Spraying apparatus
AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsDavid J. Owen, Colin G. MacLaine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrostatic spraying apparatus e.g. for graphic work, having a hand or finger held body carrying a nozzle to which the atomizing potential is applied from a high voltage generator. The nozzle is of the non-drip type, e.g. a capillary bore or a felt- or fibre-tip so that no liquid is dispensed therefrom in the absence of the atomizing potential. The nozzle and liquid reservoir may be a cartridge, e.g. a felt-tip graphic marker. The generator may be within the body so as to provide a self-contained unit which can be "earthed" via the user's hand.
Claims17
Apparatus for spraying a liquid comprising
- (i) freely movable elongated body member, suitable for holding in the human hand, provided with a nozzle at one end,
- (ii) means for delivering the liquid to said nozzle,
- (iii) a high voltage generator,
- (iv) means for applying a sufficiently large electrical potential, relative to earth, from said generator to said nozzle that, when said body member is held in the human hand with the nozzle at a distance of 2 cm above an earthed surface, sufficient electrical gradient is provided at said nozzle to atomise said liquid as a spray of electrically charged droplets,
- said nozzle and said means for delivering the liquid thereto being of the type that, when said nozzle is in contact with a surface beneath the nozzle that is receptive to said liquid and is moved relative to, but in contact with, said surface, liquid is transferred from said nozzle onto said surface, but when said nozzle is disposed above, but out of contact with, a surface and no atomising electrical potential is applied to said nozzle, no liquid is dispensed from said nozzle.
Apparatus for use in the spraying of a liquid from a cartridge having a casing enclosing a reservoir of the liquid and a nozzle of the type that, when said nozzle is in contact with a surface beneath the nozzle that is receptive to said liquid and is moved relative to, but in contact with, said surface, liquid is transferred from said nozzle on to said surface, but, when said nozzle is disposed above, but out of contact with, a surface and no atomising potential is applied to said nozzle, no liquid is dispensed from said nozzle, comprising
- (i) freely movable elongated body member, suitable for holding in the human hand, and adapted to receive said cartridge with the nozzle thereof projecting from one end of said body member,
- (ii) a high voltage generator, and
- (iii) means to apply a sufficiently large electrical potential, relative to earth, from said generator to said cartridge, when said cartridge is fitted to said body member, that, when said body member is held in the human hand with the nozzle of the cartridge at a distance of 2 cm above an earthed surface, sufficient electrical gradient is provided at the nozzle to atomise said liquid as a spray of electrically charged droplets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.