Ultrasonic drying system and method
AssigneeHeat Technologies, Inc.
InventorZinovy Plavnik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an apparatus for drying a material, the apparatus including: an air-delivery enclosure with an air inlet and an air outlet through which forced air is directed toward the material; and an ultrasonic transducer connected to the air outlet of the air-delivery enclosure, the ultrasonic transducer including: a first inner surface; a second inner surface, the second inner surface facing the first inner surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface defining an airflow path through the ultrasonic transducer; a first groove defined in a first inner surface, the first groove including a first flat portion; and a second groove defined in a second inner surface, the second groove including a second flat portion.
Claims20
A method of drying a material, the method comprising:
- positioning an ultrasonic transducer a spaced distance from an interface surface of the material;
- forcing air through the ultrasonic transducer, the ultrasonic transducer including a first wall defining a first inner surface defining a first groove, the first groove including a first flat portion, the first flat portion orthogonal to an innermost portion of the first inner surface and extending away from the innermost portion of the first inner surface;
- and
- a second wall defining a second inner surface defining a second groove, the second groove including a second flat portion, the second inner surface facing the first inner surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface defining an air passage through the ultrasonic transducer;
- inducing acoustic oscillations through the ultrasonic transducer;
- and
- directing the acoustic oscillations and air towards the material.
An apparatus for drying a material, the apparatus comprising:
- an air-delivery enclosure with an air inlet and an air outlet through which forced air is directed toward the material;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer connected to the air outlet of the air-delivery enclosure, the ultrasonic transducer including:
- a first inner surface;
- a second inner surface, the second inner surface facing the first inner surface, the first inner surface and the second inner surface defining an air passage through the ultrasonic transducer;
- a first groove defined in the first inner surface, the first groove including a first flat portion, the first flat portion angled at 90 degrees with respect to an innermost portion of the first inner surface and extending away from the innermost portion of the first inner surface;
- and
- a second groove defined in the second inner surface, the second groove including a second flat portion, the second flat portion angled at 90 degrees with respect to an innermost portion of the second inner surface and extending away from the innermost portion of the second inner surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.