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:
Sep. 20, 2005
Filed:
Oct. 29, 2002
Patrick Teung, Campbell, CA (US);
Michael J. Cima, Winchester, MA (US);
Timothy J. Pryor, Yardley, PA (US);
Peter A. Materna, Metuchen, NJ (US);
Patrick Teung, Campbell, CA (US);
Michael J. Cima, Winchester, MA (US);
Timothy J. Pryor, Yardley, PA (US);
Peter A. Materna, Metuchen, NJ (US);
Therics, Inc., Princeton, NJ (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A device for controlling or altering the temperature of a liquid at the point of dispensing. A temperature-altering device is thermally coupled to a dispensing device to compensate for heat dissipated into the liquid as it passes through the dispensing device during dispensing. The dispensing device may be for example, a miniature solenoid valve (microvalve), a piezoelectric printhead, or the like. According to aspects of the invention, a temperature-altering device provides or reduces heat at the point of dispensing in order to alter, control or maintain a constant temperature of the dispensed liquid. As a result, improvement is obtained in the consistency of the fluid regime of the dispensed droplet stream. The temperature-altering device may be a thermoelectric device capable of moving heat either from or to the dispensing structure, or may be a heater. This device may be used beneficially even when the dispensing is performed near room temperature and the liquid does not require heating to maintain its liquid state.