Apparatus and method of feeding arbitrarily thin wire with controlled tension

Abstract

A method of aligning a wire with a pathway inlet includes directing a feeding end of a wire toward a pathway inlet of a feed pathway, creating a pressure differential between the pathway inlet and a pathway outlet of the feed pathway thus creating a pressure-driven gas flow around the wire and into the pathway inlet. The wire is urged along the feed pathway toward the pathway outlet via the shear force of the gas flow created by the pressure differential. A method of preventing stiction of a wire with an inner wall of a thin pathway includes creating a pressure differential between a pathway inlet and a pathway outlet thus creating a pressure-driven gas flow around a feeding end of the wire and into the pathway inlet of the pathway, and inducing one of a flutter or vibration in the wire at the feeding end of the wire.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of aligning a wire with a pathway inlet, comprising:
 directing a feeding end of a wire toward a pathway inlet of a feed pathway;   creating a pressure differential between the pathway inlet and a pathway outlet of the feed pathway thus creating a pressure-driven gas flow around the wire and into the pathway inlet; and   urging the wire along the feed pathway toward the pathway outlet via the shear force of the gas flow created by the pressure differential.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inducing one of a flutter or vibration in the wire at the feeding end of the wire. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the inducing the flutter prevents stiction of the wire to an interior wall of the feed pathway. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathway inlet has a larger cross-sectional area than the pathway outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wire is formed from a polymer material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wire has a wire diameter less than 100 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure-driven gas flow is directed from the pathway inlet along the pathway toward the pathway outlet. 
     
     
         8 . A method of preventing stiction of a wire with an inner wall of a thin pathway, comprising:
 creating a pressure differential between a pathway inlet and a pathway outlet of the pathway thus creating a pressure-driven gas flow around a feeding end of the wire and into the pathway inlet of the pathway; and   inducing one of a flutter or vibration in the wire at the feeding end of the wire.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising urging the wire along the pathway toward the pathway outlet via the pressure-driven gas flow created by the pressure differential. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the pathway inlet has a larger cross-sectional area than the pathway outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the wire is formed from a polymer material. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the wire has a wire diameter less than 100 μm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the pressure-driven gas flow is directed from the pathway inlet along the pathway toward the pathway outlet. 
     
     
         14 . A method of controlling tension in a wire directed along a pathway, comprising:
 positioning a feeding end of the wire inside the pathway;   creating a pressure differential between a pathway inlet and a pathway outlet of the pathway thus creating a pressure-driven gas flow around the wire and into a pathway inlet of the pathway; and   urging the wire along the pathway toward the pathway outlet via the shear force from the pressure-driven gas flow created by the pressure differential;   wherein adjusting the pressure differential adjusts a tension of a segment of the wire between the pathway inlet and a releasing end of the wire opposite the feeding end.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising inducing one of a flutter or vibration in the wire at the feeding end of the wire. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the inducing the flutter prevents stiction of the wire to an interior wall of the pathway. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pathway inlet has a larger cross-sectional area than the pathway outlet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the wire is formed from a polymer material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the wire has a wire diameter less than 100 μm. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pressure-driven gas flow is directed from the pathway inlet along the pathway toward the pathway outlet.