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:
Apr. 18, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1998
Adrian M Sunter, Worcestershire, GB;
Ishida Co., Ltd., Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus for applying a material to a substrate. A material application station includes a shutter assembly having at least one horizontally extending blade which is rapidly displaceable from a closed configuration in which an outlet path of the shutter assembly is obstructed to an open configuration in which the outlet path is open. While the blade of the shutter assembly is in the closed configuration, a coating material is applied to a first predetermined area on an upper surface of the shutter assembly. A substrate is located beneath the shutter assembly in the outlet path. The blade of the shutter assembly is rapidly opened so that the coating material falls onto the substrate over a second predetermined area on an upper surface of the substrate. The second predetermined area is substantially equal to the first predetermined area. The resulting deposit is of a controlled diameter. A rapid opening of the blade allows the deposit to fall a short distance onto a substrate such as a pizza base.