Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1076~32~L
The present invention relates to a device for trickle
irrigation.
It has been known for a long time that efficient means
are required for applying water to field crops at or helow surface
level. It is impGrtant that the delivery of water should be at
a slow uniform rate over long runs in particular for such crops
which are grown in rows. This is in particular important in
Israel which has a shortage of water.
It has been found that the above problem can be solved
to a large extend by way of trickle irrigation. There are
Xnown several dripper units for trickle irrigation which are part
of or are connected to the water conduit, e.g. a pipe, hose or ~ `
the like. Such devices are descrbied, inter alia, in the follow-
ing Isreal Patent Specifications Nos.: 13787 published January
26, 1961, 21004 published January 26, 1967, 25197, published
January 2q, 1970, all granted to Ischayahu Blass; 34566 published
October 29, 1972 and granted to Isaac Rinkewich; 36901 published
November 10, 1975, granted to The Standard Institution of Israel
& Yigal Gilaad. However, although one has achieved with many
of said dripper units the desired degree of the trickle irriga-
tion, they are not entirely satisfactory as a separate dripper
unit has to be manufactured and only when this unit is introduced
into the water conduit or is added thereto a complete dripper
system is presented.
These known dripper systems have an additional drawback
in that they are quite expensive. Especially with seasonal crops
where the ground has to be w~rked at the end of the season, they
have at the end of the season to be collected, stored and to be
used again. A one-time use with this system would be a big
waste.
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However, for many crops, in particular cotton, sugar
cane, melons and the like, where large areas are concerned, the
collection of the system is quite complicated and cumbersome
and thus one-time use is very desirable.
It has therefore been desirable to design a device which
constitutes integrally both the water conduit and the dripper
unit. Said device should be relatively cheap, so that a one-
time use would be economical.
The most simple device would be a hose being perforated
at pre-determined distances. However, such hose is not practical
because no precise and slow uniform rate of trickling can be
obtained therewith. Moreover, the very small holes re~uired
cause a very long undesirable spray and in addition they will
easily clog.
There is also known a device comprising a hose being
perforated at pre-determined distances, into which perforations
there are introduced long Pxtending thin hoses. This device is
very unsatisfactory as its manufacture is very complicated and
its use is combersome. Moreover, in view of the fact that there
are connection points special-care has to be taken that said
points should be water-tight.
In U.S. Specification No. 3698195 issued October 17,
1972 to Richard D. Chapin there is described a water distributing
hose comprising an outer tubular wall and an inner wall spaced
interiorly from the outer wall and defining an inner tubular :
member fixed to the outer tubular wall for generally line contact
therewith along the full length thereof. Both walls are perfor-
ated, normally in opposed relation to the line contact there-
between with the outer wall having a substantially greater number
of openings. The inner tube functions so as to carry water
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along the full length of the hose and maintain to a substantial
degree, the pressure thereof. The water discharge through the
inner wall openings and subsequently flows to and through the
outer wall openings immediately adjacent to each inner wall open-
ing fora trickle-like discharge therefrom.
Another device has been suggested comprising a main
hose serving for carrying the water adjacent to which extends
a hose having a smaller diameter, the common walls of both hoses
being perforated, the smaller tube being perforated agaln~at its
outer wall, the number of the holes at the outer wall being more
numerous than those at the common wall.
However, both said devices are not entirely satisfactory
as again they are based on very small holes having the same
drawbacks set out above. Moreover the manufacture of said devices
is quite complicated and expensive.
From U.S. Patent Specification No. 3887138 issued June
3, 1975 to Gideon Gilead, there is known a trickle or drip irriga-
tion device which comprises two hose like elements inserted into
one another, one of said elements being constituted by a helically
grooved hose of conventional design, the inner member being
tightly held in the outer element, openings being provided in the
inner element and an outflow or outflows at desired intervals,
from the outer element. This arrangement too is not entirely
satisfactory as it comprises two hoses which have to be combined
into one.
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Thus, it is complicated and relatively expen~iveO
It has there~ore been desirable to design a de~ice
~or trickle irrigation, constituting integrPlly both the
water conduit and the drlpper unit which device o~ercomes
the above disadvantsges and which is relatively cheap
ao that a one-~ime use is econom~csl.
The present in~ent1on thus consi~ts in a device for
trickle irrigation constituting an integral u~it being
~ade ~rom the a~e mat~rial con~tituting a hoee (hereina~ter
caIled "~ater carrying hosen) said hose being provided at
pre-determined distancea with openings, which ope~l~g~ are on
a line parPllel to the a~s o~ the water carrying hosw, ~ro~
which openings extend individual small hoses (herei~after called
"sprinkling hoses~) provided with dripping outlets9 wherein
all adjacent ~ondult segments o~ said hosee ha~e common
~used seams.
The sprinkiing ho~ must be considerably long and the
diameter thereo~ must be ~mall in order that the preesure ie
rsduced from the inlet to the sprinkling hose up to the outlet
ther~oi, 60 that the desired 910w rate oi deliver~ i8 achleved.
It is there~ore sd~antageous to take care that although the
~ater conduit in the aprin~ ghoee i8 quite long, eaid hose
~hould be compsct, i.e. have a helical, labyrinth or the
like suitable ~o:rm.
The ~umber of sprinkling hoses and their length,
diameter and ~orms thereo~ are not critical ~eatures o~
the present invention. They msy be determined by the speci~lo
requirements needed of the device.
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~ioreover, the sprinkling hoses may be arranged on
more than one side of the water carrying hose, i.e., there
may be 2, 3 or even more parallel liIles of sprinkling hosesO
In a pre~erred embodiment of the device according to
the present invention the diameter of the inlet to- and o~
the outlet from the sprinkling hoses are a little bit larger
that the diameter of said hoses. By this clogging at the
inlet and spraying at the outlet is avoided to a large extentO
The outlet of the sprinkler hose may, if desired, sub-
divide into two hoses, which each has its separate outlet.
These subdivided hoses may again each separate into two
different ho~es. ~his is being sometimes done in order to r
obtain smaller delivery rates without lengthening the sprinkler
hose or without reducing the diameter thereof.
In order to ascertain that no clogging can occur a
filtering device may be connected to the inlet of the water
carrying hose.
The size of the diameter of both the water carrying
as ~ell as the spr~nkling hose is not a critical feature
of the device according to the present invention. The
diameter of the w~ter carrying hose may be, e.g. 10-30 mm.
The diameter o~ the sprinkling hose is a function of
the required dripping rate and also a function of the
length and form of the sprinkling hose. Preferably it
~arie~ from 0.5 ~m to 3 mm. Its length preferably varies
from 1-10 meters.
The device according to the present invention overcomes
substantially the drawbacks of the k~own devices. It enables
a steady, slow uniform rate of ~low and can be produced in
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a simple manu~acturing process as one integral unit,
in one manufacturing operation. ~loreover, it is pliablel
can be bent and thus be packed, stored and transported
compsctly. Finally in vie~ o~ the fact that the walls of
the hoses may be quite thin, e.g. a~out 0.5-1.0 mm, the
device is quite cheap and the one-time use is economical.
Thus, at the end of the season it must not b~ collected ~nd
stored and may be left in the field to be destroyed by
s~mple and cheap conventional methods.
~ he materi~l $rom which the device is made is not a
critic~l feature of the present invention. ~ny su~table
pliable plsstic or non-plastic material in sheets, foils,
sleeves or film~, which csn be fused together e.g. glued,
pressure fused, heat-fusion ~elded, supersonic fused,
rsdation ~used or the like may be utilised. There are prefe-
rsbly utilised certain polyolefines, e.g. polyethylsne,
polypropylene a~d polybutylene or mi2tures thereof.
The device according to the present in~ention is
preferably manufactured by ~usion of one or two thin sheets,
foils, sleeves or films of a suitable plastic or non-plastic
material, e.g. by way o~ glueing, pressure fusing, hot-~u~ on
~elding, supersonic fusion, radiation fu~ion or the like,
whereby the entire device ~s formed in one operation.
The device according to the present invention can be
an integral part of other devices, e.g. a covering ~or
glass houses, for young ~prouts, e.t.c~ Such combination,
i.e. covering and device ~or trickle irrigation according
to the pre6ent invention mag be manufactured as one u~it
from one or two sheets of the pla~tic or non-pla6tio material.
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The present invention will now be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings without being limited
by them. In these drawings:
Fig.l shows a perspective view of a device according
to the present invention being under pressure, i.e. through
which water flows:
Fig.2a, b and c show longitudinal and cross-sectional
views respectively of the device according to Fig.l; ', ;~
Fig 3a and b, 4a and b and ~a and b show longitudinal
and cross-sectional views, respectively, of various embodiments
of the device according to the present invention;
Figs. 6a and b show longitudinal and cross-sectional
views, respectifely, of an embodiment of the device according
to the present invention wherein the sprinkler hose subdi-
vides into two sprinkler hoses.
- Figs. 7a and b show longltudinal and cross-sectional
views, respectively, of an embodiment of the device according
to the present invention being provided with two lines of '
sprinkler hoses; and
Figs.8and 9 show schematic views of devices according
to the present invention being integral parts of plastic cover-
ings for green houses or the like. I ;
All the above views illustrate sections of thecomplete devices. The corresponding parts are referenced by the
same numerals. For sake of clarity in each line of sprinkler
hoses the parts of only one hose are referenced. All seams
between adjacent hoses are illustrated by shading lines.
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The cross section views shown in Figs. 2b, ~b, 4b, 5b,
6b ~nd 7b are shown along line A-~ in the corresponding
Figs. and illustrate the devices under water pressure.
The cross-section view shown in Fig.2c is show~ also along
line A-A, but in the collapsed position for reeling.
~ he devices illustrated in all Figs~ comprise water
carry~ng hose 1, sprinkler hoses 2, inlets 3, from water
carrying hose 1 to spr nkler hose 2; and outlets 4 from
spri n~l er hose6 2.
The ~ater in sprinkler hoses 2 ~10WB as indicated
by the arro~s.
The sprin~ler hose~ 2 o~ the embodiments shown in
Fig8. 1-5 have various ~orm~. That in ~igs.4 is straight
~hersa~ those in the other ~igs. are be~t a~ ~ho~n.
~ he sprinkler hoses 2 o~ the em~odiment shô~n in
~ig~6 subdi~de~ into two and ha~ thus outlet~ 4' and 4n.
The e~bodi~snt shown in ~ig~.7 has two lines o~ sprinkler
hos~s 21 and 2~ parallcl the axi8 0~ water carrying ho~e 1
having ths same shape as that illustrated in Fig~. 1 a~d 2.
The device illustrated in Fig.8 show~ plastic co~ering 5
proper being made o~ one plastic sheet bei~g in combination
~ith a dripping device as lllustrated in Figs.l and 2,
Said drippi~g device (shown under water p~essura~ is arranged
out~ide the plastio covering and dripping ~rom the inside thereo~0
The device il:Lustrated in Fig.9 8how9 a pla~tic coveri~g
being made ~rom two sheets 6a and 6b in combination with a
dr~pping device a~ illustrated in Fig 1 and 2. Said dripplng
device (sho~n u~der water pressure) i~ arranged and drippi~g
~rom thè same sld~ o~ the plastic coveringO ~
