Abstract: A conformal, cup-shaped fluidic nozzle engineered to generate an oscillating spray is configured as a (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700). Preferably, the fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry 710 is molded directly into the cup's interior wall surfaces and the one-piece fluidic cup may then fitted into an actuator (e.g., 340). The fluidic cup (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700) conforms to the actuator stem used in typical aerosol sprayers and trigger sprayers and so replaces the prior art “swirl cup” 70 that goes over the actuator stem (e.g., 320), With the fluidic cup (e.g., 100, 400, 600 or 700) and method of the present invention, vendors of liquid products and fluids sold in commercial aerosol sprayers 20 and trigger sprayers 800 can now provide very specifically tailored or customized sprays.

Abstract: An oscillating or pulsing fluid stream, or flow, is produced from a flow of pressurized air by fluidic apparatus in a device configured for use in surface cleaning, sweeping, lawn care applications, and the like. A converging nozzle assembly defining a tapered internal lumen having a smooth narrowing profile is configured to generate at a power nozzle a high velocity stream with minimal pressure drop. Downstream of the power nozzle, first and second control ports are in fluid communication with the high velocity stream and with each other via an inertance loop having a lumen of selected cross sectional area and length. The varying air flow is directed through an outlet chamber shaped to produce an oscillating or a pulsating flow.

Abstract: A conformal, cup-shaped fluidic oscillator spray nozzle member (100, 200, 300, 400, 500) is configured to generate one or more oscillating sprays from fluid flowing into a substantially open proximal end and distally into a substantially closed distal end wall with one or more centrally located orifices defined therein. A multi-input, multi-output cup-shaped fluidic oscillator (200, 300, 400) is configured to generate a selected fluid spray from a plurality of (e.g., 2-8) fluid product inlets which are configured in interacting pairs and feed into a common interaction region of the fluidic nozzle geometry. Optionally, an outlet “A” can be positioned in the interaction region and allow for air entrainment into the interaction region or external oscillating spray streams to generate a foamed spray of fluid product.

Abstract: A nozzle assembly includes a fluidic oscillator 100 operating on a pressurized fluid to generate an oscillating spray of fluid droplets, and the oscillator aims fluid jets from first, second and third power nozzles 114A, 114B, 114C into an interaction chamber 118 and toward an upwardly projecting island protuberance 126 defining first, second and third island wall segments. The outermost jets 114A, 114B are aimed at an obtuse angle of 100 to 140 degrees along axes which intersect beyond the island at a Jet intersection point, J1. The upstream end of interaction chamber 118 is defined by first and second laterally offset concave wall surfaces 142, 152 which define left side and right side vortex generating areas so that fluid jet steering vortices may be alternately formed and then displaced distally and shed to steer the fluid jet laterally within interaction chamber 118.

Abstract: A spray dispenser is configured to generate a swirled output spray pattern 152 with improved rotating or angular velocity ? and smaller sprayed droplet size. Cup-shaped nozzle member 60 has a cylindrical side wall 62 surrounding a central longitudinal axis 64 and has a circular closed end wall 68 with at least one exit aperture 74 passing through the end wall. At least one enhanced swirl inducing mist generating structure is formed in an inner surface 70 of the end wall, and including a pair of opposed inwardly tapered offset power nozzle channels 80, 82 terminating in an interaction chamber 84 surrounding the exit aperture 74. The power nozzle channels generate opposing offset flows which are aimed to very efficiently generate a vortex of fluid which projects distally from the exit aperture as a swirled spray of small droplets 152 having a rapid angular velocity.

Abstract: An inexpensive, durable and efficient irrigation nozzle assembly is adapted to generate a specialized rectangular spray in a 3-jet fluidic circuit which generates a substantially planar rectangular spray from a confluence of three jets. The 3-jet geometry circuit has selected floor & taper features configured to create a customizable rectangular or triangular spray pattern. Depending on the throw desired, the nozzle assembly of the present invention can be configured with a second fluidic circuit to generate a flat fan to obtain various aspect ratios in a rectangular spray.

Abstract: A fluidic circuit configured to spray an oscillating pattern of fluid droplets, having an inlet in fluid communication with a source and including a power nozzle with an oscillation chamber having a fluid jet steering section in fluid communication with the power nozzle and having either (a) a first fluid pressure accumulating volume opposite a second fluid pressure accumulating volume or (b) a first fluid jet attachment feature opposing a second fluid jet attachment feature. The fluid jet steering section is in fluid communication with and emits a fluid jet into an oscillation inducing interaction region with opposing first and second side wall ears or features which define an oscillation inducing interaction region in the oscillation chamber for causing the jet of fluid to rhythmically sweep back and forth between the sidewalls in the oscillation chamber and create a distally projecting oscillating spray.

Abstract: An automatically alignable conformal, cup-shaped fluidic nozzle engineered to generate an oscillating spray is configured as a cylindrical cup having a substantially open proximal end and a substantially closed distal end wall with a centrally located power nozzle defined therein and between first and second distally projecting alignment tabs or wall segments. Optionally, the fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry is molded directly into the sealing post's distal surface and a one-piece cup provides the discharge orifice.

Abstract: A vehicle speed, ambient temperature or surface-condition responsive wash system 89 has a control system configured to adapt the wash system's operation to sensed operating conditions. The adaptive system and method selectively controlling aimed windshield washer fluid sprays comprises a multi (e.g., two) mode system with a washer fluid driving pump 80 having an impeller 121 that is activated to supply fluid under pressure to a multi-mode nozzle assembly 98. Selectable first, or low pressure, and second, or high pressure, modes are provided by controlling the pump's polarity and impeller spin direction, hi an exemplary embodiment, a two-mode pump 80 is initially operated in the second mode, or reverse direction, producing a lower pressure flow.

Abstract: A filtering nozzle assembly or spray head has a conformal nozzle component engineered to generate a filtered spray and configured as a small cylindrical member having a substantially open proximal end and a substantially closed distal end wall with a centrally located discharge orifice defined therein. Optionally, cup-shaped filtered orifice defining member also includes a fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry molded into the cup or directly into the distal surface of a sealing post and the one-piece filter cup provides the fluidic circuit's discharge orifice.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator adapted for use in a showerhead or nozzle assembly includes an eddy filter structure which reduces the adverse effects of fluid supply turbulence on the fluidic oscillator's spraying performance. A nozzle or rain can style showerhead assembly includes a water chamber or manifold which receives water via a central inlet fitting. Water entering the water chamber or manifold flows turbulently into and through the manifold and is expelled under pressure through a plurality of nozzles which are configured as specially adapted fluidic inserts.

Abstract: A long throw Pop-Up Irrigation Nozzle assembly has no oscillating or rotating parts and includes a cylindrical body having a fluid inlet and a sidewall defining at least one fluidic circuit configured to generate a selected spray pattern when irrigation fluid flows through the body. In order to throw long distance, droplet velocity, droplet size and droplet initial aim angle determine the throw to provide a low precipitation rate (“PR”) for fluidic sprays. The nozzle assembly and method of the present invention achieve a PR of 1 in/hr or less and good spray distribution with a scheduling coefficient (“SC”) of about 1.5 without utilizing any moving components to provide a significantly more cost effective nozzle assembly, as compared to prior art rotator nozzles.

Abstract: An oscillating or pulsing fluid stream, or flow, is produced from a flow of pressurized air by fluidic apparatus in a device configured for use in surface cleaning, sweeping, lawn care applications, and the like. A converging nozzle assembly defining a tapered internal lumen having a smooth narrowing profile is configured to generate at a power nozzle a high velocity stream with minimal pressure drop. Downstream of the power nozzle, first and second control ports are in fluid communication with the high velocity stream and with each other via an inertance loop having a lumen of selected cross sectional area and length. The varying air flow is directed through an outlet chamber shaped to produce an oscillating or a pulsating flow.

Abstract: A filtering nozzle assembly or spray head has a conformal nozzle component engineered to generate a filtered spray and configured as a small cylindrical member having a substantially open proximal end and a substantially closed distal end wall with a centrally located discharge orifice defined therein. Optionally, cup-shaped filtered orifice defining member also includes a fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry molded into the cup or directly into the distal surface of a sealing post and the one-piece filter cup provides the fluidic circuit's discharge orifice.

Abstract: An automatically alignable conformal, cup-shaped fluidic nozzle engineered to generate an oscillating spray is configured as a cylindrical cup having a substantially open proximal end and a substantially closed distal end wall with a centrally located power nozzle defined therein and between first and second distally projecting alignment tabs or wall segments. Optionally, the fluidic circuit's oscillation inducing geometry is molded directly into the sealing post's distal surface and a one-piece cup provides the discharge orifice.

Abstract: A fluidic device which produces fluid pulses having a selected pulse repetition frequency, pulse duration, pulse peak pressure and pulse peak flow rate includes first, second and third fluid flow controlling channels or lumens which converge in a junction, defining a “Y” configuration having a base leg and right and left diverging arms. The first leg portion has a fluid input and terminates downstream at the Y junction of the base and the two diverging arms. The first leg has converging walls which reduce the cross sectional area of the flow to thereby increase the fluid velocity to make a fluid jet. The second or right leg, begins at the Y junction and terminates distally in an enclosed, fluid-tight container having a selected blind volume. The third, or left leg, begins at the Y junction and terminates distally in a fluid outlet passage having a selected cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An improved automotive pump assembly includes a volute pumping chamber configured to operably contain a rotatable impeller which, when driven, draws fluid into a fluid inlet and pumps the fluid to and through a fluid outlet. The volute chamber has an exterior sidewall with a constant internal first radius over a first sidewall portion and transitions to a second sidewall portion of increasing radius. The chamber's second sidewall portion defines a first end at a sidewall transition point tangent to the constant radius sidewall segment to define a second end which is tangent to the volute chamber's fluid outlet with a second radius that is greater than the first radius.

Abstract: An enhanced pump assembly includes an impeller and volute casing designed to provide high operating pressures (“P”) and flow rates (“Q”) with low energy usage. The impeller has a central shaft carrying radially projecting curved primary vanes, and each primary vane also has a twist in the radial direction. Secondary impeller vanes define triangular connecting fillet-like wall segments connecting each primary vane to the impeller shaft. The casing of the pump has a slight spiral deviation so that the pump chamber's radial sidewall flares away from the swept area of the impeller's vanes to define a fluid outlet that contributes to higher P-Q performance, especially when pumping colder fluids.

Abstract: An improved fluidic oscillator, that operates on a pressurized liquid flowing through the oscillator to generate a liquid jet that flows into the surrounding gaseous environment to form of an oscillating spray of liquid droplets, includes: a member into which is fabricated a two-portion, flow channel, with its first portion configured so as to create the flow phenomena in the member that yields the spray's oscillating nature, and its second portion includes a splitter that is used to divide the jet into component sprays whose centerlines assume a specified yaw or pitch angle relative to the centerline of the oscillator.