Wear resistant atomizing nozzle assembly

Claim 1

A wear resistant, atomizing nozzle assembly comprising: (a) an outwardly diverging, frustum of a cone shaped, deflector core of a wear resistant ceramic material, said deflector core having an outwardly diverging surface, an outer portion of the diverging surface of the deflector core forming an outwardly deflecting surface for a liquid-to-be-atomized, (b) a nozzle rim of a wear resistant ceramic material, the rim having an inward protrusion with outwardly flared inner surface encircling the diverging surface of the deflector core to form therewith a flared, atomizing nozzle orifice, (c) a deflector core holder having a flared socket at a leading end, the flared socket having an inner portion of the deflector core closely fitting and aligned therein, the flared socket, in operation, guiding atomizing fluid towards and along the outwardly deflecting surface of the deflector core, (d) securing means securing the deflector core in the flared socket, (e) an inner sleeve having an inner end closely fitted on an inner end of the deflector core holder and having a leading, lengthwise extending end portion with an enlarged bore and terminating at an intermediate position along the length of the flared socket to form a fluid passage around the deflector core holder for, in operation, directing a jet of atomizing fluid along the outer surface of the flared socket and towards and along the outwardly deflecting surface of the deflector core, (f) an outer sleeve mounted at a rear end of the inner sleeve and having a stepped, annular recessed portion at the leading end with the nozzle rim mounted therein and protruding radially inwardly therefrom, a portion of the outer sleeve member having a relatively larger bore diameter than the outside diameter of the inner sleeve and forming therewith a liquid-to-be-atomized passage therearound, for, in operation, conveying liquid-to-be-atomized towards an inner side face of, and inwardly around, the inward protrusion of the nozzle rim, (g) means securing the nozzle rim in the stepped, annular recess, (h) means for delivering atomizing fluid to the fluid passage, and (i) means for delivering liquid-to-be-atomized to the liquid-to-be-atomized passage.