Fluidic nozzle for trigger spray applications

• US 7,354,008 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABC Technologies Inc. (SAS Institute Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bowles Fluidics Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Santamarina, Alan, Crockett, Steve, Gopalan, Shridhar, Hester, Russell D., Korobkov, Rosa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORMAN, DARREN W
• Application Number:
  US11/235,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 239/589.1, 239/333, 239/391, 239/392, 239/394, 239/396, 239/DIG.3, 239/11, 239/302, 239/329, 239/332, 239/390, 239/397, 239/436, 239/600, 137/834, 137/826, 222/383.1
• US Class Current: 239/589.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/08 of pulsating nature, e.g. delivering liquid in successive separate quantities ; Fluidic oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1057 Triggers, i.e. actuation means consisting of a single lever having one end rotating or pivoting around an axis or a hinge fixedly attached to the container, and another end directly actuated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/03 Fluid amplifier

Abstract

A fluidic nozzle, for use with a trigger spray applicator that issues a desired spray pattern of fluid droplets, and wherein the applicator has a liquid delivering orifice and an exterior surface proximate the orifice that is configured to receive a spray nozzle, includes in a first preferred embodiment a member having a front and a rear surface and a passage that extends between these surfaces. A portion of this passage is configured in the form of a fluidic circuit, and the configuration of this fluidic circuit is chosen so as to provide the desired spray pattern. Additionally, the passage'"'"'s rear portion may be configured so as to allow this member to fit on that portion of the spray head which is configured to receive a spray nozzle.

Claims

1. A fluidic nozzle for use with a trigger spray applicator that issues a desired spray pattern of liqiuid droplets into a surrounding gaseous environment, said applicator having a spray head with a liquid delivering orifice and an exterior surface proximate said orifice that is configured to receive said nozzle, said fluidic nozzle comprising:

a housing having a front and a rear face and between which passes a housing passage having a front and a rear portion,

a fluidic insert having a front and a rear face and between which passes an insert passage that includes a portion configured as a fluidic circuit,

said housing passage front portion configured as a cavity that extends from an opening in said housing front face, said cavity configured so as to allow said fluidic insert to be press fitted through said housing front face opening and into said cavity,

wherein said fluidic circuit configured so as to aid in providing said desired spray pattern,

wherein said spray head having a centerline and said spray head orifice being off said centerline, and said spray head exterior surface configured to receive a nozzle having a circular shape so as to receive a rotatable nozzle,

said housing passage having a wall separating said front and rear portions,

said wall having a rear face and a front face and an orifice between said wall faces, said orifice situated in said wall so as to be alignable with said spray head off-centerline orifice,

said housing passage rear portion configured so as to allow said housing to fit on said spray head configured to receive said rotatable nozzle,

said fluidic insert having at least a second passage extending between said faces and in which a portion of said second passage is configured as a fluidic circuit,

each of said passages containing said fluidic circuits having an opening in said insert rear face that allows fluid to enter each of said circuits, and

said fluidic circuit openings situated in said insert rear face so as to be alternately alignable with said wall orifice as said housing is rotated on said spray head so as to allow a nozzle user to choose which of said fluidic circuits is aligned for said flow of liquid from said applicator.

2. The fluidic nozzle as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said wall rear face further having a groove in the shape of a circular arc segment of a specified number of degrees, said groove having a boundary surface in which is located a second orifice that connects the bottom of said groove and said wall front face,

said groove further configured such that one of said fluidic circuit openings can be aligned with said spray head orifice over a specified range of degrees of said groove arc segment.

3. The fluidic nozzle as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said fluidic insert further having a streaming flow passage between said insert faces that provides for flow between said faces which yields a streaming spray pattern, said streaming flow passage having on opening in said insert rear face,

wherein said streaming flow passage opening situated in said insert rear face so as to be alternately alignable with said wall orifice as said housing is rotated on said spray head so as to allow a nozzle user to choose to have a streaming spray pattern issue from said applicator.

4. A method for making a fluidic nozzle for use with a trigger spray applicator that issues a desired spray pattern of liquid droplets into a surrounding gaseous environment, said applicator having a spray head with a liquid delivering orifice and an exterior surface proximate said orifice that is configured to receive said nozzle, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a housing having a front and a rear face and between which passes a housing passage having a front and a rear portion,

forming a fluidic insert having a front and a rear face and between which passes an insert passage that includes a portion configured as a fluidic circuit,

configuring said housing passage front portion as a cavity that extends from an opening in said housing front face, said cavity configured so as to allow said fluidic insert to be press fitted through said housing front face opening and into said cavity,

wherein said fluidic circuit configured so as to aid in providing said desired spray pattern

wherein said spray head having a centerline and said spray head orifice being off said centerline, and said spray head exterior surface configured to receive a nozzle having a circular shape so as to receive a rotatable nozzle,

said housing passage having a wall separating said front and rear portions,

said wall having a rear face and a front face and an orifice between said wall faces, said orifice situated in said wall so as to be alignable with said spray head off-centerline orifice,

said housing passage rear portion configured so as to allow said housing to fit on said spray head configured to receive said rotatable nozzle,

said fluidic insert having at least a second passage extending between said faces and in which a portion of said second passage is configured as a fluidic circuit,

each of said passages containing said fluidic circuits having an opening in said insert rear face that allows fluid to enter each of said circuits,

said fluidic circuit openings situated in said insert rear face so as to be alternately alignable with said wall orifice as said housing is rotated on said spray head so as to allow a nozzle user to choose which of said fluidic circuits is aligned for said flow of liquid from said applicator.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein:

said wall rear face further having a groove in the shape of a circular arc segment of a specified number of degrees, said groove having a boundary surface in which is located a second orifice that connects the bottom of said groove and said wall front face,

said groove further configured such that one of said fluidic circuit openings can be aligned with said spray head orifice over a specified range of degrees of said groove arc segment.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein:

said fluidic insert further having a streaming flow passage between said insert faces that provides for flow between said faces which yields a streaming spray pattern, said streaming flow passage having on opening in said insert rear face,

wherein said streaming flow passage opening situated in said insert rear face so as to be alternately alignable with said wall orifice as said housing is rotated on said spray head so as to allow a nozzle user to choose to have a streaming spray pattern issue from said applicator.