Apparatus and method for delivering acoustic energy through a liquid stream to a target object for disruptive surface cleaning or treating effects
AssigneeI.P. Foundry, Inc.
InventorsJohn Sliwa, Carol Tosaya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus is provided for performing acoustically aided treatment or cleaning of workpieces or subjects. In a first embodiment, acoustic energy contributed by one or more emitted streams is summed for cooperative treatment at a common workpiece region or site. In a second embodiment, one or more impinging streams are shaped such that they provide an acoustic amplification effect. Both embodiments may utilize beneficial agents added to the flowed impinging medium to enable or improve the treatment or cleaning process.
Claims41
An apparatus for treating or cleaning a workpiece or subject that utilizes acoustic energy carried to the workpiece through at least one flowable stream directed at, upon or into said workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
- a flowable medium such as a liquid which can be flowed as at least one stream or plume at, upon or into a workpiece from a flowable-medium flow-emitter or orifice;
- a source of ultrasonic, acoustic or vibratory energy acoustically coupled into at least one such stream or plume at one or more points in a manner allowing at least part of said coupled acoustic energy to propagate to the workpiece through at least part of one said stream or plume;
- a workpiece, subject or treatment object situated, for at least a period, in the range of at least one said stream or plume allowing for impingement or wetting by said acoustic-energy carrying stream of said workpiece;
- the impinging or wetting stream(s) or plume(s) carrying said ultrasonic energy during at least a portion of an impingement or wetting period;
- the workpiece impingement angle or angles including at least one value between 0 and 180 degrees;
- and
- the angle of the plume or average plume-angle at at least one position on the plume being between 0 degrees and 180 degrees to local gravity, whether natural or artificially induced or a vector sum thereof.
An apparatus for treating or cleaning a workpiece or object that utilizes acoustic energy carried to the workpiece through two or more flowable streams or plumes substantially commonly directed at or upon a workpiece or site thereon for at least a period, the apparatus comprising:
- a flowable medium that can be flowed at or upon a workpiece from or out-of two or more plume or stream orifices, flow-apertures or flow-sources;
- at least one source of ultrasonic, acoustic or vibratory energy acoustically coupleable into two or more such streams or plumes at one or more points on each said stream or plume in a manner allowing at least part of said coupled acoustic energy to propagate to the workpiece through its respective stream or plume or through two or more plumes;
- a workpiece or treatment object situated, for at least a period of time, in the range of the commonly directed streams or plumes allowing for impingement of said collective stream or plume while carrying their collective acoustic energy upon or into said workpiece;
- and
- the workpiece thereby being cleaned or treated by two or more co directed plumes or streams, two or more of which carry co-directed ultrasonic energy which is temporally phased, at least for useful treatment periods, to be constructively interfering or additive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.