Capillary test specimen, system, and methods for in-situ visualization of capillary flow and fillet formation
US6581438B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 15, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jun 24, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 15, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2013/0225
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A capillary test specimen, method, and system for visualizing and quantifying capillary flow of liquids under realistic conditions, including polymer underfilling, injection molding, soldering, brazing, and casting. The capillary test specimen simulates complex joint geometries and has an open cross-section to permit easy visual access from the side. A high-speed, high-magnification camera system records the location and shape of the moving liquid front in real-time, in-situ as it flows out of a source cavity, through an open capillary channel between two surfaces having a controlled capillary gap, and into an open fillet cavity, where it subsequently forms a fillet on free surfaces that have been configured to simulate realistic joint geometries. Electric resistance heating rapidly heats the test specimen, without using a furnace. Image-processing software analyzes the recorded images and calculates the velocity of the moving liquid front, fillet contact angles, and shape of the fillet's meniscus, among other parameters.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.