EP0683731B1 - Verfahren und vorrichtung zur herstellung von tropfen - Google Patents

Verfahren und vorrichtung zur herstellung von tropfen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0683731B1
EP0683731B1 EP94907456A EP94907456A EP0683731B1 EP 0683731 B1 EP0683731 B1 EP 0683731B1 EP 94907456 A EP94907456 A EP 94907456A EP 94907456 A EP94907456 A EP 94907456A EP 0683731 B1 EP0683731 B1 EP 0683731B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ejection
ejection location
location
droplets
viscosity
Prior art date
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP94907456A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0683731A4 (de
EP0683731A1 (de
Inventor
Luis Lima-Marques
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Tonejet Ltd
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Tonejet Corp Pty Ltd
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Publication date
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B5/00—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
    • B05B5/007—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means the high voltage supplied to an electrostatic spraying apparatus during spraying operation being periodical or in time, e.g. sinusoidal
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B5/00—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
    • B05B5/001—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B5/00—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
    • B05B5/025—Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns
    • B05B5/0255—Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns spraying and depositing by electrostatic forces only
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B5/00—Electrostatic spraying apparatus; Spraying apparatus with means for charging the spray electrically; Apparatus for spraying liquids or other fluent materials by other electric means
    • B05B5/025—Discharge apparatus, e.g. electrostatic spray guns
    • B05B5/053—Arrangements for supplying power, e.g. charging power
    • B05B5/0533—Electrodes specially adapted therefor; Arrangements of electrodes
    • B05B5/0536—Dimensional characteristics of electrodes, e.g. diameter or radius of curvature of a needle-like corona electrode
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/06—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by electric or magnetic field
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
    • B41J2/17593—Supplying ink in a solid state
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/015—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process
    • B41J2/04—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand
    • B41J2/06—Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by electric or magnetic field
    • B41J2002/061—Ejection by electric field of ink or of toner particles contained in ink

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the production of droplets of material from a solid, powdered or highly viscous meltable material.
  • One particular application to which this invention may be applied is the transfer of droplets of high intensity colouring materials to a recording surface for the purpose of non-impact printing. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to delivering coloured materials for the purpose of non-impact printing but may be used to generate droplets of materials in general or to deposit other materials in a defined pattern on a substrate. Examples of other applications are the deposition of phosphors or fluoro phosphors for security coding, hot melt adhesives and propellantless aerosols. The invention may also be used for the propellantless production and ejection of particulate pharmaceuticals in a pharmaceutically acceptable meltable carrier.
  • ink jet printing There are a number of different forms of equipment used for the non-impact printing systems which are generally referred to as ink jet printing. It is usual for ink to be fed through a nozzle, the exit diameter of which nozzle being a major factor in determining the droplet size and hence the size of the resulting dots on a recording surface.
  • the droplets may be produced from the nozzle either continuously in which case the method is termed continuous printing or they may be produced individually as required in which case the method is termed drop-on-demand printing.
  • continuous printing an ink is delivered through the nozzle at high pressure and the pressure at the nozzle is perturbed at a substantially constant frequency which results in a stream of droplets of constant size.
  • Drop-on-demand printing operates by producing local pressure pulses in the liquid in the vicinity of a small nozzle which results in a droplet of liquid being ejected from the nozzle at a selected time.
  • the colouring material is a soluble dye combined with binders to render the printed image more permanent in a liquid carrier.
  • soluble dyes are soluble in many applications and that the dyes fade under exposure in the environment.
  • a further disadvantage with soluble dye materials is that the quality of the printed image is dependent on the properties of the recording surface.
  • Pigmented inks are known to produce higher density images than soluble dyes and are also more permanent. Pigments may also be used in jet printers along with a carrier liquid but the production of a dense image requires a high concentration of pigment material in the carrier liquid. The high concentration of pigment material affects the droplet breakup in continuous printers and results in less uniform printing. Drop-on-demand printers do not have a high continuous pressure and the droplet generation is strongly dependent on local conditions in the nozzle, therefore the presence of pigments can modify the local nozzle conditions or block the nozzle such that droplets are not correctly ejected.
  • a further process known as electrostatic ink jet printing, is characterised by an electrostatic pull on a liquid and is disclosed in for instance US Patent 3,060,429. This involves the generation and acceleration of charged droplets, from a nozzle containing the liquid, to a platen electrode by a high voltage being maintained between the nozzle and the platen.
  • This process is further optimised by including a valving electrode that is used to interrupt or control the jet flow as well as two pairs of electrodes used to manipulate the flight path of the droplets.
  • Printing is achieved by locating a paper substrate just prior to the platen electrode and using a conductive solution of ink.
  • US 4943818 discloses apparatus similar to that of US 3653932.
  • an apparatus for generation of droplets of a material from a meltable powdered, solid or highly viscous material comprising a first heater means to reduce the viscosity of the material, means to supply the reduced viscosity material to an ejection location, means to apply an electrical potential to the ejection location to form an electrostatic field at the ejection location characterised by a second heating means at the ejection location to reduce the viscosity of the material to a viscosity which will enable droplet formation, and wherein the means to apply an electrical potential enables formation and ejection of droplets of the material from the ejection location by electrostatic repulsion, and the second heater means comprises a solid state infra red laser diode.
  • a method of formation of droplets from a meltable powdered, solid or highly viscous material comprising the steps of providing a first heating of the material thereby reducing the viscosity of the material, providing the reduced viscosity material to an ejection location, applying an electrical potential to the ejection location to form an electrostatic field at the ejection location characterised by the step of further heating of the material at the ejection location and causing the reduced viscosity material to form droplets on the ejection location and ejecting such droplets away from the ejection location by electrostatic repulsion, wherein the further heating is done by a solid state laser diode.
  • the powdered, solid or highly viscous material may be an ink comprising a colourant and a carrier.
  • the colourant may be a pigment.
  • the size of the droplets of the material such as an ink is not dependent upon the size of any nozzle which delivers the reduced viscosity material to the ejection location but is dependent upon the ejection location geometry, the level of the electrical field, the amount of heating at the ejection location and the nature of the reduced viscosity material such as an ink and its viscosity at the time of ejection.
  • the present invention differs from the prior art in that the reduced viscosity material such as an ink does not necessarily include a conductive carrier liquid at the time of droplet formation.
  • Droplets appear to be formed by electrostatic means acting upon the particles of solid such as a pigment within the reduced viscosity material such as an ink.
  • the liquid portion acts solely as a carrier.
  • the transfer of pigment instead of liquid solutions of colouring matter means that a more intense image can be formed on a substrate and a finer dot size can be formed with a quicker setting dot.
  • the electrical potential forming the field may be pulsed so that there is periodic formation and ejection of droplets from the ejection location.
  • the electrical potential will cause an electric field to build at the ejection location and may be dependent upon the geometry of the ejection location such as the radius of curvature of the ejection location and in a preferred embodiment of the invention the ejection location may be provided by a needle having a radius of curvature at its tip in the range of 5-50 ⁇ m. Alternatively the ejection location may be provided by an elongate sharpened edge. There may be a number of ejection points long the elongate edge or there may be a matrix of ejection points.
  • the method of this invention may produce droplets of the material such as an ink in a size range of 1 ⁇ m to 500 ⁇ m in diameter or even larger depending upon the geometry of the ejection location, viscosity, type of carrier included in the material and voltage applied.
  • the carrier portion of the material is a non-electrically conducting liquid when in the reduced viscosity state and the solid material such as a pigment within the ink is comprised of chargeable particles.
  • the chargeable particles may be charged to the same polarity as the voltage applied to the ejection point.
  • the electrical potential applied to the ejection location may be in the range of 500 to 6000 volts or higher.
  • a solid meltable material there may be a spring loaded chamber containing pellets or a stick of the meltable material which at an end nearest the ejection point includes a heating means adapted to melt the meltable material to the required viscosity.
  • Two stage heating is employed in the case of a solid meltable material, with the first stage adapted to soften the meltable material to such a viscosity that it can be forced under the spring pressure to a second stage heater which reduces the viscosity of the meltable material to the final required viscosity.
  • two stage heating aided by the force of gravity and/or the expansion of the material upon heating facilitates both viscosity reduction and feed to the ejection location.
  • Such first stage heaters may be of the resistance type or so called induction type.
  • the resistance type of heater may be a resistance wire wound around a receptacle for the material.
  • the induction type consists of a coil wound about a ferrite core which is juxtaposed with respect to the vessel containing the ink.
  • the coil may be wound about the vessel wherein the said vessel acts as the core, directly heating the ink.
  • Heating of the ejection location may be constant or pulsed.
  • the heating of the ejection location is an infrared laser diode.
  • a powder feeder may be used to supply powder to the heating stage where it is melted in two stages to a required viscosity for ejection.
  • the ink may be composed of a low melting point wax or resin combined with a pigment phase.
  • these materials include AC6TM, a polyethylene wax made by AlliedSignal; Elvax® 210, an ethylene vinyl acetate resin made by Du Pont:; Syntha WaxTM, a hydrogenated castor oil made by Lever and Kitchen; Paraffin wax, made by Exxon and mixtures thereof.
  • the pigment may be selected from any of a range of pigments depending upon the colour required.
  • pigments examples include organic pigments such as Irgalite® Blue LGLD, a Pigment Blue 15:3 made by Ciba Geigy: Microlith® Black CT, a Pigment Black 7 made by Ciba-Geigy: Monolite® Yellow GNA, a Pigment Yellow 1 made by ICI or inorganic pigments such as silicas, metallics or magnetic iron oxides.
  • organic pigments such as Irgalite® Blue LGLD, a Pigment Blue 15:3 made by Ciba Geigy: Microlith® Black CT, a Pigment Black 7 made by Ciba-Geigy: Monolite® Yellow GNA, a Pigment Yellow 1 made by ICI or inorganic pigments such as silicas, metallics or magnetic iron oxides.
  • Viscosity of inks may be optimised or pre-disposed for droplet formation. This may be achieved by controlling the temperature of the heating points or specifically at the ejection point. Viscosity of the ink may be changed by the addition of a viscosity control agent such as Energol® WM2, a paraffin oil made by BP Chemicals, or the like.
  • a viscosity control agent such as Energol® WM2, a paraffin oil made by BP Chemicals, or the like.
  • the ejection location may be provided by a needle point having a radius of curvature of from 5 to 50 ⁇ m or the ejection location may be provided by an elongate edge having a semi-cylindrical surface having a radius of curvature of 5 to 50 ⁇ m.
  • the ejection location may comprise a matrix of ejection points.
  • the apparatus according to this invention may be adapted to provide droplets on demand or to provide a continuous stream of droplets which can be deflected by electrostatic means external to the apparatus.
  • the supply of droplets on demand may be provided by providing a pulsed electrical potential or pulsed heating to the ejection location.
  • This periodically applied potential may be of any waveform which allows consistent ejection of droplets from the ejection location.
  • Preferred waveforms include square waves and pulses which may have an offset or threshold potential.
  • Pulsed heating may be provided by a solid state infrared laser diode to provide a point source of heating at the ejection location.
  • Such a heating device may exhibit specific properties such as fast switching time, appropriate heat output with respect to wavelength, bandwidth and heating power for melting the material such as the material, and suitable spot size with respect to the dimensions of the ejection location.
  • this invention provides droplet formation at an ejection location and the electrostatic ejection of such droplets.
  • Particles in the reduced viscosity material flowing to the ejection location are inherently charged or charged to the same polarity as the ejection location. More and more particles continue to build up on the ejection location within a forming droplet of the carrier liquid of the material and with increasing repulsion the particles tend to move away from the ejection location until electrostatic repulsion between the ejection location and the forming droplet of the charged particles builds up to such an extent that surface tension of the entrained carrier liquid can no longer hold the droplet to the ejection location. At this stage the droplet is repulsed by electrostatic means.
  • the repulsion is substantially electrostatic no earthed substrate is necessary to attract the droplets to a substrate and in fact considerable distances of droplet flight can occur before they impinge a substrate. This enables suitable electrostatic or other forms of deflection equipment to provide whatever patterning of droplets is required on a substrate.
  • the arrangement may include a pair of ejection locations each producing droplets of one component of a two component adhesive system. This would provide an adhesive application gun.
  • a body 1 which may be of an insulating material fashioned to a tapered point. Extending from the body is a hollow tube 2 of a thermally and electrically conducting material which is electrically charged by electrical conductor 3 extending from a power source 4.
  • the ejection point 6 is formed at a tip of the tube 2 which tapers to a point on one edge of the tube of a selected radius of curvature, in this case a spherical point.
  • the body has an aperture 7 extending through it to the tube 2.
  • the aperture 7 is comprised of first portion 8 of a first diameter adapted to receive a stick 9 of a solid ink.
  • a heating coil 10 around the first portion 8 provides heating to soften the stick of ink 9 to such an extent that spring 11 can extrude the ink through the tapered portion 12 of the aperture 7 into a second portion 13 of reduced diameter and into the tube 2. Further heating is provided by an infrared solid state laser diode 16 and an optical fibre 17 directed to the tube 2. This provides heat which further melts the ink until it is at a viscosity to flow to the ejection point and to enable formation of droplets. At the ejection point the electrostatic charge causes droplet formation, as discussed earlier, when the viscosity has been reduced by the heat from the infrared solid state laser diode 16 via the optical fibre 17. This heating may be pulsed to enable selected or pulsed formation and ejection of droplets.
  • an ink was provided by blending 0.099 Kg of Syntha WaxTM (a hydrogenated castor oil) and 0.001 Kg of Pigment Blue 15 which were placed into a heated attritor milling device and heated to 150 °C to affect the melting of the thermoplastic materials. After milling for (6 hours), the molten ink was removed from the attritor and allowed to solidify by cooling.
  • Syntha WaxTM a hydrogenated castor oil
  • Viscosity of this ink at an operational temperature to allow droplet formation was 10 mPa.s.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiments shown in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 20mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +600 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +1500 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 10 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 20mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 20 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +600 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +1500 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 70 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 150 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 5mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +600 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +1500 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 150 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • This ink was placed in the apparatus as described in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 5mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • Printed drop size was 300 ⁇ m with excellent colour density and integrity.
  • the Examples 7 to 13 illustrate droplet formation according to the method and apparatus of this invention with other inks. These inks were manufactured by the method as disclosed in previous examples. All viscosity measurements in these examples were performed on a Haake Rheometer: Rheostress RS100.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 45 mPa.s
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 10mm from a single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • the printed drop had excellent colour density and integrity.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 32 mPa.s
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG 1. with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperatures was 15 mPa.s.
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • the printed drop had excellent colour density and integrity.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 31 mPa.s.
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • the printed drop had excellent colour density.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 2.5 mPa.s.
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m.
  • the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • the printed drop had poor colour density and integrity.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 13 mPa.s.
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m.
  • the ejection point was at 135 °C and +800 volt pulses were applied at 5000 Hz on top of the threshold potential of +2000 volts.
  • the printed drop had poor colour density and integrity.
  • Viscosity of this ink at operational temperature was 45 mPa.s.
  • the ink was placed in the apparatus as described with reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 with bond paper placed 10mm from the single point ejection point with a radius of curvature of 25 ⁇ m. Excellent results were obtained when the ejection point was at 135 °C and the laser was modulated at 5000 Hz. A potential of +2800 volts was applied to the ejection point. The printed drop had an excellent colour density and integrity.

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  • Ink Jet Recording Methods And Recording Media Thereof (AREA)
  • Inks, Pencil-Leads, Or Crayons (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)
  • Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)

Claims (18)

  1. Vorrichtung zur Erzeugung von Tröpfchen eines Materials aus einem schmelzbaren pulverförmigen, festen oder hochviskosen Material, wobei die Vorrichtung umfaßt: eine erste Heizeinrichtung (10) zum Reduzieren der Viskosität des Materials, eine Einrichtung (7, 11) zum Zuführen des Materials reduzierter Viskosität zu einem Ausstoßort (6), eine Einrichtung (3, 4) zum Anlegen eines elektrischen Potentials an dem Ausstoßort (6) zwecks Ausbildung eines elektrostatischen Feldes an dem Ausstoßort (6), eine zweite Heizeinrichtung (16) am Ausstoßort (6) zum Reduzieren der Viskosität des Materiales auf eine Viskosität, welche eine Tröpfchenbildung ermöglicht und wobei die Einrichtung (3, 4) zum Anlegen eines elektrischen Potentials die Ausbildung und den Ausstoß von Tröpfchen des Materials von dem Ausstoßort (6) durch elektrostatische Abstoßung ermöglicht und die zweite Heizeinrichtung eine Festkörper-Infrarot-Laserdiode (16) umfaßt.
  2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (7, 11) zum Zuführen des Materials reduzierter Viskosität zu einem Ausstoßort (6) eine federbelastete Kammer umfaßt, die ausgelegt ist, um Tabletten oder einen Stab des Materials zu beinhalten und wobei die erste Heizeinrichtung (10) eine Widerstands- oder Induktionsheizeinrichtung umfaßt, um die Tabletten oder den Stab des Materials auf die erforderliche Viskosität zu schmelzen.
  3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Festkörper-Infrarot-Laserdiode gepulst ausgelegt ist, um ein intermittierendes Heizen des Ausstoßortes (6) vorzusehen.
  4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Ausstoßort (6) ausgewählt ist aus einer Nadelspitze mit einem Krümmungsradius von 5 bis 50 µm, einer länglichen Schneide mit einer halbzylindrischen Oberfläche eines Krümmungsradiusses von 5 bis 50 µm oder einer Matrix an Ausstoßpunkten.
  5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das an dem Ausstoßort (6) angelegte Potential in dem Bereich von +500 bis +6000 Volt liegt.
  6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Einrichtung (3, 4) zum Anlegen eines elektrischen Potentials an dem Ausstoßort (6) eine Einrichtung zum Pulsen des elektrischen Potentiales aufweist, derart, daß eine periodische Ausbildung und ein Ausstoß von Tröpfchen von dem Ausstoßort (6) stattfindet.
  7. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die gepulste Spannung eine rechteckige Wellenform umfaßt.
  8. Verfahren zum Ausbilden von Tröpfchen aus einem schmelzbaren pulverförmigen, festen oder hochviskosen Material, das die Schritte aufweist: Vorsehen eines ersten Heizens des Materials, um dabei die Viskosität des Materials zu reduzieren, Verbringen des Materials reduzierter Viskosität zu einem Ausstoßort (6), Anlegen eines elektrischen Potentials an dem Ausstoßort (6) zum Zwecke des Ausbildens eines elektrostatischen Feldes an dem Ausstoßort (6), weiteres Heizen des Materials an dem Ausstoßort (6) und Bewirken, daß das Material reduzierter Viskosität Tröpfchen an dem Ausstoßort (6) ausbildet und Ausstoßen derartiger Tröpfchen weg von dem Ausstoßort (6) durch elektrostatische Abstoßung, wobei das weitere Heizen vorgenommen wird durch eine Festkörper-Laserdiode (16).
  9. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Schritt des weiteren Heizens zum Zwecke der Reduzierung der Viskosität am Ausstoßort (6) gepulst ist, so daß eine periodische Ausbildung und ein Ausstoß der Tröpfchen von dem Ausstoßort, stattfindet.
  10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das elektrische Potential gepulst ist, wodurch eine intermittierende Ausbildung und ein intermittierender Ausstoß von Tröpfchen stattfindet.
  11. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Ausstoßort durch eine Nadel versehen ist mit einem Krümmungsradius an der Spitze im Bereich von 5 bis 50 Mikron.
  12. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Ausstoßort mit einer länglichen, geschärften Schneide versehen ist, die eine Anzahl an Ausstoßpunkten entlang der länglichen Schneide liefert oder durch eine Matrix an Ausstoßpunkten.
  13. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das feste oder hochviskose Material eine Tinte ist, bestehend aus einem Träger und einem Pigment und der Träger elektrisch nicht leitend ist, wenn er sich in dem Zustand reduzierter Viskosität befindet und das Pigment aus ladbaren Teilchen besteht.
  14. Verfahren nach Anspruch 13, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die ladbaren Teilchen mit derselben Polarität ladbar sind wie das an dem Ausstoßort angelegte elektrische Potential.
  15. Verfahren nach Anspruch 13, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Tinte aus einem Wachs niederen Schmelzpunkts oder einem Kunstharz, kombiniert mit einem Pigment, besteht und das Wachs oder das Kunstharz aus einem Polyethylen niederen Molekulargewichts, hydriertem Castoröl, Esterwachs, Paraffinwachs, Terpentinharzen und Ethylen-Venylacetat-Kopolymeren und deren Gemischen ausgewählt ist und das Pigment ausgewählt ist aus organischen Pigmenten wie beispielsweise Pigment Blau 15, Pigment Gelb 1 und Pigment Schwarz 7 oder anorganischen Pigmenten wie beispielsweise Siliciumchemischen Verbindungen, metallischen Verbindungen oder magnetischen Eisenoxiden.
  16. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das an dem Ausstoßort angelegte elektrische Potential in dem Bereich von +500 bis +6000 Volt liegt.
  17. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das an dem Ausstoßort angelegte Potential eine konstante Schwelle im Bereich von +1500 bis +2000 Volt und eine gepulste Spannung von +600 bis +800 Volt umfaßt.
  18. Verfahren nach Anspruch 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das gepulste elektrische Potential eine rechtekkige Wellenform umfaßt.
EP94907456A 1993-02-12 1994-02-11 Verfahren und vorrichtung zur herstellung von tropfen Expired - Lifetime EP0683731B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

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AUPL727493 1993-02-12
AUPL727493 1993-02-12
AUPL7274/93 1993-02-12
PCT/AU1994/000065 WO1994018011A1 (en) 1993-02-12 1994-02-11 Method and apparatus for the production of droplets

Publications (3)

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EP0683731A1 EP0683731A1 (de) 1995-11-29
EP0683731A4 EP0683731A4 (de) 1996-04-03
EP0683731B1 true EP0683731B1 (de) 2000-09-20

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JP (1) JPH08506536A (de)
CN (1) CN1045745C (de)
AT (1) ATE196447T1 (de)
CA (1) CA2155942A1 (de)
DE (1) DE69425958T2 (de)
RU (1) RU2110409C1 (de)
WO (1) WO1994018011A1 (de)

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CA2155942A1 (en) 1994-08-18
CN1045745C (zh) 1999-10-20
RU2110409C1 (ru) 1998-05-10
JPH08506536A (ja) 1996-07-16
EP0683731A4 (de) 1996-04-03
DE69425958D1 (de) 2000-10-26
EP0683731A1 (de) 1995-11-29
DE69425958T2 (de) 2001-01-25
ATE196447T1 (de) 2000-10-15
WO1994018011A1 (en) 1994-08-18
CN1119843A (zh) 1996-04-03

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