AU2003266763A1 - Controlled Irrigation of a Crop by Valve and Dripping Means - Google Patents

Description

TITLE: Controlled irrigation of a crop byvalve and dripping means Field of the Invention: The present invention relates to an improved assemble for localised delivery of a liquid or nutrient source to a plant.

Background of the Invention: It is known that commercial cropping requires irrigation to sustain the crop.

Generally, in order to optimise crop growth and viability by conventional irrigation methods the volume of water required is very high in the order of 100 litres per plant, per day. Hence, the water source will have to come from a flowing stream or river or from bore well. Such high rates of water consumption place a strain on water resources and may even contribute to increases in salinity levels in the soil.

As a result of the effects on water supply by conventional irrigation, some alternative systems have been developed to both conserve water and optimise plant/crop growth.

One such system known to the present applicant has included a length of hosing incorporating holes along its length of less than about 0.1mm in diameter. There are several problems with this type of prior art system. Firstly the holes/openings are required to be small because if they were any larger the water pressure would decrease with progressive distance from a liquid source, under pressure.

In this situation plants positioned at a distance from a liquid source are likely to receive increasingly less water. Secondly, because the holes are minute, they can very easily be blocked by dirt particles or even crystallised nutrient. And thirdly, to prevent blockage, systems of this type incorporate complex and expensive filtration systems to filter dirt and the like from entering the hose line.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system for localised irrigation of a plant or plants in a commercial crop.

Summary of the Invention: The present invention discloses in a first aspect an irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant including: a container for housing a reservoir of liquid, the container including an inlet conhectable to an external liquid source to enable ingress of liquid form an external source within the container; a valve means operable in relation to the inlet to control the reservoir of liquid between a first and second predetermined levels; an elongate liquid transfer means to enable transference of liquid from the reservoir to a local environ, the transfer means having one end in contact with the liquid reservoir and the other end positioned external to the reservoir for directing release of liquid transferred from one end to the other in a direction of the local environment; wherein when the liquid reservoir in the container reaches the first predetermined level as a result of the transfer of liquid from the container to the environment, the valve means is operable to allow ingress of liquid from the external source via the inlet up to the second predetermined level so that liquid is available for repeated transfer and release to the local environment.

The present invention addresses the disadvantage of the prior art by controlling the volume of liquid delivered to a plant or crop. In this arrangement the container can be placed in an irrigation zone so as to enable liquid exiting the container to be localised to best suit the needs of a plant.

The container can be closed so that extraneous matter from the external environment cannot foul the liquid reservoir.

The container can include a spike means positioned beneath the container to be driven into the ground to stabilise the container.

The valve means can comprise a floatation device which acts to close the water inlet when Water within the container reaches the second predetermined level. It is understood that when water within the container reaches the first lower level of liquid, the floatation device acts to open the inlet to allow liquid from the external source to enter the container.

The container can be a two-part. container comprising a lower reservoir part and an upper lid to prevent entry of material that would otherwise cause fouling.

The container can also include a recess in the container for locating the liquid transfer means in communication between the reservoir and the local (external) environment.

The floatation device can be a single floatation valve.

The irrigation system can be connected to other irrigation systems in a series.

A further advantage of the present system is that the inlet is not restricted by needing to be very small. The inlet can indeed be a conventional diameter opening which is easier to manufacture and is not subject to blockage.

The irrigation system of the present invention can also include a flushing means located at the bottom of the container. The flushing means in non-flushing condition is seated against an opening in the bottom surface of the container and is held in position by a head of liquid within the container. The flushing means can be manually operated and displaced from the seated position exposing the opening in the bottom surface of the container. In one aspect the flushing means can be a disc adapted to make sealing contact with the opening in the bottom of the coptainer and including a central stem extending through the opening. An operator can manually apply pressure against the stem and thereafter displace the flushing means from its seated position. In this second operating condition liquid from within the container is able to exit via the opening. The advantage of the flushino means is that it allows self-cleaning of the system.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig.1 shows a sectional drawing of the irrigation system of the invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment with reference to the drawing Referring to Fig 1 there is shown an irrigation system of the present invention.

The irrigation system includes a two-part container, which comprises a lower reservoir part and a closure part for closing the device and preventing entry of extraneous external material that may otherwise cause a blockage.

The container includes an openingtherein to enable secure connection to a liquid delivery pipe from an external source (not shown). The pipe has a circular inlet diameter of about 2mm and liquid in this inlet is pressurised by means of a pressure pump positioned at or close to the external liquid source.

The device according to figure 1 further includes a single floatation valve which pivots at pivot point in relation to the liquid level within the reservoir part of the container.

The container also includes a recess within the container which houses an elongate water transferring means The transfer means in this embodiment is fabricated from a felt material which is chosen on the basis of its characteristic of transferring liquid by capillarity at a desirable predetermined rate. It has one end in contact with the liquid within the reservoir part of the container and a second end (10) extending externally of the reservoir. Liquid is able to be transferred along the length of felt material and is released at end (10) when the total length becomes saturated. When saturation is reached over the length of the felt liquid is released from the second end andfalls on the earth immediately below (not shown). It is understood that te rate at which liquid is released along the transfer means can be controlled/predetermined by different materials to meet the liquid uptake of a particular crop; hence selection of material for liquid transfer depends on climate and liquid requirement of a particular crop.

The container includes an integral spike (11) which is adapted to be driven into the ground, adjacent a plant, so that the liquid released may be localised near a plant root system.

The floatation valve includes a float (12) which exhibits buoyancy characteristics and is connected to the container by pivot arm The pivot arm pivots at the connection point as the float moves in relation to the level of liquid within the reservoir. The valve includes a stopper (13) which operates to close the pipe inlet when the liquid reservoir has reached a desired upper level.

In a first operating condition when liquid is at a predetermined minimal level the float adopts a relative position to displace the stopper from the inlet In this condition liquid from the external source enters the reservoir under pressure. As the liquid level within the reservoir increases the pivot arm progressively pivots until the stopper comes to rest against the inlet to arrive at a second optimum liquid level within the container.

The advantage of the present system is that it avoids blockages because the inlet pipe does not have to be of a small diameter to restrict flow of small particles therethrough; does not require complex/expensive filtration systems; the pipes do not have to be limited in size openings; the rate of irrigation can be controlled, hence can be slow without subject to blockage; no pressure loss experienced when a plurality of devices are connected in series; greater water conservation, since water is only able to enter the container when liquid in the container reaches a low predetermined level.

The irrigation system referring to fig 1 further includes a manually operable valve The valve has a head (16) and a body The body of the valve is adapted to pass through an opening in the floor of the container and is sufficiently elongate to enable an operator access from beneath the container.

The head includes a washer (18) which is seated against the opening in the floor of the container and thus seals.the opening. When an operator desires to flush the contents of the container the lower end of the body is manually pushed thereby raising the head from a sealed position. Liquid can then be released from the container and any extraneous matter within the reservoir can be expelled.

Claims (9)

1. An Irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant including: a container for housing a reservoir of liquid, the container including an inlet connectable to an external liquid source to enable ingress of liquid form an external source within the container; a valve means operable in relation to the inlet to control the reservoir of liquid between a first and second predetermined levels; an elongate liquid transfer means to enable transference of liquid from the reservoir to a local environment, the transfer means having one end in contact with the liquid reservoir and the other end positioned external to the reservoir for directing release of liquid transferred from one end to the other in a direction of the local environment; wherein when the liquid reservoir in the container reaches the first predetermined level as a result of the transfer of liquid from the container to the environment, the valve means is operable to allow ingress of liquid from the external source via the inlet up to the second predetermined level so that liquid is available for repeated transfer and release to the local environment.

2. An irrigation system for controling localised watering of a plant according to claim 1 wherein the valve means includes a floatation device which acts to close the water inlet when water within the container reaches the second predetermined level so that when water within the container reaches a first lower level of liquid, the floatation device acts to open the inlet to allow liquid from the external source to enter the container.

3. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plantaccording to claim1 wherein the container is divided into two parts comprising a lower reservoir part and an upper lid to prevent entry of material that would otherwise cause fouling.

4. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plantaccording to claim 1 wherein the container further includes a recess for housing the liqdid transfer means in communication between the reservoir and the local (external) environment.

An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant according to claim 1 wherein the system includes a flushing means located in the floor of the container for manual expulsion of extraneous matter within the container.

6. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant according to claim 5 wherein the flushing means is a disc adapted b make sealing contact with in an opening in the floor of the container and including a central stem extending through the opening, which allows manual operation by applying an external force against the central stem to raise the disc from a seated position.

7. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant according to claim 1 wherein the container further includes a positioning means such as a spike fixed thereto to enable positioning of the container to allow release at a desired site.

8. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plantaccording to any one of the preceding claimswherein the floatation device is a single valve.

9. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plantaccording to any one of the preceding claims wherein the container can be connected to other irrigation systems in a series. An irrigation system for controlling localised watering of a plant substantially as- hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. By Ah N. Fah October 2003