Disposable Adhesive Spray Nozzle with Deflector for Water-Based Adhesives

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Solution Overview

Problem

Water-based adhesives pose challenges in cleaning adhesive nozzles and spray applicators due to their inability to self-purge like solvent-based adhesives, leading to increased cleanup time and the need for solvents, and they often require liquid propellants, whereas existing designs struggle with efficient spray patterns and easy maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A disposable adhesive spray nozzle with a unique design featuring a barrel, nozzle tip, and deflector with angled surfaces and curved surfaces to restrict flow, creating a focused fan-shaped spray without liquid propellants, allowing for easy cleaning and quick replacement, and optimized turbulent flow for uniform spray patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If water-based adhesives are used instead of solvent-based adhesives, then environmental friendliness and cost are improved, but cleaning and maintenance become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental harmVSAvoidcleaning ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle is divided into separable components including the nozzle body, nozzle tip, and deflector that can be easily detached from each other. This segmentation allows each component to be quickly removed and cleaned separately, addressing the cleaning difficulty of water-based adhesive nozzles while maintaining environmental benefits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The nozzle is designed as a disposable component that can be easily replaced rather than extensively cleaned and maintained. This approach eliminates the cleaning problem entirely by designing the nozzle for single-use or limited-use cycles, making it economically viable to use with water-based adhesives

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If liquid propellants are used to achieve spray patterns, then spray performance is improved, but cost and environmental friendliness worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespray performanceVSAvoidenvironmental harm

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid propellant is completely removed from the system. Instead of using propellants to achieve spray patterns, the invention uses pressurized air (or alternative gases) combined with carefully designed nozzle geometry including curved surfaces and deflectors to create the desired spray pattern without harmful propellants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The chemical mechanism of liquid propellants is replaced with a mechanical approach using pressurized gas flow and precise nozzle geometry. The curved surfaces and deflectors mechanically shape the adhesive flow into fan-shaped spray patterns, eliminating the need for chemical propellants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If complex nozzle designs are used to achieve uniform spray patterns, then spray quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespray uniformityVSAvoidnozzle complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Curved surfaces are incorporated into the nozzle body and deflector components to naturally guide and shape the adhesive flow. These curved geometries create uniform fan-shaped spray patterns through fluid dynamics rather than requiring complex internal mechanisms, achieving spray uniformity with simpler manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The nozzle components serve multiple functions: the deflector both redirects flow and shapes spray patterns, the curved surfaces simultaneously guide flow and create pressure distribution, and the modular design allows the same basic structure to work with different adhesive viscosities and pressures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The nozzle provides improved spray performance with uniform flow, reduced cleanup time, and the ability to handle low to zero VOC adhesives without solvents, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for water-based adhesives.

Implementation Method 1

a deflector mounted on the first end of the nozzle tip adjacent the spray adhesive outlet, wherein the deflector comprises a first angled surface and a second angled surface, wherein the first angled surface and second angled surface are configured to impinge upon the adhesive spray exiting the outlet for spray adhesive

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid impingement and deflection:

Implementation Method 2

optimized turbulent flow for uniform spray patterns

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTurbulent flow: Turbulence

Data Source

PatentUS20240253068A1Adhesive spray nozzle and methods of using the same

Publication Date: 2024.08.01 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO

AI summary

An adhesive spray nozzle, comprising a nozzle tip having a deflector mounted on the nozzle tip adjacent the spray adhesive outlet, where the deflector includes angled surfaces configured to impinge upon the adhesive spray exiting the outlet for spray adhesive.