Rain detector for automatic irrigation systems
US5321578A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 17, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jun 14, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 17, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02A40/22
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A rainfall detector for detecting a set amount of rainfall and which functions to interrupt the normal operation of an automatic sprinkler or irrigation system upon detection of the set amount of rainfall, includes a rainwater-collection tray having an opening and mounted so that the portion of the opening exposed to rainwater during a rainstorm is adjustable. The rainwater-collection tray may be slidably mounted below a detector housing which houses a switching circuit with two sensors extending into the tray, and which serves to block the rain from the open portion of the tray beneath the housing. Thus, the portion of the tray opening exposed to rain is adjusted by sliding the tray so that more or less of the opening is covered by the housing. The tray may also include posts extending upwardly from the bottom of the tray and terminating below the top edge of the tray for preventing debris from filling the rain-collecting portion of the tray.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.