Microfluidic delivery system for releasing fluid compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9814098-B2
Application number	US-201615376691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A microfluidic refill includes a reservoir having a hollow body and an opening; a transport member in fluid communication with the reservoir; and a lid enclosing the opening of the reservoir. The lid is in fluid communication with the transport member. The lid comprises a rigid microfluidic delivery member. The rigid microfluidic delivery member includes a die and electrical traces that are in electrical communication with the die, wherein the electrical traces terminate at electrical contacts, wherein the electrical traces are disposed on only one plane. The die has a fluid chamber in fluid communication with the transport member at an inlet of the fluid chamber and with an orifice at an outlet of the fluid chamber and.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microfluidic delivery refill comprising:
a reservoir having a hollow body and an opening;
a transport member in fluid communication with the reservoir;
a lid enclosing the opening of the reservoir, wherein the lid is in fluid communication with the transport member, wherein the lid comprises a rigid microfluidic delivery member having a die and electrical traces that are in electrical communication with the die, wherein the electrical traces terminate at electrical contacts, wherein the electrical traces are disposed on only one plane, the die comprising a fluid chamber in fluid communication with the transport member at an inlet of the fluid chamber and an orifice at an outlet of the fluid chamber.

2. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts are spaced a distance of from about 5 mm to about 30 mm from the die.

3. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid microfluidic delivery member comprises a rigid circuit board, wherein the rigid circuit board is connected with the lid.

4. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts and the die are disposed on substantially parallel planes.

5. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid circuit board has a thickness of from about 0.8 mm to about 1.6 mm.

6. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the rigid microfluidic delivery member comprises a fiberglass-epoxy composite.

7. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the reservoir contains a fluid composition, wherein the fluid composition comprises a perfume composition.

8. The refill according to claim 7 , wherein the transfer member is a porous structure that provides capillary forces to wick the fluid composition from the reservoir and toward the microfluidic delivery member, in opposition to the force of gravity.

9. The refill according to claim 1 , wherein the orifice opens in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the die and electrical contacts.

10. A thermally activated microfluidic delivery system comprising a housing and a refill releasably connectable with the housing, wherein the refill comprises:
a reservoir having a hollow body and an opening;
a lid enclosing the opening of the reservoir, the lid comprising a rigid microfluidic delivery member having a die and electrical traces that are in electrical communication with the die, wherein the electrical traces terminate at electrical contacts, wherein the electrical traces are disposed on only one plane,
wherein the housing defines an interior and an exterior of the microfluidic delivery system, wherein the housing comprises a holder member disposed in the interior space of the housing, wherein the fluid delivery refill is slideably connectable with the holder member.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the refill further comprises a transport member in fluid communication with the reservoir and the microfluidic delivery member.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the electrical contacts are spaced a distance of from about 5 mm to about 30 mm from the die.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the rigid microfluidic delivery member has a thickness of from about 0.8 mm to about 1.6 mm.

14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the reservoir is configured to contain a fluid composition, wherein the fluid composition comprises a perfume composition.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the electrical contacts and the die are disposed on substantially parallel planes.

16. A method of refilling a thermally activated microfluidic delivery system with a refill, wherein the refill comprises reservoir having a hollow body and an opening, a lid enclosing the opening of the reservoir, wherein the lid comprises a microfluidic delivery member having a die and electrical traces that are in electrical communication with the die, wherein the electrical traces terminate at electrical contacts, wherein the electrical traces are disposed on only one plane, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a housing that defines an interior and an exterior, wherein the housing comprises a holder member disposed in the interior of the housing; and
sliding the refill into the holder member in a direction parallel with the plane the electrical traces are disposed on.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the electrical contacts are spaced a distance of from about 5 mm to about 30 mm from the die.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the microfluidic delivery member has a thickness of from about 0.8 mm to about 1.6 mm.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the reservoir is configured to contain a fluid composition, wherein the fluid composition comprises a perfume composition.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the electrical contacts and the die are disposed on substantially parallel planes.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Gruenbacher Dana Paul
• Hunt David S
• Scheffelin Joseph Edward
• Dodd Simon

Classifications

• B41J2/17513

  Inner structure · CPC title

• A61L9/03

  Apparatus therefor · CPC title

• H05B1/0244 Primary

  Heating of fluids (H05B1/0247 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61L2209/133

  Replaceable cartridges, refills · CPC title

• H05K1/0272

  Adaptations for fluid transport, e.g. channels, holes · CPC title