JPS5915035B2 - Modular coating equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the application of liquids to surfaces, and more particularly to the application of liquids to surfaces, and more particularly to the application of liquids to surfaces, such as beads or ribbons of extruded or sprayed material.
nilbbon)y! relates to an apparatus used to apply small single deposits in a desired pattern under high speed 30 production conditions.

More specifically, the present invention applies a hot liquid, such as a molten adhesive in the "hot melt" format, to a variety of materials such as sheet or roll flat sheets or cardboard commonly used for packaging and bonding various products. Material (5) Relates to a device specifically used to apply the material. However, the invention is equally applicable to other liquid materials such as paints that can be used at low or room temperatures. "Thermal melting"
Typical liquids include asphalt and synthetic resins, which are generally in a solid state at room temperature. However, when heated to a molten state, the physical state changes to
Changes to a relatively viscous liquid. That is, it can be applied continuously to a surface as a bead or ribbon or intermittent deposits by dispensing through the nozzle of an application tool or gun. Typically, such hot melt materials are brought to a molten state in a heater and then conveyed under pressure to a coating gun via a heated length of a retractable hose. The application gun is also preferably heated to ensure that the adhesive remains in molten form until it leaves the nozzle of the gun.
In many high speed packaging applications, a molten or liquid "hot melt" is applied to a moving sheet material, such as a roll of paper or a flat corrugated carton.

In other applications, the "hot melt" material is applied to the filled container prior to saucer sealing or end closure. In still other applications, the molten material is used for painting or assembling parts. Some application guns used for applying "hot melt" adhesives and other liquids are actuated by a fluid cylinder.

This cylinder opens and closes valves in the molten liquid delivery system to interrupt the discharge or injection of liquid from the gun nozzle. If an air-operated gun is used, it will of course be necessary to use a pneumatic line from the pressure source. Additionally, since the gun body is constantly heated to maintain the liquid in a molten state, ie, a low viscosity state, a lead-in wire must also be connected to the gun. A problem encountered with this type of equipment, particularly when applying hot melt adhesives, but also other liquid materials, is the time-consuming cleaning operations that must be carried out periodically. It was hot.

Cleaning involves disconnecting all fluid lines and other lead wires from the gun and then carefully reconnecting the gun in addition to reconnecting said lines to force a bead of fluid into place. It is necessary to position it. All of this is extremely time consuming and causes frequent interruptions to continuously running production equipment. U.S. Patent No. 36905
No. 18 discloses a dispensing device that includes a fixed module manifold with passages for viscous liquids and passages for fluid actuation.

The viscous liquid passage communicates with the pump device 5 and the fluid actuation passage communicates with the fluid pressure line. One or more removable gun modules are mounted within the fixed block module. Each gun is provided with a passageway communicating between the viscous fluid passageway in the block module and the extrusion nozzle, and a fluid actuation passageway communicating between the actuation fluid passageway in the block and the fluid cylinder. The gun is cylindrical and has mounting screws within the module to allow easy removal of the gun from the module for service or replacement without disturbing the connection to the module (air, electrical, hydraulic lines). There is. Each gun consists of a cylindrical body containing a spherical valve within a chamber which is filled with viscous liquid when the gun is in operation. The spherical valve is opened by a rod affixed to the bulb and passing through a seal which separates the liquid material from the atmospheric exhaust chamber. The rod extends through a second seal provided between the exhaust chamber and the air cylinder which the rod secures to the piston. By applying pressurized fluid, such as air, to the piston, the ball is pulled from the valve seat, allowing material to flow from the gun onto the product or substrate. When pressure is removed from the piston, the spring returns the ball to the closed position on the valve seat. The return spring is adjustable so that the amount of fluid pressure required to operate the gun can be adjusted. Since the force required to operate each individual gun will vary due to differences in internal gun friction forces, the adjustable preload of the spring allows many guns to be adjusted to equalize the pressure required to open each gun. . Therefore, each gun can be adjusted to open simultaneously. The aforementioned dispensing devices have many advantages over the prior art and have proven commercial success.

However, under severe or adverse operating conditions, the device was ineffective. One object of the invention was therefore to improve such a device in such a way that it can be carried out with great ease even under extremely harsh operating conditions or with inadequate assembly or adjustment. . Problems periodically occur in the structure disclosed in the above-referenced US patent when the structure is subjected to high operating temperatures.

The gun module body periodically cracks or breaks under these conditions. Applicants have determined that these defects are caused by thermal expansion of the gun module, and the present invention has been described in part based on this determination. The screwing of the gun module into the module in the dispensing device disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. patent is of a type that prevents the body from expanding freely due to temperature changes, so that it is extremely robustly mounted into the module and is not susceptible to high temperatures. When heated, the body may crack or break. To eliminate this source of breakage, Applicants have connected the gun module to the module at one end of the gun so that the gun module is free to expand and contract without restriction.

Specifically, Applicants have established a threaded connection with one end of the gun for the purpose of securing the tapered end to the block 7 and allowing the remainder of the gun to freely expand or contract within the bore of the module. used. This threaded connection between the two modules has the advantage of eliminating any sources of breakage or damage to the gun, but also eliminates the need for threading of the holes in the modules and the corresponding portions of the gun module.

By omitting these screw operations, the manufacturing cost of the device is reduced. This also allows the gun module to be more tightly secured compared to threaded guns. Other problems encountered with the applicator disclosed in the above-referenced US patent are due to mechanics applying excessive preload to the gun.

Preload is the force required to operate the gun, and in the case of air-operated guns, determines the air pressure required to open the gun valve. In the case of multiple guns in a single module, the preload can be precisely adjusted so that the guns open together regardless of differences in friction or small tolerances between the guns. Applicants believe that the mechanic may have applied too much preload by making the adjustment too tight and therefore not providing sufficient air pressure to open the gun or otherwise. It was found that the preload forces in the guns could not be averaged out. Ultimately, the preload adjustment of this gun requires a built-in stop device to reliably exclude such excessive preload. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings.

First, in Figure 1, a heated liquid is added to the substrate 4.
A head gun type applicator 10 is shown.

In this embodiment, there are four gun modules, namely guns 11 and 1.
2, 13 and 14 are provided in a line Z in the module or block 15. However, although the guns can be installed in any non-linear pattern within the module 15, for convenience of explanation, the guns are shown in straight lines. The module 15 consists of a generally rectangular block through which a pressurized fluid or air passage 16 and a liquid flow passage 17 extend parallel thereto.

In this preferred embodiment, there is also provided an atmospheric ventilation passage 18 which extends parallel to the two further passages 16 and 17 and is located between the two passages. These three lateral passages are the passage 1
Gun installation holes 20, 21, 22 perpendicular to 6 to 18,
It intersects with four holes of No. 23. 2 and 3, holes 20-23 are stepped holes for the purpose of receiving individual guns 11-14, each hole having a small diameter end 24, a large diameter end 25, and Large diameter middle part 2
6 and a large diameter end 27. When the apparatus is used for the application of hot melt or heated materials, a transverse hole 30 is drilled in the module or block 15, in which an electrical resistance heater 31 is placed.

The flow of current through the heating element 31 is controlled by a thermostat 32 located in a recess 33 in the plane of the block 15. This recess is a recess 33 with a built-in thermostat.
It is covered by a plate 34 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the module for enclosing purposes. The module can be installed at any location on the coating gun in any convenient manner.

In this embodiment, the block 15 is fixed to a lever (not shown) by means of an installation clamp 38 and a bolt 39. 4
Since the basic gun modules 11 to 14 have the same form, only one of them will be described in detail.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, the gun module is of generally circular tubular construction for the purpose of being installed within circular cross-sectional holes 20-23 in the module. Each gun includes a tubular body 45 through which an axial bore 46 extends. This hole is provided at one end for a cylinder 47 of high pressure fluid or air, and at the opposite end for a snout storage chamber 48.
It is for use. A small diameter portion 49 of bore 46 internally connects cylinder 47 and chamber 48 . The bore 46 in the body is closed at one end by an end closure cap 50.

The cap 50 is fixed in the hole 46 of the main body by engaging the end 51 of the main body into an annular groove 51a on the outside of the cap 50 by tapping or corrugating. The opposite end of the bore 46 in the body 45 is closed in a similar manner, but in this case the portion 54 of the body that is tapped or corrugated over the radial flange 54a of the inner end of the snout 53. It is closed only by a snout 53 which is secured within the end of the hole 46. A stepped axial bore 55 extends through the nose 53.

The mid-diameter portion of the hole 55 defines a liquid chamber 56 into which liquid or molten material can be supplied via a radial hole 66. Chamber 56 communicates with a small diameter exhaust hole 57 opening into the end of the gun. In this embodiment, the gun nozzle 5
9 is screwed onto the end of the nose piece 53. The inner shoulder of the end piece 53 at the intersection of the small diameter hole 57 and the large diameter chamber 56 forms a valve seat 63 of a spherical valve 64.

Together, the spherical valve 64 and the valve seat 63 form a reverse check valve 65 that controls the flow of pressurized fluid from the gun fluid chamber 56. Liquid is delivered to the chamber via a hole 66 in the nose 53 of the gun. When the gun is assembled into the module or block 15, the hole or passageway 66 is connected to the lateral liquid supply passageway 1.
7, and a liquid such as a hot melt adhesive passes through the passage 17 at a rate of about 28.8 kg/Aii (400
1b/1n2) is supplied to the apparatus 10 at a high pressure. A spherical valve 64 is mounted on one end of the piston rod 68.

The rod extends upwardly through the small diameter section 49 of the bore 46 and terminates at the opposite end in a large diameter head end 69. A piston 70 is mounted on the end 69 of the rod. The piston is the drive means for the spherical valve 64 and the end 69 of the piston rod.
It consists of two rings 71 and 72 which can be clamped between the shoulder 73 of the rod and the tapped end 74 of the rod. Teflon(
An air seal 75, preferably a TM seal, is sandwiched between the two rings 71 and 72 of the piston.
The seal 75 prevents air pressure from leaking from the high pressure cylinder 47 located below the piston to the low pressure chamber 76 within the closure cap 50. The low pressure chamber 76 is maintained at atmospheric pressure via a lateral passage 77 in the cap 50 that communicates with the atmosphere. An adjustable preload spring 80 is provided within the chamber 76 of the closure cap, which spring biases the piston 70 to bias the piston and spherical valve 64 to the closed position.
It is supported on one side.

The opposite end of the spring 80 abuts an adjustable seat 81 which is slidable within the chamber 76 of the closing cap. The relevant seat 81
is placed on the end 82 of the preload adjustment screw 83. The screw engages a threaded nut 84 welded into the open upper end of the closure cap 50. By adjusting the axial position of the screw 83 and thus the seat 81, the force with which the valve is held closed and thus the force required to open the valve can be adjusted. This adjustment allows the air pressure required to open many guns to be equal even though the internal friction of the individual guns may differ. Piston 70 due to spring 80
A shoulder 85 is provided in the chamber 76 of the cap 50 as a stop to limit the total preload force applied to the cap.

The shoulder extends the range of axial movement of the seat 81 into the cap;
Therefore, the degree of compression of spring 80 is limited. small vent 8
6 is the chamber 76 of the cap when the seat 81 is placed on the shoulder 85.
through the seat 81 to communicate with the atmosphere.
In practice, in the absence of a stop or limiter to stop or limit the range of motion of seat 81, it often occurs that the operator preloads one gun so severely that the operator cannot gun cannot be adjusted to balance the preload force of that extremely adjusted gun.

The operator can even adjust the gun to the extent that the force required to further compress spring 80 exceeds the available air pressure. Stop surface 85 on cap 50
prevents over-preload adjustment. The air pressure within the cylinder 47 controls the opening and closing of the check valve 65. This pressure, generally in the form of pneumatic pressure, is supplied to the cylinder 47 via a transverse passage 87 that aligns with the passage 16 within the module. High pressure air supplied to passageway 16 opens the check valve by moving piston 70 upwardly until the top of gun piston 70 engages bottom edge 88 of cap 50. When the pressure in passageway 16 is relieved or communicated to atmosphere, spring 80 closes the valve. An air seal 90 is provided around rod 68 within air cylinder 47 to prevent air pressure from escaping from chamber 47 through vent 98 and to prevent liquid from escaping from chamber 48. A liquid seal 91 is provided around the rod 68 within the liquid chamber 48.

Seal 90 includes a pair of resilient lip seals 92 secured within chamber 47 by gripping rings 93. Liquid or hydraulic seal 91 also includes a resilient lip seal 94, which is held in place by a washer 95 and a reversing spring 96. The spring abuts the washer 95 at one end and the shoulder 57 of the nose 53 at the opposite end. Additionally, seals 90 and 9 are provided to prevent liquid from leaking into the air cylinder.
A lateral vent hole 98 is provided in the intermediate body 45 of 1 . The vent hole 98 is connected to the through passage 18 in the module so that the through passage 18 is always in communication with the atmosphere.
The effect will be explained below. There are four guns 11 until the tapered flange 100 on the nose of the gun contacts shoulders 101 formed in holes 20, 21, 22 and 23.
14 are individually inserted into the module.

The nut opening 02 is then threaded onto the externally threaded end portion 103 of each gun nose until the nut 102 abuts the bottom surface 105 of the module. This has the effect of clamping the nose 53 of each gun between the shoulder 101 and the outer bottom surface of the module. The distance X between the shoulder 101 of the module and the face 105 of the module is no more than 1/4, and optimally about 1/16, of the overall length of the gun module.

Because this dimension is so small, the rate of differential thermal expansion between the gun and the module is such that the gun and module are It will not cause any damage. When so assembled, gun air passage 87 aligns with module air passage 16. Similarly, liquid passage 66 is aligned with module liquid passage 17, and atmospheric vent 98 is aligned with module atmospheric vent 18. An O-ring seal 106 in a groove 107 on the exterior of body 45 prevents air from leaking around the exterior of the gun from passageway 16 to passageway 18. In order to prevent liquid from leaking around the outside of the main body 45 from the liquid passage 17 of the module,
Two other O-rings 108 and 109 are inserted into the groove 1 in the body.
10 and 111. Each gun has a preload adjustment screw 83 so that all four guns open at the same time when air pressure is supplied to the guns through passageways 16 in the module.
It is adjusted by Depending on this air pressure, the piston 70 of the gun
moves upwardly until the top surface of the piston contacts the bottom surface 88 of the closure cap 50. This upward movement of the piston causes upward movement of the check valve 65, which allows liquid into the passageway 17 to be delivered to the gun at a high pressure (e.g., about 400 psi) through the nozzle hole 57 into the liquid chamber 56. After the liquid material is deposited onto the substrate, the air pressure within the passageway 16 is in communication with the atmosphere and the spring 80 biases the piston and check valve into the closed position. The tubes connected to the module 15 do not need to be removed from the module if one of the guns needs to be cleaned or if the gun is damaged by a foreign object.

Specifically, the air lines to passageway 16, the fluid lines to passageway 17, and the electrical wires to heater 31 and thermostat 32 need not be disconnected. All that is required is to close or disconnect the tubes, and to remove the clogged or damaged gun by removing the gun from the module's mounting hole. A new gun can then be inserted by threading it into the hole and the applicator is restarted. The clogged or damaged gun can then be cleaned or repaired without shutting down the production equipment while the cleaning or repair is being performed. Although applicants have described only one preferred embodiment, modifications and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Specifically, modular guns may be provided with holes in the mounting block that can be arranged in any pattern and angled relative to each other so as to space deposits from the gun more closely spaced than the orifice spacing of the gun nozzle. Additionally, since the apparatus has been specifically described as having application to hot melt deposition, the apparatus includes a heating module. However, the present invention is equally applicable to the addition of liquid without heating. The embodiments of the present invention are as follows. 5
The gun module fixing means includes an abutment surface on the gun module provided in close proximity to one end of the gun module, and when the main body is installed in the hole, the abutment surface contacts a stop surface in the hole. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the fastener is affixed to the gun module at the one end of the gun module.

5. The device of claim 5, wherein said fastener is engageable with an outer wall of said module.

5. The device according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the outer wall of the module and the stop surface of the hole is less than or equal to 1/4 of the length of the gun module.

4. The modular device of claim 1, including a plurality of holes intersecting the passageway of said block module and a readily removable modular gun disposed within each of said holes.

6. The gun module main body has a generally cylindrical shape, the hole has a circular cross section, and the hole has a smooth wall that is not threaded over the entire length of the hole. Modular device according to paragraph 1.

4 means for biasing each valve element of said valve element of each gun module of said gun module into a closed position; and adjustable preload means for adjusting a force operable to maintain said valve element in a closed position. a stop means for limiting the amount of tension in the preload, and wherein the self-adjustable preload means is capable of adjusting a plurality of gun modules for the purpose of equalizing the force required to open each gun module. 5. The modular device according to item 4 above.

4. The modular device according to claim 1, wherein the gun module body is generally cylindrical and has a through hole extending axially through the gun module body.

5. A portion of the axial bore defines a fluid cylinder within the gun module at one end of the cylindrical body, and the second passageway of the gun module is in fluid communication with the fluid cylinder. modular equipment.

4. said movable means includes a piston slidable within said cylinder, further comprising a spring operable between said piston and said closure cap to bias said piston and said movable valve element to a closed position. A modular device according to claim 1, comprising means.

4. The gun module fixing means includes an abutment surface on the gun module provided in close proximity to the end of the gun module, and the abutment surface is arranged in the hole when the main body is installed in the hole. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is engageable with a stop surface within.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said nut is engageable with an outer wall of said module.

1. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the distance between the outer wall of the module and the stop surface of the hole is less than or equal to 1/4 of the length of the gun module.

8. said stopping means having a seat slidable within said gun module and engageable with one end of said spring means, and engaging said seat so as to limit sliding movement of said seat within said gun module; 4. A modular device according to claim 3, including a possible stop surface.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the modular device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the module approximately taken along arrows 2-2 in FIG.
The figure is an enlarged sectional view of the gun module taken along arrow 3-3 in FIG. (Explanation of symbols of main parts), 10... Coating device, 11-14... Gun module, 15...
...Protsuku module, 16...Aisle, 1
7... Passage, 59... Nozzle 64.
・・・・・・Spherical valve, 70 piston, 102・・・・・・
Natsuto.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A modular device for ejecting liquid from a pressurized source onto a substrate surface, comprising at least one passage forming a first passage 17 for the liquid and a second passage 16 for the pressurized fluid of gun operation and intersecting said passages. having four holes 20 to 23,
a block module 15 forming a shoulder 101 in said bore and having essentially only a stationary part; said block module having a nozzle 59 and having essentially all moving parts of the module arrangement; easily removable gun modules 11 to 14 disposed in the holes of the block module to form a first liquid passage 66 connecting between the liquid passage 17 of the block module and the nozzle 59; A first passageway 66 for the gun module is in sealing alignment with the fluid passageway 17 of the block module when both modules are assembled, and a first passageway 66 for pressurized fluid is in communication with the pressurized fluid passageway 16 of the block module. 2 aisles 87
is also formed so that the pressurized fluid passages of the gun module and the block module are in sealing alignment when the modules are assembled, and a gun module 11-14 having a flange 100 for engaging a shoulder of the block module; a fastener 102 disposed on the exterior of the block module to secure the gun module within a hole in the block module; a valve 65 within the gun module for opening and closing liquid flow through the nozzle; and a drive member 70 within the gun module for moving the valve in response to contact with the pressurized fluid. when the gun module is inserted into the hole of the block module, the flange of the gun module engages the shoulder of the block module, and the distance between the shoulder of the block module and the bottom surface of the gun module is A module device for liquid injection whose length is less than 1/4 of the total length.