Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
  • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
  • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet
  • B05B1/3421—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber
  • B05B1/3431—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves
  • B05B1/3436—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves the interface being a plane perpendicular to the outlet axis
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M11/00—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
  • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
  • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet
  • B05B1/3421—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber
  • B05B1/3426—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels emerging in the swirl chamber perpendicularly to the outlet axis
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
  • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
  • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet
  • B05B1/3478—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet the liquid flowing at least two different courses before reaching the swirl chamber

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a nozzle for a device for spraying a fluid in the form of a mist.
• the device is operated manually or automatically using a mechanical pump, syringe pump, spring or electromechanical system, i.e. using a motor, to spray the fluid.
• a mist spraying solution without the intervention of propellant also ensures uniform coverage of the area targeted by the sprayer, all with less fluid sprayed by volume, which saves money.
• spraying in the form of a mist has a second advantage in terms of patient comfort during administration to sensitive or painful areas.
• Application EP2570190 for example, relates to a spray nozzle for dispensing a fluid comprising a fluid chamber for receiving the fluid, at least one supply channel for supplying the fluid from the fluid chamber radially inwardly into a chamber. swirl chamber and an outlet channel with an inlet end facing the swirl chamber and an outlet end for discharging fluid to the environment of the spray nozzle.
• the outlet channel of this invention narrows in the direction of fluid flow.
• the present disclosure further relates to a sprayer comprising such a spray nozzle. This prior art represents insufficient progress for very viscous fluids.
• Application EP0412524 discloses a disposable nozzle adapter for intranasal administration of a viscous medical solution in combination with a spray container, which comprises a cylindrical body, a rod disposed in the body and a tip nozzle.
• the body has a cylindrical chamber and a central bore communicating with the chamber by a channel for securing the spray container.
• the rod is provided at its end with at least a small portion and a medium-sized portion.
• the nozzle tip has a top wall and a cylindrical portion extending therefrom, the top wall being provided with a central spray opening including a tapered recess and swirl grooves extending outwardly from it. from the tapered recess on the inner surface of the cylindrical part.
• the swirl grooves of this invention have a cross-sectional area increasing outwardly and its cross-sectional area is 0.03 to 0.08 mm 2 as a minimum.
• the nozzle tip is fitted into the opening of the body chamber and engaged with the mid-sized portion of the rod to form an annular channel surrounding the small-sized portion of the rod and communicating with the grooves. This prior art also represents insufficient progress for very viscous fluids.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art and to improve the capacity of the nozzles to spray a viscous rheo-thinning fluid in the form of a mist without propellant gas.
• the object of the present invention is a type nozzle free of air or any other propellant gas making it possible to generate a mist from a very viscous and shear-thinning fluid, flowing with a viscosity of more than 3000 Pa. .s at 0.01s 1 , and this at a very low flow rate, ie a flow rate preferably between 0.10 ml / s and 1 ml / s. It thus makes it possible to deposit a viscous fluid in a thin layer and in small quantity over a large area.
• the invention relates to a fluid spray nozzle intended to be mounted on a dispensing container, said nozzle comprising:
• the swirl chamber intended to receive the fluid to be sprayed, the swirl chamber having a maximum section S and a maximum diameter D,
• ducts extending longitudinally along the axis Al and being radially offset with respect to said axis Al, said ducts being in fluid connection with the inlet capillary, - at least two swirl channels, in fluid connection with said at least two conduits, and connecting said at least two conduits with the swirl chamber, said at least two conduits thus connecting the inlet capillary to the at least two swirl channels , - a spray orifice supplied by the swirl chamber, the spray orifice having axial symmetry and a constant section s, said swirl chamber having, along the axis Al, a section which decreases in the direction of said orifice of spray.
• the nozzle is characterized in that: the ratio of the section s of the spray orifice to the maximum section S of the swirl chamber is such as 1% £ s / ⁇ £ 20%, and the spray nozzle is actuated by means of an actuator independent of the nozzle, and the inlet capillary has a section making it possible to generate a fluid shear rate greater than 5000 s 1 .
• the nozzle according to the invention may include one or more of the following features, taken in isolation from one another or in combination with one another:
• the spray orifice has a cylindrical shape with a diameter d and a height h such that: 40% d ⁇ h ⁇ 150% d, preferably
• the at least two swirl channels each have a section in the form of a quadrilateral at right angles, said section being between 0.001 and 0.06mm 2 , - the quadrilateral is a square
• the middle feed comprises: either a chamber of hollow section of generally cylindrical shape and the base of which extends on a plane perpendicular to the axis A1, or several feed channels extending radially on a plane perpendicular to the axis A 1, so as to supply said at least two conduits
• the swirl chamber has a frustoconical shape whose angle a between the axis Al and the generatrix is such that 25 ° ⁇ a ⁇ 55 °, preferably 30 ° ⁇ a ⁇ 45 °
• - the at least two ducts are formed in a pillar, said pillar comprising an enveloping cylinder and having an internal surface, said enveloping cylinder comprising a coaxial spacer, the external surface of which is polygonal so
• a subject of the invention is also a method for dispensing a viscous shear-thinning fluid by spraying, characterized in that the method is implemented by means of the nozzle according to any one of the above characteristics.
• the distribution can be carried out in the form of a mist having homogeneous drops, at least 90% of the drops of the mist having a diameter of less than 1 OOmhi.
• the distribution can also be carried out in the form of a mist having homogeneous drops, the median diameter of which is between 1 OLUTI and 50mhi.
• the distribution can also be carried out in the form of a mist having homogeneous drops of which less than 12% of the drops having a diameter of less than 1 OLUTI.
• the distribution can be carried out in the form of a homogeneous fog whose taste dispersion characterized the ratio of the deviation between DvlO and Dv90 with respect to the median is less than 2.
• Upstream is defined according to the direction of flow of the fluid in the nozzle, and refers to any element which is located, relative to another element, close to the fluid inlet in the nozzle.
• Downstream is defined by the direction of fluid flow in the nozzle, and refers to any element that is located, relative to another element, close to the fluid outlet of the nozzle.
• “Fog” is to be assimilated to a mist and is defined as a cluster of very fine droplets.
• Capillary is a conduit of fine section compared to its length, the section is arbitrary.
• Pillar is an element composed of one or more pieces which, when assembled, serve as a support at least for the supply means and the conduits, in the context of the invention, the pillar is located between the supply means and the channels. swirling, it comprises at least the means for conveying the fluid from at least one capillary to the channels.
• Swirl channel length the length of the swirl channels is defined as the longest distance at identical sections along said channels.
• Viscos fluid fluid with a viscosity greater than lOmPa.s.
• Shear-thinning fluid fluid having a dynamic viscosity which decreases when the shear rate of the fluid increases.
• Dv10, Dv50, Dv90 are quantities used in granulometry which make it possible to give an indication of the volume distribution of the size of the particles of a set of particles (in the present case, of droplets).
• a Dv10 of 4mpi indicates that 10% of the particles (by volume) have a diameter of less than 4pm.
• D50 gives the median size: half of the particles are less, half more, and 10% of the particles are larger than D90.
• DvlO, Dv50 and Dv90 indicate the particle sizes for which 10%, 50% and 90% (respectively) of the particle population are smaller than this size.
• Distribution is the distribution around the median, or Dv50, of the different droplet sizes measured in a fog. It is calculated by the ratio of the difference between DvlO and Dv90, and the Dv50. This ratio is unitless.
• Figure 1 is an illustrative view of the spray that the invention wishes to avoid on the left (a) and the desired mist spray on the right (b).
• Figure 2 is a front view of an embodiment according to the invention with three cross sections (2a, 2b and 2c).
• Figure 3 is an isolated front view of Figure 2 showing the orifice and base sections of a frustoconical swirl chamber.
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of the path of the fluid within the nozzle, the pillar is transparent.
• Figure 5 is a perspective view of the fluid path of a nozzle according to another embodiment of the invention in which the supply means is composed of several angularly equidistant channels.
• Figure 6 is composed of three figures (6a, 6b, 6c) illustrating three different embodiments for the inlet capillary, this figure illustrates the fluid paths.
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fluid path within the nozzle according to one embodiment where the conduits are formed by a spacer inserted into the cylinder of the pillar here in transparency.
• Figure 8 is a cross section of the pillar to illustrate the conduits between the spacer and the enveloping cylinder.
• Figure 9 is a view of two embodiments according to the invention in which the length of the conduits has been changed from H1 to H2.
• Figure 10 shows the logarithmic relationship between viscosity and shear for a shear thinning fluid capable of being sprayed by the nozzle according to the invention.
• Figure 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the nozzle according to the invention with a clearance for connecting a container containing the fluid to be expelled.
• Figure 12 illustrates a perspective view of the spacer of a particular embodiment according to the invention comprising several capillaries with parallel inputs.
• Figure 13 shows a perspective view of the fluid path obtained with several inlet capillaries like Figure 12.
• Figure 14 is a schematic view of the nozzle according to the invention where the pillar coincides with the part forming the swirl chamber, the orifice and the swirl channels.
• the invention relates to a nozzle 1 for spraying a fluid, more precisely a viscous and shear-thinning fluid, intended to be mounted on a dispensing container.
• the fluid considered may not be a shear thinning fluid if its viscosity is of the order of 20 mPa.s, preferably less than 20 mPa.s, that is to say if the fluid is low viscous.
• the nozzle 1 according to the invention is thus intended to be fixed on a reservoir of fluid, in particular of viscous shear-thinning fluid.
• FIG. 1 makes it possible to compare a diffuse fog obtained thanks to the nozzle 1 according to the invention with what is obtained if all the conditions are not met, that is to say an expulsion on a very localized surface of a large volume of liquid.
• Figure 1 is an illustrative view of the spray that the invention wishes to avoid on the left (a) and the desired mist spray on the right (b). In addition, it is also desired to avoid coarse drops.
• Figure 2 illustrates a front view of one embodiment of the nozzle 1 of the invention.
• the inlet capillary 7 of the nozzle 1 is off-center with respect to the axis A1 of the spray orifice 2.
• the axis A 1 is also the axis of the frustoconical swirl chamber 3.
• the Decentering can range from a distance h7 between 0mm and 0.4mm, noting that if h7 is 0mm, this leads to co-axiality with the spray orifice.
• the distance h7 thus qualifies the distance between the axis Al of the spray orifice 2 and the axis of the inlet capillary 7.
• the advantage presented by this off-centering is a practical advantage of making the nozzle 1.
• the length L and the section D of the inlet capillary 7 are variables on which it is possible to act within the framework of the invention in order to modulate the shear rate of the fluid passing through the inlet capillary 7.
• the section D of the input capillary 7 is a disc (the capillary being cylindrical)
• the shear rate increases when the section S decreases.
• increasing the length L makes it possible to increase the time during which the fluid is sheared at a given shear rate. This allows to ensure that the length L is greater than the establishment length of the flow and that the viscosity to be obtained at this shear rate is indeed reached.
• the pressure drops increase when the sections decrease and the lengths increase. It is therefore a matter of finding a functional balance, which is achieved by the present invention.
• the inlet capillary 7 has a cylindrical shape of circular section.
• the diameter D7 of the inlet capillary 7 is between 0.1 and 0.3 mm and its length L is between 2 and 11mm.
• the shear rate of the fluid to be propelled is thereby increased, because the shear rate is equal to the speed of the fluid divided by l 'gap.
• the small sections allow a high speed to be achieved, however a very small section induces a large pressure drop and thus requires a very high pressure applied at the inlet of the nozzle 1 to reach the spray.
• the inlet capillary 7 has, from upstream to downstream, portions 71, 72, 73, 74 with different diameters: each portion 71, 72, 73, 74 has a constant section over its entire length, however, the first portion 71, located most upstream on the inlet capillary 7, has a diameter D greater than that of the downstream portions 72, 73, 74.
• Each portion 71, 72 , 73, 74 thus has, over its entire length, a diameter D: greater than or equal to that of the portions 72, 72, 74 located downstream, and less than or equal to that of the portions 71, 72, 73 located upstream.
• the aim here is to gradually reduce the passage section in order to gradually increase the shear rate of the fluid in order to always reduce the viscosity of the fluid, without creating excessively large point restrictions which would induce significant single head losses, and therefore an increase in the fluid. pressure.
• the different positions 71, 72, 73, 74 can be separated from each other by plates. These plates allow better alignment of the different portions 71, 72, 73, 74 with one another.
• the three variants 6a, 6b and 6c of FIG. 6 illustrate different possible configurations for the different portions 71, 72, 73, 74 of the inlet capillary 7.
• the diameter D of the downstream portion 71 is smaller than the diameter D of the upstream portion 72.
• Variant 6b has three portions 71, 72 and 73, each with a constant diameter D over its entire length.
• the diameter D of the upstream portion 73 is greater than that of the central portion 72, itself larger than that of the downstream portion 71. This is the embodiment of FIG. 5.
• Variant 6c for its part, has four portions 71, 72, 73 and 74 each with a constant diameter D.
• the diameters D decrease towards the supply means 6 and the two central portions 72 and 73 have similar surface sections.
• the advantage of this embodiment is to increase the length L of the inlet capillary 7 when there is only one capillary diameter (establishment length of the flow at this shear). It is also preferable to increase the length on the intermediate section rather than on the smaller section so as not to increase the pressure losses too much.
• the portions 71, 72, 73, 74 of the inlet capillary 7 are co-axial, along the axis Al, with the spray orifice 2.
• Figure 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 1 according to an embodiment of the invention having several parallel inlet capillaries 7.
• the advantage of having several parallel inlet capillaries 7 is the ease of industrial manufacture. In plastic injection it is not possible to make an inlet capillary 7 of small section, but thanks to this assembly, it becomes possible to make a cylinder much larger in diameter (feasible in plastic injection) in which is inserted the inlet cylinder of nozzle 1, also feasible in plastic injection.
• the nozzle 1 comprises a support 8 having a first recess 81 capable of accommodating a container containing the fluid to be expelled, as well as a second recess 82 capable of accommodating a nozzle inlet cylinder. This nozzle inlet cylinder is illustrated in FIG.
• this nozzle inlet cylinder is integral with a spacer 53, the function of which will be explained later in the application.
• Grooves are formed longitudinally in the nozzle inlet cylinder, so that the outer walls of the nozzle inlet cylinder can, by engaging by interlocking with the inner walls of the second recess 82, form the inlet capillaries. parallel to each other and extending along the axis A1.
• each inlet capillary 7 is formed by a space situated between the inlet cylinder of the nozzle 1 and its support 8.
• support 8 is to be able to connect the nozzle 1 directly to a syringe via a luer connector (82 is a female luer, the syringe ends with a male luer).
• a luer connector 82 is a female luer, the syringe ends with a male luer.
• This embodiment makes it possible to obtain the desired shear rate at the inlet of the nozzle 1 with parts which can be manufactured by industrial manufacturing methods (large series).
• the inlet capillary (s) 7 has (have) a diameter D making it possible to generate a fluid shear rate greater than 5000 s 1 .
• the upstream portion 74 which makes it possible to achieve a shear rate greater than 5000 s 1 .
• the following portions 71, 72, 73 make it possible to achieve even higher shears.
• the section along axis 2a of Figure 2 shows the connection allowing the fluid path between the inlet capillary 7, and the spacer 53 already mentioned above.
• the spacer 53 of the embodiment of section 2a is a hexagonal prism.
• this shape makes it possible to create conduits with small passage sections, using two interlocking parts that are easily assembled and positioned. It is the gap between the enveloping cylinder and the spacer 53 which forms the conduits.
• the small passage section allows a high shear rate to be maintained.
• conduits 512 can be obtained in various ways.
• One way to obtain these conduits 512 is to stack machined parts, thus forming a pillar 5 in which said conduits 512 are formed. This method is nevertheless long and tedious, industrially unattractive.
• these conduits 512 are obtained by means of the interlocking of two parts which can be obtained independently of one another by plastic injection. These two parts take the form of a spacer 53 of the hexagonal prism type and of an enveloping cylinder 52. We are thus limited to two parts, simplifying the assembly of the nozzle 1.
• FIG. 1 In the embodiment of FIG.
• section 2b shows the connection allowing the fluid path between the inlet capillary 7 and the swirl chamber 3 through the pillar 5. More precisely, section 2b shows the 6 ducts of small passage section formed by the interlocking of G spacer 53 in the enveloping cylinder 52.
• the spacer 53 is hexagonal , which forms six conduits 512, but certain embodiments have twelve conduits 512. The greater the number of “facets” of G spacer 53, the smaller the passage section of the conduits 512 and therefore the greater the shear rate. important.
• the fluid path passes between the external walls of the spacer 53 and the / the internal wall (s) of the enveloping cylinder 52.
• the enveloping cylinder 52 is of circular section.
• the conduits 512 extend longitudinally along the axis A1.
• the arrows indicate the direction of flow of a fluid suitable for being sprayed along the conduits 512 of the pillar 5.
• Figure 7 illustrates the fluid path of a third embodiment according to the invention.
• the pillar 5 is not shown in order to show the fluid path passing through the conduits 51 which extend longitudinally along the axis Al.
• all the elements and their dimensions given for the first embodiment are identical with the exception of pillar 5 and its components.
• These conduits 51 have a generally flattened shape, resulting from a "faceted" spacer 53 in a cylinder.
• the greater the number of "facets" of the spacer 53 the smaller the passage section of the ducts 51 and therefore the greater the shear rate within the ducts 51. This allows the maintenance of a high shear rate to maintain a low viscosity; the shear rate may be higher than in the fluid path upstream of these conduits 51, which makes it possible to rheo fluidify even more.
• FIG. 9 illustrates two embodiments 9a and 9b, the heights H1 and H2 of the pillar 5 of which are variable in order to obtain a greater length over which the fluid is sheared.
• the advantage of the height H1 over the height H2 is that the shorter lengths induce a lower pressure drop and therefore a lower inlet pressure of nozzle 1.
• the advantage of the height H2 over the height H1 is that the length over which the fluid is sheared is greater and therefore induces better shear.
• Figure 14 is another perspective view of a nozzle 1 according to the invention showing an inlet capillary 7 through which the fluid to be expelled will pass.
• An embodiment with several input capillaries 7 as illustrated in Figure 13 is possible.
• the pillar 5 is also shown, it comprises conduits defined by the space between the faces of the spacer 53 and the inner surface of the enveloping cylinder 52 (not shown). On exiting the conduits (not shown), the fluid passes through the swirl channels (not shown) and then tangentially accesses the swirl chamber 3 before being expelled through the spray port 2 in the form of a mist.
• the pillar 5 coincides with the part in which the channels, cone and spray orifice are formed.
• a single piece supports the enveloping cylinder, the swirl channels 4, the swirl chamber 3 and the port 2.
• connection between the conduits 512 of the pillar 5 and the inlet capillary 7 can be provided by a supply means 6 typically taking the form of a hollow-shaped plate of generally flat cylindrical shape.
• a supply means 6 typically taking the form of a hollow-shaped plate of generally flat cylindrical shape.
• Figure 4 illustrates the fluid path followed by the fluid to be sprayed in the nozzle 1.
• the nozzle 1 has three conduits 511, 512, 513 connecting the inlet capillary 7 to the chamber of swirl 3.
• these three ducts 511, 512 and 513 are cylindrical ducts with a circular section extending longitudinally along the axis A1.
• the three ducts 511, 512 and 513 are angularly equidistant and therefore at 120 ° from each other.
• the section along the axis 2c of Figure 2 shows more particularly the connection continuing the fluid path between the pillar 5 and the frustoconical swirl chamber 3.
• the section of Figure 2c shows a circular ring connecting the pillar 5 to the swirl channels. 4 in order to convey the fluid to be sprayed tangentially towards the swirl chamber 3 in the direction of the center of the circular ring.
• the circular ring makes it possible to connect the conduits 512 to the inlet of the swirl channels 4, 41, 42, 43.
• Said swirl channels 4, 41, 42, 43 convey the fluid to the frustoconical swirl chamber 3 tangentially to the cone to create a vortex.
• Figure 3 shows a front view of the spray orifice 2 and of the swirl chamber 3.
• the ratio of the section s of the spray orifice to the maximum section S of the swirl chamber is such that 1% 20% and preferably, this ratio is between 1 and 10%, more preferably, this ratio is between 1 and 6%. It should be noted that the respective limits of these intervals are included in the invention.
• a circular ring connects the conduits 511, 512 and 513 to the three swirl channels 41, 42 and 43 with which they are respectively in fluid connection.
• the three swirl channels 41, 42 and 43 each have a rectangle-shaped section, said section being between 0.001 and 0.06mm 2 , preferably between 0.003 and 0.01mm 2 .
• flow rate speed x section, at a given speed, the smaller the section, the lower the flow rate.
• reducing the section of the vortex channels 41, 42 and 43 makes it possible to increase the shear of the fluid and therefore its speed. This increase in speed allows better generation of vortices and therefore better spraying.
• the length of the swirl channels 41, 42 and 43 that is to say the distance to be traveled by the fluid to be sprayed between the circular ring and the tangential inlet of the swirl chamber 3 is ideally between
• the swirl chamber 3 which has a frustoconical shape whose base diameter is ideally between 0.8 and 1.6mm.
• the angle a between Tax Al and the generatrix of the frustoconical chamber is such that 25 ° ⁇ a ⁇ 55 °, preferably: 30 ° ⁇ a ⁇ 45 °.
• the height L3 of the frustoconical chamber is, for its part, ideally between 0.4 and 0.7 mm.
• the height h of the spray orifice 2 is, for its part, ideally between 0.1 mm and 0.15 mm.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment according to the invention.
• the supply means 6 which is here a set of three supply channels 61, 62 and 63 which are angularly equidistant and in fluid connection with the conduits 511, 512 and 513.
• This embodiment allows better routing of the fluid from the inlet capillary 7 to the conduits 51, 511, 512, 513.
• FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 13 thus illustrates the fluid path followed by a fluid to be expelled in the form of a mist by a nozzle 1 such as that illustrated in FIG. 11 with the capillaries inlet formed by the spacer of Figure 12.
• the fluid path downstream of the supply means 6 is identical to those described for the embodiments of Figures 7, 8 and 9.
• the nozzle 1 according to the invention may well be considered as a consumable and is therefore made of disposable and / or very short-lived materials.
• the nozzle 1 according to the present invention is thus adaptable to numerous applications in cosmetics and the food industry, and is therefore not limited to the medical field.
• the use of the nozzle 1 is done in conjunction with an independent actuator.
• the spray nozzle 1 is thus actuated by means of an actuator independent of the nozzle.
• actuation of the nozzle is meant “circulation of the fluid to be distributed through the nozzle 1”.
• This independent actuator can take a wide variety of forms, but in all cases it comprises a means for circulating the fluid to be sprayed.
• the actuator can thus be manual or automated using a mechanical system (pump, syringe pump, spring) or electromechanical (using a motor).
• the choice of the actuator and the means for circulating the fluid to be sprayed depends on the properties desired for spraying the mist: size of the cone, flow rate, duration of the spray, for example.
• the nozzle 1 allows a high shear of a viscous shear-thinning fluid so as to be able to spray effectively and in a safe manner this type of fluid.
• the diameter of the swirl channels 41, 42 and 43 is small enough to spray a mist at a low flow rate, while nevertheless having a diameter large enough not to induce excessively large pressure drops so as to minimize the inlet pressure of nozzle 1.
• FIG. 10 shows the rheogram (curve of the viscosity as a function of the shear rate) of a fluid which has been sprayed with the nozzle 1.
• the nozzle 1 thus allows the implementation of a method for dispensing a viscous shear-thinning fluid by spraying. Specifically, this distribution is produced in the form of a mist presenting homogeneous drops, the characterization of which by laser diffraction (Spraytec / MAL 10332887 / Malvem / UK) makes it possible to establish the following characteristics: at least 90% of the drops of the mist having a diameter less than 1 OOLHTI, preferably less than 90 ⁇ m, more preferably less than 80 ⁇ m, even more preferably 70 ⁇ m.
• the median diameter of the drops of the fog is between 10 and 50pm, preferably between 10 and 45pm, more preferably between 15 and 40miti,
• a distribution of the different sizes of drops of a fog concentrated around its mediating value (Dv50), such as the ratio between the difference between the Dv90 and DvlO , and the Dv50 is less than 2, preferably less than 1.8, more preferably less than 1.6.
• the “SPAN” distribution is less than 2, preferably less than 1.8, more preferably less than 1.6.
• inlet capillary (s) 8 support 81: first clearance of the support suitable for receiving the container of the liquid to be distributed, 81: second clearance of the support suitable for receiving the grooves forming inlet capillaries, 71,72,73,74: portions of constant section of the inlet capillary 7 Al: axis of the spray orifice Hl, H2: height of the pillar
• D7 diameter of the fluid inlet capillary
• h7 radial distance between the axis of the spray orifice and the axis of the fluid inlet capillary.
• L3 Height of the swirl chamber (along the Al axis)
• a angle between the Al axis and the generator of the swirl chamber.

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• 2020
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