Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6357669
-
Patent Number
6,357,669
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, December 22, 199924 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 19, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Visteon Global tech. Inc.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 239 8
- 239 290
- 239 294
- 239 346
- 239 308
- 239 340
- 239 369
- 239 370
- 239 418
- 239 426
- 239 427
- 239 4273
- 239 429
- 239 430
- 239 431
- 239 432
- 239 433
- 239 434
- 239 543
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A nozzle 10 which receives first and second materials 24, 30 and which has an outlet aperture 18. The first material 24 is received within the outlet aperture 18 and is atomized by the second material 30 within the outlet aperture 18 before it is emitted from the nozzle 10 and applied to a targeted location and/or object 26.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a nozzle and more particularly, to a nozzle which selectively emits a substantially fine atomized stream of material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nozzles are used to selectively emit various types of material, such as and without limitation paint or other types of liquid, upon a targeted location and/or object. In order to provide an overall aesthetically pleasing appearance and to allow the material, which is typically of a liquid form, to be accurately placed or deposited upon the certain targeted location and/or object, it is desirable to cause the emitted material to form a relatively fine atomized stream or mist. The desired atomized stream and/or mist is typically achieved and/or formed by mixing the material with and/or applying an atomizing gaseous material to the material.
While prior nozzles allow for the selective emission and placement of atomized material upon such a targeted location and/or object, they do not adequately form such desired atomized streams of material. That is, many of these prior nozzles oftentimes emit “spits” or disproportionally large amounts of material due to an undesired “build up” or deposit of the material within the nozzle, thereby causing undesired and relatively high deposition concentrations of material upon the targeted object or location.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior nozzles; which selectively emits relatively fine atomized streams of material; which substantially prevents the emission of “spits” of material; and which efficiently utilizes atomization gas, effective to selectively place and/or deposit material upon a targeted location and/or object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles and which selectively emits a relatively fine atomized spray or mist of material.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a nozzle which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior nozzles and which causes gaseous material to substantially and supersonically travel within the nozzle before atomizing liquid material, thereby creating a relatively fine atomized spray or mist of material.
According to a first aspect of the present invention a nozzle of the type which receives and which selectively emits material is provided. The nozzle has a first inlet aperture which is Selectively and communicatively coupled to the material and which selectively allows the material to be placed within the nozzle. The nozzle includes an outlet aperture through which the received material is emitted, and at least one injection member which resides within the outlet aperture and which selectively injects a second material into the outlet aperture, effective to cause the material to mix with the second material, thereby forming a material mixture which is emitted from the nozzle.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method is provided to create a relatively fine stream of material. The method includes the steps of providing the material; providing a gaseous material; providing a cavity having an outlet aperture; causing the gaseous material to supersonically travel within the cavity and to be emitted through the outlet aperture; injecting the material within the outlet aperture, thereby causing the injected material to atomizingly mix with the supersonically traveling gaseous material, effective to form a relatively fine mist of atomized material.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention in combination with the accompanying drawings and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a material emitter which operatively employs a nozzle which is made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2
is a side view of a nozzle which is made in accordance with the teachings of a first embodiment of the invention and which is shown in
FIG. 1
; and
FIG. 3
is a cross sectional view of the nozzle which is shown in FIG.
2
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to
FIGS. 1 and 3
, there is shown a nozzle
10
which is made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the invention and, as should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, is adapted for use upon a conventional spray gun or material emitter
12
. As shown, nozzle
10
includes a generally hollow channel or cavity portion
14
having a material inlet aperture
16
and a material outlet aperture
18
. Portions
16
and
18
respectively and integrally terminate within a generally constricted throat or “middle” portion
20
. In one non-limiting embodiment, nozzle
10
or selected portions of nozzle
10
may be formed by a silicon micro-machining process. Further, in one non-limiting embodiment, each portion is substantially identical. In other embodiments, portions
16
,
18
may be dissimilar.
Emitter
12
includes a hollow body or channel portion
13
and a first canister or source
22
of a material
24
which is to be atomized and applied to a targeted object or location, such as a portion of vehicle
26
. Emitter
12
further includes a second canister or source
26
of atomizing material
30
which, in one non-limiting embodiment, comprises a gas. Body
13
forms an outlet aperture
32
which communicates with inlet aperture
16
of nozzle
10
. Further, canister
28
is coupled to body
12
by tube or conduit
29
which allows the material
30
to selectively enter body
13
in a conventional and known manner. Canister
22
is coupled to nozzle
10
by use of tube or conduit
23
and emitter
12
allows material
24
to flow into nozzel
10
in a conventional and known manner.
As further shown best in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, nozzle
10
includes substantially identical and generally “v”-shaped struts and/or injectors
40
,
42
having respective “cupped shaped” or grooved portions
44
,
46
which removably receive a respective tube or conduit
48
,
50
by use of a conventional adhesive or fastener. Each conduit
48
,
50
is communicatively and physically coupled by a conventional adhesive or a fastener to tube or conduit
23
. A third injector member
60
may be operatively positioned within the generally constricted throat portion
20
. Moreover, each injector
40
,
42
, and
60
has a longitudinal axis of symmetry
51
which is orthogonal and/or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of symmetry
53
of channel
14
.
In operation, the material
30
is operatively injected into body
13
and supersonically travels within the body
13
, through communicating apertures
32
and
16
, and through nozzle
10
, until reaching the expanded output aperture
18
where injectors
40
,
42
, and
60
cause a second material
24
to be mixed with material
30
, effective to cause the second material
24
to be atomized by the first material
30
within the outlet aperture
18
. The atomized material
24
is then emitted from aperture
18
.
The injection of material
24
within the outlet aperture substantially prevents undesired deposits and/or a buildup of a film of fluid within and/or upon nozzle
10
, thereby substantially preventing the undesired emission of “spits” of material. Transfer efficiency (i.e., increasing the amount of the atomized material
24
which is applied to vehicle
26
) may be further improved by applying an electrostatic voltage to the target
26
and/or to the emitted material
24
emanating from the nozzle
10
to aid in the adhesion of material
24
to the target.
It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and/or method which has been illustrated and discussed above, but that various changes and/or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A nozzle having an inlet aperture which is communicatively coupled to a first material and which allows said first material to be placed within said nozzle, said nozzle further having an expanded outlet aperture through which said first material is emitted, said inlet and outlet apertures integrally terminating within a generally constricted throat portion, said nozzle further having a first injection member which resides within said outlet aperture and which injects a second material into said outlet aperture, said throat portion further having a second injection member which cooperates with said first injection member of said outlet aperture effective to cause said second material to be atomized by said first material and to be emitted from said nozzle.
- 2. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein said first and second injection members are substantially “v”-shaped.
- 3. The nozzle of claim 1 wherein said first material comprises gas.
- 4. The nozzle of claim 3 wherein said second material comprises paint.
- 5. A nozzle having a channel with a constricted throat and which is substantially symmetric about a longitudinal axis of symmetry and which forms and expanded outlet aperture, said nozzle receives a certain first material within said channel, said certain first material traversing said channel and entering said expanded outlet aperture, said nozzle further having a first and a second injector member which are disposed within said expanded outlet aperture, which are communicatively coupled to a source of a second material, and which respectively inject a portion of said second material into said expanded outlet aperture, said nozzle further having a third injector member which is disposed within said constricted throat and which cooperates with said first and said second injector members effective to cause said injected second material to be atomized by said first material within said expanded outlet aperture and to be emitted from said nozzle.
- 6. The nozzle of claim 5 wherein said injector members each have a longitudinal axis of symmetry which is orthogonal to said longitudinal axis of symmetry of said channel.
- 7. The nozzle of claim 6 wherein each of said injectors are substantially “v”-shaped.
- 8. The nozzle of claim 5 wherein said first material comprises a gas.
- 9. The nozzle of claim 8 wherein said second material comprises paint.
- 10. The nozzle of claim 5 wherein said injector members are substantially identical.
- 11. A method to apply material to an object, said method comprising the steps of:providing a hollow member having a generally constricted middle portion and at least one open end; providing at least a first and a second injection strut; disposing said first injection strut within said constricted middle portion and disposing said second injection strut within said at least one open end; injecting a first material into said hollow member; causing said injected first material to traverse said hollow member and to be communicated to said at least one open end; and injecting a second material into said at least one open end, effective to cause said second material to be atomized and to be applied to said object.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of injecting a second material into said at least one open end further comprises the steps of:providing a tube; and coupling a first end of said tube to said first and second injection struts and a second end of said tube to said second material.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein staid strut is “V” shaped.
- 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said object comprises a vehicle.
- 15. The method of claim 14 where said second material comprises paint.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said first material comprises gas.
- 17. The method of claim 11 wherein said hollow member comprises a nozzle.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0501931 |
Sep 1992 |
EP |
1216427 |
Apr 1960 |
FR |