Patent · US Expired

Method for rapid dispensing of minute quantities of viscous material

US5320250A · kind A · utility

105Cited by
15References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 19, 1992
Grant dateJun 14, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A chamber that communicates with a viscous material reservoir has a flexible resilient diaphragm which forms an exterior wall thereof. An impact mechanism, which may comprise a solenoid actuated hammer, applies a predetermined momentum to the diaphragm for rapidly metering a predetermined minute blob of the viscous material from the chamber through a nozzle. The reservoir is pressurized with gas to force the viscous material into the chamber to refill the same. The chamber is heated to control the viscosity of the material. Dispensing rates in excess of four blobs per second can be achieved. Variations in the height of the nozzle from the surface of the workpiece are not critical to uniform rapid dispensing. An alternate embodiment eliminates the diaphragm and instead rapidly retracts a nozzle relative to a fluid feed conduit to eject very small blobs of viscous material. A strain gauge detects refill of the chamber inside the nozzle and sends a signal to control refill logic circuitry. A fiber optic droplet detector is utilized to correct dispensing defects.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.