Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
In an atomizer including a nozzle with gas and liquid inlets and a plurality of spaced apart liquid feed passageways for feeding the liquid into the gas, a liquid manifold for distributing liquid frOm said liquid inlet to said feed passageways, said manifold having a distribution conduit connecting said inlet with said passageways which conduit decreases in cross-sectional area with increasing distance from said liquid inlet.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
In an atomizer including a nozzle with gas and liquid inlets and a plurality of spaced apart liquid feed passageways for feeding the liquid into the gas, a liquid manifold for distributing liquid frOm said liquid inlet to said feed passageways, said manifold having a distribution conduit connecting said inlet with said passageways which conduit decreases in cross-sectional area with increasing distance from said liquid inlet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An atomizer as in claim 1 in which said feed passageways are spaced around the perimeter of said nozzle, and said distribution conduit is loop-shaped.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
An atomizer as in claim 2 in which said loop has two halves, with each half starting at said inlet and decreasing in cross-sectional area at increasing distances from said inlet until a throat is reached.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
An atomizer as in claim 1 in which the rate of decrease in said cross-sectional area is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the liquid to be supplied to said liquid inlet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sonic pressure wave-actuated atomizer including a converging-diverging gas nozzle and a cavity resonator opposite the exit of said nozzle, a plurality of feed holes spaced around the perimeter of said nozzle and positioned to deliver a liquid into the gas flowing through the nozzle, liquid inlet conduit means, and manifold means forming a distribution conduit of generally circular configuration interconnecting said feed holes with said inlet conduit, said distribution conduit having a cross-sectional area which decreases at increasing distances from said inlet conduit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sonic pressure wave-actuated atomizer including a converging-diverging gas nozzle and a cavity resonator opposite the exit of said nozzle, a plurality of feed holes spaced around the perimeter of said nozzle and positioned to deliver a liquid into the gas flowing through the nozzle, liquid inlet conduit means, and manifold means forming a distribution conduit of generally circular configuration interconnecting said feed holes with said inlet conduit, said distribution conduit having a cross-sectional area which decreases at increasing distances from said inlet conduit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
An atomizer as in claim 5 in which said manifold means comprises a first member forming a generally cylindrically-shaped outer wall for said conduit, a second member, of generally cylindrical shape and having a diameter smaller than the first cylinder forming said outer wall, said second member being positioned eccentrically within said first cylinder.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
An atomizer as in claim 6 in which said second member has a central gas flow passageway through it forming a portion of said nozzle, and said feed holes extend from the outside wall into said gas flow passageway.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
An atomizer as in claim 5 in which said feed holes exit into the diverging portion of said nozzle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An atomizer as in claim 5 in which said nozzle has a throat of constant diameter, and the diameter of said cavity is approximately the same as the throat diameter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
102 words
An atomizer as in claim 5 in which the diverging portion of said nozzle has a half-angle of divergence of between 4* and 25*, preferably between 7* and 15*, said cavity has a depth of approximately lambda /2 or lambda /4, where: lambda 1.307 D* Square Root ME2 - 1, in which ME is the Mach number of the gas flowing at the exit of the diverging section of the nozzle, with only gas flow through the nozzle, and D* is the nozzle throat diameter, the cavity diameter is approximately equal to D*, and said feed holes exit into said diverging section.