Viscous non-contact jetting method and apparatus
AssigneeAdvanjet
InventorsRobert L Ciardella, Duong La, Wai Ching Bessie Chin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention concerns a method and apparatus for dispensing minute quantities of highly viscous material from a jetting needle when an expelling mechanism is activated using a nozzle plate with a jetting chamber having a top formed by a diaphragm and a bottom in fluid communication with a jetting needle. Fluid enters the chamber from an inlet channel and is jetted from the chamber by deforming the diaphragm to block the channel and expel a drop of fluid from the needle. A diaphragm driven metering chamber and/or reservoir chamber can optionally be used provide fluid to the jetting chamber.
Claims17
A method of dispensing minute quantities of a highly viscous fluid from an outlet of a dispensing orifice by an expelling mechanism that deforms a flexible, elastomeric diaphragm into a jetting chamber having sides, an open top covered by the diaphragm and an outlet in the bottom of the jetting chamber that is in fluid communication with the dispensing orifice, the dispensing orifice, outlet and jetting chamber being on a common longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- forcing the highly viscous fluid to the jetting chamber through an inlet channel in fluid communication with the jetting chamber,
- deforming the flexible, elastomeric diaphragm into the jetting chamber a distance sufficient so that the diaphragm blocks the opening in the bottom of the chamber, the deformation occurring with sufficient force to expel a volume of material from the dispensing orifice as a single drop;
- wherein the diaphragm has a rigid central protrusion and the deforming step places the central protrusion into contact with a periphery of the outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.