Patent Application
20050150110
The present subject matter relates generally to a part having passages and a manufacturing technique for providing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a part having passages allowing flow to pass between an inner surface and external surface of the part. The present invention further includes a technique for providing passages between an inner surface and an outer surface in a part.
There were known techniques for producing parts having passageways from an inner surface to an outer surface. For example, diffuser caps, spray nozzles, and other similar devices often used such parts to pass liquids and/or gasses from an inner surface to an outer surface at a predetermined controlled flow rate.
The manufacture of parts having passageways from an inner surface to an outer surface was often costly and time consuming. For example, diffuser caps were manufactured by producing a diffuser cap blank, turning the blank on a lathe to form the external shape of the part, punching or drilling the required passageways in the part and removing the burrs created by the punching or drilling process. Punching or drilling the requisite passageways often required the use of a custom fixture developed for and corresponding to the unique configuration of the part to be manufactured. These custom fixtures were often very expensive pieces and were only useful for producing one specific product in one specific configuration. Any substantive design modification in the part often resulted in the obsolescence of the custom fixture.
The present invention provides a part having passages and a manufacturing technique for providing the same. More specifically, the present invention provides a part having passages allowing flow to pass between an inner surface and external surface of the part. The present invention further provides a technique for providing passages between an inner surface and an outer surface in a part.
The part of the present invention includes intersecting internal and external grooves, which form passages at their intersections. The part of the present invention may be machined, cast, molded, hot forged or otherwise manufactured. The present invention eliminates the need to drill and/or punch manufactured parts to provide passages therein. Eliminating the requirement of drilling and/or punching eliminates the need to use costly custom fixtures and further eliminates the costs and time associated with removing the burrs caused by drilling and/or punching.
The method of the present invention includes the steps of: (1) providing a part having an internal surface and an external surface; (2) providing internal grooves along the internal surface of the part; and (3) providing external grooves that intersect with the internal grooves to form passageways from the internal surface of the part to the external surface of the part.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages of the concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.
The part 10 of
As shown in
As shown in
For example, a single continuous internal grooves 20 may be provided in a helical configuration such that the number of passages 26 is determined by the number of intersections made between the internal groove 20 and the external grooves 22. In one example, a single continuous helical internal groove 20 may be provided to intersect each of eight external grooves 26 three times to form a total of eighteen passages 26. Similarly, a single external groove 22 may be utilized. Other non-parallel configurations between the internal grooves 20 and the external grooves 22 may be utilized in accordance with the present invention. Moreover, the internal grooves 20 may be formed longitudinally along the part 10 and the external grooves 22 may be formed circumferentially along the part 10.
The part 10 shown in
Although the description above has been directed towards parts having circular cross-sections along the internal and external diameters, the invention is equally applicable to parts having other internal and external shapes. For example, the internal diameter may be square-shaped instead of circular. Accordingly, the use of the terms internal diameter and external diameter in the description should be understood to apply to non-circular shapes.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60535033 | Jan 2004 | US |
