Patent Publication Number: US-10329079-B2

Title: Aerosol/solvent delivery nozzles

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to nozzles, and more particularly to delivery nozzles such as used in delivering solvents and aerosols. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A variety of devices and methods are known in the art for issuing solvents and aerosols. Of such devices, many are configured to direct a stream of solvents to come into contact with aerosols. Conventional designs utilize a relatively fragile capillary for delivering solvents under pressure, and a tube for delivering aerosols. The capillary and tube are traditionally pointed collinear or on a converging angle so that aerosol delivered from the tube comes into contact with solvent issued from the capillary. 
     Typically when a device as described above must be cleaned or serviced, the capillary is at risk of being damaged or broken. It may be possible to continue operating if only a small portion of the capillary is broken; however, cumulative breakage, or large single breakages tend to reduce the ability to deliver solvent to effectively encounter the aerosol. 
     Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved aerosol/delivery nozzles. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A delivery nozzle for aerosol and solvent includes a nozzle body defining an aerosol passage and a solvent passage therethrough. The aerosol and solvent passages each extend from an inlet end of the nozzle body to an outlet end thereof. 
     The nozzle body can include a solid, unitary structure with the aerosol and solvent passages both defined through the solid, unitary structure. The inlet end of the nozzle body can include a mounting flange configured to mount the nozzle body in a device for delivering aerosol through the aerosol passage and for delivering solvent through the solvent passage. The solvent passage can define a smaller cross-sectional flow area than that of the aerosol passage. 
     Each of the aerosol and solvent passages can include a respective inlet defined in the inlet end of the nozzle body and each of the aerosol and solvent passages can include a respective outlet defined in the outlet end of the nozzle body. The outlets of the aerosol and solvent passages can be closer together than are the inlets thereof to direct solvent and aerosol issued from the nozzle body to meet outside the nozzle body. The inlet of the solvent passage can include a seal for sealing pressurized passage of solvent into the solvent passage. 
     The nozzle body can include a chemically inert material such as a material resistant to low PH solvent passing therethrough. The nozzle body can include at least one of quartz, steel, plastic, polytetrafluoroethylene, ceramic, or silicon. The aerosol passage can be lined with an electrically conductive layer, such as a gold coating layer. A capillary can be disposed within the solvent passage. 
     The nozzle body can define at least one additional solvent passage, such as any of the solvent passages described above, extending from the inlet end of the nozzle body to an outlet end thereof. The nozzle body can define at least one additional aerosol passage, such as any of the aerosol passages described above, extending from the inlet end of the nozzle body to an outlet end thereof. At least one of the aerosol passage and the solvent passage can define a tortuous path. 
     These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing the nozzle body with the solvent and aerosol passages defined therethrough; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing a seal for sealing pressurized passage of solvent into the solvent passage; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing a capillary disposed within the solvent passage; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing the solvent and aerosol passages defining tortuous paths; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, showing a nozzle body with multiple solvent and aerosol passages. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle in accordance with the disclosure is shown in  FIG. 1  and is designated generally by reference character  100 . Other embodiments of delivery nozzles in accordance with the disclosure, or aspects thereof, are provided in  FIGS. 2-5 , as will be described. The systems and methods described herein can be used to deliver solvents and aerosols, e.g., in a manner where the solvents and aerosols meet and/or are mixed. 
     Delivery nozzle  100  for aerosol and solvent includes a nozzle body  102  defining an aerosol passage  104  and a solvent passage  106  therethrough. The aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  each extend from an inlet end  108  of the nozzle body to an outlet end  110  thereof. 
     Nozzle body  102  includes a solid, unitary structure with the aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  both defined through the solid, unitary structure. Inlet end  108  of nozzle body  102  includes a mounting flange  112  configured to mount nozzle body  102  in a device for delivering aerosol through aerosol passage  104  and for delivering solvent through solvent passage  106 . Solvent passage  106  defines a smaller cross-sectional flow area than that of aerosol passage  104 , however those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this is optional, and in other configurations the solvent passage can be the same size or larger than the aerosol passage, for example as described below with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     Each of the aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  includes a respective inlet  114  and  116  defined in inlet end  108  of nozzle body  102  and each of the aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  includes a respective outlet  118  and  120  defined in outlet end  110  of nozzle body  102 . The outlets  118  and  120  of the aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  are closer together than are the inlets  114  and  116  thereof. This convergence of aerosol and solvent passages  104  and  106  directs solvent and aerosol issued from nozzle body  102  to meet outside nozzle body  102 . 
     Nozzle body  102  can include a chemically inert material such as a material resistant to low PH solvent passing therethrough. For example, nozzle body  102  can include at least one of quartz, steel, or silicon. Ceramics or plastics such as polytetrafluoroethylene can also be used. Aerosol passage  104  can be lined with an electrically conductive layer, such as a gold coating layer or a coating layer of any other suitable electrically conductive material, to facilitate movement of aerosol therethrough. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle  200  is shown, with a nozzle body  202  and aerosol and solvent passages  204  and  206  similar to those described above with respect to nozzle  100 . The inlet  216  of the solvent passage  206  includes a seal  222  for sealing pressurized passage of solvent into solvent passage  206 . Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that a similar seal can optionally be used for inlet  214  of aerosol passage  204 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle  300  is shown with nozzle body  302  and aerosol passage  304  similar to nozzle  100  described above, but with an enlarged solvent passage  306 , which can be up to the same size as or larger in cross-sectional flow area than aerosol passage  304 . A capillary  324  can be disposed within solvent passage  306 , wherein nozzle body  302  surrounds and protects the tip of capillary  324 . Some or all of capillary  324  can optionally include an outer polyamide coating  326 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , yet another exemplary embodiment of a delivery nozzle  400  is shown, having a nozzle body  402  similar to that described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . Each of the aerosol passage and the solvent passage  404  and  406  define a tortuous path. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that it is also possible to have only one of the passages  404  or  406  defined along a tortuous path, and that the passages can follow any arbitrary path as needed or suitable for a given application. 
     With reference now to  FIG. 5 , an exemplary embodiment of a nozzle body  500  is shown including a nozzle body  502  with a plurality of aerosol passages  504  and a plurality of solvent passages  506  defined therethrough, each passage  504  and  506  being similar to those described above with respect to  FIG. 1 . This configuration allows easy installation and removal of multiple passages  504  and  506  by removing or installing a single nozzle body  502 . Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that any suitable number of passages  504  and  506  can be used, and that the number of passages  504  need not be equal to the number of passages  506 . 
     Embodiments described herein can be made with minimal thermal mass to minimize thermal absorption, while providing improved structural integrity over the conventional configurations to reduce or prevent breakage. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the tip design, e.g., outlet end  110  of delivery nozzle  100 , can be customized to optimize the solvent delivery to the aerosol particles for given applications. The tip design can also be configured to control the shape of spray in the aerosol delivery, and reduce or prevent wicking over to the aerosol passage  104  from the solvent passage  106 . Any suitable manufacturing process can be used to make embodiments described herein, such as additive manufacturing techniques, subtractive machining, micromachining, techniques such as used in making microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), or any other suitable technique or combination of techniques. 
     The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for delivery nozzles with superior properties including extended useful life compared to traditional delivery nozzles. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure.