes, wherein the flow dividing device has a
simplified construction, thereby facilitating assembly of the flow dividing
device, and thereby decreasing costs of fabrication of the flow dividing
device.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate
reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flow dividing device for gardening
pipes in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the flow dividing device as
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the flow dividing
device as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a partially plan cross-sectional assembly view of the flow
dividing device as shown in Fig. 3.
3
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
Fig. 5 is a partially top plan cross-sectional view of the flow dividing
device as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a partially top plan view of the flow dividing device as
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a schematic operational view of the flow dividing device as
shown in Fig. 5.
1~ ig. 8 is a schematic operational view of the flow dividing device as
shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away schematic operational view of the flow
dividing device as shown in Fig. 1.
Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1-6, a flow dividing
device for gardening pipes in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
present invention comprises a main body 10 having an inside formed with a
water chamber 11 and having a first side provided with a plurality of mounting
studs 12 each having a water passage 13 connected to the water chamber 11
and a second side provided with a water source connector 20 connected to the
water chamber 11 to supply water into the water chamber 11, and a plurality of
water control switches 40 each mounted on a respective one of the mounting
studs 12 of the main body 10 to open and close the water passage 13 of the
respective mounting stud 12 and each connected to a gardening pipe (not
shown).
4
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
"I'he water chamber 11 of the main body 10 has an open end wall, and
a closure tap 30 is mounted on the open end wall of the water chamber I 1 of
the
main body 10. Each of the mounting studs 12 of the main body 10 has an outer
thread 120. 'I'he water passage 13 of each of the mounting studs 12 has a
stepped shape and has a first hole 130 connected to the water chamber 11 and a
second hole 132 having a diameter greater than that of the first hole 130.
Each
of the mounting studs 12 has a periphery provided with a limit stub 14 located
adjacent to the first side of the main body 10.
Each of the water control switches 40 includes a control valve 41
movably mounted in the respective mounting stud 12 of the main body 10 to
open and close the water passage 13 of the respective mounting stud 12, an
operation knob 43 rotatably and movably mounted on the respective mounting
stud 12 of the main body 10 and rested on the control valve 41 to push the
control valve 41 toward the water passage 13 of the respective mounting stud
12, and a pipe connector 44 mounted on the operation knob 43 to connect a
gardening pipe 50 (see Fig. 9).
rl,he control valve 41 of each of the water control switches 40 has a
first end provided with a stop portion 410 that is movable to open and close
the
water passage 13 of the respective mounting stud 12 and a second end provided
with a plurality of resting plates 411 rested on and pushed by the operation
knob 43 and a plurality of conduits 412 located between the resting plates 411
and connected to the water passage 13 of the respective mounting stud 12 when
5
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
the stop portion 410 of the control valve 41 is detached from the water
passage
13 of the respective mounting stud 12. The stop portion 410 of the control
valve 41 has a diameter greater than that of the first hole 130 of the water
passage 13 and smaller than that of the second hole 132 of the water passage
13.
1'he stop portion 410 of the control valve 41 is provided with a sealing
gasket
42 that is movable to seal the first hole 130 of the water passage 13.
"I'he operation knob 43 of each of the water control switches 40 has a
cap shape and has an inside connected to the conduits 412 of the control valve
41 and formed with a screw bore 430 screwed onto the outer thread 120 of the
respective mounting stud 12 so that the operation knob 43 is movable relative
to the respective mounting stud 12 by rotation of the operation knob 43. The
operation knob 43 of each of the water control switches 40 has a first end
provided with an inwardly extending push portion 435 rested on the resting
plates 411 of the control valve 41 and a second end provided with a protruding
limit edge 431 that is movable to rest on the limit stub 14 of the respective
mounting stud 12 to limit rotation of the operation knob 43. The first end of
the
operation knob 43 has a central portion fonned with a stepped mounting hole
432 mounted on the pipe connector 44 and has a periphery formed with
polygonal locking hole 433 surrounding the mounting hole 432.
'I'he pipe connector 44 of each of the water control switches 40 is
rotatably inounted on the operation knob 43 and has an inside formed with a
water outlet hole 440 connected to the conduits 412 of the control valve 41.
6
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
The pipe connector 44 of each of the water control switches 40 has a first end
formed with a reduced pivot shaft 441 pivotally mounted in the mounting hole
432 of the operation knob 43 and a second end formed with a connection 445
connected to the gardening pipe 50. The pivot shaft 441 of the pipe connector
44 is movably mounted in the mounting hole 432 of the operation knob 43 and
has a distal end extended into the inside of the operation knob 43 and
provided
with a protruding limit flange 442 that is movable to rest on the push portion
435 of the operation knob 43 to prevent the pivot shaft 441 of the pipe
connector 44 from detaching from the operation knob 43. An 0-ring 443 is
mounted on the pivot shaft 441 of the pipe connector 44 to seal the pivot
shaft
441 of the pipe connector 44 in the mounting hole 432 of the operation knob
43.
The pipe connector 44 of each of the water control switches 40 has a mediate
portion formed with a polygonal locking portion 444 surrounding the pivot
shaft 441 and movable to be inserted into and locked in the locking hole 433
of
the operation knob 43. Thus, when the pipe connector 44 is pushed toward the
operation knob 43, the locking portion 444 of the pipe connector 44 is
inserted
into and locked in the locking hole 433 of the operation knob 43 so that the
pipe connector 44 is secured to the operation knob 43 to facilitate a user
mounting the gardening pipe 50 on the pipe connector 44.
In assembly, after the pivot shaft 441 of the pipe connector 44 is
inserted into the mounting hole 432 of the operation knob 43 and partially
extended into the inside of the operation knob 43 as shown in Fig. 4, the
distal
7
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
end of the pivot shaft 441 is worked by a stamping process to form the limit
flange 442.
In operation, referring to Figs. 1-6, the operation knob 43 is movable
relative to the respective mounting stud 12 by rotation of the operation knob
43.
1'hus, when the operation knob 43 is movable toward the respective mounting
stud 12, the push portion 435 of the operation knob 43 pushes the resting
plates
411 of the control valve 41 to move the control valve 41 which pushes the stop
portion 410 to block the first hole 130 of the water passage 13 by the sealing
gasket 42 as shown in Fig. 5 to close the water passage 13 of the respective
mounting stud 12 so as to interrupt the connection between the water chamber
11 of the main body 10 and each of the water control switches 40 so that the
watei- contained in the water chamber 11 of the main body 10 cannot flow into
each of the water control switches 40.
Alternatively, referring to Figs. 7 and 8 with reference to Figs. 1-3,
when the operation knob 43 is movable outward relative to the respective
mounting stud 12, the push portion 435 of the operation knob 43 is detached
from the resting plates 411 of the control valve 41 to release the control
valve
41 so that the control valve 41 is pushed outward relative to the respective
mounting stud 12 by a water pressure contained in the water chamber 11 of the
main body 10 to drive the stop portion 410 and the sealing gasket 42 to detach
from the first hole 130 of the water passage 13 as shown in Fig. 7 to open the
water passage 13 of the respective mounting stud 12 so as to connect the water
8
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
chamber 11 of the main body 10 and each of the water control switches 40.
"I'hus, the water contained in the water chamber 11 of the main body 10 can
flow into each of the water control switches 40 and in turn flows through the
conduits 412 of the control valve 41 and the water outlet hole 440 of the pipe
connector 44 into the gardening pipe 50 as shown in Fig. 9.
As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the limit edge 431 of the operation knob
43 is movable to rest on the limit stub 14 of the respective mounting stud 12
to
prevent an excessive rotation of the operation knob 43.
As shown in Figs. 4 and 9, when the pipe connector 44 is pulled
outward relative to the operation knob 43, the locking portion 444 of the pipe
connector 44 is detached from the locking hole 433 of the operation knob 43 so
that the pipe connector 44 is detached from the operation knob 43, and the
pivot shaft 441 of the pipe connector 44 is rotatable in the mounting hole 432
of the operation knob 43. Thus, the pipe connector 44 is rotatable relative to
the
operation knob 43 and is freely rotatable with the gardening pipe 50 as shown
in Fig. 9 to facilitate a user rotating the gardening pipe 50 relative to the
main
body 10.
Accordingly, the water flow of each of the water control switches is
opened and closed by rotation of the operation knob, thereby facilitating a
user
operating each of the water control switches. In addition, when the pipe
connector is detached from the operation knob, the pivot shaft of the pipe
connector is rotatable in the mounting hole of the operation knob so that the
9
CA 02533573 2006-01-19
pipe connector is rotatable relative to the operation knob and is freely
rotatable
with the gardening pipe to facilitate a user rotating the gardening pipe
relative
to the main body freely. Further, the flow dividing device has a simplified
construction, thereby facilitating assembly of the flow dividing device, and
thereby decreasing costs of fabrication of the flow dividing device.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred
embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other
possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the
scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the
appended
claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within
the
true scope of the invention.
