Pure fluid device

Claim 2

A pure fluid device comprising: a confined interaction chamber including a confined region having top and bottom walls and a pair of side walls, and a shaped region disposed downstream of said confined region and contiguous therewith; said shaped region having top and bottom walls disposed outwardly of the respective top and bottom walls of said confined region, and means disposed at the downstream end of said shaped region for providing recirculation of said fluid stream within said shaped region in the presence of a control stream to achieve rapid switching from one binary state to another; an input passage having an orifice communicating with one end of said interaction chamber and adapted to establish and maintain a fluid stream in laminar flow through said chamber; a control passage having an orifice communicating with one of said side walls of said chamber and adapted to introduce a low energy control stream into said chamber; said top and bottom walls of said confined region being substantially parallel and coplanar with said input passage, and said side walls being substantially parallel and outwardly disposed from said input passage; a shielded region contiguous with said interaction chamber and having side walls outwardly disposed from said input passage and top and bottom surfaces fully vented to the working atmosphere; and an output passage having an orifice disposed at the downstream end of said shielded region; said output passage being operative to provide a predetermined output pressure in response to a laminar stream received from said input passage in the absence of a control stream, and to provide a predetermined different output pressure in the presence of a control stream.

Claim 3

A pure fluid device according to claim 3 wherein said recirculation means includes an obstruction disposed in said shaped region in an operative position to permit passage of a laminar stream from said input passage in the absence of a control stream and to engage a portion of said laminar stream in the presence of a control stream.

Claim 4

A pure fluid device according to claim 3 wherein said recirculation means includes a wall disposed at the downstream end of said shaped region and transversely thereacross; an aperture formed in said wall in alignment with the orifice of said input passage; and means for venting said shaped region.

Claim 5

A pure fluid device according to claim 3 wherein said recirculation means includes a channel formed in the top and bottom walls of said shaped region and extending parallel to the axis thereof; and an obstructing element disposed at the downstream end of each of said channels across the width thereof and extending inwardly by an amount to permit unobstructed flow of said laminar stream from said input passage in the absence of a control stream and to engage a portion of said laminar stream in the presence of said control stream.

Claim 6

A pure fluid device according to claim 3 wherein said recirculation means includes an obstructing element disposed at the downstream end of said shaped region across the width thereof and extending inwardly by an amount to permit unobstructed flow of said laminar stream from said input passage in the absence of a control stream and to engage a portion of said laminar stream in the presence of said control stream.

Claim 7

A pure fluid device according to claim 3 wherein said confined region includes one or more vents communicating between the input end of said confined region adjacent said input passage and the working atmosphere.