Patent Application
20230382466
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1.98.
The disclosure and prior art relate to spray mist suppressing apparatuses and more particularly pertains to a new spray mist suppressing apparatus for removing spray mist generated behind one or more vehicle wheels once running along a wetted surface under spray mist generating conditions.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an intake duct having an intake inlet end and an intake outlet end, and a transition duct in environmental communication with the intake duct. The transition duct has a transition inlet end and a transition outlet end, wherein the transition duct has a cross-sectional area that is greater at the transition inlet end than at a location between the transition inlet end and the transition outlet end. The transition duct is configured to implement a Venturi effect to reduce a static pressure of a fluid within the transition duct flowing from the transition inlet end to the transition outlet end relative to a static pressure of the fluid outside of the transition duct. An aperture extends transversely through a wall of the transition duct and is configured to permit a suction force resulting from the Venturi effect to urge a spray mist into the transition duct.
A coalescing duct is in environmental communication with the transition duct and curves such that any of the spray mist contained within the coalescing duct coalesces into a flowing body of water. A discharge duct is in environmental communication with the coalescing duct and extends laterally from the coalescing duct to a discharge outlet end.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of a pair of transition ducts 24 has a transition inlet end 36 and a transition outlet end 38 and includes a reduction portion 26, a reduced portion 28, and an expansion portion 30. Each reduced portion 28 is in environmental communication with associated ones of the reduction portions 26 and the expansion portions 30. Each transition duct 24 has a top wall 32 and a bottom wall 34 wherein each top wall 32 and each bottom wall 34 extend from an associated one of the transition inlet ends 36 to an associated one of the transition outlet ends 38.
Each cross-sectional area of an associated one of the transition ducts 24 decreases from an associated one of the transition inlet ends 36 to a respective first junction 40. Each first junction 40 joins an associated one of the reduction portions 26 with an associated one of the reduced portions 28. Each top wall 32 extends from an associated one of the transition inlet ends 36 angled downwardly along an associated one of the reduction portions 26, while each bottom wall 34 extends from an associated one of the transition inlet ends 36 upwardly along an associated one of the reduction portions 26. Each top wall 32 extends farther downwardly along an associated one of the reduction portions 26 than an associated one of the bottom walls 34 extends upwardly along an associated one of the reduction portions 26, but the top wall 32 and bottom wall 34 may extend at other relative angles along the reduction portions.
Each cross-sectional area of an associated one of the transition ducts 24 is constant from an associated one of the first junctions 40 to a respective second junction 42. Each second junction 42 joins an associated one of the reduced portions 28 with an associated one of the expansion portions 30.
Each cross-sectional area of an associated one of the transition ducts 24 increases from an associated one of the second junctions 42 to an associated one of the transition outlet ends 38. Each top wall 32 extends from an associated one of the second junctions 42 angled upwardly along an associated one of the expansion portions 30, while each bottom wall 34 extends from an associated one of the second junctions 42 horizontally along an associated one of the expansion portions 30. However, each top wall 32 and each bottom wall 34 may extend at other angles along the expansion portions 30. Each bottom wall 34 along an associated one of the expansion portions 30 is lower than an associated one of the bottom walls 34 along an associated one of the reduced portions 28 but may be at the same height or higher.
Each transition duct 24 may have an alternative geometry that implements the Venturi effect to reduce a static pressure of a fluid within the transition duct 24 flowing from the transition inlet end 36 to the transition outlet end 38 relative to a static pressure of the fluid outside of the transition duct 24. A first of the transition ducts 24 is in environmental communication with the intake duct 12, wherein the transition inlet end 36 of the first of the transition ducts 24 is coupled to the intake outlet end 20. There may be only one transition duct 24, or there may be more than two transition ducts 24.
Each of a pair of apertures 44 extends through an associated one of the bottom walls 34 between an associated one of the reduced portions 28 and an associated one of the expansion portions 30 such that each reduced portion 28 defines a front edge of an associated one of the apertures 44 and each expansion portion 30 defines a rear edge of an associated one of the apertures 44. Each aperture 44 may extend through another wall of the transition duct 24. Each aperture 44 is rectangular, but may be circular, oblong, or another shape. Each aperture 44 extends across the full width of the associated one of the transition ducts 24 as shown but may be another length.
Each of a pair of guiding lips 46 extends from an associated one of the bottom walls 34 adjacent to an associated one of the rear edges of an associated one of the apertures 44. Each guiding lip 46 is angled to extend away from an associated one of the apertures 44 and toward an associated one of the transition inlet ends 36 and is configured to direct spray mist into an associated one of the apertures 44.
An expansion duct 48 is in environmental communication with the first of the transition ducts 24. A cross-sectional area of the expansion duct 48 is constant along a full length of the expansion duct 48. A second of the transition ducts 24 is in environmental communication with the expansion duct 48. The transition inlet of the second of the transition ducts 24 is coupled to the expansion duct 48.
A coalescing duct 50 is in environmental communication with the second of the transition ducts 24. The transition outlet end 38 of the second of transition ducts 24 is coupled to the coalescing duct 50. The coalescing duct 50 extends from the transition outlet end 38 of the second of transition ducts 24 and curves downwardly and is configured to cause any contained spray mist to coalesce into a flowing body of water. A discharge duct 52 is in environmental communication with the coalescing duct 50 and extends laterally from the coalescing duct 50 to a discharge outlet end 54.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, apparatus and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded.
A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
