Mixing tube for a waterjet system
AssigneeFlow International Corporation
InventorMohamed Hashish
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A waterjet system for generating and delivering fluid jets suitable for processing a workpiece has a cutting head body and a mixing tube. The cutting head body includes a mixing chamber and a bore. The bore is positioned downstream of the mixing chamber, and an abrasive fluid jet from the mixing chamber passes through the mixing tube. The mixing tube has a first coupler adapted to magnetically couple the mixing tube to the cutting head body when the mixing tube is installed. The cutting head body has a second coupler positioned to engage the first coupler of the mixing tube to keep the mixing tube properly positioned during operation of the waterjet system.
Claims47
An abrasive waterjet assembly, comprising:
- a cutting head body having a bore;
- and
- a mixing tube having an upstream portion disposed within the bore and a coupler extending radially beyond an outer diameter of at least a portion of the upstream portion, the coupler magnetically engaging the cutting head body.
A waterjet assembly, comprising:
- a cutting head body;
- and
- a mixing tube including a first coupler adapted to magnetically couple the mixing tube to the cutting head body.
A mixing tube for a waterjet assembly, comprising:
- an elongate main body having an upstream portion defining an inlet, a downstream portion defining an outlet, and a fluid jet passageway extending between the inlet and the outlet;
- and
- a first coupler physically coupled to the main body between the upstream and downstream portions of the main body, the first coupler comprising a magnet for magnetically coupling the mixing tube to a cutting head body of a waterjet assembly when the upstream portion is within the cutting head body.
A method of assembling a waterjet assembly comprising a cutting head body and a mixing tube, the method comprising:
- inserting an upstream portion of the mixing tube into a bore of the cutting head body;
- and
- magnetically engaging a magnetic coupler of the mixing tube with the cutting head body to couple the mixing tube to the cutting head body.
A waterjet assembly, comprising:
- a cutting head body having a bore;
- a mixing tube adapted for placement in the bore;
- and
- a sensor adapted to output a position signal based, at least in part, on a position of the mixing tube with respect to the cutting head body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.