US Patent 7,942,350
Click HERE to view the patent at Google Patents.
steve.shoap@alum.mit.edu
Modern 2-Wire Intelligent Irrigation Systems use a single wire pair to create a remotely controlled network.
This wire pair is separately trenched from the PVC pipe.
I propose to embed the wire pair into the PVC pipe.
Then, each PVC connection will simultaneously connect the water
path AND the wire pair to the next segment of PVC.
A intelligent irrigation system
using this invention should cost less, install more quickly and have improved system reliability.
(Another embodiment of this system embeds a wire pair into a hose instead of a PVC pipe.
To see the hose based system click HERE).
Fig 1 shows a segment of PVC pipe with an extra extrusion on its top that
contains a wire pair. When the PVC pipe is cut,
the extrusion containing the
wires is cut back from the edge of the pipe cut. The cut is can be done in the field with a simple tool.
This cut back, or offset, is done to insure that the end face of the PVC is smooth, and will make a tight fit with the gasket in its associated coupler.
In Fig 1,
a non-conducting End Clip has conductive metal pins that are forced into the strands of the wire pairs
in order to make electrical contact.
These metal pins are designed to make electrical connection to conductive buttons that are located in a chamber inside the
Pipe Coupler shown in Fig 2.
Another segment of PVC Pipe-with-Wires is then connected to the opposite end of the Pipe Coupler so that the system can be extended.
Fig 3 shows more detail of adapter in Fig 2. The left end of Fig 3 shows a mirror image chamber containing a pair of conductive buttons.
These buttons are connected
to wires that pass through the body of the adapter, and which attach to the
conductive buttons in the right side chamber.
These wires connect the corresponding PVC Pipe pins on each end of the adapter, and the
electric circuit is thereby continued through the Pipe Coupler.
A monitor
port on the adapter allows for user connection to the internal wire pair for
diagnostic purposes. The monitor port can also be used for the
connection of surge protectors.
The electrical network can be used to selectively "trickle charge" batteries that are located at the remote locations.
Click HERE to view a PowerPoint presentation of the invention.
Click HERE to see an existing product that attaches a tracer wire to a pipe via co-extrusion.
Click HERE to see prototypes that were made at the University of Dayton.
Click HERE to see PVC experiments.
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