# US 10,766,041 B2 · Flow diverter in fluid application device

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- Number: US 10,766,041 B2
- Document ID: US10766041B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/969,254
- Filed: 2015-12-15
- Published: 2016-06-30
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-12-24
- Assignees: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
- Applicants: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
- Inventors: Mel Steven Lessley; Edward W. Bolyard, Jr.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766041B2

## CPC

- B05B 1/30: designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages {(B05B11/0094 takes precedence)}
- B05B 1/16: having selectively- effective outlets
- B05C 5/027: {Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence)}
- B05C 11/1044: {Apparatus or installations for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several applying apparatus or several dispensing outlets, e.g. to several extrusion nozzles}
- F16K 11/02: with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
- B05C 5/0241: {for applying liquid or other fluent material to elongated work, e.g. wires, cables, tubes}
- B05C 5/0279: {independently, e.g. individually, flow controlled}
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A fluid application device having a flow diverter is provided. The fluid application device includes an applicator head having an internally formed manifold having a fluid input conduit, two or more fluid output conduits and a chamber disposed between the input conduit and the two or more output conduits. An external attachment surface is formed on the applicator head and is configured to have two or more nozzles selectively and removably secured thereto. A flow diverter is removably disposed in the chamber and includes a plug having two or more channels, each channel in fluid communication with the fluid input conduit and a respective fluid output conduit of the two or more output conduits. The fluid input conduit is configured to receive a fluid from a supply source and the two or more fluid output conduits are configured to discharge the fluid from the applicator head to respective nozzles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flow diverter for a fluid application device, the flow diverter comprising:
a plug configured for removable insertion in an applicator head between a fluid input conduit and two or more fluid output conduits, the plug comprising two or more channels, each channel in fluid communication with the fluid input conduit and a respective fluid output conduit of the two or more output conduits, the two or more channels formed on an exterior surface of the plug,
wherein each channel of the two or more channels is fluidically separated from each other channel of the two or more channels on the plug,
wherein at least one channel of the two more channels includes a plurality of circumferential flow sections and an axially extending connecting channel fluidically connecting the plurality of circumferential flow sections, and
wherein the plurality of circumferential flow sections includes at least a first circumferential flow section and a second circumferential flow section disposed axially outward relative to the first circumferential flow section on the plug, and wherein the second circumferential flow section is configured to receive the fluid from the first circumferential flow section via the axially extending connecting channel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The flow diverter of claim 1, wherein one of the two or more channels is configured to allow a different volume flow rate than another of the two or more channels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The flow diverter of claim 1, wherein the two or more channels include a first, second and third channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The flow diverter of claim 3, wherein the second channel is positioned between the first channel and the third channel, and at least one of the first channel, second channel and third channel are configured to provide a different volume flow rate than the other of the first channel, second channel and third channel.