Apparatus and method for dispensing liquid material

Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of droplets of viscous liquid material in sequence with each droplet tending to separate into a droplet and at least one satellite portion during flight toward a substrate, comprising:

• a dispenser body having a liquid supply passageway adapted to connect to a source of the viscous liquid;
• and
• a nozzle assembly connected to said dispenser body and having a liquid discharge passageway in fluid communication with said liquid supply passageway of said dispenser body for dispensing the plurality of droplets of viscous liquid material in sequence in a travel oath substantially transverse to the substrate, and an air discharge orifice adapted to connect to a source of pressurized air and being configured and located with respect to said liquid discharge passageway to discharge pressurized air as a sheath in a direction substantially parallel to the travel path of the droplets that substantially surrounds each dispensed droplet and the satellite portion associated therewith during flight toward the substrate so that the satellite portion is contained within said discharged sheath of pressurized air.

A nozzle assembly for dispensing a plurality of droplets of viscous liquid in sequence with each droplet tending to separate into a droplet and at least one satellite portion during flight toward a substrate, comprising:

• a liquid discharge passageway adapted to connect to a source of viscous liquid for dispensing the plurality of droplets of viscous liquid in sequence in a travel path substantially transverse to the substrate;
• and
• an air discharge orifice adapted to connect to a source of pressurized air and being configured and located with respect to said liquid discharge passageway to discharge pressurized air as a sheath in a direction substantially parallel to the travel path of the droplets that substantially surrounds each dispensed droplet and the satellite portion associated therewith during flight toward the substrate so that the satellite portion is contained within said discharged sheath.