Nozzle arrangements
OwnerKeith Laidler, Rajab Sharief +1inventors
InventorsKeith Laidler, Rajab Sharief, Hassan Abduljalil
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Abstract
Nozzle arrangement for generating a spray of fluid comprise a body defining a flow passageway (10), which receives fluid from a supply via an inlet (11 or 12) and is configured to present a plurality of chambers (13, 16, 20) separated by constriction such as (15, 17). The chambers include expansion chambers such as (13, 20), and the constrictions may be associated with respective convergent and divergent passage sections (14, 19). The inner surfaces of the passageway or chambers, may be provide with small scale structures such as grooves, ribs, pits or protrusions.
Claims33
A nozzle arrangement adapted to be fitted to an outlet of a fluid supply and to generate a spray of fluid dispensed from said fluid supply during use, said nozzle arrangement having a body which comprises:
- (1) actuator means which is adapted, upon operation, to cause fluid to flow from said fluid supply and through said nozzle arrangement;
- (2) an inlet through which fluid from said fluid supply accesses the nozzle arrangement during use;
- (3) an outlet through which fluid is ejected from the nozzle arrangement during use;
- and
- (4) an internal fluid flow passage which connects said inlet to said outlet;
- characterised in that said fluid flow passageway includes a chamber and at least one spray orifice downstream of the chamber, said spray orifice having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of any part of the chamber, the chamber being a non-planar expansion of the passageway and having at least one inlet orifice, the chamber being shaped such that its width is varied at least twice along its length.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, comprising a constriction within said shaped expansion chamber, said constriction comprising a first section having convergent walls immediately followed by a second section having divergent walls downstream of the first section.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein at least part of the interior surface of the shaped chamber is formed with holes or pits.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, wherein at least part of the interior surface of the shaped chamber is formed with shaped elevated sections or protrusions.
A nozzle arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the transverse cross-section of the chamber at any given point along its length is generally circular.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, said nozzle being composed of at least two parts, each part having an abutment surface which are brought into contact with one another to form the nozzle, in which grooves and/or recess are formed on at least one of the abutment surfaces, said grooves and/or recess defining the fluid flow passageway.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, in which two or more shaped chambers are provided in independent multiple flow parts of said flow passageway.
A nozzle arrangement according to any preceding claim, comprising two or more of said shaped chambers connected in series.
A nozzle arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one inlet orifice is provided in an upstream end of the chamber and is arranged to direct fluid into the chamber in a generally longitudinal direction thereof.
A nozzle arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which one or more inlet orifices are provided in a side of the chamber proximal the upstream end so as to direct fluid general transversely across the chamber.
A nozzle arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the chamber has two or more inlet orifices, at least one of the inlet orifices being adapted to direct a liquid into the chamber and at least one other of the inlet orifices being arranged to direct a gas into the chamber.
A nozzle arrangement as claimed in any previous claim, in which the, or each, spray orifice comprises an outlet of the shaped chamber.
A nozzle as claimed in any previous claim, in which the spray orifice comprises the outlet of the nozzle device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.