Method and apparatus for dispensing material in a printer

Abstract

A printer for printing a viscous material at predetermined positions forming a pattern on a substrate. The printer includes a frame, a device, mounted to the frame, having a number of perforations arranged to form the pattern, a support apparatus, coupled to the frame, that supports the substrate in a printing position beneath the device, and a material dispenser. The material dispenser has a chamber to contain the viscous material to be printed on the substrate. The chamber has an opening through which the viscous material is dispensed. The material dispenser is coupled to the frame, positioned over the device, and constructed and arranged to dispense the viscous material through the perforations in the device and onto the substrate. The material dispenser has a retraction device that prevents leakage of the viscous material from the opening after dispensing is complete. The material dispenser includes a temperature control system to maintain the temperature of the viscous material contained in the chamber. The material dispenser also includes a closed-loop pressure control system to provide in-process control of the pressure of the chamber which permits uniform application of the viscous material to the substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.