Oscillating spray device

A device for receiving pressurized fluid and issuing same in a cyclically swept pattern, comprising:

• a chamber defined between a top wall, a bottom wall, an upstream end, a downstream end, and two side walls extending between said upstream and downstream ends;
• at least one inlet opening defined through at least one of said top, bottom or side walls or said upstream end;
• an outlet opening defined in said downstream end;
• said inlet opening being adapted to receive pressurized fluid and admit same into said chamber, said outlet opening being adapted to issue fluid under pressure from said chamber into the ambient environment;
• and
• oscillation-inducing means for cyclically sweeping the flow issued from said outlet opening back and forth in the dimension between said sidewalls, said oscillation-inducing means comprising an island member located in said chamber, extending between said top and bottom walls and spaced from said sidewalls, said island member being positioned such that flow through said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening must pass around both sides of said island member, said island member having upstream-facing surface means for alternately shedding vortices on opposite sides of said chamber immediately downstream of said surface means.

A device for receiving pressurized fluid and issuing same in a cyclically swept pattern, comprising:

• a chamber defined between a top wall, a bottom wall, an upstream end, a downstream end, and two side walls extending between said upstream and downstream ends;
• an inlet opening defined through at least one of said top, bottom or side walls or said upstream end;
• an outlet opening defined in said downstream end;
• said inlet opening being adapted to receive pressurized fluid and direct a jet thereof into said chamber, said outlet opening being adapted to issue said jet from said chamber into the ambient environment;
• means for cyclically deflecting said jet back and forth in said chamber in a direction transverse to the flow direction of said jet, said means operating upon said jet at a point in said chamber proximate the upstream end;
• and
• an island member located in said chamber, extending between said top and bottom walls and spaced from said sidewalls, said island member being positioned such that said cyclically deflected jet must pass around both sides of said island member, said island member having upstream-facing surface means for alternately shedding vortices on opposite sides of said chamber immediately downstream of said surface means.

A device for spraying fluid, comprising:

• a body member having a chamber defined therein, said chamber having inlet and outlet openings;
• means for applying fluid under pressure to said inlet opening;
• and
• sweep means in said chamber for causing fluid to issue from said chamber in the form of a sheet which is cyclically swept back and forth in a direction transverse to the flow direction of said sheet, whereby said swept sheet breaks up into small particles which are dispersed over a two-dimensional area when impinging upon a target disposed in the flow path of said swept sheet.

The method of spraying fluid comprising the steps of:

• introducing fluid under pressure into a chamber;
• flowing introduced fluid through said chamber toward an outlet opening;
• establishing a vortex street in said flowing fluid in said chamber to cause said flowing fluid to sweep back and forth;
• and
• issuing the sweeping flow from said outlet opening into the ambient environment.

A device for spraying fluid comprising:

• a body member made of a single piece of injection molded plastic material;
• a chamber defined in said body member, said chamber having inlet and outlet openings;
• means for supplying pressurized fluid to said inlet opening;
• said outlet opening being positioned to issue pressurized fluid from said chamber into the ambient environment;
• and
• means in said chamber, forming part of said body member, for forming a cyclically swept flow pattern in said chamber, which flow pattern is issued from said outlet opening.

A device for receiving pressurized fluid and dispersing that fluid in a cyclically swept flow pattern, said device comprising:

• a body member;
• a chamber defined in said body member, said chamber having a top wall, a bottom wall, an upstream end, a downstream end, and two opposed sidewalls extending between said upstream and downstream ends;
• an inlet opening into said chamber, said inlet being adapted to receive pressurized fluid and admit it into said chamber;
• an outlet opening defined through the downstream end of said chamber for issuing fluid under pressure from said chamber into the ambient environment;
• and
• oscillation-inducing means in said chamber for causing fluid flowing through said chamber to issue from said outlet opening in a cyclically sweeping flow pattern, said oscillation-inducing means comprising a body having surface means disposed between said inlet and said outlet opening to create a cavitation region downstream of the surface means in which vortices of alternating clockwise and counterclockwise flow directions are formed and travel along with the flow.

A device for receiving pressurized fluid and issuing same in a fan-shaped spray pattern, comprising:

• a chamber defined between a top wall, a bottom wall, an upstream end, a downstream end, and two side walls extending between said upstream and downstream ends;
• an inlet opening defined through at least one of said top, bottom, or side walls or said upstream end;
• an outlet opening defined in said downstream end;
• said inlet opening being adapted to receive pressurized fluid and direct a jet thereof into said chamber, said outlet opening being adapted to issue said jet from said chamber into the ambient environment;
• and
• an island member located in said chamber, extending between said top and bottom walls and spaced from said sidewalls, said island member being positioned such that said jet must pass around both sides of said island member, said island member having upstream-facing surface means for alternately shedding vortices on opposite sides of said chamber immediately downstream of said surface means.