Micro-sized structure and construction method for fluidic oscillator wash nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019061702-A1
Application number	US-201615769105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Feb 28, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A micro-sized structure and construction method for a fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle ( 100 or 250 ) has a nozzle housing ( 110 or 252 ) enclosing an interior cavity ( 112 or 262 ) which receives an insert ( 114 or 254 ) having internal fluid passages defining first and second power nozzles ( 120, 122 or 280, 282 ). The power nozzles receive pressurized fluid ( 130 ) flowing through the interior cavity of the housing, where the fluid flows into the cavity at the bottom of the housing and flows upwardly to inlets ( 140, 142 ) for the power nozzles so that accelerating first and second fluid flows are aimed by the power nozzles toward one another in an interaction region ( 154 or 284 ) which exhausts laterally along a spray axis through a horn-shaped throat defined partly within the insert and partly within the flared spray outlet orifice ( 160 or 290 ) defined through the sidewall ( 162 ) in the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A micro-sized structure for a fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle, comprising:
a nozzle housing (e.g., 110 or 252 ) enclosing an interior cavity (e.g., 112 or 262 ) having an upper slot (e.g. 178 or 268 ) with a bottom opening configured to receive an insert (e.g., 114 or 254 ) having internal fluid passages defining first and second power nozzles (e.g., 120 , 122 or 280 , 282 ) and having an interaction region (e.g. 154 , or 284 ); said first and second power nozzles being configured to receive pressurized fluid from the interior cavity of the housing by way of opposing lateral inlets (e.g. 120 , 122 or 280 , 282 ) in the insert for the first and second power nozzles, to produce accelerating first and second fluid flows (e.g. 150 , 152 ) aimed by the first and second power nozzles toward one another in the interaction region defined within the insert; said housing having a transverse lumen defined through a sidewall in the nozzle housing to provide a flared throat defined around a spray axis with opposing curved wall segments which define a throat segment in fluid communication with the interaction region ( 154 or 284 ) so that the fluidic oscillator's outlet orifice is defined partly by the insert's interaction chamber and partly within the flared throat or spray outlet orifice ( 160 or 290 ) defined through the sidewall ( 162 ); and wherein said insert in the nozzle housing is configured for insertion by way of said housing interior cavity's bottom opening (e.g. 132 or 266 ) and forcing the insert upwardly into the upper slot to abut side and top wall surfaces within the housing slot in order minimize the nozzle assembly's thickness during assembly.

2 . The micro-sized structure for a fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle of claim 1 , wherein in order minimize the nozzle assembly's thickness, during assembly of the nozzle assembly, the insert is positioned to permit fluid under pressure to flow into the interior cavity and around two opposite side ends of the insert to the inlets and corresponding power nozzles, the side walls abutting internal surfaces within the housing slot to secure the insert.

3 . The micro-sized structure for a fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle of claim 1 , wherein in order minimize the nozzle assembly's thickness, during assembly of the nozzle assembly, the insert is preferably mounted on a carrier (e.g. 294 ) and installed in the housing slot via a bottom sealing opening (e.g. 266 ) and forced upwardly to abut internal surfaces within the housing slot, whereupon the insert carrier and the bottom sealing opening engage one another to seal the housing opening so that fluid flowing into the cavity via a conduit (e.g. 260 ) all flows into the housing interior cavity and into the power nozzles.

4 . The micro-sized structure for a fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the insert carrier is configured with a filter post array (e.g., 302 ) configured in a manner which permits fluid to flow into the cavity and distally or downstream over the insert carrier and through the filter post array before flowing into the power nozzles.

5 . A method for assembling a micro-sized fluidic oscillator wash or spray nozzle assembly, comprising:
(a) defining within a nozzle housing (e.g., 110 or 252 ) an interior cavity (e.g., 112 or 262 ) having an upper slot (e.g. 178 or 268 ) in fluid communication with a bottom opening which is configured to receive and retain an insert (e.g., 114 or 254 ) having internal fluid passages defining first and second power nozzles (e.g., 120 , 122 or 280 , 282 ) and having an interaction region (e.g. 154 , or 284 ); (b) providing, in said insert, first and second power nozzles configured to receive pressurized fluid from the interior cavity of the housing by way of opposing lateral inlets (e.g. 120 , 122 or 280 , 282 ) in the insert for the first and second power nozzles, to produce accelerating first and second fluid flows (e.g. 150 , 152 ) aimed by the first and second power nozzles toward one another in the interaction region defined within the insert; (c) defining, within said housing a transverse lumen aligned along a spray axis through a sidewall in the housing to form a throat or spray outlet orifice (e.g., 160 or 284 ), where the cross sectional shape of that throat or outlet orifice is defined by the housing's sidewall and the axially aligned insert, when said insert is inserted in said housing's interior cavity; and (d) inserting said insert into said nozzle housing through said housing interior cavity's bottom opening (e.g. 132 or 266 ) and forcing the insert upwardly into the upper slot to abut side and top wall surfaces within the housing slot.

6 . A micro-sized fluidic nozzle assembly, comprising:
a housing ( 110 , 252 ) having an internal fluid cavity ( 112 , 262 ) for receiving fluid under pressure, said cavity having an open bottom ( 132 , 266 ) and an upwardly extending slot ( 178 , 268 ); said housing including an upper portion having front ( 180 ), back ( 182 ) and top ( 186 ) walls surrounding and defining said slot, and having a forwardly-extending throat ( 160 , 290 ) through said front wall and terminating in a spray orifice ( 164 , 292 ); an insert ( 114 , 284 ) mountable within said slot in contact with and secured by interior surfaces of said front, back and top walls, said insert incorporating an interaction region ( 154 , 284 ) aligned with said spray axis and said throat when said insert is secured in said slot; first ( 120 , 280 ) and second ( 122 , 282 ) power nozzles in said insert in fluid communication with said fluid cavity at an inlet end at with said interaction region at an outlet end for accelerating and directing fluid from said fluid cavity into said interaction region in opposition to each other to produce fluidic oscillating vortices in said interaction region and ejecting said fluid through said throat and said orifice to generate a patterned spray ( 102 ).

7 . The nozzle assembly of claim 6 , wherein said insert is positioned in said slot through the open bottom of said fluid cavity so that said interaction region ( 154 or 284 ) comprises a volume defined partly within the insert and partly within the tapering throat or spray outlet orifice ( 160 or 290 ) defined through the sidewall ( 162 ) in the housing.

8 . The nozzle assembly of claim 7 , further including an insert carrier ( 294 ) for positioning said insert in said slot and for sealing the open bottom of the fluid cavity.

9 . The nozzle assembly of claim 7 , wherein said open bottom of said fluid cavity is connectable to a pressurized fluid source.

10 . The nozzle assembly of claim 6 , wherein said throat is formed by inwardly and forwardly curving walls ( 166 , 168 ) formed in said housing front wall.

11 . The nozzle assembly of claim 10 , wherein said insert interaction region cooperates with said curving walls to form said throat.

12 . The nozzle assembly of claim 6 , wherein said upper portion of said housing has exterior dimensions of 7 mm in width, 3 mm in depth and 9 mm in height, and wherein said insert is 0.85 mm thick.

13 . The nozzle assembly of claim 6 , wherein said patterned spray is a uniform spray fan having a spray angle of 15°-80°, when supplied from a fluid source at a flow rate of 50-350 ml/min at 15-22 psi, and wherein the spray fan may have a selected thickness of 6° to 25°.

14 . The nozzle assembly of claim 13 , wherein said patterned spray is generated when supplied with a cold fluid having a viscosity of up to 25 c

Assignees

• Dlhbowles Inc

Inventors

• Gopalan Shridhar
• Zhao Chunling
• Kline Zachary

Classifications

• B60S1/56

  specially adapted for cleaning other parts or devices than front windows or windscreens {(rear-view mirror arrangements mounted on vehicle exterior including cleaning devices B60R1/0602)} · CPC title

• B60S1/524

  arranged in wiper blades · CPC title

• B05B1/08

  of pulsating nature, e.g. delivering liquid in successive separate quantities · CPC title

• B05B1/14

  with multiple outlet openings (B05B1/02, B05B1/26 take precedence); with strainers in or outside the outlet opening · CPC title

• B60S1/522 Primary

  moving liquid spreading means, e.g. arranged in wiper arms · CPC title