APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING CHEMICAL AND/OR ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN AN

AQUEOUS MIXTURE

Technical Field

[01 ] The present invention concerns an apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture.

Background Art

[02] In the field of agriculture or gardening, it is currently known the need to spray chemicals and/or organic products to preserve the crops and the plants. The products to be sprayed are mixed with water, in pre-determined proportions, to provide a nebulisable mixture.

[03] Apparatuses have been provided that allow to nebulize the aqueous mixture containing the desired products, such as fertilizers, pesticides, anti-crucibles and the like. Known apparatuses, with manual or electric actuation, comprise a tank of mixture to be sprayed, usually of relatively large size, connected by a suitable flexible piping to a tubular element containing the nebulizer device.

[04] The tank of relatively large size and the consequent weight thereof make the use of the apparatus generally difficult, as it must be moved to reach the different areas to be sprayed. In the case of apparatuses of larger size, the tank or the pumping members may be mounted on a frame equipped with one or more wheels allowing the apparatus to be pulled by the user.

[05] A spray dispensing device of this type is disclosed in patent application US 2015/0021412. This apparatus comprises a frame having wheels on which a pump and a pump drive motor are mounted. The pump is connected through a flexible hose to a spray gun through which a conduit, due to the high-pressure water flow generated by the pump, passes. The spray gun is connected with a container of the chemical product to be mixed with the water passing through the conduit.

[06] German patent application DE 10 2005 054 868 discloses a device for irrigation wherein a fertilizer is supplied into the water conveyed through a conduit.

[07] Because of the cited difficulties in use, apparatuses of known type do not allow to effectively meet the needs of the specific field.

Disclosure

[08] The task of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems, devising an apparatus that allows to perform in a simple and effective way the spraying of chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture, ensuring a quick and accurate mixing.

[09] Within such task, a further scope of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that allows to spray a great quantity of mixed product. [10] Another scope of the invention is to provide an apparatus that eases dosing and mixing of chemical and/or organic products to be sprayed.

[1 1 ] Another scope of the invention is to provide an apparatus of simple constructive and functional conception, provided with surely reliable functioning, versatile use as well as relatively economic costs.

[12] The cited scopes are reached, according to the present invention, by the apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture, according to claim 1 .

[13] According to the invention, the apparatus for spraying chemicals and/or organic products in aqueous mixture comprises a conduit predisposed to be connected with the water supply network to allow the passage therethrough of the fluid supplied by said water supply network, due to the pressure generated by said water supply network, and a container of the chemical and/or organic product to be mixed associated with said conduit.

[14] Advantageously, the maximum pressure of the apparatus is 3 bar.

[15] Advantageously, the working pressure of the apparatus is comprised between 1 bar and 3 bar.

[16] The said chemical and/or organic product is suctioned, in use, into said conduit, to be mixed with said fluid that passes through the conduit, by Venturi or similar effect.

[17] Usefully, said chemical and/or organic product container is associated with suction means including a calibrated pipe suctioning in the same container of the chemical and/or organic product.

[18] Advantageously, said container of said chemical and/or organic product to be mixed is arranged downstream of a flow adjustment device provided with an opening member for controlling the passage of the fluid.

[19] Usually, the apparatus comprises a quick-coupling member predisposed to be connected with the water supply network to allow the passage of the fluid through said conduit due to the pressure generated by the same water supply network.

[20] Usefully, the apparatus comprises a check valve arranged upstream of said suction means to prevent the return of the chemical and/or organic product to said water supply network.

[21 ] Usefully, said check valve is associated with said quick-coupling member.

[22] Preferably, said check valve is housed inside said quick-coupling member.

[23] Preferably, said check valve comprises a sphere of material of resin type.

[24] Usually, said flow regulator device is arranged downstream of said check valve.

[25] Advantageously, the apparatus comprises a nebulizer device arranged at the free end of said conduit.

[26] The present invention also concerns a method for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture, comprising the steps of providing a conduit capable of being traversed by a pressurized fluid; connecting said conduit to the water supply network to allow the passage of the fluid due to the pressure generated by said water supply network; suctioning a chemical and/or organic product from a container associated with said conduit to mix said product with said fluid traversing said conduit; spraying said aqueous mixture through a nebulizer device placed at the free end of said conduit.

Description of Drawings

Details of the invention shall be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture according to the invention, shown for indicative purposes in the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows an overall side view of the apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture according to the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 respectively show a detail side view of different portions of the apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a different embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

Best Mode

With particular reference to such figures, the apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture according to the invention is indicated in its entirety with 1 .

The apparatus comprises a coupling member 2 for connection with the water supply network, in particular a quick-coupling member for flexible hoses. Downstream of the coupling member 2 there is, in line, a check valve 3, axially associated with said coupling member 2, predisposed to prevent the product to flow into the water supply network.

The check valve 3 is connected in line with counting means 4 of the quantity of fluid to be sprayed. Such counting means 4 may be constituted by a mechanical or digital counter predisposed to provide measurement of the volume of fluid supplied through the apparatus. The counting means 4 may be equipped, as specified below, with a timer capable of blocking the passage of the fluid upon reaching a predetermined quantity. Advantageously, downstream of the counting means 4 there is a handle 5, preferably of ergonomic type, for handling the apparatus during use. The handle 5 is shaped above a tubular element 6 that is connected, in line, at one side with the counting means 4, at the opposite side with a flow regulator device 7, and is provided with a control member 8 of the opening to start the passage of the fluid; the control member 8 is usefully made up of a discharge lever lockable in the opening position through a suitable button 9.

Downstream of the control lever 8 there is a mixing device 14 predisposed to mix a predetermined percentage of chemical and/or organic product with the fluid to be sprayed. The mixing device 14 is associated with a container 10 of the chemical and/or organic product to be mixed with the fluid to obtain the mixture to be sprayed. The chemical and/or organic product is put into the container 2 in liquid form. The container 10, suitably sized to measure the quantity of product inserted, may have different capacity depending on the use requirement. A suction pipe 1 1 suctions within the container 10 of the product, calibrated to allow the preestablished mixing.

[33] Downstream of the container 10 of the product a tubular element 12 is provided having, for example, an adjustable length. At one end of such tubular element 12 a spraying device 13 is connected, predisposed to nebulize the sprayed mixture with fixed or variable jet.

[34] More in detail, as it can be seen in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the container 10 of the product comprises a tank 15 substantially jar-shaped that is predisposed to be coupled, for example by a bayonet coupling, with a bell-shaped body 16 extending perpendicularly from the mixer 14. The suction pipe 1 1 that suctions in the reservoir 15 axially extends inside the body 16. Preferably, the suction of the product contained in the tank 15 can be obtained through a mixing device 14 working by Venturi effect. However, it is possible to use devices working by different effects.

[35] On the suction pipe 1 1 a coil 17 is mounted to precisely adjust the percentage of chemical and/or organic product to be mixed with the fluid to be sprayed. Preferably, the apparatus is provided with a series of coils 17 predisposed to be mounted interchangeably on the suction pipe 1 1 and intended for providing the mixer device 14 with different percentages of chemical and/or organic product. For example, it is possible to alternatively use four different coils 17 pre-set for arrangements at respectively 0.5%, 1 %, 1 .5% and 2%.

[36] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the apparatus comprises a nebulizer device 13 with multiple nozzles, in particular provided with three independently adjustable nozzles. For example, the three nozzles can be adjusted for long distances of for thinner jets.

[37] The functioning of the apparatus for spraying chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture is easy to understand from the preceding description.

[38] Firstly, the apparatus is connected with the water supply network, for example through a quick-coupling of the coupling member 2 with a corresponding joining member 21 placed at one end of a flexible hose 20. After having connected the apparatus 1 with the water supply network, the control lever is operated in order to start the discharge of the fluid through the same apparatus. In practice, the apparatus defines a conduit through which the fluid supplied by the water supply network can flow.

[39] The passage of the fluid along said conduit, due to the pressure of the water supply network, determines the suctioning of the chemical and/or organic product from the container 10 in which it has been previously put in a predetermined quantity, so as to create the aqueous mixture to be sprayed. The optimum pressure of the water supply network is suitably between 1 bar and 3 bar, that is the maximum operating pressure of the apparatus.

[40] The counter 4, placed in line in the apparatus, allows one to exactly detect the volume of the sprayed mixture. The suitably adjustable timer associated with the counter 4 allows the fluid flow to be stopped when the pre-established quantity is reached. In particular, the product is suctioned through the suction pipe 1 1 that is calibrated so as to perform the pre-established mixing.

[41 ] It should be noted, however, that the device may also work without a counter or a timer since the duration of spraying and the percentage of active ingredient inside the sprayed mixture can be easily calculated knowing the flow rate of the sprayer. In addition, the active ingredient to be mixed is usually coloured or can be easily coloured, therefore the attainment of a correct mixing can be determined even only visually from the transparent container of the active ingredient.

[42] The aqueous mixture is then sprayed where required by the nebulizer device 13. The jet intensity is suitably adjusted according to the specific requirements through the flow regulator device 7, that is also provided with the control member 8 of the opening of the conduit.

[43] The described apparatus thus reaches the scope of performing in a simple and effective way the spraying of chemical and/or organic products in aqueous mixture, particularly in the field of agriculture or gardening.

[44] Such result is obtained thanks to the inventive idea of using only the pressure of the water supply network to make the mixture to be sprayed. This allows preventing the use of motor members of any type and related tools, in particular electric or thermal motors, as well as manual or automatic pumping devices, with an obvious constructive and functional simplification. This creates a benefit in terms of energy saving.

[45] It should be noted that the unlimited quantity of water available from the connection with the water supply network allows the use of high efficiency sprayers, such as multiple nozzle sprayers that reduce the working time and allow to obtain a spraying suitable to the requirements of the specific active ingredient, with small and large drops, with angled, conical or different or even long-distance jets.

[46] It is possible to equip the apparatus with of a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the water supply network.

[47] The fact that the fluid is supplied directly from the water supply network, with unlimited water availability, further allows eliminating the need for a reservoir, making the apparatus easy to use even when a relatively large area is to be sprayed. In particular, the apparatus can be connected with the water supply network through an extensible hose. [48] For example, the apparatus of the present invention allows a sprayed jet larger than 5 meters and with a simultaneously covered surface greater than 5 square meters. In addition, the use of multiple nozzle allows reducing dramatically the disinfection, treatment, and/or fertilization time, as it is sufficient less than a minute to cover a surface of 100 square meters.

[49] Another advantage offered by the apparatus according to the invention is to ease dosing and mixing of chemical and/or organic products to be sprayed, thereby also reducing the risk due to contact with such products.

[50] In practice, the used materials as well as the size and shape may vary according to the needs.

[51 ] Should the technical characteristics mentioned in the claims be followed by reference signs, such reference signs were included for the sole purpose of increasing the understanding of the claims and thus they shall not be deemed limiting the scope of the element identified by such reference signs by way of example.