METHOD FOR FABRICATING A MIXING DEVICE HAVING A CORRUGATED CONVEYING PLATE AND A DISPENSING DEVICE USING THE SAME

1 . Method for fabricating a mixing device for mixing adhesives containing at least two components, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a conveying plate having one or more grooves in both its first and second surfaces, each groove on the first surface overlying a groove on the second surface with adjacent grooves on opposed surfaces being separated by a web, each groove on each surface being separated from an adjacent groove on that surface by a land;

b) bonding a first cover plate and a second cover plate each having a recess therein to respective first and second surfaces of the conveying plate, thereby to define

first and second sets of separated interdigitated channels extending through the mixing device, each channel having a supply end and a discharge end, the channels being arranged such that the discharge end of each channel in the first set of channels is next adjacent to the discharge end of at least one of the channels in the second set of channels, and

a first and a second distribution manifold each communicating with the supply end of the respective set of channels; and

c) forming a first and a second supply port disposed in fluid communication with a respective one of the first and second distribution manifolds.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein each cover plate and the conveying plate has a rear edge surface thereon,

the rear edge surfaces on the cover plates and the rear edge surface on the conveying plate defining a posterior surface of the mixing device,

the first and second supply ports are respectively formed through the posterior surface of the mixing device.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first supply port is formed through the first cover plate into fluid communication with the first distribution manifold and

the second supply port is formed through both the first cover plate and the conveying plate into fluid communication with the second distribution manifold, the supply ports being isolated from each other.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein

the conveying plate is silicon, and wherein

the first and second cover plates are glass, and wherein

the bonding step b) is performed by anodically bonding the glass cover plates to the silicon conveying plate.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the grooves on both the first and second surfaces of the conveying plate are formed by etching.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the supply ports are formed by abrasive machining.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein the supply ports are formed by diamond drilling.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the conveying plate is a polymeric material and wherein the grooves on both the first and second surfaces of the conveying plate are formed by molding.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the conveying plate is a metallic material other than silicon and wherein the grooves on both the first and second surfaces of the conveying plate are formed by machining.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second cover plates are formed of glass, and wherein

the recess in each cover plate is formed by abrasive machining.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein

each channel in the first and second sets of separated channels has a plurality of surfaces, the method further comprising the step of:

treating the surfaces of the channels so that the channel surfaces lack affinity for any component of an adhesive.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the surfaces of the channels are treated with a siloxane-containing material.

13 . Method for fabricating a plurality of mixing devices for mixing adhesives containing at least two components, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of sets of grooves on opposed first and second surfaces of a silicon wafer, each set of grooves on the first surface overlying a corresponding set of grooves on the second surface, each groove in a set on the first surface being separated from a groove in its corresponding set on the second surface by a web, each groove in each set on one surface being separated from an adjacent groove in that set by a land;

b) forming a plurality of recesses in a first cover sheet and a second cover sheet;

c) forming a plurality of supply ports in at least one of the cover sheets;

d) placing the first cover sheet over the respective first surface of the wafer and placing the second cover sheet over the respective second surface of the wafer so that the recesses in each cover sheet align with a respective set of grooves;

e) bonding the aligned first and second cover sheets to the respective first and second surfaces of the wafer to form a wafer stack; and

f) cutting the wafer stack into a plurality of mixing devices, each mixing device having a first and a second cover plate and a conveying plate, the first and second cover plates being formed from portions of the respective cover sheets and the conveying plate being formed from a portion of the wafer,

the cover plates and the conveying plate of each mixing device thereby cooperating to define

a plurality of first and second sets of separated channels extending through the mixing device, each channel having a supply end and a discharge end,

a first and a second distribution manifold each in fluid communication with the supply ends of the respective set of channels, and

a first and a second supply port disposed in fluid communication with a respective one of the first and second distribution manifolds.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein

each channel in the first and second sets of separated channels has a plurality of surfaces, the method further comprising the step of:

treating the surfaces of the channels so that the channel surfaces lack affinity for any component of an adhesive.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the surfaces of the channels are treated with a siloxane-containing material.

16 . A method for fabricating a dispenser apparatus for dispensing an adhesive containing at least two components, the dispenser apparatus comprising a mixing device and a header for connecting the dispenser apparatus to a supply unit, the method comprising the steps of:

a) fabricating a mixing device, comprising the steps of:

i) providing a conveying plate having one or more grooves in both its first and second surfaces, each groove on the first surface overlying a groove on the second surface with adjacent grooves on opposed surfaces being separated by a web, each groove on each surface being separated from an adjacent groove on that surface by a land;

ii) bonding a first cover plate and a second cover plate each having a recess therein to respective first and second surfaces of the conveying plate, thereby to define

first and second sets of separated interdigitated channels extending through the mixing device, each channel having a supply end and a discharge end, the channels being arranged such that the discharge end of each channel in the first set of channels is next adjacent to the discharge end of at least one of the channels in the second set of channels, and

a first and a second distribution manifold each communicating with the supply end of the respective set of channels; and

iii) forming a first and a second supply port disposed in fluid communication with a respective one of the first and second distribution manifolds; and

b) connecting a header having a first and a second passage formed therein to the mixing device so that the first and second passages in the header are respectively disposed in fluid communication with the first and second supply ports in the mixing device.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the first and second supply ports are respectively formed in the first and second cover plates of the mixing device, and

wherein the header is connected to the mixing device by physically attaching the header to both cover plates.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein each cover plate and the conveying plate of the mixing device has a rear edge surface thereon,

the rear edge surfaces on the cover plates and the rear edge surface on the conveying plate defining a posterior surface of the mixing device,

the first and second supply ports being respectively formed through the posterior surface of the mixing device,

wherein the header is connected to the posterior surface of the mixing device by physically attaching the header to the rear edge surfaces of the cover plates and to the rear edge surface on the conveying plate.

19 . The method of claim 16 wherein each cover plate has a major surface thereon and a rear edge surface thereon,

wherein the conveying plate has a rear edge surface thereon,

the rear edge surfaces on the cover plates and the rear edge surface on the conveying plate defining a posterior surface on the mixing device,

the first and second supply ports being respectively formed through the posterior surface of the mixing device,

wherein the header is connected to the posterior surface of the mixing device by physically attaching the header to the major surface on at least one of the cover plates.

20 . The method of claim 16 wherein the first supply port of the mixing device is formed through the first cover plate into fluid communication with the first distribution manifold, and

the second supply port is formed through both the first cover plate and the conveying plate into fluid communication with the second distribution manifold, the supply ports being isolated from each other; and

wherein the header is connected to the mixing device by physically attaching the header to the first cover plate.