Methods and apparatus for surface wetting control
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsDaniel Lee Revier, Benjamin Stassen Cook, David Patrick Magee, Stephen John Fedigan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
For surface wetting control, an apparatus can expel fluid from a droplet on a surface using a transducer mechanically coupled to the surface. A first area of the surface can have a first wettability for the fluid, and a second area of the surface can have a second wettability for the fluid. The first wettability of the first area of the surface can be greater than the second wettability of the second area of the surface. The first area and the second area can have a patterned arrangement.
Claims14
Apparatus to expel fluid from a droplet on a surface using a transducer mechanically coupled to the surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a first area of the surface having a first wettability for the fluid;
- and
- a second area of the surface having a second wettability for the fluid, in which the second wettability of the second area of the surface is greater than the first wettability of the first area of the surface, and the first area and the second area have a patterned arrangement;
- wherein the transducer is configured to excite a vibrational mode of the surface having a greater extent of vibration at the second area than at the first area.
Apparatus to expel fluid from a droplet on a surface using a transducer mechanically coupled to the surface, the apparatus comprising:
- a first area of the surface having a first wettability for the fluid;
- and
- a second area of the surface having a second wettability for the fluid, in which the second wettability of the second area of the surface is greater than the first wettability of the first area of the surface, and the first area and the second area have a patterned arrangement;
- wherein:
- the first area is a plurality of first areas;
- the second area is centrally arranged between a pair of members of the first areas;
- and
- the first areas have respective increasing gradients of wettability in respective directions centrally oriented towards the second area.
Apparatus to expel fluid of a droplet from a surface using a transducer mechanically coupled to the surface, the apparatus comprising:
- first and second adjacent areas of the surface in which the droplet overlaps the first and second areas of the surface, and the first area has a first wettability that is greater than a second wettability of the second area;
- and
- a signal generator configured to generate a signal having a frequency to reduce a size of the droplet;
- wherein the frequency of the signal generator is to excite a vibrational mode of the surface having a greater extent of vibration at the second area than at the first area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.