Liquid spray head

Claim 2

In a spray head for discharging a short burst of atomized spray of a non-gaseous fluid, the combination of: means containing a conduit for said fluid, such conduit having an open discharge end; a fluid distribution plate having a center aligned with said discharge end of said conduit, and having a flow surface substantially perpendicularly facing said discharge end of said conduit; a flange of larger diameter than said distribution plate having a surface circumscribing, confronting and shortly spaced from said flow surface of said plate, said plate and flange forming therebetween a thin flow space through which a layer of fluid from said conduit flows radially outward in all directions; means including said flange forming a chamber for pressurized air; an air passage means for conveying air under pressure to said chamber; an endless row of fine, close-spaced air ports extending through said flange in a substantially ring pattern circumscribing said distribution plate and spaced radially outwardly therefrom, such that high pressure air within said chamber discharges from said portS into and through said fluid layer to form an atomized spray; and an outwardly angled skirt joining said flange outside said row of air ports to receive and deflect angularly downward the remainder of said radially flowing fluid layer to flow down the inside surface of said skirt and discharge as a spray off the lower edge portion thereof.

Claim 3

The spray head according to claim 1, wherein: said air ports extend through said flange on an outward angle.

Claim 4

The spray head of claim 1, wherein: said fluid distribution plate and said ported flange are annular in form and are coaxial with said discharge end of said conduit, the annular disc being of larger diameter than said plate, and wherein said air ports are in a circular row just outside the periphery of the annular plate.

Claim 5

The spray head of claim 3, wherein said annular distribution plate and said ported disc have substantially flat confronting faces.

Claim 6

The spray head according to claim 3, wherein: said conduit-containing means is a generally cylindric body, into one end portion of which is sunk an axial bore terminating in an annular shoulder, said one end portion of said body being screw-threaded; said conduit terminating in said body in an axial opening through said annular shoulder, said flange closing the outer end of said axial bore to provide said air chamber, a concentric hub extending inwardly of said axial bore from said flange, radially inside said ports in said flange, the bore of said hub continuing axially through said flange, a hollow plug having means mounting it coaxially on said deflection plate, the inner extremity of said hollow plug having a fluid tight joint with the extremity of said conduit, said plug being received with a close-sliding fit through the bore in said hub, said mounting means for said plug on said disc affording openings between said plug and said deflection plate for fluid passage and for cleanout therebetween; means limiting the spacing distance between the deflection plate and the ported flange to a determined spacing distance, and means releasably securing said plug and said hub to one another with said deflection plate and ported disc at said determined spacing distance, and said skirt embodying a cap screwed into said screw-threaded end portion of said body, said cap having an internal flange at its outer end terminating in an annular internal circular edge engaging said ported plate shortly outside the circular array of air ports opening through said plate; and a divergent nozzle throat formed in said flange extending angularly outward from said internal edge of said internal flange.

Claim 7

The nozzle according to claim 5 wherein said throat is in the form of a frustum of a cone.

Claim 8

The nozzle according to claim 5 wherein said hub has an internal annular flange at its inner end abutted by an annular shoulder on said plug to pre-determine the distance between said deflection plate and said ported disc, said means for releasably screwing said plug and hub to one another comprising a screw-threaded section on said plug inwardly of said internal annular flange, and a nut on said screw-threaded section of said plug engaging said internal annular flange on said hub.

Claim 9

The nozzle according to claim 6 wherein said air passage means includes a channel encircling said body adjacent to said annular shoulder, and a plurality of air ports extending through said shoulder between said channel and said chamber.