Fluidic oscillator for providing dynamic liquid spray patterns

Claim 2

A fluidic oscillator comprising: an interaction region having upstream and downstream ends, a substantially straight sidewall terminating abruptly proximate said downstream end, and a curved sidewall which diverges gradually from said straight sidewall in a downstream direction and curves sharply back toward said straight sidewall at said downstream end, said curved sidewall terminating slightly downstream of said straight sidewall, the terminations of said sidewalls defining an outlet opening at the downstream end of said interaction region; a power nozzle located at the upstream end of said interaction region and arranged to issue a jet of pressurized liquid into said interaction region, said jet being directed by said power nozzle generally adjacent said straight sidewall such that said jet issues undeflected through said outlet opening when ambient air is present in sufficient quantity in said interaction region to limit jet flow therethrough to a partial channel flow mode, said jet being deflected by said sidewalls to issue from said outlet opening at an angle into the plane of said straight sidewall when ambient air is sufficiently absent from said interaction region to cause said jet to assume a full channel flow mode therein; and a feedback passage having an ingress opening and arranged to conduct ambient air to said interaction region when said ingress opening is unblocked, said ingress opening being positioned downstream of said outlet opening so as to be blocked to ambient air inflow when said liquid jet issues undeflected from said outlet opening and open to ambient air inflow when said liquid jet issues deflected from said outlet opening.

Claim 3

The oscillator according to claim 1 formed as an axi-symEtrical element wherein said power nozzle, said interaction region and said outlet opening have annular transverse cross-sections which are concentric about said feedback passage, said interaction region having a longitudinal cross-section with a semi-teardrop configuration.

Claim 4

The element according to claim 1 further comprising a flow guide wall extending downstream from the termination of said curved sidewall and positioned to guide said liquid jet when issuing from said outlet opening undeflected, and wherein said ingress opening for said feedback passage comprises an opening defined in said guide wall.

Claim 5

The oscillator according to claim 3 wherein said feedback passage terminates in a control port opening through said curved sidewall into the upstream end of said interaction region.

Claim 6

The oscillator according to claim 4 constructed as an axisymmetrical element about said feedback passage, wherein said power nozzle, said interaction region and said outlet opening have annular transverse cross-sections which surround said feedback passage, and wherein said curved sidewall comprises the radially innermost wall of said interaction region.

Claim 7

The oscillator according to claim 5 further comprising an annular outlet region extending downstream of said outlet opening and having as its inner boundary wall said flow guide wall.

Claim 8

The oscillator according to claim 6 further comprising an outer wall for said annular outlet region arranged to guide said liquid jet when it issues deflected from said outlet opening.

Claim 9

The oscillator according to claim 7 wherein said outer and inner walls of said outlet region diverge from one another in a downstream direction.

Claim 10

The oscillator according to claim 7 wherein said outer and inner walls of said outlet region converge toward one another in a downstream direction.

Claim 11

The oscillator according to claim 7 wherein said interaction region has a sufficiently large volume to delay the deflected jet issued from said outlet opening relative to the undeflected jet issued from said outlet opening.

Claim 12

The oscillator according to claim 7 further comprising: a hollow housing having a first interior wall section of straight cylindrical configuration defining one side of said annular power nozzle and said straight sidewall of said interaction region, said housing having a second interior wall section downstream of said first interior wall section and defining said outer wall of said outlet region; and member means disposed symmetrically within said hollow housing and spaced radially inward from said first and second interior wall sections of said hollow housing, said member means including: a first peripheral wall section of generally cylindrical configuration defining a second side of said annular power nozzle; a second peripheral wall section downstream of said first peripheral wall section and which at its upstream end is generally parallel to the first interior wall section of said hollow housing and then diverges and curves in a downstream direction to define said curved sidewall of said interaction region; and a third peripheral wall section defining said flow guide wall.

Claim 13

The oscillator according to claim 7 wherein the longitudinal position of the outer wall of said outlet region is movable relative to said flow guide wall.

Claim 14

The oscillator according to claim 12 wherein the outer wall of said outlet region comprises a generally cylindrical member surrounding the downstream portion of said oscillator and is longitudinally movable relative to said straight sidewall of said interaction region.

Claim 15

The oscillator according to claim 13 wherein said outer wall, in its fully retracted extreme upstream position, projects slightly downstream of said outlet opening and terminates upstream of said feedback openings in said flow guide wall; and wherein said outer wall, in its fully protracted extreme downstream position, projects beyond the downstream termination of said flow guide wall.

Claim 16

The Oscillator according to claim 14 wherein said outer wall and said flow guide wall define a sufficiently narrow outlet region when said outer wall is fully protracted to limit ambient air inflow to less than that required to permit partial channel flow through said interaction region over a relatively wide range of liquid supply pressures.

Claim 17

The oscillator according to claim 14 wherein said outer wall, in its fully retracted position, defines a relatively narrow outlet opening with said flow guide wall such that for low liquid supply pressures the liquid outflow during said full channel flow mode blocks all entry into said feedback openings and said interaction region and maintains said fully channel flow mode to prevent oscillation; and such that for higher pressures said liquid outflow during said full channel flow mode is sufficiently turbulent to permit ambient air to enter said feedback openings and maintain oscillation between said full and partial channel flow modes.

Claim 18

The oscillator according to claim 13 further comprising a fluid passage defined between said outer wall and the downstream portion of said oscillator, said fluid passage being arranged to conduct ambient air inflow to said interaction region when said outer wall is fully protracted and to be blocked to ambient air inflow when said outer wall is fully retracted.

Claim 19

The oscillator according to claim 7 further comprising adjustable flow restriction means located in said feedback passage to permit controlled adjustment of the duty cycle of said oscillator.

Claim 20

The oscillator according to claim 18 wherein said adjustable flow restriction means has an extreme position in which said feedback passage is blocked to fluid flow, thereby limiting operation of said oscillator to its full channel flow mode.

Claim 21

The oscillator according to claim 18 wherein said adjustable flow restriction means comprises a needle valve projecting into said feedback passage from the downstream end of said oscillator and having an adjustment control located at the downstream end of said oscillator.

Claim 22

The oscillator according to claim 7 operable as a shower head and further comprising mounting means for securing said oscillator to a liquid supply in a shower plumbing installation.

Claim 23

The oscillator according to claim 7 operable as a sink faucet adapter and comprising means for securing said oscillator to a sink faucet.

Claim 24

The oscillator according to claim 7 arranged to provide decorative fountain spray patterns, wherein said flow guide wall extends a relatively long distance downstream of the outer wall of said outlet region.

Claim 25

The oscillator according to claim 23 further comprising an annular divider disposed about said guide wall proximate the downstream end of said guide wall, said flow divider including at least one longitudinally-extending opening positioned to conduct a portion of the liquid flowing along said guide wall through said flow divider, said flow divider being contoured to outwardly deflect that portion of the liquid which does not pass through said opening.

Claim 26

A fluidic oscillator comprising: an interaction region of annular transverse cross-section having upstream and downstream ends, a substantially straight outer cylindrical sidewall terminating abruptly proximate said downstream end, and a curved inner sidewall which diverges gradually from said straight sidewall in a downstream direction and curves sharply back toward said straight sidewall at said downstream end, said curved sidewall terminating slightly downstream of said straight sidewall, the terminations of said sidewalls defining a single annular outlet opening at the downstream end of said interaction region; an annular power nozzle located at the upstream end of said interaction region and arranged to issue an annular flow of pressurized liquid into said interaction region, said annular flow being directed by said power nozzle generally along said straight sidewall such that said annular flow issues Undeflected through said outlet opening when ambient air is present in sufficient quantity in said interaction region to limit flow therethrough to a partial channel flow mode, said annular flow being deflected by said sidewalls to issue from said outlet opening at an angle into the cylindrical plane of said straight sidewall when ambient air is absent from said interaction region to cause said annular flow to assume a full channel flow mode therein; and a feedback passage having an ingress opening and arranged to conduct ambient air to said interaction region when said ingress opening is unblocked, said ingress opening being positioned downstream of said outlet opening so as to be blocked to ambient air inflow when said annular flow of liquid issues undeflected from said outlet opening and open to ambient air inflow when said annular flow of liquid issues deflected from said outlet opening.

Claim 27

A fluidic oscillator comprising: an interaction region of annular transverse cross-section having upstream and downstream ends, a substantially straight outer cylindrical sidewall terminating abruptly proximate said downstream end, and a curved inner sidewall which diverges gradually from said straight sidewall in a downstream direction and curves sharply back toward said straight sidewall at said downstream end, said curved sidewall terminating slightly downstream of said straight sidewall, the terminations of said sidewalls defining a single annular outlet opening at the downstream end of said interaction region; an annular power nozzle located at the upstream end of said interaction region and arranged to issue an annular flow of pressurized liquid into said interaction region, said annular flow being directed by said power nozzle generally along said straight sidewall such that said annular flow issues Undeflected through said outlet opening when ambient air is present in sufficient quantity in said interaction region to limit flow therethrough to a partial channel flow mode, said annular flow being deflected by said sidewalls to issue from said outlet opening at an angle into the cylindrical plane of said straight sidewall when ambient air is absent from said interaction region to cause said annular flow to assume a full channel flow mode therein; and a feedback passage having an ingress opening and arranged to conduct ambient air to said interaction region when said ingress opening is unblocked, said ingress opening being positioned downstream of said outlet opening so as to be blocked to ambient air inflow when said annular flow of liquid issues undeflected from said outlet opening and open to ambient air inflow when said annular flow of liquid issues deflected from said outlet opening.

Claim 28

The fluidic oscillator according to claim 25 further comprising adjustable means for selectively limiting ambient air inflow to said interaction region to a sufficient extent as to prevent establishing of partial channel flow through said interaction region.

Claim 29

The fluidic oscillator according to claim 26 wherein said adjustable means comprises a valve disposed in said feedback passage.

Claim 30

The oscillator according to claim 26 wherein said adjustable means comprises an outer wall for said oscillator, said outer wall being adjustably positioned longitudinally relative to said oscillator such that in its fully extended position it projects beyond the downstream end of said oscillator and in its fully retracted position it terminates upstream of the downstream end of said oscillator.

Claim 31

The oscillator according to claim 25 further comprising a generally cylindrical flow guide wall extending downstream from the termination of said curved sidewall and positioned to guide said annular flow of liquid when it issues from said outlet opening undeflected.

Claim 32

The fluidic oscillator according to claim 29 further comprising adjustable means for selectively limiting ambient air inflow to said interaction region to a sufficient extent as to prevent establishing of partial channel flow through said interaction region.

Claim 33

The oscillator according to claim 30 wherein said adjustable means comprises an outer wall for said oscillator, said outer wall being adjustably positioned longitudinally relative to said guide wall such that in its fully extended position it projects beyond the downstream end of said guide wall and in its fully retracted position it terminates upstream of the downstream end of said guide wall.

Claim 34

A liquid spray apparatus employing a fluidic oscillator of the type which oscillates between a partial channel flow mode, in which liquid is issued from the oscillator as a high velocity compact annular jet, and a full channel flow mode, in which liquid is issued from said oscillator in a relatively low velocity, unaerated annular spray pattern, said oscillator further comprising adjustment means for selectively inhibiting oscillation and said partial channel flow mode by establishing and steadily maintaining said full channel flow mode.

Claim 35

A liquid spray apparatus employing a fluidic oscillator of the type which oscillates between a partial channel flow mode, in which liquid is issued from the oscillator as a high velocity compact annular jet, and a full channel flow mode, in which liquid is issued from said oscillator in a relatively low velocity, unaerated annular spray pattern, said oscillator further comprising adjustment means for selectively inhibiting oscillation and said partial channel flow mode by establishing and steadily maintaining said full channel flow mode.

Claim 36

The apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said adjustment means includes a flow passage for introducing ambient air into said channel and which is controllably closable to initiate said full channel flow mode.

Claim 37

A fluidic oscillator comprising: an interaction region in the form of a flow channel having an inlet end, an outlet end and an outlet opening defined through said outlet end, said outlet opening being substantially narrower than said outlet end; a power nozzle arranged to issue pressurized liquid into said inlet end of said interaction region, said power nozzle being positioned such that, upon issuance of said pressurized liquid into said interaction region in the presence of ambient air, a partial channel flow state is established wherein a compact liquid jet is formed and issues through said outlet opening, and such that, upon issuance of said pressurized liquid into said interaction region in the absence of ambient air, a full channel flow state is established wherein said pressurized liquid diffuses and fills said interaction region before issuing from outlet opening; and a feedback passage arranged to conduct ambient air into said interaction region in response to outflow from said outlet opening in said full channel flow state and to inhibit entry of ambient air to said interaction region in response to outflow from said interaction region in said partial channel flow state.

Claim 38

A fluidic oscillator comprising: an interaction region in the form of a flow channel having an inlet end, an outlet end and an outlet opening defined through said outlet end, said outlet opening being substantially narrower than said outlet end; a power nozzle arranged to issue pressurized liquid into said inlet end of said interaction region, said power nozzle being positioned such that, upon issuance of said pressurized liquid into said interaction region in the presence of ambient air, a partial channel flow state is established wherein a compact liquid jet is formed and issues through said outlet opening, and such that, upon issuance of said pressurized liquid into said interaction region in the absence of ambient air, a full channel flow state is established wherein said pressurized liquid diffuses and fills said interaction region before issuing from outlet opening; and a feedback passage arranged to conduct ambient air into said interaction region in response to outflow from said outlet opening in said full channel flow state and to inhibit entry of ambient air to said interaction region in response to outflow from said interaction region in said partial channel flow state.

Claim 39

The fluidic oscillator according to claim 34 further comprising a flow guide wall arranged to guide outflow from said outlet opening in said partial channel flow state, said guide wall having an ingress opening to said feedback passage defined therethrough at a location which is blocked to ambient air by said outflow in said partial channel flow state.

Claim 40

The oscillator according to claim 35 wherein the downstream end of said interaction region is configured as a smooth narrowing transition from the widest part of said interaction region to said outlet opening, and wherein velocity augmentation of said outflow occurs at the onset of each full channel flow state.