Patent US5226948A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5226948A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for droplet stream manufacturing
Assignee: University of Southern California
•
Filing: 1992-05-22
•
Granted: 1993-07-13
•
Expires: 2012-05-22
Abstract
Abstract A method of manufacture of a net form product, including directing a stream of liquid from a nozzle onto a collector of the shape of the desired product, applying an amplitude and time dependent modulated disturbance to the stream to produce a droplet stream, and with the nozzle and collector in a chamber, controlling the chamber environment. An apparatus for manufacturing a net form product having a source of molten material under pressure, a support for positioning a product collector in a chamber with the collector defining a desired product, a droplet stream generator positioned within the chamber and including a nozzle, a conduit for conducting molten material from the material source to the generator nozzle, a mechanism, typically a modulator, for amplitude and time dependent modulation disturbance of the droplet stream, and a drive mechanism for relative movement of the nozzle and support.
Inventors
- 👤 Melissa E. Orme
- 👤 Eric P. Muntz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:33
CPC Classifications
B; B22; B22F; B22F9/00; B22F9/02; B22F9/06; B22F9/08; C; C23; C23C; C23C4/00; C23C4/12; C23C4/123; B22F2998/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
In a method of manufacture of a net form product by deposition of liquid metal in droplet form to produce a unitary solid shape, the improvement comprising the steps of: directing a stream of liquid from a nozzle onto a collector of the shape of the desired product; and applying a disturbance to the stream to produce a liquid droplet stream with the droplets impacting on the collector and solidifying in a unitary shape; with said disturbance being an amplitude and time dependent modulated disturbance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
In a method of manufacture of a net form product by deposition of liquid metal in droplet form to produce a unitary solid shape, the improvement comprising the steps of: directing a stream of liquid from a nozzle onto a collector of the shape of the desired product; and applying a disturbance to the stream to produce a liquid droplet stream with the droplets impacting on the collector and solidifying in a unitary shape; with said disturbance being an amplitude and time dependent modulated disturbance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the time dependent modulation is a frequency modulation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the time dependent modulation is a phase modulation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the time dependent modulation is segmented, with different waveform characteristics in the segments.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the time dependent modulation is an amplitude modulated carrier with a non-integer ratio of carrier frequency to modulation frequency.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including positioning the nozzle and collector in a chamber, and controlling the chamber environment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including changing the position of the nozzle relative to the collector which directing the stream onto the collector.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including directing a plurality of streams onto the collector from different angles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including directing a plurality of parallel streams from the nozzle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including utilizing a plurality of nozzles and directing a plurality of parallel streams from each of the nozzles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including maintaining the collector fixed in position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including moving the collector relative to the stream.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including rotating the collector about an axis.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including maintaining a vacuum in the chamber, and directing the first and second droplet streams into collision with each other in the chamber to form disks of the liquid material impacting on the collector.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as defined in claim 1 including directing a flow of gas into said droplet stream.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as defined in claim 6 including maintaining the pressure in the chamber below atmospheric.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as definied in claim 6 including introducing a reactive gas into the chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as defined in claim 10 including changing the position of nozzles relative to the collector while directing the droplet streams onto the collector.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as defined in claim 14 including producing the streams of liquid at velocities to provide a droplet collision velocity of a value sufficient to cause the fluid disks to fragment into collision droplets substantially smaller than the colliding droplets.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as defined in claim 15 including directing said flow of gas countercurrent to said droplet stream.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
59 words
In a method of producing a stream of fluid disks, the steps of: directing first and second streams of liquid along intersecting paths in a chamber; maintaining a vacuum in the chamber; and applying an amplitude modulated disturbance to each of the streams to produce colliding droplet streams, with said disturbance being an amplitude and time dependent modulated disturbance.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
59 words
In a method of producing a stream of fluid disks, the steps of: directing first and second streams of liquid along intersecting paths in a chamber; maintaining a vacuum in the chamber; and applying an amplitude modulated disturbance to each of the streams to produce colliding droplet streams, with said disturbance being an amplitude and time dependent modulated disturbance.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as defined in claim 21 including producing the streams of liquid at velocities to provide a droplet collision velocity of a value sufficient to cause the fluid disks to fragment into collision droplets substantially smaller than the colliding droplets.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4428894A
Cited
US4640806A
Cited
US4671906A
Cited
US4822267A
Cited
US4919854A
Cited
US4787935A
Cited
US4810284A
Cited
US4966737A
Cited
US4988464A
Cited
US5147448A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-07-12 | 1997-01-11 | 1997-07-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-07-12 | 2001-01-11 | 2001-07-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-07-12 | 2005-01-11 | 2005-07-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |