Electrostatic spraying device and method of fabrication thereof
First Claim
1. A method of producing a cartridge for use in an electrostatic spraying device comprising:
- forming from a sheet of resiliently deformable non-fibrous, non-felted, hydrophobic material having open porosity a wicking element with a profiled spraying edge;
furling said element about an axis of elongation thereof to facilitate insertion through an opening in the cartridge during assembly; and
assembling said element to a container for liquid suitable for electrostatic spraying by inserting said element through an opening in the container so that said spraying edge projects from the container and a portion of the element extends into the interior of the container to provide a capillary feed path for liquid from the container to the profiled spraying edge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrostatic device for spraying liquids comprises a nozzle in the form of a wick which is contacted with a reservoir containing the liquid to be sprayed, high electrical potential being applied to the liquid in the vicinity of the spraying tip of the nozzle whereby the liquid is drawn out preponderantly under the influence of electrical forces into ligaments which break up to form a spray of electrically charged liquid droplets. The wick is fabricated from sheet of a resiliently deformable polymeric foam material of open celled structure and an edge of the sheet material is profiled to form a plurality of sites at which liquid ligaments can be produced. Typically a toothed profile is employed in which a plurality of teeth form the sites at which ligament formation occurs.
38 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of producing a cartridge for use in an electrostatic spraying device comprising:
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forming from a sheet of resiliently deformable non-fibrous, non-felted, hydrophobic material having open porosity a wicking element with a profiled spraying edge;
furling said element about an axis of elongation thereof to facilitate insertion through an opening in the cartridge during assembly; andassembling said element to a container for liquid suitable for electrostatic spraying by inserting said element through an opening in the container so that said spraying edge projects from the container and a portion of the element extends into the interior of the container to provide a capillary feed path for liquid from the container to the profiled spraying edge. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An electrostatic spraying device comprising:
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a spraying nozzle in the form of an elongate wicking element one end of which forms the nozzle tip; a reservoir containing liquid to be supplied to the nozzle tip; means for applying high voltage to the liquid at the nozzle tip to cause the liquid to be drawn into ligamentary form and thereafter break up into electrostatically charged droplets;
said wicking element being fabricated from a resiliently deformable material comprising an internal open cell core through which the liquid is drawn by capillary action and an exterior which is substantially impermeable, the open cell core being exposed at the tip end of the nozzle and being formed with at least one toothed feature from which liquid ligaments issue in use, the open cell core also being exposed within the reservoir to allow ingress of liquid. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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4. An electrostatic spraying device comprising:
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a spraying nozzle in the form of an elongate wicking element one end of which forms the nozzle tip; a reservoir containing liquid to be supplied to the nozzle tip; means for applying high voltage to the liquid at the nozzle tip to cause the liquid to be drawn into ligamentary form and thereafter break up into electrostatically charged droplets; said wicking element being fabricated from a resiliently deformable material comprising an internal open cell core through which the liquid is drawn by capillary action and an exterior which is substantially impermeable and is integrally united with the core, the open cell core being exposed at the tip end of the nozzle and being formed with at least one toothed feature from which liquid ligaments issue in use, the open cell core also being exposed within the reservoir to allow ingress of liquid, and said means for applying high voltage to the liquid at the nozzle tip having a connection to the body of liquid in the reservoir whereby the high voltage is conducted from the body of liquid to the nozzle tip through the liquid drawn by capillary action along the length of the wicking material.
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- 17. A cartridge for use in an electrostatic spraying device comprising a container forming a reservoir for liquid to be sprayed and a spraying nozzle in the form of an elongate wicking element one end of which forms the nozzle tip, said wicking element being fabricated from a resiliently deformable material comprising an internal open cell core through which the liquid is drawn by capillary action and an exterior which is substantially impermeable, the open cell core being exposed at the tip end of the nozzle and being formed with at least one toothed feature from which liquid ligaments issue in use, the open cell core also being exposed within the reservoir to allow ingress of liquid.
Specification