Swirl nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9027854-B2
Application number	US-68260407-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2007
Priority date	Mar 7, 2006
Publication date	May 12, 2015
Grant date	May 12, 2015

Abstract

A simple, compact construction and easy manufacture of a swirl nozzle having a plurality of inlet channels and an outlet channel extending transversely thereto are made possible by the fact that the inlet channels open directly and/or tangentially into the outlet channel. Alternatively or additionally, upstream of the inlet channels is provided a filter structure having smaller flow cross-sections than the inlet channels. The swirl nozzle is used, in particular, for atomizing a liquid medicament formulation. The swirl nozzle is produced from two plate-shaped components, the outlet channel first being etched as a blind bore in one component and then opened up by grinding the component away. Alternatively or additionally, the outlet channel is formed in a different component from the inlet channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Swirl nozzle for delivering and atomizing at least one of a medicament formulation, a cosmetic agent, an agent for body or beauty care, a cleaning agent and household agent fluid, the swirl nozzle having inlet channels and an outlet channel, the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the inlet channels open into the outlet channel at least one of directly, radially and tangentially, wherein the inlet channels are formed between pairs of elevated sections that are at least substantially crescent-shaped, having a first tapered end adjacent the periphery of the outlet opening and an opposite, second tapered end disposed at a distance from the periphery of the outlet opening, the elevated sections of each pair forming the inlet channels therebetween in a partial spiral shape; wherein supply channels are provided at locations disposed radially outward of the inlet channels, the supply channels being directed radially toward the outlet channel; and wherein the supply channels, the inlet channels and an inner end of the outlet channel are all disposed in a common plane, and wherein the inlets of the inlet channels are at a spacing of 50 to 300 μm from a central axis of the outlet channel.

2. Swirl nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein from two to twelve inlet channels open into the outlet channel and extend in said common plane.

3. Swirl nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet channels are each provided with a curvature that is constant or that increases continuously towards the outlet channel.

4. Swirl nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet channels each taper towards the outlet channel.

5. Swirl nozzle for delivering and atomizing at least one of a medicament formulation, a cosmetic agent, an agent for body or beauty care, a cleaning agent and household agent fluid, the swirl nozzle having inlet channels and an outlet channel, the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the inlet channels open into the outlet channel at least one of directly, radially and tangentially, wherein the inlet channels are formed between pairs of elevated sections that are at least substantially crescent-shaped, having a first tapered end adjacent the periphery of the outlet opening and an opposite, second tapered end disposed at a distance from the periphery of the outlet opening, the elevated sections of each pair forming the inlet channels therebetween in a partial spiral shape; wherein supply channels are provided at locations disposed radially outward of the inlet channels, the supply channels being directed radially toward the outlet channel; and wherein the supply channels, the inlet channels and an inner end of the outlet channel are all disposed in a common plane, and wherein the inlet channels each have an outlet depth of 5 to 35 μm.

6. Swirl nozzle for delivering and atomizing at least one of a medicament formulation, a cosmetic agent, an agent for body or beauty care, a cleaning agent and household agent fluid, the swirl nozzle having inlet channels and an outlet channel, the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the inlet channels open into the outlet channel at least one of directly, radially and tangentially, wherein the inlet channels are formed between pairs of elevated sections that are at least substantially crescent-shaped, having a first tapered end adjacent the periphery of the outlet opening and an opposite, second tapered end disposed at a distance from the periphery of the outlet opening, the elevated sections of each pair forming the inlet channels therebetween in a partial spiral shape; wherein supply channels are provided at locations disposed radially outward of the inlet channels, the supply channels being directed radially toward the outlet channel; and wherein the supply channels, the inlet channels and an inner end of the outlet channel are all disposed in a common plane, and wherein the inlet channels each have an outlet width of 2 to 30 μm.

7. Swirl nozzle for delivering and atomizing at least one of a medicament formulation, a cosmetic agent, an agent for body or beauty care, a cleaning agent and household agent fluid, the swirl nozzle having inlet channels and an outlet channel, the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the inlet channels open into the outlet channel at least one of directly, radially and tangentially, wherein the inlet channels are formed between pairs of elevated sections that are at least substantially crescent-shaped, having a first tapered end adjacent the periphery of the outlet opening and an opposite, second tapered end disposed at a distance from the periphery of the outlet opening, the elevated sections of each pair forming the inlet channels therebetween in a partial spiral shape; wherein supply channels are provided at locations disposed radially outward of the inlet channels, the supply channels being directed radially toward the outlet channel; and wherein the supply channels, the inlet channels and an inner end of the outlet channel are all disposed in a common plane, and wherein the length of the outlet channel corresponds to 0.5 to 2 times the diameter of the outlet channel.

8. Swirl nozzle according to claim 7 , wherein the outlet channel has at least one of an at least substantially cylindrical form and an at least substantially constant cross section.

9. Swirl nozzle for delivering and atomizing at least one of a medicament formulation, a cosmetic agent, an agent for body or beauty care, a cleaning agent and household agent fluid, the swirl nozzle having inlet channels and an outlet channel, the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the inlet channels open into the outlet channel at least one of directly, radially and tangentially, wherein the inlet channels are formed between pairs of elevated sections that are at least substantially crescent-shaped, having a first tapered end adjacent the periphery of the outlet opening and an opposite, second tapered end disposed at a distance from the periphery of the outlet opening, the elevated sections of each pair forming the inlet channels therebetween in a partial spiral shape; wherein supply channels are provided at locations disposed radially outward of the inlet channels, the supply channels being directed radially toward the outlet channel; and wherein the supply channels, the inlet channels and an inner end of the outlet channel are all disposed in a common plane, and the inlet channels extending transversely to the outlet channel, wherein the swirl nozzle comprises a filter structure located upstream of the inlet channels, the filter structure having passages with a smaller cross section than that of the inlet channels, the number of passages of the filter structure being greater than the number of inlet channels so that the flow resistance of the filter structure is less than the flow resistance of the inlet channels.

10. Swirl nozzle according to claim 9 , wherein the inlet channels are connected at least one of at their inlet end to a common supply channel and at their outlet end directly to the outlet channel.

11. Swirl nozzle according to claim 10 , wherein the supply channel is arranged between the filter structure and the inlet channels.

12. Swirl nozzle according to claim 9 , wherein both the inlet channels and at least one of the filter structure and the supply channel are located in said common plane.

13. Swirl nozzle according to claim 1 or 9 , wherein the swirl nozzle is at least substantially flat or plate-shaped in construction, while the delivery channel extends transversely to a main plane of

Assignees

• Moser Achim
• Kadel Klaus
• Boehringer Ingelheim Int

Inventors

• Moser Achim
• Kadel Klaus

Classifications

• B05B1/3436 Primary

  the interface being a plane perpendicular to the outlet axis · CPC title

• B05B15/40

  Filters located upstream of the spraying outlets · CPC title

• B05B1/14

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

• B05B15/008

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic