Transducer assembly, ultrasonic atomizer and fuel burner

Claim 2

An ultrasonic atomizer having an atomizing surface, means for vibrating the atomizing surface with sufficient energy to atomize a liquid, and means for delivering a liquid to said atomizing surface, said liquid delivery means including a passage extending through said atomizer to said atomizing surface, wherein the improvement comprises a decoupling sleeve mounted within said passage and extending to said atomizing surface for isolating the liquid from contact with said passage, said decoupling sleeve being made of a material having different acoustical energy transmitting properties than the material of said atomizer, such that vibrational energy in the atomizer is attenuated by the sleeve.

Claim 3

An ultrasonic atomizer according to claim 1 wherein the decoupling sleeve is made of plastic and is press fit into the liquid passage.

Claim 4

An ultrasonic liquid atomizing transducer assembly having a driving element including a pair of piezoelectric discs and an electrode positioned therebetween; terminal means for feeding ultrasonic frequency electrical energy to said electrode; a rear dummy horn in the form of a first cylinder having a flanged portion at one end; and a front vibration amplifying horn in the form of a second cylinder having a flanged portion at one end and an amplifying portion extending from the other end, the second cylinder being equal in diameter to, but having a greater length than, the first cylinder, and the amplifying portion comprising an elongated segment having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the second cylinder and a flanged tip, the outer face of which serves as an atomizing surface, an axial passage being provided through said front vibration amplifying horn for delivering liquid to said atomizing surface; delivery means for providing liquid to said passage; and means for clamping the driving element between the flanged ends of said first and second cylinders, said clamping means including a mounting ring, wherein the improvement comprises: said ultrasonic driving element, in combination with the rear dummy horn and a portion of the flanged end of said second cylinder equal in length to said rear dummy horn, define an equivalent symmetrical double-dummy first section having an empirically measurable characteristic resonant frequency different from its calculated theoretical resonant frequency, and the remainder of the second cylinder, having a length A, in addition to the elongated segment, having a length B, and the flanged atomizing tip, having an axial thickness C, define a second section having a calculated theoretical resonant frequency matching the empirically measured resonant frequency of said first section, and wherein said atomizing transducer assembly further comprises: first and second sealing gaskets surrounding said driving element piezoelectric discs and being compressed between said electrode and the flanged ends of the first and second cylinders, respectively, and a decoupling sleeve positioned within said passage and extending up to said atomizing surface for isolating the liquid from contact with the front vibration horn, said decoupling sleeve being made of a material having different acoustical energy transmitting properties than the material of said front vibration horn for attenuating vibrations transmitted from the front vibration horn to liquid in said passage.

Claim 5

An ultrasonic liquid atomizing transducer assembly having a driving element including a pair of piezoelectric discs and an electrode positioned therebetween; terminal means for feeding ultrasonic frequency electrical energy to said electrode; a rear dummy horn in the form of a first cylinder having a flanged portion at one end; and a front vibration amplifying horn in the form of a second cylinder having a flanged portion at one end and an amplifying portion extending from the other end, the second cylinder being equal in diameter to, but having a greater length than, the first cylinder, and the amplifying portion comprising an elongated segment having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the second cylinder and a flanged tip, the outer face of which serves as an atomizing surface, an axial passage being provided through said front vibration amplifying horn for delivering liquid to said atomizing surface; delivery means for providing liquid to said passage; and means for clamping the driving element between the flanged ends of said first and second cylinders, said clamping means including a mounting ring, wherein the improvement comprises: said ultrasonic driving element, in combination with the rear dummy horn and a portion of the flanged end of said second cylinder equal in length to said rear dummy horn, define an equivalent symmetrical double-dummy first section having an empirically measurable characteristic resonant frequency different from its calculated theoretical resonant frequency, and the remainder of the second cylinder, having a length A, in addition to the elongated segment, having a length B, and the flanged atomizing tip, having an axial thickness C, define a second section having a calculated theoretical resonant frequency matching the empirically measured resonant frequency of said first section, and wherein said atomizing transducer assembly further comprises: first and second sealing gaskets surrounding said driving element piezoelectric discs and being compressed between said electrode and the flanged ends of the first and second cylinders, respectively, and a decoupling sleeve positioned within said passage and extending up to said atomizing surface for isolating the liquid from contact with the front vibration horn, said decoupling sleeve being made of a material having different acoustical energy transmitting properties than the material of said front vibration horn for attenuating vibrations transmitted from the front vibration horn to liquid in said passage.

Claim 6

An ultrasonic atomizer according to claim 3 wherein ##EQU6##