Abstract: Fluidic oscillators with yawed liquid spray.

Abstract: A molded fluidic device having a power nozzle with a width W and a coupling passage coupling a source of fluid to said power nozzle. The coupling passage has a planar enlargement and a plurality of posts spaced across the enlargement, the spacing S between each post being less than the width of the power nozzle with the sum of spacing S being greater than the width W.

Abstract: A low pressure fluidic oscillator having an oscillation chamber having a centerline, and a pair of mutually facing and complementary-shaped sidewalls, planar top and bottom walls, upstream end and downstream end walls. An input power nozzle is formed in the upstream end wall having a width P.sub.W and a depth PD.sub.D, for issuing a jet of liquid into the oscillation chamber and forming alternately pulsating vortices in the oscillation chamber on each side of the jet, respectively. An outlet opening is formed in the downstream end wall and substantially axially aligned with the power nozzle. A pair of short sidewalls diverge in a downstream direction from the outlet opening. The distance from the power nozzle to the outlet opening being L. A slot is formed in at least one of said top and bottom walls, the slot having a slot centerline which is spaced upstream from the outlet opening a distance from about the edge of the downstream end of said oscillation chamber to about 0.48L.

Abstract: A vehicle air outlet having an outlet bell, an upstream intruder member, a control shaft secured to the upstream intruder member, and a ball and socket device for mounting the control shaft to the outlet bell. In a preferred embodiment a portion of the control shaft is made to serve as a housing having a fixed hemispherically shaped bearing seat which is integrally formed therein at the closed end of the housing and a slot is formed in the housing to allow the ball supporting struts to extend outwardly from proximate the axial center of the outlet. A spring loaded bearing seat forming a second hemispherical and floating portion of the socket is guided by the housing into engagement with and to capture the is ball in the socket and a closure cap retains the compression spring in position. In a preferred embodiment, a long compression spring is used. This is advantageous over a short spring element where minor changes in compressed length can cause relatively high changes in spring force.

Abstract: A vehicle fluidic oscillator for causing a jet of liquid to repeatedly sweep through a selected fan angle has a power nozzle coupled to a source of liquid under pressure, an oscillation chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end with the power nozzle at the upstream end, and an outlet to ambient at the downstream end. A pair of opposed control ports are provided at the upstream end, and sidewalls which diverge from the upstream end and then converge towards the outlet. A pair of control passages connect the downstream end of the oscillation chamber with the control ports, respectively, and a pair of bypass passages, one for each control passage, respectively, connect each control passage with the source of liquid under pressure.

Abstract: A two-stage liquid spray device having an outlet region with an island and an exit aperture and a fluidic oscillator, driving said outlet region. The improvement for the spray device is operable at low pressure to achieve full-area coverage with substantially uniform droplets and wherein all of the spray droplets land on the desired work surface and do not bounce. The fluidic oscillator includes an oscillation chamber, a power nozzle for introducing a jet of liquid from a source into the oscillation chamber. The oscillation chamber is configured to produce a pair of alternating control vortices which substantially preclude wall attachment of said jet traversing said oscillation chamber thus avoiding a heavy endedness in the oscillatory jet. An outlet from the oscillation chamber to the outlet region, whereby the jet rhythmically sweeps in end pulses to each side of the island and form a sheet at the exit aperture. The sheet is rhythmically waved or swept in the ambient air to form the uniform droplets.

Abstract: A cooling tower having a housing for forming droplets of hot water in an air stream which causes a small portion of the hot water issuing from said oscillating spray nozzles to evaporate and remove heat from the remaining water thereby cooling said remaining water. A sump collects the remaining water and returns the remaining water to the heat source. The low pressure fluidic oscillating nozzles: (a) form large sized droplets of hot water uniformly over a large area, (b) reduce the quantity of droplets of hot water that are less than 2 mm diameter, (c) issue a spray pattern that reduces aerodynamic interference with air flow from said air blower, and (d) reduce sediments getting into the spraying of said hot water. In a preferred embodiment, the fluidic oscillator is a cusped island oscillator having an outlet with diverging sidewalls.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator and method in which a first molded portion comprises a first part having an oscillator circuit silhouette formed in one surface. The oscillator circuit silhouette has a power nozzle, an oscillation chamber, with upstream and downstream ends, a power nozzle at the upstream end adapted to receive a liquid under pressure and an outlet to ambient at the downstream end, and oscillation inducing elements in the oscillation chamber. A closure seal plate part is hingedly connected to the first part such that the closure seal plate can engage the oscillation silhouette. A second molded portion has a recess adapted to forcibly receive the first portion with the closure seal plate engaging the oscillation silhouette. Interfitting protuberances and recesses prevent sliding between the first part and the closure seal part when they are forced into the recess.

Abstract: A fluidic flow meter comprising a fluidic oscillator having an oscillation chamber, a power nozzle for issuing a jet of fluid into the oscillation chamber, an outlet for issuing fluid from the oscillation chamber. A bendable fiber optic wave guide loop has a section adapted to lose light as a result of flexing or bending is mounted in a flow path in the oscillation chamber and subjected to oscillatory flow of the fluid. Light is injected into one end of the fiber optic wave guide and a detector senses the oscillatory loss of light in the fiber optic wave guide as a measure of fluid flow through the fluidic oscillator.

Abstract: A windshield washer system wherein a nozzle is mounted on the hood of a vehicle and issues a jet of washer fluid in the ambient towards the windshield. The nozzle has a housing and a projecting surface, air deflector or tab formed to with or attached to the nozzle housing for aerodynamically assuring that the washer fluid impinges on the windshield in a predetermined area thereon at speeds above a predetermined minimum. In preferred embodiments, the projecting surface, air deflector or tab projects from about 6 mm to about 12 mm above the nozzle housing.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator comprises a housing having interior walls defining a cylindrical space therein, a fluidic oscillator is mounted in said cylindrical space and has an oscillating chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end. A power nozzle issues a jet of fluid into the oscillation chamber from the upstream end thereof, an outlet formed in the downstream end. A pair of control ports at opposing sides of the power nozzle are coupled to a pair of feedback entranceways in the downstream end of the oscillator chamber and at corresponding opposing sides of the outlet. The control passageways connect each feedback entranceway with the a control port on the opposing sides, respectively. Each control passageway is formed in part by the interior wall and the oscillator element.

Abstract: A vehicle air outlet having an outlet bell, an upstream shutoff valve having an open and closed position, a directionality control member which is downstream of the shutoff valve. The upstream shutoff valve includes a flow straightener assembly rendered functional when the shutoff valve is in a fully opened position and non-functional when the shutoff valve is in a closed position. The shutoff valve is mounted on a rotary shaft in the air outlet, and the flow straightener is mounted on the same rotary shaft with the shutoff valve and is operated commonly on an operation of the rotary shaft.

Abstract: A joint comprising a body member defining an annular groove and a pair of tangential notches intersecting the annular groove at diametrically opposed positions. A socket member is comprised of a preferably semispherically shaped frame having an open side and a pair of diametrically opposed knob or pin member. Each knob or pin member is engagable with one of the tangential notches to snap fit the body member within the semispherically shaped frame and within the annular groove. The body member is secured to a mounting bar and the semispherically shaped frame has an elongated slot and the mounting bar passes through the slot. The arrangement is such that the slot defines one path of rotation of the shaped frame member relative to the body member and the annular groove defines a second path of relative rotation between the body member and the shaped frame.

Abstract: A vehicle washer nozzle system having a source of washer liquid under pressure, a fluidic oscillator comprising a housing and a fluidic insert having a power nozzle, an oscillation chamber having an upstream end coupled to the power nozzle for issuing a jet of washer liquid into the oscillation chamber and a downstream end having an outlet aperture for issuing a jet of wash liquid to ambient, and side and top and bottom walls, an oscillation inducing silhouette in the oscillation chamber for causing said jet of wash liquid to rhythmically sweep back and forth between the sidewalls in the oscillation chamber. Top and bottom walls of the oscillation chamber first diverge for a predetermined distance in a downstream direction and then converge towards each other through said outlet aperture. This enables the deflection angle to be adjusted for different vehicles and applications by changes to the fluidic insert without changes to the housing.

Abstract: A windshield washer system has a nozzle mounted on a vehicle for issuing wash fluid to a windshield and a check valve for a fluid circuit from a supply of wash fluid to the nozzle. The nozzle has a fluid feed tube integrally formed therewith with annular walls defining a washer fluid flow path and a diameter of at least D. The feed tube has an external surface adapted to receive and retain a flexible hose from a supply of wash fluid. A spring shoulder receives a coil compression spring having upstream and downstream ends with the downstream end bearing on the spring shoulder. A valve element bears on the upstream end of the spring element, and a tubular insert having an inner end and an external diameter at least D and sufficient to form an elongated wash fluid seal with the annular walls defining a washer fluid flow path, and complementary-shaped valve seat formed on the inner end.

Abstract: A gas barbecue grill has a housing, a grate supported by the housing for supporting food for cooking, and a gas burner for supplying heat. The gas burner includes at least one fluidic burner element centrally located and projecting a heating flame aligned substantially along the centerline and downward. A heat distribution member having an axis aligned with the centerline has at least a pair of downwardly diverging planar elements with the burner projecting a flame along the centerline which heats the center of the distribution member. The heat distribution member has first and second groups of apertures, the first group of apertures being proximate one end of the heat distribution member and spaced from the center of each of said planar elements. A second group of apertures formed proximate the end of heat distribution member opposite the burner end and spaced from the center of the distribution member and in each of the planar elements.

Abstract: A gas burner comprising a gas manifold feeding an array of fluidic oscillators. Each fluidic oscillator has a power nozzle connected to the gas manifold and an outlet for issuing a sweeping jet of gas to ambient. Each fluidic oscillator is spaced a predetermined distance from its neighboring fluidic oscillators and a baffle plate controls air flow to the sweeping jet of gas from each fluidic oscillator.

Abstract: A low NOx gas burner for heating objects having a supply of gas under pressure which is to be mixed to achieve a combustible mixture, gas flow line connecting to said burner to said supply, a burner means for mixing air with said fluid fuel to achieve said combustible mixture, characterized by said burner means includes one or more jet forming means for issuing one or more jets of said gas having a given cross-sectional area and sweeping said one or more jets of gas in ambient air downstream of said burner means to mix air with said gas and achieve said combustible mixture a distance spaced from any physical structure of said burner means whereby a flame front of burning combustible mixture has a broad shape and is spaced a predetermined distance from said burner.

Abstract: Control of temperature of air efflux from an air outlet is by control of the oscillation of a fluidic oscillator. Directionality of efflux is by control of nibs at the outlet.