Drop dispensing device
AssigneePolaroid Corporation
InventorMichael S. Viola
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid drop dispenser is fabricated from an injection moldable plastic and includes inner and outer components each having an end wall and an axially extending cylindrical wall that define a respective counterbore for each component. The inner component is assembled to the outer component with the respective outer and inner axially extending walls defining an annular fluid receiving chamber therebetween. A nozzle is provided in the outer wall through which drops are ejected on demand. A piezoelectric actuator disc is mounted within the inner component with its periphery bonded to the cylindrical wall of the inner component. When the actuator disc is electrically excited, it undergoes a radially outward expansion to cause a predetermined quantity of fluid to be ejected from the annular chamber through the nozzle.
Claims30
A drop dispensing device comprising:
- means defining a planar electroactuator bounded by a peripherally circumferential surface;
- means defining a fluid receiving chamber having at least a first plastic resin wall connected to said peripherally circumferential surface of said electroactuator and a second wall spaced from said first wall;
- and
- nozzle means in fluid communications with said fluid receiving chamber,
- said planar electroactuator applying a peripherally circumferentially directed force to said first wall in response to electrical excitation to cause a predetermined quantity of fluid to be ejected through said nozzle in a drop-wise manner.
A drop dispensing device comprising:
- a first and second plastic resin components each having a circular end wall and an axially extending cylindrical wall, the axially extending cylindrical walls defined by respective inside and outside diameter dimensions, the axially extending cylindrical wall of the first component received within the axially extending cylindrical wall of the second component to define an annular fluid receiving chamber therebetween;
- a discoidal electroactuator bounded by a curvilinear periphery bonded to the inside diameter surface of the axially extending cylindrical wall of the first component;
- and
- nozzle means in fluid communications with said annular fluid receiving chamber,
- said electroactuator applying a peripherally directed force to the axially extending cylindrical wall of the first component in response to electrical excitation to cause a predetermined quantity of fluid to be ejected through said nozzle in a drop-wise manner.
A drop forming device comprising:
- means defining a plastic resin body having a fluid receiving chamber formed therein, the chamber defined along a curvilinear path between at least two spaced apart plastic resin walls;
- means defining a nozzle in fluid communication with said chamber;
- and
- an electroactuator having a curvilinear periphery connected to one of said walls and actuatable to circumferentially extend at least one of said walls to cause a quantity of fluid in said chamber to pass through said nozzle to form a fluid drop.
A drop dispensing device comprising:
- means defining a planar electroactuator bounded by a peripheral surface;
- means defining a fluid receiving chamber having at least a first plastic resin wall connected to said peripheral surface of said electroactuator and a second wall spaced from said first wall;
- and
- nozzle means in fluid communications with said fluid receiving chamber,
- said planar electroactuator applying a peripherally directed force to said first wall in response to electrical excitation to cause a predetermined quantity of fluid to be ejected through said nozzle in a drop-wise manner;
- said first wall having a thickness sufficient to be formed by injection molding but having a thickness insufficient to prevent said electroactuator from ejecting said fluid through said nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.