Droplet break-up device
AssigneeNederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
InventorsAndries Rijfers, René Jos Houben, Leonardus Antonius Maria Brouwers
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Abstract
The invention relates to a droplet break up device comprising: a chamber for containing a printing liquid comprising a bottom plate; a pump for pressurizing the printing liquid; an outlet channel having a central axis, provided in said chamber for ejecting the printing liquid; and an actuator for breaking up a fluid jetted out of the outlet channel. The actuator is provided around the outlet channel, arranged to symmetrically impart a pressure pulse central to the outlet channel axis. Accordingly, smaller droplets can be delivered at higher frequencies.
Claims16
A droplet break up device comprising:
- a chamber for containing a pressurized printing liquid, wherein the chamber comprises a bottom plate;
- at least one outlet channel having a central axis, located in said chamber for ejecting the printing liquid;
- and
- an actuator mechanically connected to the outlet channel for breaking up a fluid jet ejected out of the outlet channel in droplets;
- wherein the actuator is configured to be symmetric respective to the outlet channel central axis, and wherein the actuator is configured to impart a pressure pulse to the fluid jet symmetric respective to the outlet channel central axis;
- wherein a focus member is located in the chamber concentrically to the outlet channel and comprises a bottom distanced in an interval distance of 1-500 microns from the outlet channel for focusing the pressure pulse near the outlet channel.
A method of ejecting droplets, comprising:
- providing a chamber for containing a printing liquid comprising a bottom plate, a pump for pressurizing the printing liquid, an outlet channel in the chamber having a central axis, and a focus member located in the chamber concentrically to the outlet channel and comprising a bottom distanced in an interval distance of 1-500 microns from the outlet channel;
- and
- imparting a pressure pulse to the liquid near the outlet channel so as to break up a fluid jetted out of the outlet channel;
- wherein the pressure pulse is imparted by a bottom plate movement axially or radially symmetric respective to the outlet channel central axis;
- and
- wherein the focus member is configured to focus the pressure pulse near the outlet channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.