Method and apparatus for positioning the point of droplet formation in the jetting fluid of an electrostatic sorting device
US4318480A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 20, 1979 |
| Grant date | Mar 9, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 20, 1999 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S209/906
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A novel method for positioning the point of droplet formation in the jetting fluid of an electrostatic sorting device is disclosed. The formation of the uniform droplets is carried out via the application of vibrational energy inparted by a transducer to a jetting laminar flow stream. Previously sensed particles contained within the core portion of the laminar stream are subsequently sorted from the stream as part of a subsequently formed droplet. The disclosed method uses the dependency of the droplet formation point on the amplitude of the wave form applied to the transducer and the modulation of this amplitude to control the droplet formation point distance. The position of the droplet formation point is detected via the use of a light source and photodetector focused on the jetting stream at the position at which the droplet formation point is to be located, and a method for automatically maintaining the breakpoint at that position is described.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.