Mounting of an aerosol generator aperture plate to a support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12440863-B2
Application number	US-202318161462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2023
Priority date	Dec 14, 2017
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

An aperture plate ( 1 ) is attached at its rim ( 203 ) to a support washer ( 3 ) by adhesive. Anchor grooves ( 204 ) having a zig-zag pattern in plan are machined in the lower surface of the rim ( 203 of the aperture plate before application of the adhesive. The grooves ( 204 ) extend out to the edge of the aperture plate ( 1 ). The anchor grooves have a depth in the range of 10 μm to 40 μm, and a width in the range of 20 μm to 150 μm, and an angular pitch in the range of 2.5° to 12.5°. Excellent bonding strength is achieved for long term reliable attachment in an environment of high frequency vibration and moisture and chemical corrosion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol generator comprising:
an aperture plate, and
a support for the aperture plate,
wherein the aperture plate is bonded to the support by an adhesive, and the adhesive anchors the aperture plate to the support by adhering a rim of the aperture plate to the support, the rim including a plurality of anchor grooves having a depth less than a thickness of the aperture plate.

2. The aerosol generator of claim 1 , wherein the anchor grooves are formed by mechanical machining.

3. The aerosol generator of claim 2 , wherein the anchor grooves have a depth in a range of 10 μm to 40 μm.

4. The aerosol generator of claim 2 , wherein a depth of at least some anchor grooves is in a range of 15% to 60% of a thickness of the aperture plate.

5. The aerosol generator of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the anchor grooves extend in a radial direction and have a plurality of bends forming a zig-zag pattern.

6. The aerosol generator of claim 5 , wherein the zig-zag pattern has a plurality of direction changes in each of the anchor grooves.

7. The aerosol generator of claim 6 , wherein each of the direction changes has an angle in the range of 70° to 80°.

8. The aerosol generator of claim 6 , wherein each of the direction changes has an angle in a range of 45° to 105°.

9. The aerosol generator of claim 6 , wherein the anchor grooves have a width of 100 μm.

10. The aerosol generator of claim 6 , wherein the anchor grooves have a width in a range of 20 μm to 150 μm.

11. The aerosol generator of claim 6 , wherein the anchor grooves are formed by diode-pumped solid-state laser ablation.

12. A nebulizer comprising:
an aerosol generator comprising:
an aperture plate, and
a support washer for the aperture plate,
wherein the aperture plate is bonded to the support washer by an adhesive, and the adhesive adheres between an underneath side of a rim of the aperture plate and a top surface of the support washer, at least the aperture plate including a plurality of anchor grooves, and
wherein the top surface of the support washer is sloped away from a plane of the rim of the aperture plate with a convex curvature as viewed in a cross-sectional view.

13. The nebulizer of claim 12 , wherein the aperture plate further comprises a main body portion and the adhesive forms a fillet extending between the main body portion of the aperture plate and the support washer.

14. The nebulizer of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive has a bond strength of approximately 40 N/mm 2 .

15. An aerosol generator comprising:
an aperture plate having a circumferential rim including a plurality of anchor grooves having a depth less than a thickness of the aperture plate, at least some of the anchor grooves having a bend in direction; and
a support washer for the aperture plate, wherein the aperture plate is bonded to the support washer by an adhesive in contact with both the anchor grooves of the circumferential rim and the support washer.

16. The aerosol generator of claim 15 , wherein the anchor grooves are elongate.

17. The aerosol generator of claim 16 , wherein the anchor grooves have an aspect ratio of at least 2:1.

18. The aerosol generator of claim 15 , wherein the anchor grooves have an angular pitch.

19. The nebulizer of claim 12 , wherein the adhesive is an electrically conductive epoxy.

20. The nebulizer of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the anchor grooves have a plurality of bends forming a zig-zag pattern.

Assignees

• Stamford Devices Ltd

Inventors

• Aherne Michael
• Coye Colga
• Scanlon Philip

Classifications

• B05B17/06

  using ultrasonic {or other kinds of} vibrations · CPC title

• B05B17/00

  Apparatus for spraying or atomising liquids or other fluent materials, not covered by the preceding groups (dropping or releasing powdered, liquid or gaseous matter in flight B64D1/16) · CPC title

• B05B17/0669

  Excitation frequencies · CPC title

• B25B27/00

  Hand tools, specially adapted for fitting together or separating parts or objects whether or not involving some deformation, not otherwise provided for (machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects B23P19/00) · CPC title

• B05B17/0646 Primary

  Vibrating plates, i.e. plates being directly subjected to the vibrations, e.g. having a piezoelectric transducer attached thereto · CPC title