Flat jet water nozzles with adjustable droplet size including fixed or variable spray angle
View Patent ↗A nozzle comprises a lower nozzle plate including a lower impingement surface formed therein, at least one fluid intake port disposed at an inner end of the lower impingement surface, and an upper nozzle plate including an upper impingement surface formed therein and an upper orifice edge disposed along an outer end of the upper impingement surface. The nozzle includes a seal configured for sealing the lower nozzle plate to the upper nozzle plate, such that the lower and upper impingement surfaces are opposed toward one another, thereby forming a fluid channel between the impingement surfaces, directing pressurized fluid from the at least one fluid intake port to a slotted orifice formed between the opposed lower and upper orifice edges. The nozzle includes a droplet size adjustment mechanism configured for attachment to the upper and lower nozzle plates for selectively controlling fluid droplet size ejected from the slotted orifice.
1. A flat jet fluid nozzle, comprising:
a lower nozzle plate including a lower impingement surface formed therein, at least one fluid intake port disposed at an inner end of the lower impingement surface and a lower orifice edge disposed along an outer end of the lower impingement surface;
an upper nozzle plate including an upper impingement surface formed therein and an upper orifice edge disposed along an outer end of the upper impingement surface, wherein the lower and upper orifice edges are opposed;
the lower and upper impingement surfaces each including a plurality of sculpted radial flutes, each flute emanating from a central axis passing through the lower and upper nozzle plates and each flute extending to the opposed lower and upper orifice edges, the opposed lower and upper orifice edges forming a slotted orifice;
a compressible seal configured for sealing the lower nozzle plate to the upper nozzle plate, such that the lower and upper impingement surfaces are opposed toward one another, thereby forming a fluid channel between the impingement surfaces, the fluid channel configured to direct pressurized fluid from the at least one fluid intake port to the slotted orifice formed between the opposed lower and upper orifice edges; and
a droplet size adjustment mechanism configured for attachment to the upper and lower nozzle plates for selectively controlling fluid droplet size ejected from the slotted orifice by selectively compressing the compressible seal.
2. The nozzle according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover configured for surrounding the lower nozzle plate, the seal and the upper nozzle plate, the cover including an opening configured to selectively cover or expose the slotted orifice to produce an adjustable spray angle of a fluid particle jet expelled from the slotted orifice.
3. The nozzle according to claim 1 further comprising chamfers formed in the opposed lower and upper orifice edges adjacent to outside the impingement surfaces, each chamfer opposed to each other and forming aligned half-oval pairs where each chamfer intersects with vertically aligned flutes, each vertically aligned half-oval pair forming a vertically aligned mini flat jet nozzle.
4. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel further comprises a fluid chamber region for receiving fluid from the at least one fluid intake port and directing the fluid toward the slotted orifice formed between the lower and upper nozzle plates.
5. The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid channel further comprises gradual widening of the fluid chamber from the at least one fluid intake port toward the central axis of the lower and upper nozzle plates.
6. The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid channel further comprises gradual narrowing followed by gradual widening of the fluid chamber from the at least one fluid intake port toward the central axis of the lower and upper nozzle plates.
7. The nozzle according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid channel further comprises a gradual narrowing of the height of the fluid channel in a first region extending from the central axis of the lower and upper nozzle plates to near the slotted orifice.
8. The nozzle according to claim 7 , wherein the fluid channel further comprises an increased narrowing of the height of the fluid channel in a second region outside of the first region and extending to the slotted orifice, such that laminar fluid flowing along the lower and upper impingement surfaces impinge upon each other at the slotted orifice and atomize into droplets of fluid upon ejection from the slotted orifice.
9. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper nozzle plates are circular and disk-shaped.
10. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid intake port comprises a single fluid intake port configured for connection to a source of high pressure fluid.
11. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower and upper nozzle plates each comprise a cylindrical portion attached to a fan-shaped portion extending away from the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portions forming the slotted orifice.
12. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the seal comprises an elastically deformable material capable of forming a fluid-tight seal between the lower and upper nozzle plates.
13. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the seal is selected from the group comprising elastomer or rubber.
14. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the droplet size adjustment mechanism comprises a plurality of corresponding bolt holes formed in the lower and upper nozzle plates, the adjustment mechanism further comprising a plurality of bolts configured for securing the seal between the lower and upper nozzle plates, the bolts providing selective compression of the seal separating the lower and upper nozzle plates, thereby providing selective adjustment of a distance separating the opposed lower and upper orifice edges defining the slotted orifice.
15. A flat jet fluid nozzle comprising:
opposed lower and upper nozzle plates having opposed lower and upper orifice edges;
a plurality of independent fluid intake ports formed in the lower nozzle plate leading to a plurality of independent fluid chambers, each of the plurality of independent fluid chambers comprising:
opposed impingement surfaces having first and second regions for accelerating fluid flow along the opposed impingement surfaces and causing opposed streams of fluid to exit the opposed lower and upper orifice edges forming a slotted orifice and impinge upon one another;
a distance between the opposed lower and upper orifice edges of the slotted orifice selectively adjustable; and
the second region narrowing in height nonlinearly in the direction from the first region to the slotted orifice.
16. The nozzle according to claim 15 , wherein the first region narrows in height linearly in the direction from any one of the plurality of intake ports toward the slotted orifice.
17. The nozzle according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of fluid intake ports comprises three laterally aligned intake ports.
18. The nozzle according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of fluid intake ports comprises four longitudinally and serially aligned intake ports in fluid connection with a valve control mechanism, the valve control mechanism comprising a hollow body enclosing an inlet reservoir separated from a fluid drain channel by a valve piston head, the valve piston head configured to selectively provide a fluid connection between zero to four of the serially aligned intake ports and the inlet reservoir.
19. The nozzle according to claim 15 , wherein the opposed impingement surfaces further comprise radial flutes extending along the first and second regions of the impingement surfaces.