Patent attributes
The present invention provides a standard interface for providing mechanical location, mechanical orientation, electrical connections, and water chamber seals for the exchange of a variety of plasma forming nozzles each associated with a specific plasma plume characteristic. The flexibility of the nozzle attachment is improved over prior designs by providing a standard exterior nozzle configuration and nozzle clamping assembly on the plasma gun so that multiple nozzles configurations (giving different plasma flow properties) can easily be used with the same devices. The joining of the nozzle to the receptacle forms a channel for cooling liquid to flow from the plasma gun through the nozzle to a return path in the plasma gun and creates an electrical contact between the plasma gun and the nozzle.
