Patent ID: 7131598

Claim:
A snow-gun for producing man-made snow from a mixture of air and water, said snow gun comprising: (a) a first conduit comprising a first cylindrical wall defining a first passageway therein, said first conduit having (i) an entrance aperture at one end for admitting air into said first passageway from a compressed air source, (ii) an exit aperture at an opposite end through which air passing through said first passageway can exit from first conduit, and (iii) a plurality of holes circumferentially formed through said first cylindrical wall at a location proximate said exit aperture in the first conduit; (b) a second conduit comprising a second cylindrical wall positioned about the first cylindrical wall of the first conduit to define a second passageway between the two conduits, such second cylindrical wall having a port therein for introducing water into the second passageway from a pressurized water source, such second passageway communicating with the first passageway only via the holes formed in the first cylindrical wall, whereby pressurized water within said second passageway is injected into an air stream passing through the first passageway in the form of water particles; (c) a housing defining a mixing chamber connected to the first and second conduits for receiving an expanding mixture of air and water particles from the first passageway; (d) a concave blocking member positioned within the mixing chamber at a position to break-up and thereby reduce the size of water particles entering the mixing chamber; and (e) a nozzle member connected to the mixing chamber housing for receiving a pressurized mixture of air and water particles from said mixing chamber, said nozzle member comprising a cup-shaped housing defined by a cylindrical wall and an end wall that encloses one end of said cylindrical wall, said end wall having formed therein an elliptically-shaped port through which air and water particles received by said nozzle member can be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere, said elliptically-shaped port having a transverse cross-sectional area, determined along and perpendicular to the central axis of the port, that gradually expands in size through the end wall thickness, in the direction in which the pressurized mixture of air and water particles is discharged from said nozzle, said transverse cross-sectional area expanding in size according to a non-linear function by which said area initially expands at a relatively fast rate followed by a gradually slower rate, whereby an endless concave wall is formed through the thickness of said end wall at a location that surrounds said elliptically-shaped port, said endless concave wall providing clearance for water-particles of said pressurized mixture discharged through said port so that said water-particles can pass through said port with minimal contact with said concave wall and with each other.