Dispensing – Plural sources – compartment – containers and/or spaced jacket – With common discharge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-11-06
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Plural sources, compartment, containers and/or spaced jacket
With common discharge
C222S094000, C222S095000, C222S325000, C222S326000, C222S333000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311871
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for pressing out and dispensing dosed quantities of flowable multi-component compounds.
2. Description of Related Art
Multi-component compounds are increasingly used for a great number of applications industry and trade, for gluing, filling, sealing and the like. In order to prevent untimely reaction between the components, it is necessary that the different components be stored in spaces separated one from the other.
A dispensing device for flowable compounds, where a pressure is exerted on the flexible bags for the different components by application of a blowing agent, has been known from German Patent Publication 37 05 741 A1. The blowing agent is supplied into the bags, arranged in the separate containers, via respective metering devices. The metering devices consist, preferably, of volumetric pumps that are driven by electric motors. The flowable compounds are supplied to a mixing device through enlongated lines arranged in a cover element. Even if the bags are completely emptied, a considerable residual quantity remains in those lines. In addition, a device of that kind exhibits a complex structure, which requires pressure lines, relief valves and the like in addition to a tank for the blowing agent. In order to prevent the blowing agent form escaping unintentionally, sealing elements must be provided on the housing. The relief valves of the described device are intended to provide precise dosing; they permit the blowing agent to escape. A device of that kind, therefore, is not unproblematic under aspects of environmental compatibility.
European Patent No. 0 313 519 B1 describes a device for dosing and mixing at least two reaction components, where on the one hand a mixing device is guided for axial displacement by means of a spindle drive via a transmission, while on the other hand two plunger-like inserts for pressing out the cartridges are guided for axial displacement by two additional spindle drives. The two reaction components are supplied to a mixing device via lines that are integrated into the housing. Although it is an advantage of this device that pressing out the cartridges and actuating the mixing device are possible simultaneously and with only one drive spindle, it is a problem that for displacing the two plunger inserts by means of the central spindle drive a transmission and additional spindle drives are required. This leads to a complex structure of the device, which is also prone to failure, and which in addition, due to its many components, has a high weight, which is undesirable for manual operation.
In addition, these spindle drives cannot fully ensure that both cartridges are completely emptied. But even if both cartridges are completely emptied, a residual quantity of the reaction components will remain in the lines in the housing, that lead to the mixing device, and these residual quantities will cure in the course of time. Consequently, a housing of that type can only be used a single time.
German Patent Publications 196 18 693 A1 and 296 03 416 U1 disclose cartridges for component compounds filled into film bags, with storage cylinders arranged in parallel one beside the other and connected via a common inner wall, which have a headpiece or cover element attached to their front end. In the cover element, there are arranged separate channels, which extend in axial direction and are separated by a separating wall and which open into a mixing device. The devices of this type in fact efficiently prevent the two components from being mixed untimely. Mixing of multi-component compounds, especially if they are viscous, is however possible only with difficulty, because of the static mixing device. In addition, the feeding channels to the mixing device are relatively long with these devices as well, so that after the two bags have been emptied completely, there will also remain a considerable residual quantity in the cover element.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to improve a device for pressing out and dispensing dosed quantities of flowable multi-component compounds of the described species in such a way that safe operation is ensured with the simplest possible structure, which comprises only a few parts, and that it is especially ensured that the two flexible bags can be emptied almost completely.
The device according to the invention provides the advantage that it permits the flexible bags to be emptied practically completely. There only remains a minimum residual quantity in the cover element, which is designed as a single-use element.
Advantageously, the mixing space formed in the cover element is arranged in such a way that its ends flush with the drive spindle and is connected with the receiving spaces through laterally attached channels. This allow a particularly compact structure of small volume.
At its ejection end, the mixing space is closed off by a removable ejection nozzle that can be exchanged for different requirements. This structure not only guarantees high versatility, but also reduces the number of parts, that must be discarded after use of the device, to the cover element and the ejection nozzle. The housing can be reused.
Especially with a view to achieving a compact structure it is provided in this connection that a bearing for seating the mixing device, preferably a mixing screw or the like, is arranged in the ejection nozzle.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, which especially allows the two flexible bags to be emptied practically completely, it is provided that the two plunger-like inserts are rigidly connected one with the other and with a nut seated for axial displacement in the housing and running on the drive spindle. This on the one hand guarantees the safe functioning of the device and ensures that pressure is always exerted simultaneously on both flexible bags. On the other hand, it also considerably reduces the weight of the entire device, especially due to the fact that the two plunger-like inserts in the nut are preferably made as a single piece.
Preferably, it is provided that the drive spindle is rotatably seated in a spindle space, which is arranged between the two receiving spaces and is formed integrally with the latter.
As regards the design of the receiving spaces, the most diverse embodiments are imaginable. Preferably, it is provided that the receiving spaces have a cylindrical, preferably a circular cylindrical shape. Such a circular cylindrical shape not only can be produced in a simple way, but also allows optimum guiding of the plunger-like inserts on large guide surfaces.
The two plunger-like inserts are preferably connected with each other and with the nut by a crossover extending substantially vertically relative to the drive spindle, the crossover being seated in the housing for sliding displacement in axial direction and projecting through openings that extend in axial direction and open into the receiving spaces.
Preferably, the crossover has a disk-like shape, viewed in the direction of displacement, which projects through openings that extend in slot-like form in the direction of displacement. This on the one hand has the result that the openings exhibit a smaller cross-sectional area, which is an advantage especially with respect to the tight closing of the receiving spaces that hold the flexible bags of the multi-component compound. On the other hand, the disk-like shape of the crossover, in the direction of displacement, additionally provides high stability and optimum seating and guidance for the crossover.
Preferably, the openings, which extend in slot-like shape in axial direction, are closed off by articulated sealing members that can be opened and closed by an axial movement of the crossover.
The crossover is supported for sliding movement on support elements arranged between the two cylindrical receiving spaces and extending, preferably in the form of a line, in the direction of displacement. These support elements may cons
Cartagena Melvin A.
Darby & Darby
Kress-Elektrik GmbH & Co.
Shoap Allan N.
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