Extrusion Head With Planarized Edge Surface
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating an extrusion head for a micro extrusion apparatus, the extrusion head having a plurality of fluidic channels for extruding material on a substrate, the method comprising:
- forming a first sheet such that the first sheet defines at least one reference surface and an extrusion cavity including an outlet region such that the at least one reference surface in proximity to the outlet region;
securing the first sheet between second and third sheets to form said extrusion head such that the extrusion cavity and one or more of the second and third sheets form an associated fluidic channel, and such that the extrusion head includes an edge surface defining an outlet orifice communicating with said outlet region of the extrusion cavity, wherein the at least one reference surface is disposed on the edge surface such that the at least one reference surface is offset from the edge surface; and
trimming the edge surface by removing material from the extrusion head until the at least one reference surface is separated from the edge surface by a predetermined distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A co-extrusion head for forming high-aspect ratio gridline structures in a micro extrusion apparatus includes multiple sheets (e.g., metal plates) that are machined and assembled to define three-part fluidic channels having associated outlet orifice disposed along an edge surface of the head. Reference surfaces are also etched in the sheets and are aligned in a straight line that intersects output junctions of the three-channel cavities. After assembly (e.g., using high pressure bonding techniques), each reference surface is located inside a notch defined in the edge surface. The edge surface of the co-extrusion head is then trimmed (e.g., machined by wire EDM) using the reference surfaces as a precise guide, thereby producing uniform length outlet orifices with uniform flow impedance.
102 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating an extrusion head for a micro extrusion apparatus, the extrusion head having a plurality of fluidic channels for extruding material on a substrate, the method comprising:
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forming a first sheet such that the first sheet defines at least one reference surface and an extrusion cavity including an outlet region such that the at least one reference surface in proximity to the outlet region; securing the first sheet between second and third sheets to form said extrusion head such that the extrusion cavity and one or more of the second and third sheets form an associated fluidic channel, and such that the extrusion head includes an edge surface defining an outlet orifice communicating with said outlet region of the extrusion cavity, wherein the at least one reference surface is disposed on the edge surface such that the at least one reference surface is offset from the edge surface; and trimming the edge surface by removing material from the extrusion head until the at least one reference surface is separated from the edge surface by a predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An extrusion head for a micro extrusion apparatus, the extrusion head comprising:
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a first sheet having a first side edge; a second sheet having a second side edge; and a third sheet having a third side edge, wherein the first sheet is mounted between the second and third sheets such that the first, second and third side edges are aligned to form an edge surface of the extrusion head, wherein the first sheet defines a cavity that is enclosed by corresponding portions of the second and third sheets to form a fluidic channel having an outlet orifice defined in the first side edge of the first sheet such that the outlet orifice is coplanar with the edge surface of the extrusion head, and wherein the first sheet also defines first and second reference surfaces that are disposed in indentations defined in the first side edge on opposite sides of the output orifice such that the first and second reference surfaces are offset from the edge surface by a predetermined distance. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification