# US 7,461,797 B2 · Air knife

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,461,797 B2
- Document ID: US7461797B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/270,090
- Filed: 2005-11-09
- Published: 2006-06-08
- Granted: 2008-12-09
- Earliest claimed: 2004-11-10
- Assignees: Spraying Systems Co.
- Inventors: Shrindar Bhat
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7461797B2

## CPC

- B08B 5/02: Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)}
- B05B 1/005: {Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases}
- B05C 11/06: with a blast of gas or vapour
- B08B 5/023: {Cleaning travelling work}
- B08B 5/026: {Cleaning moving webs}
- F26B 5/14: by applying pressure, e.g. wringing; by brushing; by wiping
- F26B 21/50: Ducting arrangements from the source of air or other gases to the materials or objects being dried
- F26B 21/55: Outlets for directing or distributing the air or other gases
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- 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)
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)

## Abstract

The present invention provides a fluid discharge apparatus for producing a curtain of air. The apparatus comprises a body member having an air inlet chamber and an air outlet chamber. The air outlet chamber is in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber. The body member defines a discharge orifice through which fluid is discharged from the body member with the discharge orifice being in fluid communication with the air outlet chamber. The air outlet chamber has a pair of opposing sidewalls with each of the sidewalls having an angled sidewall portion. The angled sidewall portions are arranged to converge towards each other as the angled sidewall portions extend in a downstream direction towards the discharge orifice so as to define a generally V-shaped lead-in section that guides and directs fluid towards the discharge orifice. The discharge orifice is defined by first and second edges with the first edge being defined by an extended wall portion that extends downstream past the second edge so as to define a deflection surface for the discharging fluid that extends past the discharge orifice.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid discharge apparatus for producing a curtain of air comprising a body member having an air inlet chamber and an air outlet chamber, the air outlet chamber being in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber, the body member defining a discharge orifice through which fluid is discharged from the body member, the discharge orifice being in fluid communication with the air outlet chamber, said air outlet chamber has a pair of opposing sidewalls, each of the sidewalls having an angled sidewall portion, said angled sidewall portions being arranged to converge towards each other as the angled sidewall portions extend in a downstream direction towards the discharge orifice so as to define a generally V-shaped lead-in section that guides and directs fluid towards the discharge orifice, said body member including a base portion and a blade portion having parallel mating surfaces that are secured in adjacent relation to each other, said discharge orifice being defined by respective outer edges of said base and blade portions, and one of said outer edges being defined by an extended wall that extends downstream past the other outer edge so as to define a deflection surface for the discharging fluid that extends along one side of the discharge orifice.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a shim member is arranged between the base portion and the blade portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots provide the fluid communication between the air inlet chamber and the air outlet chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the angled sidewall portions has a planar configuration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the angled sidewall portions extends at an angle of between approximately 40° and approximately 50° relative to a remaining portion of the respective sidewall.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each of the angled sidewall portions extends at an angle of between approximately 45° relative to a remaining portion of the respective sidewall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the extended wall portion extends past the second edge a distance greater than 0.2 cm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 in which said deflection surface is in a plane parallel to the mating surfaces of said base and blade portions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The fluid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 in which said extended wall and deflection surface are defined by said blade portion.

### Claim 10

A fluid discharge apparatus for producing a curtain of air comprising a body member having an air inlet chamber and an air outlet chamber, the air outlet chamber being in fluid communication with the air inlet chamber, the body member defining a discharge orifice through which fluid is discharged from the body member, the discharge orifice being in fluid communication with the air outlet chamber, said air outlet chamber having a pair of opposing sidewalls, each of the sidewalls having an angled sidewall portion, said angled sidewall portions being arranged to converge towards each other as the angled sidewall portions extend in a downstream direction towards the discharge orifice so as to define a generally V-shaped lead-in section that guides and directs fluid towards the discharge orifice, said discharge orifice being defined by first and second edges, said first edge being defined by an extended wall portion that extends downstream past the second edge so as to define a deflection surface for the discharging fluid that extends along one side of the discharge orifice, said body member including a base portion and a blade portion that are secured together, and said air inlet chamber being arranged in said base portion and said air outlet chamber being defined by a first channel in the base portion and a second channel in the blade portion.