Spray Wall Hole Orientation via Curved-Wall Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing spray walls in fluid dispenser nozzles are costly and difficult to industrialize, particularly those involving folding and drilling of stainless steel strips, as described in WO 2019/106 315 A1.
Innovation Solution
A method involving moulding a curved front wall with a network of holes, drilling these holes with a defined initial orientation, and deforming the wall into a final configuration using a movable pin or pressurized fluid to create a spray wall with diverging or converging jets, eliminating the need for assembly and cutting steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If stainless steel strips are folded and assembled to form spray walls, then the spray wall can be formed with precise hole orientations, but the manufacturing process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the spray wall formation with the nozzle body manufacturing by injection-moulding the spray wall integrally with the nozzle body in a single operation. This eliminates the need for separate stainless steel strip folding and assembly steps, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining hole orientation precision through the mould design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical folding and assembly process with an injection-moulding process. The spray wall is formed directly in the mould with pre-defined hole orientations, substituting complex mechanical operations with a single moulding operation that achieves the same geometric precision more efficiently.
2Manufacturing precision
If stainless steel strips are folded and assembled to form spray walls, then the spray wall structure can be precisely formed, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spray wall is combined with the nozzle body as a single injection-moulded component. This integration eliminates multiple manufacturing steps including separate strip preparation, folding, hole drilling, and assembly operations, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining structural precision through the mould design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive injection-moulded plastic material for the spray wall instead of expensive stainless steel strips. The moulded spray wall achieves the required precision at lower material and processing costs, making the overall manufacturing process more cost-effective.
3Manufacturing precision
If holes are drilled in a curved front wall before deformation, then the hole orientations can be precisely controlled, but the drilling process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spray wall is pre-formed with the correct hole orientations directly in the injection mould before any deformation occurs. The mould cavity is designed to create the spray wall in its final deformed configuration, so holes drilled in the moulded state automatically achieve the desired orientations after the wall is deformed into its final spray configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent solves the drilling difficulty by working in the moulded dimension rather than the final deformed dimension. Holes are drilled in the curved moulded wall where access is easier, and the mould design ensures these holes achieve the correct orientations after the wall is deformed, transferring the complexity from the drilling operation to the mould design.
4Strength
If the spray wall is made by folding and assembling separate components, then structural integrity can be maintained, but the assembly process adds complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The spray wall is merged with the nozzle body as a single injection-moulded component. This integration eliminates all assembly steps including component alignment, joining, and sealing operations, reducing assembly complexity to zero while maintaining structural integrity through the monolithic construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical assembly process is replaced with a single injection-moulding operation. The spray wall and nozzle body are formed as one integrated part, eliminating the need for mechanical joining methods such as welding, bonding, or fastening, thereby maintaining structural integrity without assembly complexity.
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
Facilitates industrial-scale production of spray walls with uniform droplet sizes and improved manufacturing efficiency, allowing for cost-effective production of nozzles without a swirl system.
Implementation Method 1
deforming the drilled curved front wall into a final spray configuration defining a spray wall, the defined initial orientation of the holes being subsequently modified
Implementation Method 2
using a movable pin and potentially hot materials, to create a spray wall with modified hole orientations and configurations
Data Source
AI summary
Method for producing a spray wall drilled with a network of holes for the pressurised fluid substance to pass through so as to be sprayed in fine droplets. The method includes the steps of (a) moulding a nozzle having a front wall integrally formed with an assembly wall, the assembly wall surrounding the front wall, the front wall having a curved initial configuration upon removal from the mould; (b) drilling the curved front wall with a network of holes having a defined initial orientation; and (c) deforming the drilled curved front wall into a final spray configuration defining a spray wall, the defined initial orientation of the holes being subsequently modified.