The present invention relates to a portable electrostatic spray device designed for personal use. More particularly, this invention is focused on providing improvements to both the electronic circuit and mechanical designs that lead to the reduction/elimination of current induced product separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,243 issued to Owen (the “Owen reference”) describes a spraying apparatus that can be held in the human hand for applications such as graphic work where it is desired that the area to which the spray is applied can be precisely controlled (Col 1, 11 5-9). The device disclosed in the Owen reference includes a reservoir that may comprise a cartridge, which may be refillable, which can be disconnected from the body member so that the reservoir can be replaced (Col 3, 11 49-52). The Owen reference discloses that the body member is provided with a contact to apply the high potential from the high voltage generator (which may be within the body member or remote therefrom) to the cartridge. If the cartridge is made of an electrically conductive material, then the high potential is conducted either directly to the nozzle or through the cartridge walls to the liquid therein and thence, by conduction through the liquid, to the nozzle (Col 4, 11 35-43). Thus, in the device of the Owen reference, electrical current is passed through the product reservoir or having the high voltage applied directly at the nozzle. Product emulsions, however, are susceptible to electrically induced separation in which the components of the product emulsion may separate. This invention will also not work in devices where high voltage is applied directly at the nozzle which would present a significant shocking hazard.
Published patent application no. GB 1996009622623 of Prenderdgast (the “Prendergast reference”) presents an electrostatic spraying device which may be used for air freshening and air purification and is capable of efficiently delivering material in small amounts and/or in a relative short duration of time (p 1, 11 1-8). The electrostatic spraying device disclosed in the Prenderdgast reference includes a delivery system that provides a means for establishing a column of product to be sprayed within a passage such that the trailing surface of the column is separated from the remainder of the material in the reservoir whereby the gap affords electrical isolation between the tip of the nozzle and reservoir (p. 6, 11 10-15). The Prendergast reference recognizes the benefit of such a system as permitting the reservoir to be earthed if desired and the part of the device housing the reservoir may be held in the hand without necessarily having to insulate the user from the material in the reservoir. Such electrical isolation of the main body of material to be sprayed from the column or slug to which voltage is applied may be particularly advantageous since the capacitance of the device during spraying can be reduced significantly (p.6, 11 17-24). The Prendergast reference, however, does not acknowledge the prevention of passing electric current, even at very small reservoirs through the product reservoir.
The present invention is directed to an electrostatic spray device and/or a cartridge for an electrostatic spray device that reduces the occurrence of electrically induced emulsion product separation. The device and/or the cartridge may reduce electrically induced emulsion product separation by providing a conductive high voltage shield substantially around the product reservoir. Alternatively, the device and/or the cartridge may prevent the product located at the charging location from being in fluid communication with the product reservoir so that the product that is being charged cannot flow back into the product reservoir. The device and/or cartridge may alternatively reduce electrically induced emulsion product separation by minimizing the volume of product between the charging location and the exit orifice of the nozzle.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention it is believed that the same will be better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
A first step in the design of a typical electrostatic spray device starts with identifying the target spray quality for a particular product or application. “Target spray quality” is defined as the combination of one or more of the following: spray droplet diameter, distribution of spray droplet diameter, swath width, and spray diameter. In any particular application, a combination of one, more than one, or all of the above mentioned variables may be needed to define a target spray quality for that application.
To achieve a target spray quality, the output operating variables of the device (e.g. high voltage output, current output, product flow rate) are balanced with a unique set of fluid or product properties (e.g. viscosity, resistivity, surface tension). For a given set of environmental (e.g. temperature, humidity), device operating variables, and fluid properties, a particular charge-to-mass ratio exists for a specific target spray quality. The charge-to-mass ratio is a measure of the amount of electrical charge carried by the atomized spray on a per weight basis and may be expressed in terms of coulombs per kilogram (C/kg). The charge-to-mass ratio provides a useful measure to ensure that the target spray quality is maintained. A change during spraying in any of the fluid properties or device output operating variables will result in a change in the spray quality. This change in spray quality corresponds to a change in the charge-to-mass ratio.
A first aspect of this invention is providing a method of reducing the electric field gradients and in turn preventing electrical current from flowing through the product reservoir. A reduction in electric field gradients can be accomplished by incorporating a high voltage shield to stabilize the area surrounding the fluid reservoir and to prevent current leakage from the product reservoir to adjacent locations within the device at lower electrical potentials. Without being limited to theory, it is believed that when a product emulsion having conductive and non-conductive phases is stored within a product reservoir, high electric field gradients from within the product reservoir can cause electrical current to flow through the product and cause the product to separate into its conductive and non-conductive phases. It has also been observed that it can be difficult to re-emulsify or remix the product to the quality of the original product design after it has been subjected to an electrically induced separation. The electrically induced separation of the product can change one or more of the fluid properties of the product, e.g., viscosity, resistivity, surface tension, and therefore can change the charge-to-mass ratio of the resulting spray. The change in the charge-to-mass ratio affects the spray formation and may prevent a target spray quality from being achieved. In addition, voltages in the range of 13-15 kV can arc across distances of about 6-10 mm or less, unless heavily insulated. As a result, current can flow through the spray medium from the charging point into the product reservoir and out to an adjacent object at a lower electrical potential such as a circuit ground or a user's hand through corona leakage. In one embodiment of the present invention, a conductive shield may be placed around the product reservoir and may be charged to the same potential as the charging electrode located at the charging location in order to control the electrical currents through and around the spray medium. The shield can provide a high voltage potential around the reservoir and, thus, reduce or eliminate the risk of current passing through the product in the reservoir from the electrode to an object at a lower electrical potential in the vicinity of the reservoir. Rather, current flow resulting from corona leakage or spark discharge will preferentially flow through the less resistive high voltage shield, thereby reducing or eliminating current flow through the product reservoir.
In a first embodiment of this invention, such as shown in
Alternatively, the product reservoir 220 may be formed of a conductive material and used to maintain the product reservoir at a high potential instead of having a separate conductive shield around the reservoir 220. A cartridge insulator 260 can prevent discharge from the conductive product reservoir 220 to points having a lower potential that are in close proximity to the product reservoir 220. The product reservoir 220 can be molded of an electrically conductive material plastic such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filled with 10% carbon fibers. The cartridge insulator 260 provides an insulating cover to prevent discharge from the conductive product reservoir 220 to objects within the device having lower electrical potentials. In this embodiment, the conductive shield 210 is not required.
In another aspect of this invention, the delivery system may prevent the flow of current through the product reservoir 220 by keeping the product located in the charging location of the electrostatic spray device out of fluid communication with the product reservoir. A delivery system such as the peristaltic pump shown in
In yet another aspect of this invention, as shown in
In a first embodiment of this invention where product application times of the product are relatively standard, the percent of the total product that is dispensed during one application that is present between the charging point and the point of the product dispensing from the device, VP, can be expressed by the following formula:
VP=(Vn/FR)×Ta×100
Where:
In a second embodiment in which the application time of a product application is not standard, the volume Vn of the product between the charging location and the point of product dispensing from the device can be compared to the overall volume of the product reservoir in order to minimize the effects of any electrically separated product on the overall spray performance. This percentage can be expressed as:
Vn/Vr×100<10%
Where:
Still another aspect of this invention is to define a method for determining a preferred volume of the fluid pathway between the charging location and point of product dispensing from the device. This relationship is applicable for electrostatic spray devices where the fluid pathway between the charging location and point of product dispensing is of a generally cylindrical nature. It has been found that an optimal ratio of length of the fluid pathway to the diameter of the fluid pathway can be characterized by the following relationship:
Ln/d>1
Where:
In relation to the effects of electrically induced product separation, it has also been learned that once this separation has started, this separation may continue to separate product after the electrical field gradient is removed, the high voltage power is de-energized and the stored device capacitance has been completely drained. It is therefore advantageous to prevent product separation between the charging location and the nozzle orifice (where electrical current is intentionally passed through the product to produce and support the formation of the product atomized spray) from flowing back into the product reservoir. One means to accomplish this is to include a valve, such as a reed or duckbill type valve 500, or a check (one-way) type valve such as shown in FIG. 7. The valve would be to allow product flow in one direction when the product delivery system is active, and then when the product delivery system is not active, the valve would close and prevent backflow (backflow being defined as product between the charging location and the nozzle orifice traveling back into the product reservoir).
In yet another aspect of this invention, reducing the impact of electrically induced product separation on spray performance can be accomplished by purging the fluid located between the charging location and the point of product dispensing after a spraying operation is compete. This purging operation can remove the separated product before the next spraying operation. The purging can be accomplished via the electronic circuitry in the form of a delay switch or timer so that after the operator completes the spraying operation and de-energizes the device, the product delivery means will continue to actuate for a period of time sufficient to purge the volume of fluid between the charging location and the nozzle exit orifice. Therefore the product that has been exposed to electrical current does not mix or is exposed to product from the product reservoir that has not been exposed to such an electrical current. In this manner, when the operator is ready for the next application, the fluid between the charging location and the nozzle tip will be not have been exposed to electrical current. In this embodiment, the purging circuit is designed such that when the delivery means is operating to purge the fluid the circuitry to generate the high voltage generating circuitry is not operating. Alternatively, the purging operation could be performed prior to a spraying operation instead of after a spraying operation.
Yet another aspect of this invention relates to a means of mechanically mixing and re-suspending separated material within either product reservoir 220 or within the subsequent product delivery pathway. In a first embodiment, as exampled in
Another embodiment provided with mixing balls includes an electrically activated mixing system supplied in the device such as shown in FIG. 9. In this example, the electrically activated mixing system includes a series of wire coils 600 positioned substantially around the perimeter of the product reservoir 220. By passing alternating currents through the wire coils 600, changes in the electric field between wire coils 600 cause movement of one or more mixing balls 290 within the product reservoir 220. The movement of the one or more mixing balls 290 within product reservoir 220 can achieve turbulent mixing of product within product reservoir 220, thereby reconstituting separated product. Yet another embodiment that would provide for mixing within product reservoir 220 includes a vibrating mechanism. A vibrating mechanism can be placed in fluid communication with the product reservoir 220. The vibratory action of the vibrating mechanism can generate turbulent mixing within product reservoir 220 and can reconstitute separated product.
In yet another embodiment that provides for product mixing, as exampled in
In yet another embodiment, as exampled in
Having shown and described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, further adaptions of the present invention as described herein can be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of these potential modifications and alternatives have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, while exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been discussed for illustrative purposes, it should be understood that the elements described will be constantly updated and improved by technological advances. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure, operation or process steps as shown and described in the specification and drawings.
Relevant electrostatic spray devices and cartridges are described in the following commonly-assigned, concurrently-filed U.S. Patent Applications, and hereby incorporated by reference:
This application is a continuation-in-part of our earlier applications, U.S. Ser. No. 09/377,332 filed on Aug. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat No. 6,318,647, and U.S. Ser. No. 09/377,333, filed on Aug. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat No. 6,311,903.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20010038047 A1 | Nov 2001 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 09377332 | Aug 1999 | US |
Child | 09759551 | US | |
Parent | 09377333 | Aug 1999 | US |
Child | 09377332 | US |