Low dispersion, fast response mixing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904277-B2
Application number	US-202017080574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2020
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A method of dispensing a graded material includes generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers, adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion, mixing the first emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture, and dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of dispensing a graded material, comprising:
generating droplets of a first working material;
adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid to create a first emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create a gradient in the emulsion;
generating droplets of a second working material;
adding the droplets of the second working material into a second carrier fluid to create second emulsion;
mixing the first emulsion with the second emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture;
separating the carrier fluid from the first and second working materials in the homogenous, graded mixture; and
dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein separating the carrier fluid comprises one of either flowing the fluid through a membrane or evaporating the carrier fluid.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein generating droplets of the first working material occurs in a first reservoir, and generating droplets of the second working material occurs in a second reservoir.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising pumping the materials out of the first and second reservoirs into a common channel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising controlling the pumping to control a ratio of the first working material to the second working material.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein pumping the materials comprises using a positive placement pump.

7. A method of dispensing a graded material, comprising:
generating droplets of a first working material, the droplets having a size in the range of 10 nanometers to 10 micrometers;
adding the droplets of the first working material into a carrier fluid containing a second working material to create an emulsion, wherein addition of the droplets of the first working material is controlled to create gradient in the emulsion;
mixing the emulsion to create a homogenous, graded mixture;
separating the carrier fluid out of the homogenous, graded mixture; and
dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

8. A method of dispensing a graded material, comprising:
generating droplets of a first working material;
providing a second working material in a carrier fluid in a common channel;
injecting the first working material into the second working material in the carrier fluid in the common channel and controlling the injecting to control a ratio between the first working material and the second working material; and
mixing the carrier fluid with the first working material and the second working material to create a homogenous, graded mixture;
separating the carrier fluid out of the homogenous, graded mixture; and
dispensing the homogenous, graded mixture onto a surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein controlling the injecting comprises controlling a rate of injecting the first working material and controlling a rate of injecting the second working material to control the ratio.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc
• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Paschkewitz John Steven
• Johnson David Mathew

Classifications

• B01D61/363 Primary

  Vapour permeation · CPC title

• B01D61/36 Primary

  Pervaporation; Membrane distillation; Liquid permeation · CPC title

• B01F23/41 Primary

  Emulsifying · CPC title

• B01F25/3141

  with additional mixing means other than injector mixers · CPC title

• B01F25/31422

  with a plurality of perforations in the axial direction only · CPC title