Patents by Inventor Alastair Bruce Pirrie

Alastair Bruce Pirrie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9259748
    Abstract: An electrostatic spraying device comprises a capillary spray electrode having a spraying end, a reference electrode, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the spray electrode. In use, the electrodes are connected across a generator in order to establish an electronic field between the electrodes and cause fluid in the reservoir to be sprayed from the spray electrode. The spray electrode has a focus that defines a point at which the electronic field is focussed on the spraying end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical PLC
    Inventor: Alastair Bruce Pirrie
  • Publication number: 20130270371
    Abstract: An electrostatic spraying device comprises a capillary spray electrode having a spraying end, a reference electrode, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the spray electrode. In use, the electrodes are connected across a generator in order to establish an electronic field between the electrodes and cause fluid in the reservoir to be sprayed from the spray electrode. The spray electrode has a focus that defines a point at which the electronic field is focussed on the spraying end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventor: Alastair Bruce Pirrie
  • Patent number: 8448819
    Abstract: A dispenser system comprising a reservoir, a closure device for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir, and a housing to which the reservoir is attached is disclosed. The reservoir is movable relative to the housing from a storage position in which the closure device prevents liquid flowing from the reservoir to a dispensing position in which the closure device allows liquid to flow from the reservoir. The housing comprises an activation device which on movement of the reservoir from the storage position to the dispensing position causes the closure device to allow the liquid to flow from the reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Atrium Innovation Limited
    Inventors: Alastair Bruce Pirrie, David Waterman
  • Patent number: 8074640
    Abstract: A housing has a dispensing outlet (400) and contains: a liquid supplier (7) for supplying liquid containing at least one volatile component to a liquid outlet (7a); an electric field provider (41, 42, 7) for causing liquid issuing from the liquid outlet to provide electrically charged droplets from which at least a part of the at least one volatile component evaporates to produce vapour; a collection receptacle (92) for collecting electrically charged droplets to inhibit the electrically charged droplets from passing through the dispensing outlet; an attraction electrode (91) for attracting electrically charged droplets into the collection receptacle (90); and a flow director (95) for directing vapour away from the collection receptacle (92) and towards the dispensing outlet (400).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: David Neville Davies, Alastair Bruce Pirrie, Ronald Alan Coffee
  • Patent number: 7972622
    Abstract: Consumable or dissolvable tablets are manufactured by supplying a liquid containing a biodissolvable carrier to an outlet; establishing an electric field between the outlet and a support surface to cause liquid issuing from the outlet to form at least one fiber or fibrils of the biodissolvable carrier which fiber or fibrils deposit(s) onto the surface to form a fiber web or mat; separating the web or mat into a plurality of individual tablets; and incorporating at least one active ingredient on or in the tablets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Battelle (Memorial Institute)
    Inventors: Ronald Alan Coffee, Alastair Bruce Pirrie, David Neville Davies
  • Publication number: 20080277415
    Abstract: A dispenser system comprising a reservoir, a closure device for controlling the flow of liquid from the reservoir, and a housing to which the reservoir is attached is disclosed. The reservoir is movable relative to the housing from a storage position in which the closure device prevents liquid flowing from the reservoir to a dispensing position in which the closure device allows liquid to flow from the reservoir. The housing comprises an activation device which on movement of the reservoir from the storage position to the dispensing position causes the closure device to allow the liquid to flow from the reservoir.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Alastair Bruce Pirrie, David Waterman
  • Patent number: 7337993
    Abstract: An atomization device comprises a conduit containing liquid to be atomized, a spray electrode (1) and a discharge electrode (3). Each electrode is adjacent to a dielectric (5) and they are connected in an electrical circuit (10) to enable a potential difference to be applied between them to atomize the liquid and to generate charge carriers of a first polarity in the proximity of the spray electrode (1) and ions of a second polarity in the proximity of the discharge electrode (3). Some of the first polarity charge carriers deposit on the dielectric adjacent to the spray electrode (1) and some of the second polarity ions deposit on the dielectric (5) adjacent to the discharge electrode (3) so that the atomized liquid is repelled from the dielectric (5) adjacent to the spray electrode (1) and electrically discharged by second polarity ions that are repelled by the dielectric (5) adjacent to the discharge electrode (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Aerstream Technology, Ltd.
    Inventor: Alastair Bruce Pirrie
  • Publication number: 20040251326
    Abstract: An atomisation device comprises a conduit containing liquid to be atomised, a spray electrode (1) and a discharge electrode (3). Each electrode is adjacent to a dielectric (5) and they are connected in an electrical circuit (10) to enable a potential difference to be applied between them to atomise the liquid and to generate charge carriers of a first polarity in the proximity of the spray electrode (1) and ions of a second polarity in the proximity of the discharge electrode (3). Some of the first polarity charge carriers deposit on the dielectric adjacent to the spray electrode (1) and some of the second polarity ions deposit on the dielectric (5) adjacent to the discharge electrode (3) so that the atomised liquid is repelled from the dielectric (5) adjacent to the spray electrode (1) and electrically discharged by second polarity ions that are repelled by the dielectric (5) adjacent to the discharge electrode (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventor: Alastair Bruce Pirrie
  • Publication number: 20040079360
    Abstract: An inhaler has a housing containing a chamber (1a) providing a reservoir (8) for liquid providing an active ingredient to be supplied to a liquid outlet (10a). First and second electrodes are spaced apart (11 and 12) with the first electrode being provided at or adjacent the liquid outlet (10a). A voltage supply (5, 7) is activated in response to air flowing through an air inlet (30) of the housing to provide a potential difference between the first and second electrodes (11 and 12) to create an electric field for causing comminution of liquid issuing from the liquid supply outlet (10a) to produce a stream of electrically charged comminuted matter for supply to the nasal passages of a user via an outlet (4) of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Ronald Alan Coffee, Alastair Bruce Pirrie, David Neville Davies
  • Patent number: 6684879
    Abstract: An inhaler has a housing containing a chamber (1a) providing a reservoir (8) for liquid providing an active ingredient to be supplied to a liquid outlet (10a). First and second electrodes are spaced apart (11 and 12) with the first electrode being spaced apart (11 and 12) with the first electrode being provided at or adjacent the liquid outlet (10a). A voltage supply (5, 7) is activated in response to air flowing through an air inlet (30) of the housing to provide a potential difference between the first and second electrodes (11 and 12) to create an electric field for causing comminution of liquid issuing from the liquid supply outlet (10a) to produce a stream of electrically charged comminuted matter for supply to the nasal passages of a user via an outlet (4) of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Ronald Alan Coffee, Alastair Bruce Pirrie, David Neville Davies
  • Patent number: 6595208
    Abstract: A supply pipe (33) supplies a liquid to a comminution site (40) at which the liquid is subjected to an electric field so as to produce charged comminuted material. An electrical discharge electrode (5) produces ions to at least partially electrically discharge the comminuted material. A further electrode (60) spaced from the comminution site (40) by the electrical discharge electrode (50) electrically attracts ions produced by the electrical discharge electrode (50) away from the comminution site (40) until sufficient space charge is built up to divert the ions towards the charged comminuted material to enable the ions at least partially to discharge the comminuted material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
    Inventors: Ronald Alan Coffee, Alastair Bruce Pirrie