An applicator assembly for use with a hot melt adhesive dispensing system and methods of using the same

Abstract

An applicator assembly for use with a filament adhesive hot melt dispensing system and method of using the same includes an applicator body having a heating manifold, a tubular sleeve with an internal compartment. In one embodiment the tubular sleeve is configured to be disposed within an opening through the heating manifold. The assembly may also include an auger configured to be disposed within at least a portion of the tubular sleeve and a check valve configured to move from an open position to a closed position. In one embodiment, the auger comprises an internal bore having a proximal end and a distal end, and a return hole formed in the proximal end of the internal bore and configured to provide fluid communication from a threaded external surface of the auger to the internal bore; the check valve including a spring and a check ball disposed within at least a portion of the distal end of the internal bore.

Description

Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOeAN APPLICATOR ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH A HOT MELT ADHESIVE DISPENSING SYSTEM AND METHODS OF USING THE SAMERELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 709,066, entitled An Applicator Assembly for Use with a Hot Melt Adhesive Dispensing, filed October 18, 2024, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.RELATED TECHNOLOGY

[0002] The disclosure relates to an applicator assembly for use with a hot melt adhesive dispensing system. Specifically, this disclosure relates to an applicator assembly and control system that is configured to receive and dispense an amount of filament-coated hot melt adhesive.BACKGROUND

[0003] Certain dispensing systems include the use of filament coated or covered hot melt adhesives, such as an extrudable tape adhesive material. Typically, as the filament coated material enters the barrels or sleeves of applicators of these dispensing systems, it is melted using conduction heating from an external heater located in a manifold surrounding the barrel. It is then quickly dispensed, sometimes without the adhesive coming to a desired setpoint temperature. It would be beneficial to provide an applicator assembly that improved the homogeneity of the melted material, improving rate at which the entire mass of hot melt is heated before it exits the applicator heating manifold to the dispensing module.SUMMARY

[0004] An applicator assembly for use with a filament adhesive hot melt dispensing system includes an applicator body having a heating manifold, a tubular sleeve with an internal compartment. In one embodiment the tubular sleeve is configured to be disposedAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe within an opening through the heating manifold. The assembly may also include an auger configured to be disposed within at least a portion of the tubular sleeve and a check valve configured to move from an open position to a closed position. In one embodiment, the auger comprises an internal bore having a proximal end and a distal end, and a return hole formed in the proximal end of the internal bore and configured to provide fluid communication from a threaded external surface of the auger to the internal bore; the check valve including a spring and a check ball disposed within at least a portion of the distal end of the internal bore.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method for controlling a material fill level within an applicator assembly includes, at a hardware controller having a processor and an interface, obtaining input parameters associated with controlling the fill level within an internal compartment of the applicator assembly for a hot melt dispensing system, the input parameters including, but not limited to a target speed reading of an auger within the internal compartment for a desired fill level of the internal compartment at a current pressure set point and an actual auger speed reading within the internal compartment. The method further includes using the input parameters to determine an average speed necessary to maintain a desired pressure setpoint; comparing the average speed to the target speed from the input parameters to determine a difference: using the difference to determine a material level deviation from the desired fill level; and in response to the determination of level deviation, adjusting a material feed rate into the internal compartment.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0001] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of an example filament adhesive dispensing system.

[0002] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the applicator assembly for the filament adhesive dispensing system of Figure 1.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0003] Figure 3 is a left side perspective cross-sectional view of the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0004] Figure 4 is a right rear perspective detail view of the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0005] Figure 5 is a left rear perspective detail view of the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0006] Figure 6 is an exploded view of an inlet manifold, sleeve, and heating manifold for use with the applicator assembly of Figure 2.

[0007] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the heating manifold shown in Figure 6.

[0008] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the applicator assembly shown in Figure2.

[0009] Figure 9 is a perspective view- of an auger for use with the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0010] Figure 10 is a cross sectional view' of the auger of Figure 9.

[0011] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view' of a portion of the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0012] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the applicator assembly shown in Figure 2.

[0013] Figure 13 is graph comparing the amount of material dispensed from full level in grams to the extruder speed required to maintain the set pressure within the applicator assembly sleeve. The differences in dashed vs. solid line shows the set point pressure downstream of the auger and before the inlet of the gear pump. The difference in blue and red is the effect of thinning of the material over 1 minute.

[0014] Figure 14 is a graph comparing the pressure setting (in psi) to the extruder speed needed to maintain the extruder speed.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0015] Figure 15 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method of controlling the feed rate for a filament adhesive into an applicator assembly.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Numerous details are described in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example implementations shown in the drawings. However, the drawings merely show some example aspects of the present disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other effective aspects and / or variants do not include all of the specific details described herein. Moreover, well-known systems, methods, components, devices and circuits have not been described in exhaustive detail so as not to obscure more pertinent aspects of the example implementations described herein.

[0017] An applicator assembly and control system for use with a filament adhesive dispensing system having improved melt rate control is provided. In one embodiment, the applicator assembly may be used to condition the temperature and pressure of hot melt adhesive material to a predetermined set point between dispensing cycles, allowing the user to achieve greater precision of hot melt application at lower dispensing rates.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, in one embodiment an adhesive dispensing system 100 for tabletop applications may include the use of filament coated hot melt adhesive, such as the 3M™ VHB™ Extrudable Tape. In one embodiment, the dispensing system 100 may be suitable for use with tabletop scale applications. The system 100 may include a chassis or cart 102 configured to house a hardware controller 104, a pair of filament spindles 106 and 108, a controller 110, a material hose 112 configured to feed the filament coated adhesive from the chassis 102 to an applicator assembly 114. As shown in Figure 1, the applicator assembly may be supported and moved using an automated robotic 116, however it shouldAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe be understood that any suitable mechanism for supporting and moving the applicator assembly, relative to a substrate 118, is contemplated.

[0019] Hardware controller 104 is configured to execute specialized software for automatically adjusting the feed rate of the room temperature filament into the dispensing system 100 in order to maintain a desired fill level with the applicator assembly 114. In some implementations, hardware controller 104 may include a programable logic controller (PLC), a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, a dedicated specialized controller, etc.

[0020] One example of a suitable dispensing system is theNordson ProBond™ Adhesive System, however one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that any suitable filament adhesive dispensing system may be configured to be used with the applicator assembly described herein.

[0021] Referring now to Figures 2-6, an applicator assembly 114 is provided. The applicator assembly 1 14 may be used to heat and dispense a precise amount of hot melt adhesive at a set temperature and pressure. The assembly 114 may include, among other standard components, an extruder motor 120 configured to feed the filament (not shown) through an adhesive inlet 122, to an unheated inlet manifold 124, and then to a sleeve 126 disposed within a heating manifold 128, where the filament is ground into pieces and melted to form the hot melt adhesive. Once melted to a predetermined pressure and temperature within the sleeve 126 (described below), the applicator assembly 114 uses a gear pump 130 to pump the hot melt from the sleeve 126 to the dispensing module 132, where it is precisely dispensed on to a substrate. In one embodiment, the dispensing module 132 may be an AG- 900+, commercially available fromNordson Corporation. It should be appreciated that other suitable dispensing modules may be used.

[0022] Referring specifically to Figure 6, in one embodiment, the sleeve 126 is an elongated tube-like structure configured to fit within an internal bore 134 within the inletAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe manifold 124 and an internal bore 136 within the heating manifold 128. As shown in Figure 7, in one embodiment, the heating manifold 128 includes a heating element 144 configured to heat the body of the heating manifold 128 to a set temperature and a temperature sensor 146 configured to turn the heating element 144 on and off as it reaches the predetermined temperature. In one embodiment, the heating element 144 is a cartridge heater or other suitable heating mechanism.

[0023] Referring again to Figure 6, in one embodiment, the sleeve 126 further includes an extruder opening 138 configured to align with an opening 140 in the inlet manifold 124. As the filament enters the inlet 122, as shown in Figure 2, it passes through the unheated openings 140 and 138 into an internal compartment within the sleeve 126. And, because at least a lower portion 142 of the sleeve 126 is fitted within the heating manifold 128, the sleeve 126 is heated by the surrounding metal of the heating manifold 128 using conduction heat. In one embodiment, the heating manifold 128, and therefore the inner sleeve 126, has a set temperature of about 400°F.

[0024] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the applicator assembly 114 through the inlet manifold 124, the heating manifold 128, and the sleeve 126. In one embodiment, an auger 148 (or extruder) is disposed within the sleeve 126. The sleeve 126 and auger 148 may be any suitable material. In one embodiment, the sleeve and auger are made of a steel material.

[0025] As shown in Figure 9 and 10, the auger 148 includes a tapered exterior surface having a spiralized thread 150, a stepped inner bore 152, a return opening 154, and a plurality of teeth 156 formed into at least an upper portion of the thread. The plurality of teeth 156 are configured to grip and tear the filament to pieces as it enters the extruder opening 138 of the sleeve 126 and to guide the pieces of filament down the heated inner length of the sleeve 126 toward the distal portion 162 of the auger 148.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0026] The auger 148 may also include a proximal end portion 158 configured to fit within a thrust bearing 160, as shown in Figures 8 and 12. When fitted within the thrust bearing 160, the tapered shape of the auger 148, combined w ith the forces of gravity and the viscosity of the hot melt material, maintain the position of the auger 148 within the sleeve 126, as shown in Figure 12.

[0027] Referring now7to Figures 9, 10, and 11, in one embodiment, the auger 148 is configured to spin in a direction that facilitates the helical movement of the pieces of filament in a downward direction (A) between the heated inner wall of the sleeve 126 and the threaded exterior surface 150 of the auger 148, melting and mixing the pieces and recirculating the mixture of adhesive in a closed loop through the inner bore 152 and out of the return hole 154 at the proximal end of the bore 152, as shown by the line P.

[0028] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the applicator assembly 1 14 also includes a check valve including a spring 164 and a check ball 166 disposed within at least a portion of the bore 152. In one embodiment, the bore 152 includes an upper shoulder against which the proximal portion of the spring 164 rests. The check ball 1 6 is disposed at the base of the spring 164. In one embodiment, the spring 1 4 has a predetermined cracking pressure, at which the valve is configured to open. In one embodiment, the cracking pressure may be between 200 psi and 600 psi.

[0029] As the auger 148 spins, additional material enters the inlet 122, and the pressure builds within the sleeve 126. Once the pressure within the sleeve 126 meets the predetermined cracking pressure, the check ball 166 is configured to move from a first, closed, position to a second, open, position. When the check valve is in an open position, the melted adhesive spinning within the sleeve 126 enters the bore 152 of the auger 148 and travels from a high pressure zone disposed toward the base of the bore 152 to a low pressure zone at the return hole 154, facilitating the recirculation of the adhesive in a closed loop outAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe of the return hole 154, within the sleeve 126 along path P. The continuous recirculation and shearing of the adhesive within the sleeve in a closed loop adds to the temperature of the adhesive and surrounding sleeve and heating manifold. In one embodiment, the heater in the heating manifold may turn off as the adhesive reaches the predetermined temperature. The temperature may be maintained by a combination of the conduction heat from the heater and the shearing of the adhesive by the auger.

[0030] Referring now to Figure 12, the material within the sleeve 126 is in fluid communication with the gear pump 130 via a pressurized gear pump inlet channel 168. The inlet channel 168 may also include a pressure sensor 170 configured to monitor the pressure within the channel 168. In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 170 within the chancel 168 is set below the cracking pressure of the check valve spring 164. As mentioned above, the material within the sleeve 126 may be deadheaded within the channel 168 when the inlet 172 to the gear pump 130 (see Figure 11) is closed. When the inlet 172 is opened, the adhesive material in the channel 168 flows into the gear pump 130 at a pressure predetermined by the pressure sensor 170. The gear pump 130 then senses and optimizes the pressure of the material within the pump 130 using gear pump inlet and outlet pressure sensors 174 and 176 (Figure 4). The material is then transferred to the dispensing module 132 via an outlet 178 from the gear pump 130 through the heating manifold 128 to an inlet to the module 180 at a predetermine rate (Figures 3-6).

[0031] In yet another embodiment, the applicator assembly 114, as shown in Figure 12, may also include a temperature sensor 182 disposed at the base of the sleeve 126, beneath the auger 148. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 182 may be used to monitor the temperature of the material within the sleeve to ensure that the material itself, rather than the heating manifold, is maintained at an optimal set point. A person of skill in the art would appreciate that any suitable temperature sensor may be used. Once the temperature sensorAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe182 determines that the material is about 5-10° from set temperature, the system may be switched to pressure control, continuing to spin the auger 148 at a rate sufficient to maintain a set pressure, for example about 300 psi.

[0032] In one embodiment, referring generally to Figures 2-12, the applicator assembly 114 is used to control the rate at which room temperature filament-coated hot melt adhesive is melted with a dispensing system. In this embodiment, filament adhesive enters the inlet 122 of the applicator assembly 114, where it is fed at a feed rate determined into an internal chamber disposed within a sleeve 126. As it is fed into the sleeve 126, it is broken into pieces, melted, and mixed by an auger 148 within the sleeve 126. The applicator assembly is configured to flow the melting adhesive material from the inlet of the sleeve 126, dow n along the outside of the spinning auger (between the inner wall of the sleeve 126 and the exterior threated surface 150 of the auger 148) along line A, where it is melted by both conduction heat from the heated side wall of the sleeve 126 and shear forces created by the spinning auger 148. As more adhesive material is 11 ow ed into the sleeve 126, and the auger 148 continues to spin at a rate sufficient to increase both the pressure and the temperature of the molten adhesive material, pressure builds within the sleeve 126 to create a high pressure zone sufficient to open a check valve disposed with the auger bore 152 at the base of the auger 148.

[0033] As the pressure reaches the cracking pressure of the spring 164 within the check valve, the check valve will open, moving a check ball 166 from a closed position to an open position. Melting material will enter the bore 152 and move from the high pressure zone at the base of the auger 148 to a low pressure zone at the top of the bore 152. If the pressure is great enough, the molten material will flow through a return opening 154 and be recirculated along line P. as shown in Figure 11.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0034] This process will continue until the user initiates dispensing by opening the inlet 172 to the gear pump 130, which is configured to draw adhesive from the sleeve 126, into the gear pump 130 at a first pressure and temperature, and to dispense the material from its outlet 178 at a dispense rate set by the user. Once dispensing has stopped, the dispensing system will stop feeding filament into the inlet 122. However, the applicator assembly is configured to continue to recirculate material along line P from the high pressure zone at the base of the auger to the low pressure zone in order to induce additional shear, causing the material to remain at or within about 5-10° of set temperature. Once the recirculating material reaches set temperature, the dispensing system is configured to slow the auger 148 to a speed configured to maintain the set temperature. It should be appreciated that the auger speed may vary throughout this process in order to both achieve and maintain the user’s desired set temperature.

[0035] It has been found that spin rate (in RPMs) of the auger 148 necessary to maintain a certain pressure setpoint is directly dependent on the material level in the sleeve 126. Therefore, in another embodiment, the dispensing system 100 is configured to monitor and control the fill level of the compartment within the sleeve 126. Referring now to Figures 9 and 12, it has been determined that the amount of material within the sleeve 126 should be kept at a level sufficient to keep the molten adhesive from backing up out of the sleeve inlet 138 and to allow the molten material exiting the return hole 154 to flow freely along the recirculation path P. However, if the level of material is too low, the auger 148 has to spin at undesirably high levels in order to create enough shear and pressure within the sleeve to flow the material through the recirculation path P.

[0036] A level control routine was configured to calculate the target auger speed based on a desired (ideal) material level and the current pressure setpoint. Referring to Figure 13,Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe in one embodiment, it was found that the desired fdl level (L) was about 8% to about 35% from full (i.e. where the material enters the sleeve inlet 138), as show n in Figure 9. It should be understood that the molten material will have a certain viscosity, which induces resistance as the auger is turning. At about 8.2% from full, more material will be in the sleeve, causing increased resistance. At 35% from full, less material will cause decreased resistance, necessitating the auger to spin faster to maintain the set pressure (i.e. the cracking pressure of the check valve). Similarly, the auger should slow as the level of material increases to 8% from full. Therefore, using the rate at which the auger must spin to maintain the desired pressure can be used to determine the fill level of the sleeve, as show n in Figure 13.

[0037] In some implementations, the hardware controller 104 (Figure 1) may be configured to execute a specialized software algorithm to obtain input parameters associated with the fill level of the material within the applicator assembly 114. In some implementations, input parameters may include the set points for temperature and pressure and the spin rate of an auger disposed within the assembly. In response, hardware controller 104 executing the software algorithm controls the feed rate of the filament adhesive from the chassis to the applicator assembly.

[0038] In one example, it has been found, as shown in Figure 14, that at 200 psi the optimal turns after the gear pump valve closes is 7 rpm (grey / middle line). At 500 psi the optimal turns after the valve closes is 23.5 rpm (grey / middle line). It was determined that proportional control is necessary to correct the error, with the max single correction shown in orange and blue lines. In one embodiment, the correction factor necessary to produce optimal spin rates of the auger was about 0.7 if less material is needed to optimize fill level and about 1.2 if more material is needed to optimize fill levels.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0039] Figure 15 is a flowchart representation of an exemplary method 1000 that enables the automatic control of the feed rate with respect to the fill level within the sleeve. In some implementations, the method 1000 is performed by a hardware controller with an interface, such as a controller, a PLC, server device, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, the method 1000 is performed by processing logic, including hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the method 1000 is performed by processing logic, including hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. In some implementations, the method 1000 is performed by a processor executing code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory). Each of the blocks in the method 1000 may be enabled and executed in any order.

[0040] At block 1002, after the dispense is finished and dispense valve from the gear pump is closed, the control system is run in closed loop pressure control mode at block 1004 to calculate the target speed for the ideal level at the current pressure set point at block 1006. At block 1008, five seconds later (to avoid system reaction the transient pressure spike), the method 1000 obtains auger speed readings at block 1010 every 250 milliseconds 1012. The method 1000 may repeat this step for a total of 20 readings at block 1014.

[0041] Using these readings, the method 1000 determines the average speed necessary to maintain the pressure setpoint 1016a. The method 1000 compares this average speed to the previously calculated target speed from block 1006 at block 1016b. The method 1000 uses the difference between these two speeds (calculated at blocks 1006 and 1016) to obtain the matenal level deviation from the desired level. Based on the direction and the size of this deviation (between about 0.7 and 1.2), the method 1000 adjusts the material feed rate higher or lower than the dispense rate in an attempt to bring the material level in the sleeve closer to the ideal value at block 1018.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0042] Aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”

[0043] The present invention may be a system, a method, and / or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

[0044] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non- exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe

[0045] Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area netw ork, a wide area network and / or a wireless network. The netw ork may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing apparatus receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0046] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, spark, R language, or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a w ide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA). orAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry', in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

[0047] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, device (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.

[0048] These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing device, and / or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0049] The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable device or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on theAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe computer, other programmable device, or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0050] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality7, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be accomplished as one step, executed concurrently, substantially concurrently, in a partially or wholly temporally overlapping manner, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry' out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0051] The hardware controller may include a processor, an input device / sensors coupled to the processor, an output device coupled to the processor, and memory devices each coupled to the processor. The input device / sensors may be, inter aha, a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, a touchscreen, any type of sensors, etc. Output devices may be, inter alia, a pnnter, a plotter, a computer screen, a magnetic tape, a removable hard disk, a floppy disk, etc. The memory devices may be, inter alia, a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical storage such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), etc. The memory device includes aAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe computer code. The computer code includes algorithms (e.g., the algorithm of Figure 15) for improving software / hardware implemented controller technology associated with automatic control of an the feed rate relative to the desired fill level of the applicator assembly. The processor executes the computer code. The memory device includes input data. The input data includes input required by the computer code. The output device displays output from the computer code. Either or both memory devices (or one or more additional memory' devices such as ROM device or firmware) may include algorithms (e.g., the algorithm of Figure 15) and may be used as a computer usable medium (or a computer readable medium or a program storage device) having a computer readable program code embodied therein and / or having other data stored therein, wherein the computer readable program code includes the computer code. Generally, a computer program product (or, alternatively, an article of manufacture) of the hardware device may include the computer usable medium (or the program storage device).

[0052] In some embodiments, rather than being stored and accessed from a hard drive, optical disc or other writeable, rewriteable, or removable hardware memory' device, stored computer program code (e g., including algorithms) may be stored on a static, nonremovable, read-only storage medium such as a Read-Only Memory (ROM) device or firmware, or may be accessed by processor directly from such a static, nonremovable, ROM device or firmware. Similarly, in some embodiments, stored computer program code may be stored as computer-readable ROM device or firmware, or may be accessed by processor directly from such ROM device or firmware, rather than from a more dynamic or removable hardware memory device 1814, such as a hard drive or optical disc.

[0053] It should be appreciated that any configuration of hardware and software, as would be known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, may be utilized for the purposesAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe stated supra in conjunction with the particular hardware device. For example, the memory devices may be portions of a single memory device rather than separate memory devices.

[0054] This written description sets forth the best mode of carry ing out the invention and describes the invention so as to enable a person of ordinary7skill in the art to make and use the invention, by presenting examples of the elements recited in the claims. The detailed descriptions of those elements do not impose limitations that are not recited in the claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOeWhat is claimed is:

1. An applicator assembly for use with a filament adhesive hot melt dispensing system, the assembly comprising: an applicator body comprising a heating manifold, a tubular sleeve having an internal compartment and configured to be disposed within an opening through the heating manifold, an auger configured to be disposed within at least a portion of the tubular sleeve, and a check valve configured to move from an open position to a closed position; wherein the auger comprises an internal bore having a proximal end and a distal end, and a return hole formed in the proximal end of the internal bore and configured to provide fluid communication from a threaded external surface of the auger to the internal bore; and wherein the check valve comprises a spring and a check ball disposed within at least a portion of the distal end of the internal bore.

2. The applicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises a gear pump comprising an inlet opening, wherein the inlet opening is configured to be in fluid communication with the internal compartment of the tubular sleeve; and wherein the gear pump is configured to receive heated hot melt adhesive from the applicator body at a first pressure and to dispense the molten hot melt adhesive at a predetermined flow rate.

3. The applicator assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly further comprises a dispensing module configured to receive the molten hot melt adhesive from an outlet opening in the gear pump at the predetermined flow rate.

4. The applicator assembly of claim 1 further comprising an inlet manifold, wherein at least a portion of the tubular sleeve is disposed within the inlet manifold and a second portion of the sleeve is disposed within the heating manifold; and wherein the heatingAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe manifold is configured to heat an outer sidewall of the tubular sleeve to a preset temperature.

5. The applicator assembly of claim 4, wherein the auger is configured to spin within the sleeve at a rate sufficient to produce within the hot melt adhesive fed into the internal compartment of the sleeve.

6. The applicator assembly of claim 2, wherein the inlet opening in the gear pump is fluidly connected to the internal compartment of the sleeve by a channel capable of being pressurized by a buildup of the molten hot melt material within the internal compartment.

7. The applicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the applicator body further comprises a temperature sensor disposed toward the distal end of the internal bore of the auger; wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the hot melt adhesive within the internal compartment of the sleeve.

8. The applicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the applicator assembly is configured to receive the hot melt adhesive at a predetermined feed rate determined by a hardware control system; and wherein the hardware control system is capable of automatically adjusting a fill level within the internal compartment based on a speed at which the auger is spinning.

9. The applicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly is configured to maintain the hot melt adhesive within the internal compartment of the sleeve at a desired temperature and pressure using a combination of conduction and shear-force heating.

10. A method for controlling a material fill level within an applicator assembly comprising: at a hardware controller having a processor and an interface; obtaining input parameters associated with controlling the fill level within an internal compartment of the applicator assembly for a hot melt dispensing system, theAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe input parameters comprising a target speed reading of an auger within the internal compartment for a desired fill level of the internal compartment at a current pressure set point, and an actual auger speed reading within the internal compartment; using the input parameters to determine an average speed necessary' to maintain a desired pressure setpoint; comparing the average speed to the target speed from the input parameters to determine a difference; using the difference to determine a material level deviation from the desired fill level; and in response to the determination of level deviation, adjusting a material feed rate into the internal compartment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the applicator assembly further comprises: an applicator body comprising a heating manifold, the internal compartment disposed within a tubular sleeve, the sleeve configured to be disposed within an opening through the heating manifold, and a check valve configured to move from an open position to a closed position; wherein the auger comprises an internal bore having a proximal end and a distal end, and a return hole formed in the proximal end of the internal bore and configured to provide fluid communication from a threaded external surface of the auger to the internal bore; and wherein the check valve comprises a spring and a check ball disposed within at least a portion of the distal end of the internal bore.

12. The method of claim 1 1, wherein the assembly further comprises a gear pump comprising an inlet opening, wherein the inlet opening is configured to be in fluid communication with the internal compartment of the tubular sleeve; and wherein the gearAttorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe pump is configured to receive heated hot melt adhesive from the applicator body at a first pressure and to dispense the molten hot melt adhesive at a predetermined flow rate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the assembly further comprises a dispensing module configured to receive the molten hot melt adhesive from an outlet opening in the gear pump at the predetermined flow rate.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising an inlet manifold, wherein at least a portion of the tubular sleeve is disposed within the inlet manifold and a second portion of the sleeve is disposed within the heating manifold; and wherein the heating manifold is configured to heat an outer sidewall of the tubular sleeve to a preset temperature.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the auger is configured to spin within the sleeve at a rate sufficient to produce within the hot melt adhesive fed into the internal compartment of the sleeve.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the inlet opening in the gear pump is fluidly connected to the internal compartment of the sleeve by a channel capable of being pressurized by a buildup of the molten hot melt material within the internal compartment.

17. The method of claim 1 1 , wherein the applicator body further comprises a temperature sensor disposed toward the distal end of the internal bore of the auger; wherein the temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the hot melt adhesive within the internal compartment of the sleeve.

18. The method of claim 1 1, wherein the applicator assembly is configured to receive the hot melt adhesive at a predetermined feed rate determined by the hardware controller; and wherein the hardware controller is capable of automatically adjusting a fill level within the internal compartment based on a speed at which the auger is spinning.Attorney Docket No. 006641-01199WOe19. The method of claim 11, wherein the assembly is configured to maintain the hot melt adhesive within the internal compartment of the sleeve at a desired temperature and pressure using a combination of conduction and shear-force heating.

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