Nozzle Arrangement for Liquid Pressure Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing nozzle arrangements fail to uniformly change the pressure of discharged liquid while maintaining a constant flow rate and minimizing changes in the jet pattern, leading to difficulties in reproducible pressure setting and consistent spray patterns.

Innovation Solution

The nozzle arrangement features a high-pressure nozzle and radially offset low-pressure nozzles, with a connecting nipple that maintains flow connection with the high-pressure nozzle and releases an increasing annular gap to engage the low-pressure nozzles, allowing for continuous and adjustable pressure control without significant changes in the jet pattern.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stress or pressure

If the nozzle outlet part is displaced to change pressure, then the pressure of discharged liquid can be adjusted, but the jet pattern changes and pressure adjustment is non-linear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure of discharged liquidVSAvoidjet pattern
Core Design Contradiction:
Stress or pressureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle system is segmented into a high-pressure nozzle and multiple low-pressure nozzles arranged radially offset from the high-pressure nozzle. This segmentation allows independent control of pressure levels while maintaining a consistent overall jet pattern, as each nozzle type contributes to different pressure ranges of the discharged liquid.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The low-pressure nozzles are arranged radially offset from the high-pressure nozzle in a dimensional configuration that maintains rotational symmetry. This spatial arrangement ensures that when low-pressure nozzles are activated, they supplement the central high-pressure jet without disrupting the overall axial symmetry and pattern of the discharged liquid.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the nozzle outlet part is displaced uniformly, then position control is simple, but pressure changes unevenly making reproducible pressure setting difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure settingVSAvoidpressure control precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback through the specific geometric configuration of the annular gap and radial positioning of nozzles. As the nozzle outlet part displaces, the annular gap dimensions change in a controlled manner that provides feedback on the pressure state, enabling reproducible pressure settings through defined positional relationships rather than simple uniform displacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes multiple parameters simultaneously - the annular gap width, the radial offset distance, and the angular positioning of low-pressure nozzles - to achieve linear pressure control. This multi-parameter adjustment compensates for non-linear effects and enables reproducible pressure settings that are not achievable through single-parameter uniform displacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If a flow path is released to low-pressure nozzle, then liquid can be discharged via both high-pressure and low-pressure nozzles, but the flow connection must be interrupted and released

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure control rangeVSAvoidflow connection control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flow paths to the high-pressure nozzle and low-pressure nozzles are merged through the common nozzle outlet part structure. The annular gap serves as a shared flow path that can be selectively opened or closed, allowing liquid to flow to either or both nozzle types without requiring separate complex valve mechanisms for each flow path.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The nozzle outlet part serves multiple functions: it acts as a common outlet for both high-pressure and low-pressure nozzles, provides the flow connection control mechanism through annular gap displacement, and maintains structural support for all nozzle elements. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate control systems for each nozzle type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables linear pressure adjustment from 200 bar to 10-20 bar with a constant flow rate, ensuring reproducible pressure settings and minimal changes in the spray pattern, facilitating easier handling and operation.

Implementation Method 1

which, when the nozzle outlet part transitions from the first position to the second position, releases an increasing annular gap of adjustable width, via which the inlet channel is in flow connection with the at least one low-pressure nozzle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow through annular gap:

Data Source

PatentEP3200928B1Nozzle arrangement for liquid
Publication Date: 2018.12.05 ALFRED KARCHER SE & CO KG
  • EP3200928B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3200928B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3200928B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a nozzle arrangement (10) comprising a nozzle inlet part (12), which has an inlet channel (28) for pressurised liquid, and comprising a nozzle outlet part (16), which can be continuously displaced back and forth relative to the nozzle inlet part (12) between a first position and a second position and which has a high-pressure nozzle (74) designed as a flat-spray nozzle and at least one low-pressure nozzle (104, 106) designed as a flat-spray nozzle. In the first position, only the high-pressure nozzle (74) is connected to the inlet channel (28), and in the second position the high-pressure nozzle (74) and the at least one low-pressure nozzle (104, 106) are connected to the inlet channel (28). In order to uniformly alter the pressure of the dispensed liquid while keeping the delivery quantity constant and keeping changes to the jet pattern as low as possible, the at least one low-pressure nozzle (104, 106) is radially offset with respect to the high-pressure nozzle (74) and the nozzle outlet part (16) has a connecting nipple (78) via which the high-pressure nozzle (74) has a flow connection to the inlet channel (28) irrespective of the position of the nozzle outlet part (16) and which interrupts a flow connection of the inlet channel (28) to the at least one low-pressure nozzle (104, 106) in the first position of the nozzle outlet part (16) and which exposes an increasing annular gap (13) of adjustable width on transition of the nozzle outlet part (16) into the second position, wherein via said annular gap the inlet channel (28) has a flow connection to the at least one low-pressure nozzle (104, 106).