Electrostatic spraying device and method of fabrication thereof

摘要

PCT No. PCT/GB92/01712 Sec. 371 Date Jul. 18, 1994 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 18, 1994 PCT Filed Sep. 17, 1992 PCT Pub. No. WO93/06937 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 1993.An electrostatic device for spraying liquids comprises a nozzle in the form of a wick which is contacted with a reservoir containing the liquid to be sprayed, high electrical potential being applied to the liquid in the vicinity of the spraying tip of the nozzle whereby the liquid is drawn out preponderantly under the influence of electrical forces into ligaments which break up to form a spray of electrically charged liquid droplets. The wick is fabricated from sheet of a resiliently deformable polymeric foam material of open celled structure and an edge of the sheet material is profiled to form a plurality of sites at which liquid ligaments can be produced. Typically a toothed profile is employed in which a plurality of teeth form the sites at which ligament formation occurs.