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US 9,174,229 B2Granted
Dispenser having non-frustro-conical funnel wall
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorScott Edward Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A helix cup for use in a pressurized dispenser. The helix cup has a convergent funnel wall. The funnel wall is not straight and does not satisfy the mathematical equations for surface area or for subtended volume of the frustrum of a cone. Instead, the funnel wall provides a longer flow path than is achieved with straight sidewalls. The longer flow path provides for a tighter particle size distribution at lower pressures than occurs in the prior art.
Claims19
A helix cup for use with a pressurized dispenser, said helix cup comprising:
- an inlet and an outlet defining a straight longitudinal axis and a convergent flow area therebetween, a funnel wall extending from said inlet to said outlet, said inlet having an inlet area, and said outlet having an outlet area, said inlet area being greater than said outlet area, and at least one portion being concave or convex in the longitudinal direction between said inlet and said outlet, said funnel wall having a surface area, said surface area being defined by the inequality:
- area:≠π×cone length×(inlet radius+outlet radius), wherein the inlet radius is greater than the outlet radius, cone length is the distance between the inlet and outlet taken along the funnel wall and is skewed relative to the longitudinal axis, Fl is the known constant of approximately 3.14, and further comprising at least one flow diverter disposed on said funnel wall, said flow diverter imparting a spiral flow component to fluid flowing from said inlet to said outlet, said flow diverter comprising at least one groove in said funnel wall.
A helix cup for use with a pressurized dispenser, said helix cup comprising:
- an inlet and an outlet defining a straight longitudinal axis and a convergent flow area therebetween, a funnel wall extending from said inlet to said outlet, said inlet having an inlet area, and said outlet having an outlet area, said inlet area being greater than said outlet area, and at least one portion being concave or convex in the longitudinal direction between said inlet and said outlet, said funnel wall subtending a volume, said volume being defined by the inequality:
- volume≠π/3×h×[inlet radius^2+outlet radius^2+(inlet radius×outlet radius)], wherein h is the axial distance between the inlet and outlet taken parallel to the longitudinal axis, the inlet radius is greater than the outlet radius, and H is the known constant of approximately 3.14, and further comprising at least one flow diverter disposed on said funnel wall, said flow diverter imparting a spiral flow component to fluid flowing from said inlet to said outlet, said flow diverter comprising at least one groove in said funnel wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.