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US 4,749,125 AGranted
Nozzle method and apparatus
AssigneeTerronics Development Corporation
InventorsEduardo C. Escallon, Anthony E. Tyner
Life of this patent
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AssigneeTerronics Development Corporation
InventorsEduardo C. Escallon, Anthony E. Tyner
Estimating the term…
A nozzle apparatus and method for electrically charging and dispensing fluids and other flowable materials, comprising a fluid reservoir and a housing. The housing includes walls which define a chamber having an elongated slot at the tip thereof. The slot is resiliently compressible. The reservoir communicates with the chamber such that the fluid is introduced into the chamber at a controlled rate and a low hydrostatic pressure. A shim is placed within the chamber slot partially occluding fluid flow through the slot. The shim and the amount of compression of the slot defines with precision the size and shape of the slot. The shim and fluid are electrically connected to a high voltage source through the housing. The fluid forms a meniscus about the housing slot whereby upon actuation of the high voltage source, the fluid is dispensed as one or more charged fluid paths or a plurality of charged droplets.
A nozzle apparatus for electrostatically dispensing a flowable material comprising:
The apparatus of 1 further comprising a fluid reservoir, said reservoir containing a flowable material, said reservoir communicating with said chamber such that said flowable material may flow into said chamber from said reservoir.
A method of dispensing flowable materials through a nozzle comprising introducing a flowable material into a nozzle chamber, controlling the pressure of said material within said chamber, providing a nozzle exit from said chamber, placing a metalic shim within said exit, said shim having a discontinuous distal edge at said exit, said exit being resiliently compressable and expandable, said shim and said exit defining a plurality of spaced openings providing communication between said chamber and said exit, said shim together with the amount of compression and expansion of said exit defining with precision the dimensions of said exit and said openings, said flowable material forming a meniscus about said exit, connecting said shim to a high voltage source thereby charging said flowable material and said shim, whereby said meniscus erupts into a plurality of fine flow paths extending from said nozzle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.