Apparatus for dispersing and directing dye onto a substrate

An apparatus for spraying a liquid marking material onto the surface of a substrate by nonaspiratively dividing a stream of said marking material into droplets by an impinging stream of pressurized control fluid directed at said surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a rigid module body having a plurality of first grooves, a plurality of second grooves, and a trough having a means for removing possible contaminants in said marking material;
• an upper cover plate abutting said module body such that a surface of said upper plate encloses said first grooves so as to form a plurality of first conduits for delivery of said marking material, said first conduits having one end in communication with said trough and another end extending to the outside of said module body and forming a marking material orifice;
• a lower cover plate abutting said module body such that a surface of said lower cover plate encloses said second grooves to form a plurality of second conduits for delivery of said impinging stream of said control fluid, said lower cover plate forming a control fluid supply channel, said second conduits being in communication with said control fluid supply channel and having one end extending to the outside of said module body and forming a control fluid orifice;
• and
• a means for nonaspiratively positioning said marking material orifice outside said stream of pressurized control fluid.

An apparatus for spraying a liquid marking material onto the surface of a substrate by nonaspiratively dividing a stream of said marking material into droplets by an impinging stream of pressurized control fluid directed at said surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a module forming a plurality of first conduits for delivery of said stream of said marking material and a plurality of second conduits for delivery of said impinging stream of said control fluid, wherein said module comprises:
• a wedge shaped body having an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, a front surface and a back surface;
• a trough having a means for removing possible contaminants in said marking material;
• a plurality of first grooves longitudinally spaced along said upper planar surface of said body each with one end in communication with said trough and one end forming a marking material orifice;
• another plurality of second grooves longitudinally spaced along said lower planar surface of said body;
• and at least one marking material supply conduit extending from said back surface of said body into said trough;
• an upper cover plate adapted for attachment to said upper planar surface of said body such that the lower surface of said upper cover plate encloses said first grooves forming said first conduits;
• a lower cover plate having a plurality of control fluid supply channels each extending from the back surface of said lower cover plate and ending in an opening on the upper surface of said lower cover plate;
• said lower cover plate being adapted for attachment to said lower planar surface of said body such that said upper surface of said lower cover plate encloses said second grooves to form said second conduits and such that said openings on said upper surface of said lower cover plate are aligned with said second grooves;
• and
• a means for nonaspiratively positioning said marking material orifice outside said stream of pressurized control fluid.

An apparatus for spraying a liquid marking material onto the surface of a substrate by nonaspiratively dividing a stream of said marking material into droplets by an impinging stream of pressurized control fluid directed at said surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a rigid module body having a plurality of first grooves, a plurality of passages, and a trough for having a means for removing possible contaminants in said marking material;
• an upper cover plate abutting said module body such that a surface of said upper plate encloses said first grooves so as to form a plurality of first conduits for delivery of said marking material, said first conduits having one end in communication with said trough and another end extending to the outside of said module body and forming a marking material orifice;
• said plurality of passages formed completely by internal surfaces of said block for delivery of said impinging stream of said control fluid, said second passages having one end extending to the outside of said module body and forming a control fluid orifice;
• and
• a means for nonaspiratively positioning said marking material orifice outside said stream of pressurized control fluid.

An apparatus for spraying a liquid marking material onto the surface of a substrate by nonaspiratively dividing a stream of said marking material into droplets by an impinging stream of pressurize control fluid directed at said surface, said apparatus comprising:

• a module forming a plurality of first conduits for delivery of said stream of said marking material and a plurality of second conduits for delivery of said impinging stream of said control fluid, wherein said module comprises:
• a wedge shaped body having an upper planar surface, a front surface and a back surface;
• a trough having a means for removing possible contaminants in said marking material;
• a plurality of first grooves longitudinally spaced along said upper planar surface of said body each with one end in communication with said trough and one end forming a marking material orifice;
• a plurality of passages longitudinally spaced in said body;
• and at least one marking material supply conduit extending from said back surface of said back into said trough;
• an upper cover plate adapted for attachment to said upper planar surface of said body such that the lower surface of said upper cover plate encloses said first grooves forming said first conduits;
• said passages including a fluid supply channel and a fluid delivery channel, said fluid supply channel being in fluid communication with said delivery channel and having a longer effective length than said delivery channel, and said delivery channels being aligned with said grooves;
• and
• a means for nonaspiratively positioning said marking material orifice outside said stream of pressurized control fluid.

An apparatus for spraying liquid marking material onto the surface of a substrate nonaspiratively utilizing a source of pressurized control fluid and source of liquid marking material, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a block of rigid material having a plurality of first conduits for delivery of said marking material and a plurality of second conduits for delivering of said pressurized control fluids, and a plurality of third conduits for delivery of unused marking material away from said modules for removal of possible contaminants in said marking material;
• (b) each of said first and third conduits having an inlet and an outlet for said liquid marking material;
• (c) each of said second conduits having an inlet and an outlet for said pressurized control fluids;
• (d) said inlet of said first conduits arranged for connection to said source of marking material;
• (e) said inlet of each second conduits arranged for connection to said source of control fluids;
• (f) said inlet of said third conduit arranged to communicate with marking material that has not passed through said outlets of said conduits;
• (g) said outlets of said second conduits arranged adjacent to corresponding outlets of said first conduits and cooperating to effect division of a stream of marking material exiting said outlets of said first conduits into droplets by an impinging stream of said pressurized control fluid exiting said outlets of said second conduits;
• and
• (h) a means for nonaspiratively positioning said outlets of said first conduits outside said stream of pressurized control fluid.