A method of controlling application of at least one material onto a substrate includes configuring a material applicator having an array plate with an applicator array. The applicator array has a plurality of micro-applicators with a first subset of micro-applicators and a second subset of micro-applicators. Each of the plurality of micro-applicators has a plurality of apertures through which fluid is ejected. The first subset of micro-applicators and the second subset of micro-applicators are individually addressable, and a liquid flows through the first subset of micro-applicators and a shaping gas, e.g., air, flows through the second subset of micro-applicators. The flow of shaping gas shapes the flow of the liquid from the first subset of micro-applicators to the substrate.

A fluid dispenser, comprising a dispenser faceplate having at least one ejection port and a dispenser guard. The dispenser guard has at least one opening configured to allow fluid exiting from the ejection port to flow through and at least one drainage structure. The dispenser guard is spaced from the ejection port with a gap small enough to attract the fluid accumulated around the ejection port to flow into the drainage structure.

A fluid diffuser for atomization of essential oils can have a flexible seal used to reduce internal pressure of an air chamber adjacent to the atomizer. It can also use a cover and a sensor to control the operation of the atomizer based on the position of the cover. An atomizer housing portion of the diffuser can be removable and replaceable relative to a lower portion of the housing.

A unit dose container for holding a single dose of a given liquid, the container comprising: a chamber (8) in which, in use, the given liquid is stored, the chamber having a wall through which, in use, the liquid is to be supplied; a release mechanism (7), at least part of which is internal to, or forms part of the wall of the chamber, the release mechanism being movable relative to the chamber between first and second positions; and means for allowing the release mechanism (7) to move from the first to the second positions, thereby opening a passage through the wall so that the liquid can exit the chamber (8), the means including at least one flexible wall portion.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, methods for mitigating particle retention are provided including the use of frequency sweep excitation to eject particle in the sweep. In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the acoustically driven fluid ejector can be capable of being switched between multiple modes of operation. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the acoustically driven fluid ejector can be altered such that it includes the capability to be filled with a biocompatible material to aid in the mitigation of particle aggregation in the acoustically driven fluid ejector. In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the solid structure and number of nozzles of the acoustically driven fluid ejector can be adjusted such that the ejector of the acoustically driven fluid ejector can be self-pumping, i.e. no external pumping mechanism other than acoustics driven flow drag is used.

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a first atomiser assembly including a first mesh element defining a plurality of first nozzles each having a minimum diameter of equal to or less than 2.5 micrometres; a second atomiser assembly including a second mesh element defining a plurality of second nozzles each having a minimum diameter of between 3 micrometres and 10 micrometres; a first device connector configured to receive a first liquid reservoir and to supply a first liquid from the first liquid reservoir to the first atomiser assembly; and a second device connector configured to receive a second liquid reservoir and to supply a second liquid from the second liquid reservoir to the second atomiser assembly.

A perforated plate for an application device for application of a fluid to a component, preferably a motor vehicle body and/or an attachment for this, comprises at least four through-holes for passage of the fluid. The through-holes are assigned to a nozzle row with a central region and two edge regions and are spaced apart from each other by hole spacings. The at least one outermost hole spacing of the nozzle row in at least one edge region is larger than at least one hole spacing in the central region. An application device and an application method with such a perforated plate is also disclosed.

An atomiser assembly is provided, including: an oscillation chamber having a cavity containing a liquid to be atomized, a liquid inlet configured to provide a supply of the liquid to be atomized to the cavity, an elastically deformable element, and a mesh element comprising a plurality of nozzles; and an actuator configured to oscillate the elastically deformable element, the oscillation chamber and the liquid being contained in the cavity of the oscillation chamber form an oscillation system, in which oscillation of the elastically deformable element by the actuator varies pressure inside the cavity, and the actuator being further configured to oscillate the elastically deformable element at a resonant frequency of the oscillation system to eject liquid contained in the cavity from the cavity through the plurality of nozzles of the mesh element. An aerosol-generating system, an aerosol-generating device, and a method of operating an atomiser assembly are also provided.

A mesh for an atomizer assembly is provided, including a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of nozzles extending between the first surface and the second surface, the first surface being at least partially coated with a hydrophilic coating or the second surface being at least partially coated with a hydrophobic coating, the plurality of nozzles defining an inner surface, and the inner surface being at least partially coated with the hydrophilic coating. An atomizer assembly for an aerosol-generating device, and an aerosol-generating device comprising an atomizer assembly, are also provided.