Drip emitter

Claim 1

A flow-regulated drip emitter, comprising: a housing provided with an inlet connector connectable to a relatively high-pressure liquid-line, and an outlet opening; a flexible disphragm retained along a peripheral portion thereof in said housing and dividing the interior of said housing into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber; a flow-regulating valve comprised of a valve head accessible to said high presure and a valve stem one end of which is attached to said valve head; at least one flow-attenuating element disposed in the path of said liquid flowing from said inlet chamber to said outlet chamber; a valve seat associated with said valve head and located in a high-pressure region upstream of said inlet chamber, said valve seat and said valve head defining between them a gap through which the liquid passes on its way from said high-pressure line into said inlet chamber, said valve head being adapted to be acted upon by a first force tending to reduce said gap, and by a second force tending to increase said gap, a state of equilibrium between said forces defining the set point of said flow-regulated emitter. wherein said gap is fully exposed to liquid flow in said high-pressure line, wherein said flow-attenuating element is in the form of a labyrinth-type passageway, at least one liquid-contacting, active wall of said flow-attenuating element being constituted by said flexible diaphragm, and wherein the maximum opening size of said gap defined by said valve head and said valve seat is smaller than the maximum opening provided in aid labyrinth-type passaageway.