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US 5,653,227 AGranted
Atomizing dispenser
AssigneeBespak PLC
InventorsPaul Barnes, Andrew Robert Fry, John David Marsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas supply (30) supplies pressurized gas to a nozzle (1) such that a flow of gas is discharged through an aperture (77) defined between a lip (3) of the nozzle and a vibrating diaphragm (9). A liquid dispenser (42) introduces a metered quantity of liquid into the gas flow such that the liquid droplets are atomized by the vibrating diaphragm. The diaphragm is held under tension so that it is vibrated by the gas flow. The supply of gas may be a manually operated displacement or diaphragm pump or may be a pressurized gas container. Metered doses may be dispensed for oral inhalation without providing external energy source for the vibration of the diaphragm.
Claims34
A method of dispensing a flowable material comprising the steps of:
- introducing the material into a flow of gas such that the material is entrained in the flow of gas,
- supplying pressurised gas to a nozzle such that the flow of pressurised gas is discharged through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a diaphragm, such that the flow of pressurised gas has an initial direction which is radially inward, and
- vibrating said diaphragm so as to atomise the material;
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of a chamber which is in communication with said aperture, said diaphragm being deformable from a rest position in response to excess gas pressure in said chamber to a displaced position whereby said aperture is opened to receive the flow of pressurised gas passing between said lip and said diaphragm, the pressurised gas being supplied via said chamber such that said diaphragm is deformed into the displaced position, said diaphragm being peripherally clamped about said nozzle such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension in the displaced position, whereby said diaphragm is vibrated by the flow of pressurised gas, said diaphragm having an outer portion which defines said wall of said chamber, said lip of the nozzle defining a mouth of an outlet defined by the nozzle, said mouth traversed and closed by a central portion of said diaphragm in the rest position.
1 more element
A method of dispensing a flowable material comprising the steps of
- introducing the material into a flow of gas such that material is entrained in the flow of gas,
- supplying pressurised gas to a nozzle such that the flow of gas is discharged through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a diaphragm,
- vibrating said diaphragm so as to atomise the material, and
- admitting ambient air to an outlet via an opening defined in a central portion of said diaphragm;
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of a chamber which is in communication with said aperture said diaphragm being deformable from a rest position in response to excess gas pressure in said chamber to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened to receive the flow of gas passing between said lip and said diaphragm, the pressurised gas being supplied via said chamber such that said diaphragm is deformed into the displaced position and said diaphragm being peripherally clamped such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension in the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibrated by the flow of gas, said diaphragm having an outer portion which defines said wall of said chamber, said lip of the nozzle defining a mouth of the outlet defined by the nozzle, said mouth traversed by a portion of the diaphragm in the rest position.
2 more elements
A method of dispersing a flowable material comprising the steps of
- introducing the material into a flow of gas such that material is entrained in the flow of gas,
- supplying pressurised gas to a nozzle such that the flow of gas is discharged through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a diaphragm,
- vibrating said diaphragm so as to atomise the material, and
- discharging a secondary flow of gas through an outlet such that the secondary flow of gas is introduced into the flow of gas at a location downstream of said aperture with respect to the direction of flow;
- and
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of a chamber which is in communication with said aperture said diaphragm being deformable from a rest position in response to excess gas pressure in said chamber to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened to receive the flow of gas passing between said lip and said diaphragm, the pressurised gas being supplied via said chamber such that said diaphragm is deformed into the displaced position and said diaphragm being peripherally clamped such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension in the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibrated by the flow of gas, said diaphragm having an outer portion which defines said wall of the chamber, said lip of the nozzle defining a mouth of the outlet defined by the nozzle, said mouth traversed by a central portion of the diaphragm in the rest position.
3 more elements
Apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:
- a nozzle,
- a gas supply for supplying pressurised gas to said nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged in use through an aperture defined between a lip of said nozzle and a vibratable diaphragm, such that the flow of gas has an initial direction which is radially inward,
- a dispensing means for introducing a quantity of the material into the flow of gas whereby in use the material is entrained in the flow of gas prior to the flow of gas entering said aperture and atomised by said diaphragm,
- a housing defining a chamber connected to the gas supply, and which is in communication with an outlet defined by said nozzle via said aperture, and
- a clamp means peripherally clamping said diaphragm such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension when deformed into the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibratable by the flow of gas;
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of said chamber and being deformable in response to excess pressure in said chamber from a rest position to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened;
- said diaphragm is peripherally clamped by said clamp means such that an outer portion of said diaphragm defines said wall of said chamber;
- and
- said lip to thereby define a mouth of the outlet which is traversed by a central portion of said diaphragm.
6 more elements
Apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:
- a nozzle,
- a gas supply for supplying pressurised gas to said nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged in use through an aperture defined between a lip of said nozzle and a vibratable diaphragm,
- a dispensing means for introducing a quantity of the material into the flow of gas whereby in use the material is entrained in the flow of gas and atomised by said diaphragm,
- a housing defining a chamber connected to said gas supply, and said housing is in communication with an outlet defined by said nozzle via said aperture, and
- a clamp means peripherally clamping said diaphragm such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension when deformed into the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibratable by the flow of gas;
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of said chamber and being deformable in response to excess pressure in said chamber from a rest position to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened;
- said diaphragm is peripherally clamped by said clamp mean such that an outer portion of said diaphragm defines said wall of said chamber;
- said lip defines a mouth of the outlet which is traversed by a portion of said diaphragm;
- and
- the central portion of said diaphragm defines a central opening communicating between ambient air and the outlet.
7 more elements
A method of dispensing a flowable material comprising the steps of:
- supplying pressurised gas to a nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a diaphragm,
- introducing the material into the flow of gas such that the material is entrained in the flow,
- vibrating said diaphragm so as to atomise the material, wherein said diaphragm constitutes a wall of a chamber communicating with said aperture, and
- modifying the vibrational characteristics of said diaphragm by a mass connected to said diaphragm;
- said diaphragm being deformable in response to excess gas pressure in said chamber from a rest position to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened to receive the flow of gas passing between said lip and said diaphragm, the pressurised gas being supplied via said chamber such that said diaphragm is deformed into the displaced position and said diaphragm being peripherally clamped such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension in the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibrated by the flow of gas.
2 more elements
Apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:
- a nozzle,
- a gas supply for supplying pressurised gas to the nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged in use through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a vibratable diaphragm,
- a dispensing means for introducing a quantity of the material into the flow of gas whereby in use the material is entrained in the flow of gas and atomised by said diaphragm,
- a housing defining a chamber connected to said gas supply and communicating with an outlet defined by said nozzle via said aperture,
- a clamp means peripherally clamping said diaphragm such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension when deformed into the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibratable by the flow of gas, and
- a mass connected to said diaphragm so as to modify its vibrational characteristics;
- and
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of said chamber and being deformable in response to excess pressure in said chamber from a rest position to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened.
5 more elements
A method of dispensing a flowable material comprising the steps of:
- operating a pump to accumulate a volume of compressed gas,
- operating a trigger to release the compressed gas through a passageway connected to a chamber,
- supplying pressurised gas from a gas supply including said air pump to a nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged through an aperture defined between a lip of the nozzle and a diaphragm,
- introducing the material into the flow of gas such that the material is entrained in the flow, and
- vibrating said diaphragm so as to atomise the material;
- and
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of said chamber communicating with said aperture, said diaphragm being deformable in response to excess gas pressure in said chamber from a rest position to a displaced position in which said aperture is opened to receive the flow of gas passing between said lip and said diaphragm, the pressurised gas being supplied via said chamber such that said diaphragm is deformed into the displaced position and said diaphragm being peripherally clamped such that it is maintained under tension in the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibrated by the flow of gas.
4 more elements
Apparatus for dispensing a flowable material comprising:
- a nozzle,
- a gas supply for supplying pressurised gas to the nozzle such that a flow of gas is discharged in use through an aperture defined between a lip of said nozzle and a vibratable diaphragm, the gas supply having a pump and a reservoir means operable to accumulate a volume of compressed gas delivered by said pump,
- a dispensing means for introducing a quantity of the material into the flow of gas whereby in use the material is entrained in the flow of gas and atomised by said diaphragm,
- a housing defining a chamber connected to said gas supply and communicating with an outlet defined by said nozzle via said aperture,
- a clamp means peripherally clamping said diaphragm such that said diaphragm is maintained under tension when deformed into the displaced position whereby said diaphragm is vibratable by the flow of gas, and
- a trigger operable to release the compressed gas to flow to said chamber via a passageway defined in said housing;
- and
- said diaphragm constituting a wall of said chamber and being deformable from a rest position in response to excess pressure in said chamber to a displaced position in which the aperture is opened.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.