Patent Application
20220305502
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/167,473, entitled “FLOW FOCUSING SEED TREATMENT DEVICE AND METHODS,” filed on Mar. 29, 2021, which is pending, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present disclosure generally relates to nozzle devices and methods for creating atomized sprays to provide greater coverage in dispensing liquids. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a multi-orifice nozzle and associated components for droplet atomization.
Devices for dispensing liquids may be used in a variety of settings. One such setting includes the treatment of seeds with chemical agents, such as antimicrobials, fungicides, insecticides, coloring agents, fertilizer, growth promoters, etc. Conventional devices introduce a chemical agent to the seeds while the seeds are being agitated in order to provide greater coverage of the chemical agent across the seeds. A portion of the seeds are directly exposed to the chemical agent. This may occur by direct contact when the chemical agent is dispensed from a source (such as by manual introduction or through a hose). As the seeds are agitated, the remaining seeds may be indirectly exposed to the chemical agent. The chemical agent may transfer from seed to seed or from the container which has excess chemical agents until all of the seeds have been exposed to the chemical agent.
Conventional methods of agitating seeds until the chemical agent is spread across the entire load of seeds can be inefficient and ineffective at properly treating a batch of seeds. For example, the seeds may be disproportionately treated with the chemical agent, leaving some seeds effectively untreated and other seeds overtreated. Further, the agitation process may damage some of the seeds if the process occurs for too long or if the agitation is too rough in order to achieve ubiquitous and even coverage. Thus, these methods may necessitate a balance between treatment coverage and maintaining the integrity of the seed. Seed treaters may also find this problem particularly difficult when high volumes of seeds are to be treated. On an industrial scale, the balance between effective coverage and efficient processes with high yield is crucial.
Another difficulty associated with dispensing chemical agents onto seeds includes the varying viscosities and densities of the variety of chemicals used. Certain chemicals may be prone to clogging liquid feeders where others may be prone to fast and uncontrolled dispensing and dispersion.
What is needed then are improvements in liquid dispensers, nozzles, and methods for delivery of liquid products in the form of atomized sprays.
This Brief Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A liquid flow-focusing apparatus for droplet atomization is disclosed. The apparatus may include a dispensing body, including a liquid duct and a gas duct defined therein. The apparatus may include a plurality of nozzle wells defined in the dispensing body. The apparatus may include a plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts. Each nozzle well of the plurality of nozzle wells may be shaped to house a flow-focusing nozzle insert of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts. Each flow-focusing nozzle insert of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts may be housed in a corresponding nozzle well of the plurality of nozzle wells. Each flow-focusing nozzle insert of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts may be in fluid communication with the liquid duct and the gas duct.
A method of atomizing a liquid substance is disclosed. The method may include providing a liquid to a liquid duct in a dispensing body. The method may include providing a gas to a plurality of gas ducts in the dispensing body. The method may include introducing the liquid into a plurality of nozzle bodies via a plurality of liquid supply channels, each liquid supply channel of the plurality of liquid supply channels having a liquid supply channel exit opening. The method may include introducing the gas into a plurality of pressure chambers, each of the pressure chambers being defined by a pressure cap positioned outwardly proximate a nozzle body of the plurality of nozzle bodies. The method may include expelling the gas through a plurality of pressure chamber exit orifices positioned proximate the plurality of liquid supply channel exit openings. The method may include dispensing the liquid from the plurality of liquid supply channel exit openings and through the plurality of pressure chamber exit orifices such that the liquid and the gas interact and form atomized droplets of the liquid.
A liquid flow-focusing apparatus for droplet atomization is disclosed. The apparatus may include a dispensing body. The dispensing body may include an elongated cylindrical shape, a liquid duct defined in and traveling through a length of the dispending body, and a plurality of gas ducts defined in and traveling through a length of the dispending body. The apparatus may include a plurality of nozzle wells defined in the dispensing body and a plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts. Each flow-focusing nozzle insert may include a nozzle body having a liquid supply channel, wherein the liquid supply channel has a liquid supply channel exit opening, a pressure cap located outwardly proximate of the nozzle body and having an interior pressure cap end wall and a pressure cap exit orifice, and a plurality of O-rings, wherein the interior pressure cap end wall and nozzle body define a pressure chamber such that gas passes from the plurality of gas ducts to the pressure cap exit orifice through the pressure chamber. Each nozzle well of the plurality of nozzle wells may be shaped to house a flow-focusing nozzle insert of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts. Each flow-focusing nozzle insert of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts may be housed in a corresponding nozzle well of the plurality of nozzle wells.
Numerous other objects, advantages and features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon a review of the drawings and description of a preferred embodiment.
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific apparatus and methods described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing, for the sake of clarity. In addition, positional terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “top,” “bottom,” etc. refer to the apparatus when in the orientation shown in the drawing. A person of skill in the art will recognize that the apparatus can assume different orientations when in use
In some embodiments, the plurality of nozzle wells 18 may be formed along the dispensing body 20. One or more nozzle wells 18 of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 may be configured or shaped to house a flow-focusing nozzle insert 12 of the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12. One or more flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 may be housed in a corresponding nozzle well 18. Further, one or more of the flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 may be in fluid communication with a liquid duct 26 or a plurality of gas ducts 28 that may receive incoming liquid substance and gas from a liquid supply line 16 or a plurality of gas supply lines 14 respectively. The flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 may be in fluid communication via the one or more of the nozzle wells 18 being in fluid communication with the liquid duct 26 or the plurality of gas ducts 28. The liquid substance and gas may travel through the dispensing body 20 of the liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 via a liquid duct 26 and a plurality of gas ducts 28 and pass out of the dispensing body 20 through the flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 such that the liquid substance exits the liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 as fine particles (atomized).
In some embodiments, the dispensing body 20 may be made from a metal material, such as aluminum, steel, or any other metallic material capable of being formed. In certain embodiments, the dispensing body 20 may be made from another type of rigid material capable of being formed. The dispensing body 20 may generally include an elongated shape.
Now referring to
In one embodiment, the dispensing body 20 may be cylindrically shaped. The dispensing body 20 may include one liquid duct 26 and four gas ducts 28. In such an embodiment, the single liquid duct 26 may run along the center of the cylindrically shaped dispensing body 20 and may act as the main liquid feed line for each of the flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12. Further, each of the four gas ducts 28 may be positioned on a 0.848 inch diameter bolt circle. Each of the four gas ducts 28 may be located 45° relative to the central (X,Y) axis and may act as main gas feed lines. In one embodiment, the dispensing body 20 of the liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 may contain a total of twenty nozzle wells 18 positioned in four rows of five nozzle wells 18 with each row angled 90° relative to each other. Each of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 may include a counterbore shaped therein for seating and retaining a nozzle insert retainer washer 30.
In one embodiment, one or more nozzle wells 18 of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 may further include a circular hole 40 defined therein. The circular hole 40 may run through the dispensing body 20 and may connect to the liquid duct 26. In some embodiments, liquid substance can flow via the circular hole 40 from the liquid duct 26 to one or more nozzle wells 18 of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 and one or more flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 the plurality of flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 housed therein. Additionally, each nozzle well 18 of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 may intersect multiple gas ducts that run through dispensing body 20. In some embodiments, a nozzle well 18 may intersect two out of four gas ducts 28. The intersection of a nozzle well 18 with at least one gas duct 28 may enable gas to be supplied to one or more nozzle wells 18 of the plurality of nozzle wells 18 and the one or more flow-focusing nozzle inserts 12 housed therein.
In some embodiments, the dispensing body 20 may include a plurality of recesses 32. The plurality of recesses 32 may be axially spaced along exterior portions of the dispensing body 20. In some embodiments, the plurality of recesses 32 may be particularly located near the receiving end 22 of the dispensing body 20. In some embodiments, the plurality of recesses 32 may be capable of engaging with a treater adapter 34 component or acting as a height adjuster in conjunction with a treater adapter 34 component in a seed-treater apparatus (for example, the seed-treater apparatus 62 of
Referring now generally to
Regarding
In some embodiments, the ratios between H and D can be adjusted such that one or more nozzle inserts 12 of the plurality of nozzle inserts 12 may produce a flow-focusing spray pattern. In other embodiments, H and D can be adjusted such that one or more nozzle inserts 12 produce a flow-blurring spray pattern. Yet, in some other embodiments, H and D can be adjusted to different values for one or more nozzle inserts 12 such that some nozzle inserts 12 produce a flow-focusing spray pattern while the other nozzle inserts 12 produce a flow blurring spray pattern. In such an embodiment, the apparatus 10 may simultaneously produce both a flow-focusing and a flow-blurring spray pattern.
In an example of how an outward liquid spray may be accomplished, a liquid substance may travel through the liquid duct 26, enter the liquid supply channel 54 via a circular hole 40, and travel through the liquid supply channel 54 and out the liquid supply channel exit opening 56. A gas may simultaneously travel through one or more gas ducts 38 and into the pressure chamber 58. As the gas moves through pressure chamber 58, the gas may exit the pressure cap exit orifice 46. The liquid substance traveling through the liquid supply channel 54 and out through both the liquid supply channel exit opening 56 and the pressure cap exit orifice 46 may be disrupted by the gas flowing out. Thus, the liquid substance may be broken up into small droplets.
In both flow focusing and flow blurring, the interactions may occur at one or more pressure cap exit orifices 46 of the plurality of pressure cap exit orifices 46 and one or more liquid supply channel exit openings 56. Thus, the liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 may provide atomized liquid substance in 360 degrees around each of the plurality of nozzle inserts 12.
Referring to
Now, one more exemplary embodiment of the liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 will now be described in particular detail. In this exemplary embodiment, the dispensing body 20 of liquid flow-focusing apparatus 10 may include an aluminum (e.g., 6061 T6 grade) cylinder configuration. The overall dimension of the dispensing body 20 may include a 2 inch diameter and a 9.5 inch length. The dispensing body 20 may include two 0.75 inch wide flats by 6 inches long (from bottom surface) located 180° apart to aid in fabrication. In this exemplary embodiment, the dispensing body 20 may include a 15/64 inch diameter by 9 inch deep hole (from top surface) located in the center of the cylinder which may act as a main liquid duct 26. Further, the dispensing body 20 may include four 15/64 inch diameter by 9 inch deep holes (from top surface) positioned on a 0.848 inch diameter bolt circle. Each hole may be located 45° relative the (X,Y) axis, which may act as the main gas ducts 28. The dispensing body 20 may include four 0.260 inch wide by 1/16 inch deep recesses 32 positioned near the receiving end 22, which may act as a height-adjuster in conjunction with a treater adapter 34 component in the seed-treater apparatus 62.
In this embodiment, the dispensing body 20 may include twenty atomizing nozzle wells 18 measuring 0.510 inches in diameter each and a secondary diameter of 0.450 inches, which may relate to the profile of a nozzle insert 12. The twenty nozzle wells 18 are positioned in four rows of five with each row 90° relative to each other. Two rows of nozzle wells 18 (ten total nozzle wells), positioned 180° apart, may be oriented on a 10° angle to directly affect the direction of liquid flow. Two rows of nozzle wells 18 (ten total nozzle wells), positioned 180° apart, may be oriented on a 25° angle to directly affect the direction of liquid flow. Each nozzle well 18 may include a counterbore measuring 0.9 inches in diameter for seating a nozzle insert retainer washer 30. Each nozzle well 18 counterbore may include two 4-40 UNC tapped holes to retain the nozzle insert retainer washer 30. Each nozzle well 18 may include two 3/16 inch wide slots which may be intended to aid in extracting nozzle inserts 12.
In this embodiment, each nozzle well 18 may intersect two of the four 15/64 inch diameter gas (compressed air) ducts 28, which is how the gas is delivered to the nozzle inserts 12. Further, each nozzle well 18 may include a 0.067 inch diameter hole that may intersect the 15/64 inch diameter liquid duct 26, which is how the liquid is delivered to the nozzle inserts 12. In this exemplary embodiment, the material of the retainer washer 30 may include one or more of a variety of materials. The physical size of the twenty nozzle insert retainer washers 30 may include a ⅞ inch diameter and may be 5/64 inches thick. Further, each nozzle insert retainer washer 30 may include a 17/64 inch diameter thru clearance which allows the atomized liquid to pass. Furthermore, there can be two ⅛ inch diameter screw clearance holes which may facilitate mounting each nozzle insert retainer washer 30 to the dispensing body 20.
This exemplary embodiment may be able to interface with a treater adapter 34, which may include aluminum (e.g., 6061 T6 grade). The treater adapter 34 component may include a sleeve configuration which may include a primary purpose of holding the dispensing body 20 in a desired position in the seed-treating apparatus 62. In such an exemplary embodiment, the overall size of the treater adapter 34 may include a diameter of 3 inches and a length of 2 inches. Further, the treater adapter 34 may include an inside diameter of 2.010 inches, which may fit appropriately over the outside diameter of the dispensing body 20. The treater adapter 34 may include a ¼-20 UNC tapped hole 36 through the cylinder wall, which may accommodate a set screw/fastener 38. The set screw 38 of treater adapter 34 may be intended to engage one of the four recesses 32 of the dispensing body 20 to adjust the height inside the seed-treater apparatus 62. In this exemplary embodiment, the flow-focusing nozzle insert 12 may include a subassembly that may include a nozzle body 48, a nozzle pressure cap 42, and two O-rings 50 and 52. The nozzle body 48 may have an “H” dimension to create a flow-focusing liquid dispensing profile. Furthermore, a dual reservoir pressurized liquid delivery system 60, such as the one depicted in
A method of atomizing a liquid substance is also disclosed. The method may include providing a liquid to a liquid duct 26 in a dispensing body 20. The method may include providing a gas to a plurality of gas ducts 28 in the dispensing body 20. The method may include introducing the liquid into a plurality of nozzle bodies 48 via a plurality of liquid supply channels 54, each liquid supply channel 54 of the plurality of liquid supply channels 54 having a liquid supply channel exit opening 56. The method may include introducing the gas into a plurality of pressure chambers 58, each of the pressure chambers 58 being defined by a pressure cap 42 positioned outwardly proximate a nozzle body 48 of the plurality of nozzle bodies 48. The method may include expelling the gas through a plurality of pressure chamber exit orifices 46 positioned proximate the plurality of liquid supply channel exit openings 56. The method may include dispensing the liquid from the plurality of liquid supply channel exit openings 56 and through the plurality of pressure chamber exit orifices 456 such that the liquid and the gas interact and form atomized droplets of the liquid.
In some embodiments, the pressure cap 42 may include an interior pressure cap end wall 44. The interior pressure cap end wall 44 may be axially offset from the liquid supply channel exit opening 56 by a distance H. Each pressure chamber exit orifice 46 may include a diameter D. The ratio of the distance H divided by the diameter D may be greater than about 0.25. In one embodiment, the method may further include adjusting the ratio to a first ratio, thereby producing a flow-focusing spray pattern. The method may include adjusting the ratio to a second ratio, thereby producing a flow-blurring spray pattern.
In certain embodiments, the method may further include engaging the dispensing body 20 with a treater adapter 34 component of a seed-treater apparatus 62. In one or more embodiments, providing the gas to the plurality of gas ducts 28 may include providing compressed air to the plurality of gas ducts 28. In one embodiment, the method may include one or more actions discussed herein in relation to the apparatus 10.
Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful liquid flow-focusing apparatus, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention. It must be understood herein that all device materials, dimensions, scale, nozzle counts, etc. can be modified to accommodate various applications while maintaining the design intent.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63167473 | Mar 2021 | US |
