Method for making a customizable apparatus for transporting and depositing fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937704-B2
Application number	US-201414291823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A method of creating a vascular network for printing a fluid onto a substrate is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: determining a deposit objective; selecting a fluid having at least one fluid property; designing a vascular network to achieve the deposit objective; selecting a fluid delivery system, and depositing the fluid in liquid form that solidifies into the vascular network according to the deposit objective.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of creating a vascular network for printing a fluid onto a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a deposit objective;
selecting a fluid having at least one fluid property;
designing a vascular network to achieve the deposit objective, the vascular network being substantially cylindrical with a central longitudinal axis and having radially extending fluid paths, each of the radially extending fluid paths having a radial vector component along the entire path and expanding both axially and circumferentially in a radial direction from a main artery which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the vascular network to an exterior surface of the vascular network;
selecting a fluid delivery system, and
depositing the fluid in liquid form that solidifies into the vascular network according to the deposit objective.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing the vascular network within a rotating roll.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of designing the vascular network further comprises designing a main artery associated with one or more trees, wherein at least one of the one or more trees is associated with a fluid exit.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the one or more trees comprises n branch levels, further comprising increasing the pressure drop as the branch level increases.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of the one or more trees comprises n branch levels, further comprising maintaining shear rates as the branch level increases.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising designing at least one of the one or more trees using the following formula:
Diameter Level =Diameter Start *BR ^(−Level/(2+Epsilon))

Where:
Diameter Start is the average diameter of an initial capillary, wherein the initial capillary is associated with the main artery, such as the first capillary, and is disposed on Level 0
Diameter Level is the average diameter of at least one channel on a tree level other than Level 0
BR is a branching ratio of the tree in the vascular network
Level is an integer representing the tree level; and
Epsilon is a real number that is not equal to −2.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the deposit objective comprises one of the group consisting of: desired deposit location, desired deposit add-on amount, desired volumetric flow rate, size of desired deposit location and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of designing the vascular network further comprises analyzing one of the group consisting of the deposit objective, the at least one fluid property, a desired pressure change in one or more trees in the vascular network, shear rates and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of using stereo lithographic printing to build the vascular network.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selecting a fluid delivery system comprises selecting one of the group consisting of: a channel, a channel location, a channel size, a junction, a junction location, a junction size, a fluid source, a pumping mechanism, fluid pressure, fluid velocity and combinations thereof.

11. A method of creating a vascular network for printing a fluid onto a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting a first fluid having a first fluid property;
selecting a second fluid having a second fluid property;
determining a deposit objective,
designing a vascular network to achieve the deposit objective, the vascular network being substantially cylindrical with a central longitudinal axis and having substantially radially extending fluid paths, each of the substantially radially extending fluid paths having a radial vector component along the entire path and expanding both axially and circumferentially in a radial direction from a main artery which is parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the vascular network to an exterior surface of the vascular network; selecting a fluid delivery system; and
depositing the first and second fluids in liquid form, with each solidifying into the vascular network according to the deposit objective.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first fluid property and the second fluid property are different.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the deposit objective comprises one of the group consisting of a first desired deposit location of the first fluid, a first desired deposit rate of the first fluid, a second desired deposition location of the second fluid, a second desired deposit rate of the second fluid and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of designing the vascular network further comprises designing at least two main arteries, each of the at least two main arteries being associated with one or more trees and wherein at least one of the one or more trees is associated with a fluid exit.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of designing the vascular network further comprises analyzing one of the group consisting of the deposit objective, the first fluid property, the second fluid property, a desired pressure change in one or more trees in the vascular network, shear rates and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of using stereo lithographic printing to build the vascular network.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising disposing the vascular network within a rotating roll.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of surrounding a portion of the vascular network with a sleeve.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a fluid delivery system comprises selecting one of the group consisting of: a channel, a channel location, a channel size, a junction, a junction location, a junction size, a fluid source, a pumping mechanism, fluid pressure, fluid velocity and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Byrne Thomas Timothy
• Prodoehl Michael Scott
• Mcneil Kevin Benson
• Chen Haibin (NMN)

Classifications

• B41F7/00 Primary

  Rotary lithographic machines {(such office printing machines B41L7/00)} · CPC title

• B41F31/22 Primary

  for inking from interior of cylinder · CPC title

• B41F31/26

  Construction of inking rollers (inking-rollers serving also to apply ink repellants in rotary lithographic machines B41F7/36) · CPC title

• B41F7/265

  for damping from the inside of the cylinders · CPC title

• B41F13/08

  Cylinders · CPC title