The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 01, 1997
Filed:
May. 03, 1994
Randel E Dorian, Orinda, CA (US);
Kent C Cochrum, Davis, CA (US);
Richard David Antanavich, Paso Robles, CA (US);
The Regents of the University of California, Oakland, CA (US);
Abstract
A coating apparatus includes a rotary cup for forming beads and projecting them radially outwardly, and one or more collection basins surrounding the bead forming cup. The cup is adjustably rotatable about its central axis, and the collection basins are independently rotatable and positioned to collect the beads projected from the cup. The coating apparatus further includes an elevation adjustment system for axially adjusting the alignment of the cup with respect to the selected collection basins. The rotational speeds of the cup and the collection basins are selected so as to minimize the impact of the beads against a gelling solution in the collection basins. In use, a supply mixture is introduced into a mixing chamber of the cup. As the cup spins, the coated particles are propelled upwardly by the centrifugal force from the mixing chamber along the inner surface of the cup, and are projected radially outwardly, as beads, into the gelling solution in one of the selected basins. Since the cup and the basin are simultaneously rotated, the impact of the beads against the capture solution is significantly reduced.