Apparatus for applying a liquid coating with an improved spray nozzle

• Main Authors: OMILION ZYGMUNT CARL, FOX KEVIN, ZAKRAJSEK RICHARD, DONGES WILLIAM E, SELESTAK DAVID M, HAVLIK CHRIS, HOGAN PATRICK THOMAS, HARRELL GREG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.12.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; NOZZLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRINTED CIRCUITS; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING

Apparatus and methods for spray coating selected areas of a circuit board with a liquid coating material without coating regions of the circuit board to be left uncoated. In one mode of operation, a bead of liquid coating material dispensed from an elongated nozzle tip is atomized by directing jets of air pressurized against the bead to form a conical, swirling spray pattern which is sprayed on selected areas of a circuit board. In a second mode of operation, the non-atomized bead of liquid coating material dispensed through the elongated nozzle tip is applied on selected areas of the circuit board. In a third mode of operation, jets of pressurized air are directed against the bead of liquid coating material to create a soft swirl pattern, without atomizing the bead of coating material. In a second embodiment of the invention, the bead of liquid coating material is dispensed from a nozzle without the elongated nozzle tip.