# US 5,769,276 A · Powder atomizer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,769,276 A - Document ID: US5769276A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/680,243 - Filed: 1996-07-10 - Granted: 1998-06-23 - Earliest claimed: 1996-07-10 - Assignees: Terronics Development Corporation - Inventors: George R Alexander - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5769276A ## CPC - B05B 7/144: {the means for supplying particulate material comprising moving mechanical means (B05B7/1422, B05B7/1459 take precedence)} - B05B 3/02: with rotating elements (electric spraying discharge apparatus characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements B05B5/04) - B05B 5/047: using tribo-charging - B05B 5/057: Arrangements for discharging liquids or other fluent material without using a gun or nozzle - B05B 5/1683: {specially adapted for particulate materials} - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract An improved powder atomizer comprising a cylindrical pan, a cylindrical resiliently deformable element, which is journaled for rotation about an axis within the pan. The pan is mounted coaxially of the element. The element and pan define a cylindrically shaped venturi therebetween into which powder is fed. The venturi has an inlet and outlet radially spaced apart. Structure is provided for rotating the element within the pan at speeds in excess of that required to throw the powder from the element by centrifugal force. The element draws ambient air through the venturi and atomizes and deagglomerates powder fed into the venturi inlet thereby forming a uniformly flowing cloud of particulate material which is uniform both longitudinally and laterally of said axis. The invention also provides an atomizer feeder and an atomizer feeder combination deagglomerator combination with a feeder such a disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,090 which is particularly useful in wide web coating applications to produce a particulate cloud which is uniform both laterally and longitudinally of the web and uniform in both particulate distribution and particulate size throughout the uniformly flowing cloud. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A powder atomizer comprising a pan, a cylindrical element, said element being journaled for rotation about an axis, said pan being cylindrical and positioned coaxial of said element, said pan partially surrounding said element, said element and pan defining a cylindrical venturi therebetween into which powder is fed, said venturi having an inlet and an outlet radially spaced apart, means for rotating said element within said pan at speeds in excess of the speed required to throw powder from said element by centrifugal force, said element drawing gas through said venturi and atomizing powder fed into said inlet to produce a uniform cloud of particulate material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said pan and element both have a length to diameter ratio greater than one. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said element is a brush. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 further comprising a wing spaced from said element from about 0.001 to about 0.020 inch and further comprising a target spaced from said wing from about 1 to about 6 inches toward which said cloud is directed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The atomizer of claim 4 wherein said target is elongated and said element and pan are angularly disposed to said target. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The atomizer of claim 4 wherein said wing is cylindrically shaped in cross-section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The atomizer of claim 6 wherein said target is elongated, said element and pan are parallel to the elongation of said target, and said wing has edges which are spirally shaped so as to extend the full transverse width of said target. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The atomizer of claim 6 wherein target is elongated, said element and pan and wing extend transversely of said target. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said inlet is converging. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said outlet is diverging. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said element speed is from about 700 to about 4,000 rpm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said venturi has a uniform thickness between said inlet and outlet from about 1 thousandths to about one hundred thousandths of an inch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said element has a diameter greater than about 2 inches. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said powder has a particulate size from about 2 to 300 microns. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said powder being fed into said venturi has a size larger than said powder exiting said venturi. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said powder is chosen from the group of powders consisting of thermoset and thermoplastics organic polymers or inorganic materials, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 wherein said cloud is a relatively uniformly triboelectrified cloud of powder particulates uniformly dispersed in a slow moving stream of carrier gas. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The atomizer of claim 1 further comprising a wing positioned adjacent to said outlet for directing said cloud towards a target. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The atomizer of claim 18 wherein said target is radially displaced from said inlet from about 45.degree. to about 240.degree.. ### Claim 20 A powder atomizer comprising a material feeder having a hopper having a discharge opening therein, a resiliently deformable cylindrical feeding element positioned in said opening, a housing surrounding said element, said housing being spaced from said element without deforming said element, said housing mounted to said hopper, said element mounted for rotation in said opening at speeds below that necessary to discharge material from said element by centrifugal force, said element occluding said opening, said element being in contact with and receiving therein the material in said hopper, whereby rotation of said element a volume of material is metered through said opening, and an atomizer comprising a pan, a cylindrical atomizer element, said atomizer element being journaled for rotation about an axis, said pan being cylindrical and coaxial of said atomizer element, said pan partially surrounding said atomizer element, said atomizer element and said pan defining a venturi therebetween with an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being below said discharge opening, whereby said material from said hopper is fed into said venturi inlet, means for rotating said atomizer element with in said pan at a speed in excess of the speed necessary to discharge material from said atomizer element by centrifugal force, said element drawing gas through said venturi and atomizing said powder from said outlet into the form of a uniformly moving cloud of particulate material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said feeder element rotates about an axis, said axis being generally parallel to said opening. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said opening is planar and said feeder element is cylindrical, said feeder element extending through said opening into said hopper, said feeder element rotates about an axis, said axis being generally parallel to said opening. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said opening is planar and said element is a cylindrically shaped brush, said brush extending through said opening into said hopper, said brush rotates about an axis, said axis being generally parallel to said opening, said material being particles of solid material of a size capable of being carried by said brush between the bristles of said brush. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said opening is planar and said element is a cylindrically shaped brush, said brush extending through said opening into said hopper, said brush rotates about an axis, said axis being generally parallel to said opening, said material being particles of solid material of a size capable of being carried by said brush between the bristles of said brush, a bristle cleaner, said bristle cleaner flexes said bristles to discharge and material from said bristles, said bristle cleaner being spaced in the direction of rotation of said brush from said opening. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said hopper has a vibrator secured thereto. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said brush has a hub with a center bore therethrough and further comprising a shaft having an axis extending through said bore and a pair of shaft ends extending outwardly from said hub, said shaft ends extending through said sides of said housing being journaled exterior of said housing, at least one of said shaft ends being secured to a variable speed motor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said hopper has a powder reservoir secured to said hopper, said reservoir having a vibrator secured thereto. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said opening is planar and said brush is disc-shaped, said brush extending through said opening into said hopper. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The atomizer of claim 28 wherein said opening is rectangular and said brush has a thickness from about equal to or larger than the dimension of said opening in the same direction as said thickness and a chordal dimension larger than the dimension of said opening in the same direction as said chordal dimension. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The atomizer of claim 24 wherein said brush has bristles, a bristle cleaner positioned in said housing, said bristle cleaner removes said material from said bristles, said bristle cleaner being spaced in the direction of rotation of said brush from said opening adjacent said exit port, whereby upon rotation of said brush said material is removed from said bristles and deposited in said exit port. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said material is particles of solid material of a size capable of being carried by said brush between the bristles of said brush. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The atomizer of claim 31 wherein said bristles are of a sufficient number and arranged in a sufficient density to prevent the flow of material through said opening, said bristles having a length to give said brush a predetermined capacity of material. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The atomizer of claim 31 wherein said bristles are chosen from the group consisting of wire, plastic and natural bristles. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The atomizer of claim 31 wherein said hopper and said housing are made of transparent material. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The atomizer of claim 31 wherein said hopper is made of material chosen from the group. ### Claim 36 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 further comprising a wing spaced from said element from about 0.001 to about 0.020 inch and further comprising a target area spaced from said wing from about 1 to about 24 inches toward which said cloud is directed. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The atomizer of claim 36 wherein said target area is elongated and said element and pan are angularly disposed to said target. ### Claim 38 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said wing is cylindrically shaped in cross-section. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The atomizer of claim 36 wherein said target area is elongated, said element and pan are parallel to the elongation of said target, and said wing has edges which are spirally shaped so as to extend the full transverse width of said target area. ### Claim 40 (depends on 36) The atomizer of claim 36 wherein target area is elongated, said element and pan and wing extend transversely of said target. ### Claim 41 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said pan and atomizer element both have a length to diameter ratio greater than one. ### Claim 42 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said atomizer element is a brush. ### Claim 43 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said venturi inlet is converging. ### Claim 44 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said venturi outlet is diverging. ### Claim 45 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said atomizer element speed is from about 700 to about 4,000 rpm. ### Claim 46 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said venturi has a uniform thickness between said inlet and outlet from about 1 thousandths to about one hundred thousandths of an inch. ### Claim 47 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said atomizer element has a diameter greater than about 2 inches. ### Claim 48 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said atomizer element is a blower rotor having a plurality of vanes, said vanes being uniformly dispersed over the exterior surface of said blower rotor. ### Claim 49 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said powder has a particulate size from about 2 to 300 microns. ### Claim 50 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said powder is chosen from the group of powders consisting of thermoset and thermoplastic organic polymers or inorganic materials and combinations thereof. ### Claim 51 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 wherein said cloud is a relatively uniformly triboelectrified cloud of powder particulates uniformly dispersed in a slow moving stream of carrier gas. ### Claim 52 (depends on 20) The atomizer of claim 20 further comprising a wing positioned adjacent to said outlet for directing said cloud towards a target. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The atomizer of claim 52 wherein said target is radially displaced from said inlet from about 45.degree. to about 240.degree..