The Procter Gamble Company

Joyce R Merritt

Mark T Lund

James L Drobish

Daniel Biard

Daniel G Biard

The present invention provides an improved atomization system for dispensing and atomizing a fluid product having film-forming characteristics. The atomization system includes a nozzle for atomizing the fluid product which has been formed of a reduced wettability composition including a base material and a wettability-reducing component for reducing the wettability of the base material with the fluid product. The reduced-wettability attribute ensures that the product will tend to 'bead up' on the surfaces of the nozzle assembly rather than wetting or coating the surfaces. The surfaces will thus tend to repel the product, once the supply pressure driving the fluid toward the nozzle is relieved, leaving the critical nozzle surfaces substantially free of a film of product which would tend to dry and form a residue on the critical nozzle surfaces when exposed to atmospheric air. The reduced wettability of the nozzle assembly is preferably achieved through the addition of a melt additive to impart the desired characteristics to the nozzle base material. Improved atomizer nozzles according to the present invention also preferably incorporate a change in cross-sectional area of the nozzle passages to further enhance the migration of the fluid away from the nozzle orifice once the supply pressure is relieved utilizing capillary pressure phenomena.

Anti-clogging atomizer nozzle

A spray pump package capable of delivering two or more different predetermined spray patterns or spray characteristics through two or more different spray orifices, but at a liquid application amount per unit of area being treated which is optimum for the particular spray orifice selected rather than a compromise between two extremes. The predetermined spray patterns from which the end user may select may differ by any desired spray pattern or characteristic, including but not limited to: the cone angle of the spray; the width of the spray pattern; the average size of the particles in the spray; the amount of particle size deviation from the average; etc. The packages are provided with structure for automatically adjusting the maximum available pump stroke so as to optimize the maximum amount of product which can be delivered on each complete pump stroke for whichever orifice is selected by the end user. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the package employs a positive displacement pump which is self priming regardless of stroke length.

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Yellow Springs, OH, United States of America

Joyce R Merritt