Rotatable printhead for electrohydrodynamic processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025269593-A1
Application number	US-202519066796-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2025
Priority date	Feb 28, 2024
Publication date	Aug 28, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device includes a rotatable head and one or more fluid dispensers coupled to the rotatable head. The one or more fluid dispensers define multiple outlets. The one or more fluid dispensers are configured to eject polymer melts through the multiple outlets while rotating the rotatable head about an axis.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A device comprising:
a rotatable head; and one or more fluid dispensers coupled to the rotatable head, wherein the one or more fluid dispensers define multiple outlets, wherein the one or more fluid dispensers are configured to eject polymer melts through the multiple outlets while rotating the rotatable head about an axis.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein there are exactly three outlets.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the three outlets are circumferentially symmetric about the axis.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the outlets are operable to eject polymer melts comprising two different polymers or a polymer having different properties.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a thermo-regulating device operatively coupled to the rotatable head, wherein the thermo-regulating device is configured to heat a polymer to an operating temperature that is above a melting point of the polymer so that the polymer becomes the polymer melts.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the rotatable head is received within a cavity of the thermo-regulating device.

7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one reservoir containing the polymer melts, wherein the at least one reservoir is in fluid communication with the one or more fluid dispensers.

8 . The device of claim 7 , further comprising a pressure source configured to urge the polymer melts from the at least one reservoir out of the multiple outlets.

9 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply configured to generate an electrostatic field between the multiple outlets and a substrate situated at an operating distance from the multiple outlets, wherein the electrostatic field is configured to electrically charge the polymer melts ejected out of the multiple outlets and draw the electrically charged polymer melts to the substrate.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein a rotational speed of the rotatable head is configured to cause the electrically charged polymer melts to intertwine before depositing on the substrate.

11 . A system comprising:
a printhead configured to form polymer jets through multiple outlets; and a power supply configured to generate an electrostatic field between the multiple outlets and a substrate, wherein the electrostatic field is configured to electrically charge the polymer jets and direct the electrically charged polymer jets from the multiple outlets to the substrate, wherein the printhead is configured to cause the electrically charged polymer jets to intertwine before depositing on the substrate.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the printhead is rotatable about an axis so as to cause the electrically charged polymer jets to intertwine before depositing on the substrate.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the printhead is configured to be situated at an operating distance from the substrate of between 1 mm and 5 mm, inclusive.

14 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a thermo-regulating device operatively coupled to the printhead, wherein the thermo-regulating device is configured to melt the polymer, wherein the printhead is configured to receive the melted polymer and form the polymer jets from the melted polymer.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the multiple outlets are positioned on the printhead in such a proximity that the melted polymer exiting the multiple outlets merges into a shared molten droplet, wherein the melted polymer exiting at least two of the outlets contains different polymer materials.

16 . A method comprising:
forming multiple polymer jets; electrically charging the polymer jets and directing the electrically charged polymer jets toward a substrate; and twisting the electrically charged polymer jets to deposit a multi-filament fiber on the substrate.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein forming the multiple polymer jets comprises ejecting, from each of multiple outlets defined by at least one fluid dispenser, a corresponding polymer melt, wherein twisting the electrically charged polymer jets comprises rotating the at least one fluid dispenser about an axis.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising heating at least one polymer to an operating temperature that is above a respective melting point to form the respective polymer melt.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising depositing the multi-filament fiber on the substrate in multiple layers.

20 . The method of claim 17 . further comprising moving the substrate with respect to the at least one fluid dispenser while directing the electrically charged polymer jets toward the substrate.

Assignees

• Univ Oregon

Inventors

• Dalton Paul D
• Luposchainsky Simon
• Von Briesen Iman
• Liashenko Ievgenii

Classifications

• D01D5/0069

  characterised by the spinning section, e.g. capillary tube, protrusion or pin · CPC title

• D01D5/0061

  characterised by the electro-spinning apparatus · CPC title

• B29C64/241

  for rotary motion · CPC title

• B29C64/209 Primary

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title