Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – Including supplemental gas shaping or shielding jet
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-07
2004-11-02
Evans, Robin O. (Department: 3752)
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
Including supplemental gas shaping or shielding jet
C239S291000, C239S292000, C239S294000, C239S296000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06811095
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to hot melt adhesive applicators, and more particularly to a new and improved air cap for hot melt adhesive applicators wherein the new and improved air cap of the present invention is fabricated from a polymer plastic, the new and improved air cap of the present invention is adapted to be threadedly engaged upon the forward end portion of the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly so as to render the mounting and dismounting of air cap components upon the nozzle assembly relatively quick and easy, and the forward end tip portion of the hot melt adhesive applicator dispensing nozzle is effectively disposed at an axially recessed position within the new and improved air cap of the present invention so as not to present a burn hazard to operator personnel when mounting and dismounting air cap components upon the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly in accordance with air cap replacement or exchange operations attendant maintenance procedures or the implementation of different hot melt adhesive deposition patterns.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Different structural arrangements of the various component parts of hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assemblies are of course well-known in the art and industry. For example, a first well-known, conventional PRIOR ART hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly is disclosed within
FIGS. 1 and 2
and is generally indicated by the reference character
10
. The assembly
10
is seen to comprise a tubular hot melt adhesive dispensing nozzle
12
having a discharge port
14
at the downstream end thereof, while the upstream end thereof is seated within a counterbored section
16
of a first downstream axially extending tubular portion
18
of a hot melt adhesive nozzle adapter
20
. A second upstream axially extending tubular portion
22
of the nozzle adapter
20
is externally threaded as at
24
so as to facilitate the mounting of the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly
10
upon a hot melt adhesive applicator gun or similar dispensing implement, not shown, and it is seen that the nozzle adapter
20
and dispensing nozzle
12
are coaxially disposed with respect to each other so as together define an axial passageway
26
through which adhesive material is able to be conducted to the dispensing nozzle discharge port
14
. An O-ring
28
is disposed within an annularly recessed region
30
, defined within the upstream end portion of the dispensing nozzle
12
, so as to interact in a fluid-tight manner with the inner peripheral surface portion
32
of the first downstream axially extending tubular portion
18
of the hot melt adhesive nozzle adapter
20
. An intermediate axial portion of the dispensing nozzle
12
is provided with an annular shoulder portion
34
upon the external peripheral surface thereof, and a radially inwardly projecting annular flanged portion
36
of a nozzle retainer
38
is adapted to be engaged with the shoulder portion
34
of the dispensing nozzle
12
so as to fixedly retain the dispensing nozzle
12
at its seated position within the nozzle adapter
20
. In order to achieve such fixation of the dispensing nozzle
12
, an internally threaded, upstream end portion
40
of the nozzle retainer
38
is threadedly mated with an externally threaded surface portion
42
of the first downstream axially extending tubular portion
18
of the hot melt adhesive nozzle adapter
20
.
As can best be appreciated from
FIG. 1
, the nozzle retainer
38
is provided with three, equiangularly, circumferentially spaced, radially oriented ports
44
, and an air fitting
46
, for supplying swirl air to be used in conjunction with the dispensed hot melt adhesive material, is adapted to be fixedly mated with a selected one of the ports
44
, depending upon spatial orientations or uses of the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly
10
, while a pair of plugs
48
,
48
are fixedly retained within the other two ports
44
within which the air fitting
46
is not fixedly disposed. Dispensing nozzle
12
is conventionally fabricated from a suitable brass composition, and the temperature internally of the dispensing nozzle
12
is conventionally within the range of 300-400° F. In order to therefore prevent the undesirable premature cooling of the dispensing nozzle
12
, an annular stainless steel baffle
50
is radially interposed between the air inlet ports
44
and the outer peripheral surface of the dispensing nozzle
12
so as to prevent the impingement of the incoming air onto the outer peripheral surface of the dispensing nozzle
12
and to conduct the incoming air toward the downstream dispensing tip portion of the dispensing nozzle
12
. It is seen that the upstream end of the baffle member
50
is axially seated upon the radially inwardly projecting annular flanged portion
36
of the nozzle retainer
38
, and in order to retain the baffle member
50
fixedly disposed at such axial position, the forward end of the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly
10
is further provided with an end cap
52
which has a substantially C-shaped cross-sectional configuration and is also fabricated from a suitable brass composition.
An inner peripheral annular surface portion of the axially upstream end portion of the end cap
52
is threaded as at
54
, and an outer peripheral annular surface portion of the axially downstream end portion of the nozzle retainer
38
is also threaded as at
56
. In this manner, when the end cap
52
is threadedly mated with and fully seated upon the nozzle retainer
38
, the radially inner, axially downstream portion
58
of the end cap
52
is seated upon the dispensing tip portion of the dispensing nozzle
12
whereby the baffle member
50
is axially retained between the radially inner portion
58
of the end cap
52
and the radially inwardly projecting annular flanged portion
36
of the nozzle retainer
38
. It is further seen that the radially inner portion
58
of the end cap
52
, through which the dispensing tip portion of the dispensing nozzle
12
projects, is provided with a plurality of substantially axially oriented air passageways
60
through means of which the swirl air, as conducted into the hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly
10
by means of the air fitting
46
and as effectively deflected by means of the baffle member
50
, can be provided in conjunction with the dispensed hot melt adhesive material so as to affect or control the deposition pattern of the dispensed hot melt adhesive material. Still further, it is also noted that the external periphery of the end cap
52
has a substantially hexagonal configuration as may best be appreciated from FIG.
1
.
While the aforenoted hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly
10
has been commercially successful, such an assembly
10
nevertheless exhibits some operational drawbacks from both operational efficiency and personnel safety points of view. For example, it is known in the industry that those structures or components having the swirl air passageways or ports defined therein require periodic maintenance, comprising either replacement of the structures or components or a cleaning of the same, due to the tendency of the swirl air passageways or ports to become clogged or blocked. Alternatively, the structures or components having the swirl air passageways or ports defined therein are desirably replaced so as to alter the particular deposition patterns of the dispensed hot melt adhesive material as affected or controlled by means of the swirl air passageways or ports. In connection with a hot melt adhesive applicator nozzle assembly such as that disclosed at
10
within
FIGS. 1 and 2
, in view of the fact that the end cap
52
is fabricated from a suitable brass composition, the end cap
52
becomes extremely hot thereby necessitating the removal of the same from the assembly
10
by means of a special tool which can grasp the hexagonally shaped end cap
52
. In addition, the presence of such a component at the aforenoted elevated te
Bourget Daniel D.
Donley Paul J.
Evans Robin O.
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Schwartz & Weinrieb
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