Fluidic oscillator for nozzle assembly for enhanced cold performance

Abstract

To provide a fluidic oscillator circuit 100 for a nozzle assembly configured to generate oscillating sprays of fluid from an outlet 120 of the nozzle assembly and to improve spray performance of fluid having low temperature or high viscosity.SOLUTION: Provided is an interaction region 130 for the fluidic oscillator circuit 100 that includes an apex protrusion 150 shaped to assist in generating vortices 160 within the interaction region 130. Alternatively provided is an interaction region for a fluidic oscillator having a power nozzle that includes at least one finger protrusion that lengthens the power nozzle to create jets of fluid in the interaction region that are less diffused to improve cold performance of the fluidic oscillator circuit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8A-8B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 916,869, filed October 18, 2019, and entitled "Fluid Oscillator for Nozzle Assembly for Enhanced Low Temperature Performance," which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to fluidic oscillators and nozzle assemblies and methods for their manufacture that generate an oscillatory flow of fluid therefrom. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to fluidic oscillators that can operate at lower temperatures typically associated with higher viscosity fluids. [Background technology]

[0003] Fluidic oscillators are well known in the art for their ability to provide a wide range of liquid spray patterns by periodically deflecting a liquid jet. The operation of most fluidic oscillators is characterized by the periodic deflection of a fluid jet without the use of mechanical moving parts. Thus, an advantage of fluidic oscillators is that they are not subject to the wear and tear that adversely affect the reliability and operation of other spray devices.

[0004] Examples of fluidic oscillators are described in many patents, including, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,166 (Horton and Bowles), U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,462 (Bauer), U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,002 (Stouffer and Bray), U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,955 (Stouffer), U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,161 (Bauer), U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,519 (Stouffer), reissued as RE33,158, U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,267 (Stouffer), U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,361 (Stouffer), U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,269 (Srinath), U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,301 (Stouffer), U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,409 (Srinath), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,782 (Raghu). Each of these references, as well as the references discussed throughout this application below, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0005] For spraying some high-viscosity liquids (i.e., 15-20 centipoise), the "mushroom oscillator" disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,253,782 (Raghu) shown in Figure 2 has been found to be particularly useful. Raghu provides a detailed description of its theory of operation and dimensional characteristics. It has been the primary manufacturing choice for many years, producing a heavy-ended spray distribution with acceptable low-temperature performance with methanol-based fluids at 0°F. However, over the years, the requirements for spray distribution and low-temperature performance have increased as the temperatures at which nozzle assemblies are expected to function have decreased and additional fluid bases have been introduced. Methanol-based fluids have gradually been replaced by ethanol- or isopropyl-based fluids. These fluids have significantly higher viscosities at low temperatures than previous methanol-based fluids. Minor improvements to the basic geometry of the fluidic oscillator circuit have been proposed and adopted, as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,267,290 and 7,472,848. Both are intended to create further instabilities in the jet of viscous fluid, helping the circuit to establish powerful oscillations.

[0006] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of U.S. Patent No. 7,267,290, which teaches incorporating a finger structure behind a dome or mushroom structure to create additional instability, vortices, in the power nozzle feed. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of U.S. Patent No. 7,472,848, which introduces a step at the power nozzle exit, introducing additional recirculation or vortices in the jet path, creating instability.

[0007] Both of these improvements produced slightly better low-temperature performance circuits, but they have some drawbacks. For example, U.S. Patent No. 7,267,290 requires the circuit to be slightly longer, which is often not acceptable within the available package space. Also, this configuration can be difficult to adjust for low-flow circuits. U.S. Patent No. 7,472,848, the most widely adopted of the two, offers slightly improved low-temperature performance but no improved distribution. As noted, both of these patents describe modifications to the circuit outside of the interaction region.

[0008] However, it has also been found that as the temperature of such fluids continues to decrease, causing an increase in viscosity (e.g., 25 centipoise), the performance of this type of oscillator can decrease until it no longer provides a jet that is sufficiently oscillating to distribute the spray over the applicable fan angle, a situation that is particularly problematic in windshield washer applications that utilize such fluidic oscillators.

[0009] Attempts to modify the interaction region to improve distribution in a conventional mushroom circuit led to U.S. Patent No. 7,651,036, which categorized it as a "three-jet island" circuit, shown in Figure 6. Here, additional jets and islands are introduced into the interaction region, generating several additional vortices and instabilities. The three-jet island circuit offers improved low-temperature performance and some improvement in distribution uniformity. While this circuit works very well, it presents several manufacturing challenges. For example, as the flow rate of the circuit decreases, the size of the small, internal third island becomes very small and relatively fragile. The very act of assembling the fluidic oscillator chip by forcing the chip into the slot (Figure 5) can damage or destroy the small island 34. As a result, this three-jet island circuit can only be reliably used with relatively high-flow nozzles, as additional scrap can result in unintended resulting spray shapes. Furthermore, the addition of the third flow channel requires all three flow channels, or the power nozzle 24, to be small to maintain flow rates within specifications, resulting in a higher risk of clogging. This requires additional complexity in the filter area, which has its own manufacturing and packaging challenges. Despite the extensive prior art regarding fluidic oscillators, there remains a need for further technological improvements in the design of fluidic oscillators for use in lower temperature environments. The present invention describes further work carried out to improve the circuit while eliminating some of the drawbacks mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The present disclosure relates to embodiments of a fluidic oscillator circuit for a nozzle assembly. In one embodiment, a fluidic oscillator circuit is provided that includes a shape defined in a surface including at least one inlet configured to receive a fluid flow. An interaction region can be disposed between the at least one inlet and an outlet, the interaction region being defined by a peripheral wall. At least one power nozzle can be received through the at least one inlet and configured to generate a jet of fluid circulating within the interaction region. An outlet can be in communication with the interaction region and configured to dispense an oscillating spray of fluid therefrom in a desired spray pattern. An apex projection can be disposed along the peripheral wall of the interaction region and protrude inwardly from the peripheral wall. The at least one inlet can include a shape that allows fluid communication with an opposite side of the surface on which the shape is defined. The shape can further include an elongated path from the at least one inlet to the power nozzle. The interaction region can include a dome- or mushroom-shaped region defined by the peripheral wall. The shape may include a first inlet and a second inlet defined in the surface, the first inlet may be in communication with a first power nozzle, and the second inlet may be in communication with a second power nozzle, each of the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle configured to generate a jet of fluid received from at least one inlet and circulating within the interaction region, wherein the apex protrusion may be disposed along a peripheral wall of the interaction region between the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle. The apex protrusion may be disposed equidistant from each of the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle. The apex protrusion may be shaped to include the intersection of two rounded or curved peripheral walls of the interaction region that intersect at a point. The apex protrusion may be shaped to include the intersection of two rounded or curved peripheral surfaces of the interaction region that intersect at a point, the point being equidistant from the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle disposed along the interaction region.The apex protrusion can be configured to direct or stabilize the position of a plurality of vortices formed by a fluid jet from at least one power nozzle within the interaction region to control the geometry of the vortices therein, where the plurality of vortices include left and right vortices formed by a fluid having a measured increased viscosity due to operation at low temperatures. The first inlet and the second inlet can separately communicate with the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle, where the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle are not fed from a common plenum. The outlet can include an asymmetric or yaw configuration.

[0011] In one embodiment, the shape may include a first inlet and a second inlet defined in the surface, the first inlet in communication with a first power nozzle and the second inlet in communication with a second power nozzle, the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle each configured to generate a jet of fluid received from the at least one inlet and circulating within the interaction region. A set of fingers may be defined adjacent an outlet of the first power nozzle, a set of fingers may be defined adjacent an outlet of the second power nozzle, and the fingers are defined along a peripheral wall of the interaction region.

[0012] In another embodiment, a fluidic oscillator circuit for a nozzle assembly is provided, the fluidic oscillator circuit including a shape defined in a surface including at least one inlet configured to receive a fluid flow. An interaction area can be disposed between the at least one inlet and the outlet, the interaction area being defined by a peripheral wall. At least one power nozzle can be configured to generate a jet of fluid received from the at least one inlet and circulating within the interaction area. The outlet can be in communication with the interaction area configured to dispense an oscillating spray of fluid therefrom in a desired spray pattern. A set of finger-like projections can be defined along the peripheral wall of the interaction area adjacent to the outlet of the power nozzle. The at least one inlet can include a shape that allows fluid communication with the opposite side of the surface on which the shape is defined. The shape can further include an elongated path from the at least one inlet to the power nozzle. The interaction area can include a dome- or mushroom-shaped area defined by the peripheral wall. The shape may include a first inlet and a second inlet defined in the surface, the first inlet in communication with the first power nozzle and the second inlet in communication with the second power nozzle, each of the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle being configured to receive at least one inlet and generate a jet of fluid that circulates within the interaction region. The apex protrusion may be disposed along a peripheral wall of the interaction region between the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle. The shape may include a first inlet and a second inlet defined in the surface, the first inlet may be in communication with the first power nozzle and the second inlet may be in communication with the second power nozzle, each of the first power nozzle and the second power nozzle being received at least one inlet and configured to generate a jet of fluid that circulates within the interaction region. The first power nozzle may include a first finger extending from a first side of the first power nozzle outlet and a second finger extending from a second side of the first power nozzle outlet along a peripheral wall of the interaction region, and the second power nozzle may include a first finger extending from a first side of the second power nozzle outlet and a second finger extending from a second side of the second power nozzle along a peripheral wall of the interaction region.The fingers act to lengthen the power nozzle by extending into the interaction region and are configured to generate jets of fluid therefrom that are configured to reduce the likelihood of deposition on a peripheral wall of the interaction region. The first and second inlets can communicate separately with the first and second power nozzles along the surface, where the first and second power nozzles are not fed from a common plenum. The outlets can include an asymmetric or yaw configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the following more particular description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a prior art mushroom-style fluidic oscillator circuit.

[0015] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an expanded schematic diagram of a prior art fluidic oscillator circuit.

[0016] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a prior art fluidic oscillator chip with multiple filter posts.

[0017] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of a prior art fluidic oscillator circuit having a biased configuration.

[0018] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a prior art exploded nozzle assembly and fluidic oscillator chip.

[0019] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of a prior art fluidic oscillator circuit having a three-jet island configuration.

[0020] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the fluid interaction regions and vortex locations in a prior art fluidic oscillator circuit described in US Pat. No. 6,253,782.

[0021] [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a schematic front view illustrating the fluid flow interaction regions and vortex locations of the oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a schematic front view illustrating the fluid flow interaction regions and vortex locations of the oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a schematic front view illustrating the fluid flow interaction regions and vortex locations of the oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 8D] FIG. 8D is a schematic front view illustrating the fluid flow interaction regions and vortex locations of the oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a front view of an embodiment of an oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a front view of an embodiment of an oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an image of a biased spray from a fluidic oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a pictorial representation of an existing spray from a prior art fluidic oscillator circuit.

[0029] [Figure 12A]FIG. 12A is a front view of an embodiment of a fluidic oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is a front view of an embodiment of a fluidic oscillator circuit of the present disclosure.

[0031] [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a table showing viscosity versus temperature curves for methanol and ethanol fluids. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the respective scope of the present teachings. Furthermore, features of various embodiments may be combined or changed without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Accordingly, the following description is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the various substitutions and modifications that may be made to the illustrated embodiments, which remain within the spirit and scope of the present teachings. In this disclosure, any specification of particular shapes, materials, techniques, arrangements, etc., may relate to the particular examples presented or may merely be general descriptions of such shapes, materials, techniques, arrangements, etc.

[0033] The concept of varying the interaction area of an enhanced fluidic oscillator circuit is provided, which is not described or taught by the prior art. Figures 8A-8D show various shapes of a fluidic oscillator circuit 100 that may be defined within a chip that is inserted into or attached to a nozzle assembly. The shape of the fluidic oscillator circuit may be defined on a surface of the chip or on a surface within the nozzle apparatus. The circuit and surface and / or nozzle apparatus may be made from rigid materials, including polymers or alloys, that may be formed by any commercial method, including molding, additive manufacturing, or other known methods.

[0034] In one embodiment, fluidic oscillator circuit 100 includes at least one inlet 110 for receiving a fluid flow and an outlet 120 for dispensing an oscillating spray of fluid therefrom in a desired spray pattern. An interaction area 130 may be disposed between inlet 110 and outlet 120 to enable desired fluid communication therethrough. At least one power nozzle 140 may be positioned about interaction area 130 to generate a jet of fluid received from inlet 110 and circulating within interaction area 130. The specific geometry of each identified element comprising fluidic oscillator circuit 100 is identified to manipulate the fluid flow therein to generate a desired shape of the oscillating fluid spray. Inlet 110 may have a geometry that enables fluid communication with the opposite end of the circuit, and then enables an elongated path from inlet 110 to power nozzle 140.

[0035] In one embodiment, the interaction region 130 includes a dome- or mushroom-shaped region defined by a peripheral wall or surface 132 that includes features for further manipulating fluid flow therein not known or taught by the prior art. In particular, the interaction region 130 may include an apex protrusion 150 disposed along the peripheral surface of the interaction region 130 and projecting inward from the perimeter. The apex protrusion 150 may be located between two opposing power nozzles 140. The apex protrusion 150 may be positioned equidistant from each of the two opposing power nozzles 140, such as the first and second power nozzles 142, 144, as shown in FIG. 8C. The apex protrusion may be shaped to include the intersection of two rounded or curved peripheral surfaces of the interaction region 130 that intersect at a point. The intersection point may be equidistant from the two opposing power nozzles 140 disposed along the interaction region 130. The intersection point may be aligned along a central axis 170, as described below.

[0036] The apex protrusion 150 can be configured to direct or stabilize the position of the vortex 160 formed by the fluid jet within the interaction region 130 to control the geometry of the vortex therein. Figures 8A and 8C show one possible, effective interaction region shape including the apex protrusion 150. In this embodiment, there are separate inlets 110 that separately communicate with opposing power nozzles 140, where the power nozzles are not fed from a common plenum. However, the present disclosure contemplates that the addition of the apex protrusion 150 can be used with various types of fluidic oscillator circuit types, and can be used with other types of fluidic oscillator circuits, such as those that utilize a common plenum to receive fluid from the inlets.

[0037] 8A and 8C show apex protrusions 150 added to the interaction region 130 to help form side-to-side vortices 160 within the interaction region 130 as the fluid is introduced therein from the power nozzle 140. FIG. 7 is provided to identify how the fluid flow passes through an interaction region without such apex protrusions of known types. Additionally, FIGS. 8B and 8D are provided as a frame of reference to illustrate how the fluid flow can be manipulated by the addition of apex protrusions 150 (illustrated by FIGS. 8A and 8C) to provide consistency in the fluid flow. In particular, the newly disclosed interaction region 130 with apex protrusions 150 is particularly beneficial when the fluid experiences a measure of increased viscosity due to operation at low temperatures.

[0038] For example, the addition of apex protrusion 150 allows for multiple upper vortices 160 along either side of apex protrusion 150 during an oscillation cycle of the fluid flow as it dispenses from outlet 120. This consistency of vortex generation is particularly seen in FIG. 8A , as the fluid spray from outlet 120 is angled, and compared to FIG. 8C , the oscillation of the fluid spray from outlet 120 is directed outward along an axis generally aligned along central axis 170 of circuit 100. Notably, because the fluid spray is generated along the entire fan spray shape, vortices 160 appear to have a generally consistent shape of the fluid flow during an oscillation cycle.

[0039] Conversely, Figures 8B and 8D show inconsistently shaped vortices 160, with large and small upper vortices present in Figure 8B due to the angled spray of fluid from the outlet. Additionally, Figure 8D shows inconsistently shaped vortices 160 compared to the interaction region shown by Figure 8B, as the oscillation of the spray of fluid from outlet 120 is directed outward along an axis aligned along the central axis 170 of the circuit.

[0040] A sample circuit was created in the form of a fluidic oscillator circuit 100 including an apex projection 150. It was tested to produce a nominal fan angle of approximately 53 degrees with a uniform spray pattern very similar to the three-jet island circuit described above. The flow rate was approximately 500 ml / min at 22 PSI. Low-temperature performance was confirmed to be very good with a 50% methanol solution at 0°F, with a low-temperature fan angle of approximately 35 degrees at 5 PSI and 40 degrees at 6 PSI. Notably, a similar three-jet island circuit resulted in a low-temperature fan angle of approximately 30 degrees at 7 PSI, 32 degrees at 10 PSI, and 40 degrees at 15 PSI. This embodiment offers a significant improvement over the prior art, as the fan recovers much faster during the fluid oscillation cycle at low temperatures, allowing for a larger nominal fan angle.

[0041] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9A, a fluidic oscillator circuit 100 is provided that has many of the same features as described above, but also includes the improved interaction region. This embodiment includes a set of fingers 200 defined adjacent to the outlet of the power nozzle 140. The fingers 200 extend from either side of the power nozzle 140 and can act to lengthen the power nozzle without increasing the overall size of the fluidic oscillator circuit or chip. The addition of such fingers 200 sufficiently lengthens the lumen of the power nozzle 140 so that, as the fluid flows through it, a jet with less diffusion (i.e., less wall adhesion) is generated. The generated jet with reduced diffusion within the interaction region results in increased activity / unstable fluid under low temperature and / or high viscosity conditions. The fingers 200 can generate a stronger fluid jet / stream at the center of the interaction region 130. The resulting fluid spray from the outlet 120 has been found to be a more uniform fan than a conventional mushroom-shaped interaction region without such fingers. 9A shows one possible embodiment of this feature with outlets 120 having an asymmetric or yaw configuration and multiple inlets 110. However, the present disclosure contemplates that fingers 200 may be adapted for use with all types of fluidic oscillator circuits known to exist, and the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0042] For comparison, a conventional style mushroom circuit (the one on the left in Figure 12A or 12B) has similar low-temperature performance to the new circuit (Figure 9A). However, the spray pattern of the old mushroom circuit is heavy-edged, making it unsuitable for some applications, such as automotive rear window spraying. The three-jet island circuit (Figure 6) provides a desirable uniform fluid output spray fan, but lacks sufficient low-temperature performance, resulting in even less desirable low-temperature performance than the old mushroom circuit.

[0043] The finger protrusion feature 200 (FIG. 9A) extends the power nozzle and, in addition to the inlet 110 with the vertical feed (FIGS. 8A-8D, 9A, and 9B), acts to improve the low-temperature performance of the fluidic oscillator circuit. The combination of the vertical feed 110 and finger protrusion 200 results in improved low-temperature performance with less heavy-end output fan spray. Additionally, the apex protrusion 150 (FIG. 12B) helps make the spray pattern more uniform without compromising low-temperature performance. It has been found that a shorter distance between the vertical feed (inlet 110) and the outlet of the power nozzle 140 helps improve low-temperature performance but adds more manufacturing risk.

[0044] 9B shows another embodiment of the present application, including finger projections 200 and apex projections 150, with a throat outlet having an asymmetric yaw angle. Such an angle may be approximately 15 degrees, and this disclosure is not limited to such a shape. This particular embodiment provides subtle improvements to fluid behavior within the nozzle assembly, allowing for a desirable resulting fluid spray and low temperature performance that reduces the "heavy-end" spray fan geometry.

[0045] A sample circuit with finger projections was found to produce a fan temperature of approximately 60°C at 18 PSI with a flow rate of 735 ml / min. This circuit was also found to exhibit low-temperature performance of 40°C at 4 PSI and 50°C at 5 PSI at 0°F with methanol fluids, such as a 50% methanol solution. This circuit was also found to exhibit low-temperature performance of 40°C at 7 PSI and 50°C at 8 PSI at 0°F with ethanol fluids, such as a 50% ethanol solution. Figure 9 shows a biased spray circuit, but the same applies to circuits without bias. For comparison, Figure 4 shows a prior art mushroom-type fluid oscillator circuit with a biased configuration. The circuit in Figure 4 includes a fan temperature of 60°C and a flow rate of 810 ml / min at 18 PSI, but its low-temperature performance with methanol fluids exhibits a fan temperature of 20°C at 20 PSI and a fan temperature of 40°C at 30 PSI.

[0046] In this embodiment of interaction area enhancement, the fluidic oscillator circuit exhibits increased low temperature performance over a similar mushroom circuit.

[0047] The images below illustrate the difference in spray distribution and droplet size between the new configuration (FIG. 10) and a standard mushroom-style fluidic oscillator circuit known in the art (FIG. 11). Here, the spray fan produced by the fluidic oscillator circuit of FIG. 10 contains relatively large droplet sizes where the ends of the spray fan are only slightly heavy ends. In contrast, the conventional mushroom-style fluidic oscillator shown in FIG. 11 produces a spray fan with relatively small droplet sizes, where the ends of the spray fan are reconsidered to have very heavy ends.

[0048] 12A and 12B illustrate embodiments of improved fluidic oscillator circuit designs disclosed by the present application as they are distinguished from circuits known in the art. The known circuit NC is shown on the left, and the new fluidic oscillator circuit 100 embodiment is shown on the right. These fluidic oscillator designs have been determined to improve the low temperature performance of the fluidic oscillator circuit, produce higher speeds, and produce a more uniform spray.

[0049] FIG. 12A illustrates an embodiment including a set of fingers 200 defined adjacent the outlet of the power nozzle 140. The fingers 200 can extend from either side of the power nozzle 140 and act to lengthen the power nozzle without increasing the overall size of the fluidic oscillator circuit or chip. As distinguished from FIG. 9, FIG. 12A illustrates one possible embodiment of this feature having an outlet 120 with a symmetrical configuration and a single inlet 110. However, this disclosure contemplates that the fingers 200 may be adapted for use with all types of fluidic oscillator circuits known to exist, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0050] 12B illustrates an embodiment including an apex protrusion 150 extending into the circuit's interaction region 130. The apex protrusion 150 added to the interaction region 130 helps form side-to-side vortices within the interaction region 130 when fluid is introduced therein from the power nozzle 140. In particular, the newly disclosed interaction region 130 with the apex protrusion 150 is particularly beneficial when the fluid has a measured increased viscosity due to operation at low temperatures.

[0051] FIG. 13 is provided to illustrate that as the temperature of methanol and ethanol fluids decreases, their viscosity increases and therefore improvements in the spray produced by fluidic oscillators need to be developed for fluids of decreasing temperature and increasing viscosity.

[0052] While embodiments of the present teachings are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it should be understood that the present teachings are not limited to only the disclosed embodiments, and that the present teachings described herein are capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the following claims, which are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fluid circuit for a nozzle assembly, comprising: a circuit member defining a plane and having an upstream end, a downstream end, and two side ends; at least one inlet through said circuit member to allow fluid communication therethrough; an interaction region formed on said planar surface to define an unobstructed interaction chamber feeding a single outlet; the interaction region is bounded by an upstream peripheral wall facing the upstream end, two downstream peripheral wall portions facing the downstream end, and opposing power nozzles, a first power nozzle disposed at a first side end and a second power nozzle disposed at a second side end; first and second pairs of fingers are formed on opposite side ends of the interaction chamber, each pair of fingers extending inwardly toward a central portion of the interaction chamber, thereby elongating the flow path of each power nozzle and providing a C-shape in the upstream peripheral wall and in each of the two downstream peripheral wall portions, the mirror image C-shapes being connected to straight end wall portions on either side of the single outlet; a first pair of fingers defining the first power nozzle and a second pair of fingers defining the second power nozzle, each of the first and second power nozzles fluidly connected to the at least one inlet and configured to emit a jet toward the central portion; the single outlet is i) defined by opposite ends of each of the two downstream peripheral wall portions; and ii) disposed along the downstream end; A fluid circuit wherein fluid supplied to the fluid circuit contacts only the inlet, the interaction chamber, and the outlet, thereby distributing an oscillating fan spray from the single outlet in a plane coincident with the plane.

2. The fluid circuit of claim 1 , wherein the single outlet has an asymmetric configuration or is disposed at a yaw angle relative to the downstream end.

3. 2. The fluid circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillating fan spray has an angle in a plane of at least 35 degrees wide and up to 60 degrees wide.

4. The fluid circuit of claim 1 , wherein all of said power nozzles are fed from a common plenum that functions as said inlet.

5. 5. The fluid circuit of claim 4, wherein first and second inlets are provided, said first inlet feeding only said first power nozzle and said second inlet feeding only said second power nozzle.

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