1. A spray system for atomizing product sprayed therethrough, said spray system comprising:
an outlet nozzle through which atomized product may be sprayed, said product being atomized by said spray system, said nozzle defining an axial direction and having a longitudinal axis therethrough;
at least one discrete inlet port, said inlet port having an associated inlet area, said inlet port not circumscribing said longitudinal axis and being radially offset therefrom;
a flow area joining said inlet port and said nozzle, said flow area comprising a surface of revolution about said longitudinal axis, said surface of revolution convergently directing flow from said at least one inlet port to said nozzle; said surface of revolution circumscribing said longitudinal axis, whereby a portion of a line which is parallel to said longitudinal axis and lying on said surface of revolution is arcuate.
2. A spray system according to claim 1, further comprising an inlet groove, said inlet groove having a first end intercepting an annular chamber disposed upstream of said inlet port, said inlet groove connecting said annular chamber and said inlet port.
3. A spray system according to claim 2 comprising a plurality of inlet grooves, each said inlet groove connecting said annular chamber to said surface of revolution through a respective inlet port.
4. A spray system according to claim 3 comprising four inlet grooves, said inlet grooves being equally circumferentially spaced about said longitudinal axis.
5. A spray system according to claim 2 wherein said surface of revolution has at least a portion of which is concave relative to said longitudinal axis.
7. A spray system for atomizing product sprayed therethrough, said spray system comprising:
an outlet nozzle through which atomized product may be sprayed, said product being atomized by said spray system, said nozzle defining an axial direction and having a longitudinal axis therethrough;
an inwardly facing groove extending from an inlet to an associated and discrete inlet port, said inlet port having an associated inlet area, said inlet port not circumscribing said longitudinal axis and being radially offset therefrom, said groove having an associated groove length taken parallel to said longitudinal axis;
a flow area joining said inlet port and said nozzle, said flow area comprising the said surface of revolution about said longitudinal axis, said surface of revolution convergently directing flow from said at least one inlet port to said nozzle; said surface of revolution circumscribing said longitudinal axis, whereby said surface of revolution has an associated surface length taken parallel to said longitudinal axis, whereby said surface length is greater than said groove length.
8. A spray system according to claim 7 wherein said groove forms an angle of 5 to 12 degrees with respect to a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
9. A spray system according to claim 8 wherein said surface of revolution further comprises a portion of constant cross section juxtaposed with said outlet nozzle.
10. A spray system according to claim 1 wherein said spray system has an inlet and an outlet longitudinally spaced therefrom, and said flow area has at least one concave or convex portion between said inlet and said outlet.
11. A spray system according to claim 7 wherein said spray system has an inlet and an outlet longitudinally spaced therefrom, and said flow area has at least one concave or convex portion between said inlet and said outlet.
12. A spray system according to claim 7 wherein said surface of revolution has at least a portion which is convex relative to said longitudinal axis.
13. A spray system for atomizing product sprayed therethrough, said spray system comprising:
an outlet nozzle for atomizing product sprayed under pressure therethrough, said nozzle defining an axial direction and having a longitudinal axis therethrough;
an inwardly facing groove extending from an inlet to an associated and discrete inlet port, said inlet port having an associated inlet area, said inlet port not circumscribing said longitudinal axis and being radially offset therefrom, said groove having an associated groove length taken parallel to said longitudinal axis;
a flow area joining said inlet port and said nozzle, said flow area comprising the said surface of revolution about said longitudinal axis, said surface of revolution convergently directing flow from said at least one inlet port to said nozzle; said surface of revolution circumscribing said longitudinal axis, whereby said surface of revolution has an associated surface length taken parallel to said longitudinal axis, whereby said surface length is greater than said groove length.
14. A spray system according to claim 13 wherein said surface of revolution has at least a portion which is convex relative to said longitudinal axis.
15. A spray system according to claim 13 wherein said surface of revolution has at least a portion which is concave relative to said longitudinal axis.
16. A spray system according to claim 13 wherein said surface of revolution has a portion which is convex relative to said longitudinal axis and a portion which is concave relative to said longitudinal axis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-10. (canceled)
11. An assembly with an analog signal processing unit, the assembly comprising:
an analog signal input;
an analog signal output;
a signal path coupled between the signal input and the signal output;
a first amplifier within the signal path, the first amplifier being coupled to the analog signal input;
an automatic gain control unit coupled to the signal path to control the gain of the amplifier in response to a signal amplitude within the signal path; and
a gain information output configured to deliver information about current gain to an interface between the signal processing unit and external circuitry.
12. The assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a sensor transducer coupled to the analog signal input of the signal path, the sensor transducer configured to deliver an analog input signal to the signal path in response to a physical parameter detected or measured by the sensor transducer.
13. The assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a second signal path and a second amplifier coupled to the second signal path and to the gain information output of the interface of the signal path, such that first and second amplifier are controlled by the same gain.
14. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a sensor transducer coupled to the analog signal input of the signal path or an analog signal input of the second signal path, the sensor transducer configured to deliver an analog input signal to the signal path in response to a physical parameter detected or measured by the sensor transducer.
15. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the signal path and the second signal path are each arranged within a separate casing, the casings being coupled via respective interfaces.
16. The assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a second automatic gain control unit coupled to the second signal path to control the gain of the second amplifier.
17. The assembly according to claim 16, wherein the signal path and second signal path have the same components, the second automatic gain control unit configured to be controlled by the automatic gain control unit.
18. The assembly according to claim 17, wherein the automatic gain control unit and the second automatic gain control unit each have a separate terminal at the interface to assign a status to the respective automatic gain control unit chosen from master and slave, the status of the automatic gain control unit being different than the status of the second automatic gain control unit.
19. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein the analog signal output is coupled to an analog-to-digital converter.
20. The assembly according to claim 19, wherein the analog-to-digital converter comprises a sigma delta modulator.
21. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein an acousto-electric MEMS transducer is coupled to the analog signal input.
22. A method for widening dynamic range of a MEMS microphone that comprises first and second acousto-electric MEMS transducers and first and second signal paths, the method comprising:
sensing a sound pressure impacting on the first MEMS transducer;
coupling an analog signal corresponding to the sound pressure to an analog signal input of the first signal path;
amplifying the analog signal using a first amplifier that is coupled with the first signal path;
detecting the amplitude of the signal within the first signal path;
controlling the gain of the first amplifier in response to the detected amplitude;
submitting digital information about current gain of the first amplifier to a gain information output; and
running a second amplifier coupled in the second signal path with the same gain as the first amplifier according to the signal received via the gain information output.
23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the digital information is generated using an analog-to-digital converter.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the analog-to-digital converter comprise a sigma delta modulator.
25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the gain of the first amplifier is controlled by a first automatic gain control unit and wherein the amplifier is controlled by a second automatic gain control unit, the second automatic gain control unit configured to be controlled by the first automatic gain control unit.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein each of first and second automatic gain control units each have a separate terminal to assign a status to the respective automatic gain control unit chosen from master and slave, the status of the first automatic gain control unit being different that the status of the second automatic gain control unit.
27. The method according to claim 22, wherein each of first signal path and second signal path are arranged within separate casings, the casings being coupled via respective interfaces.