Control method and apparatus for dispensing high-quality drops of high-viscosity materials
AssigneeAdvanjet
InventorsRobert L. Ciardella, Duong La, Wai Ching Bessie Chin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention concerns a method and apparatus for dispensing minute quantities of fluids and more particularly rapidly dispensing highly precise and repeatable, minute amounts of viscous fluids in a non-contact manner. An impacting element is impacted against a hardened insert on a flexible diaphragm to deflect the insert into a jetting chamber and against an outlet orifice in the jetting chamber. The movement of the diaphragm and insert force viscous fluid in the chamber through the outlet orifice and the impact jets that fluid from the outlet orifice, with the impact force being adjusted to jet the fluid from the orifice in a single drop.
Claims29
1-30. (canceled)
A method of dispensing high-quality minute quantities of a viscous material from an outlet of a jetting orifice by an expelling mechanism that deforms a flexible diaphragm into a jetting chamber that is in fluid communication with the jetting orifice, with the diaphragm forming a portion of the jetting chamber, the method comprising:
- forcing a predetermined amount of the viscous fluid through an inlet channel and into the jetting chamber;
- moving an impact element through a predetermined distance corresponding to an impact gap;
- impacting the flexible diaphragm with the impact element;
- deforming the flexible diaphragm into the jetting chamber an additional distance sufficient to block the fluid flow into the orifice and expel material from the outlet;
- measuring the distance the impact element travels before contacting the diaphragm, from a release position that is separated from diaphragm;
- and
- adjusting the predetermined distance the impact element moves and varying the force with which the impact element impacts the diaphragm.
A method of dispensing high-quality minute quantities of a viscous material from an outlet of a jetting orifice by an expelling mechanism that deforms a flexible diaphragm into a jetting chamber that is in fluid communication with the jetting orifice, the method comprising:
- forcing the viscous fluid into the jetting chamber through an inlet channel;
- deforming the flexible diaphragm into the jetting chamber a distance sufficient to block the fluid flow out the orifice;
- moving an impact element through a predetermined distance;
- impacting the flexible diaphragm with the impact element and ejecting the viscous material from the outlet;
- and;
- adjusting at least one of the predetermined distance or the velocity of the impact element and varying the force with which the impact element impacts the diaphragm.
A method of dispensing quality minute quantities of a viscous material from an outlet of a jetting orifice of a jetting chamber by an expelling mechanism, comprising:
- forcing a predetermined amount of the viscous fluid through an inlet channel and into the jetting chamber;
- moving an impact element through a predetermined distance;
- impacting the flexible diaphragm with the impact element at an impact velocity;
- deforming the flexible diaphragm into the jetting chamber a distance sufficient to block the fluid flow into the orifice and expel a drop of material from the outlet;
- inspecting the quality of the expelled drop of material;
- and
- adjusting the impact element to vary the momentum with which the impact element impacts the diaphragm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.