Spray charging and discharging system for polymer spray deposition device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173365-B2
Application number	US-201715848378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2017
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

The disclosed spray deposition systems and methods use spray charging and discharging techniques to assist with digital deposition of spray droplets on a substrate. For example, the disclosed systems and methods have a charging system that generates spray droplets from a spray generator and charges the droplets. Focusing electrodes help to collimate the droplets into a tight droplet stream and, optionally, steering electrodes help direct the tight droplet stream. A charge removal system neutralizes or removes the charge from the droplets, either during the deposition of the droplets on a substrate or after the droplets have been deposited on a substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of depositing spray on a substrate, comprising:
depositing a corona charge on fluid droplets generated by a spray generator;
focusing the charged fluid droplets into a collimated fluid droplet stream using pairs of electrodes spaced apart across a flow pathway to performing the collimated stream;
depositing, on-demand, the charged fluid droplets onto a substrate; and
neutralizing the corona charge of the deposited fluid droplets.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focusing the charged fluid droplets includes focusing the charged fluid droplets in time-variable and spatially-variable electric fields.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the neutralizing the corona charge of the deposited fluid droplets includes neutralizing the corona charge with an oppositely charged plasma.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing a corona charge on the fluid droplets includes depositing the corona charge of a selected polarity on the fluid droplets.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing, on-demand, the charged fluid droplets include using synchronized steering electrodes and an air pulse to deposit the fluid droplets onto the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the corona charge deposited on the fluid droplets is a positive corona charge and the neutralizing the corona charge of the deposited fluid droplets includes applying a negative corona charge to the deposited fluid droplets.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Paschkewitz John Steven
• Shrader Eric
• Beck Victor

Classifications

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B05B5/04

  characterised by having rotary outlet or deflecting elements {, i.e. spraying being also effected by centrifugal forces} · CPC title

• B05B17/04

  operating with special methods · CPC title

• B41J2/04526

  controlling trajectory · CPC title