Elastic Nozzle Tip for Uniform Sealant Bead Formation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealant application methods require high manual dexterity and often result in lateral smears, uneven bead formation, and material waste, especially in corner joints and overhead applications, due to the need for precise nozzle guidance and multiple application steps.
Innovation Solution
A sealant application nozzle featuring an elastic structured rubber shaping segment and a guide system that adjusts to adhesion surfaces, ensuring a sealed application area and pressure point feedback for consistent bead formation, allowing for one-step application without lateral smears and reducing material waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a tapered plastic nozzle is used for sealant application, then the nozzle can be easily adjusted by cutting, but high manual dexterity is required to guide the nozzle and avoid lateral smears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane at the nozzle tip that can elastically deform to conform to the joint geometry. This membrane replaces the rigid cut plastic nozzle approach, automatically adapting to different joint widths and angles without requiring manual cutting or high skill level guidance, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle design incorporates a flexible membrane whose shape and opening size can dynamically change based on pressure and joint geometry. This parameter change allows the nozzle to self-adjust to different application conditions without manual intervention, eliminating the need for skilled guidance while maintaining manufacturability
2Adaptability or versatility
If the nozzle is tilted to adapt to joint geometry, then the application can accommodate different joint angles, but the face of the sealant bead becomes uneven and the bead appears curvy
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane is designed with a curved or spherical geometry that allows it to conform to various joint angles while maintaining a consistent sealant discharge angle. This curvature enables the membrane to adapt to different joint geometries without tilting the entire nozzle body, thus preserving bead face evenness while achieving joint angle adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane can elastically deform to match the joint angle and geometry, allowing the nozzle to adapt to different joint configurations. The membrane's flexibility ensures that the sealant is discharged at the correct angle relative to the joint surfaces, maintaining bead face evenness while accommodating various joint angles
3Reliability
If excess sealant is discharged laterally due to improper nozzle guidance, then the joint can be sealed, but the excessive sealant requires time-consuming removal
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane creates a precise seal at the joint interface by conforming to the joint geometry, directing all sealant flow into the joint gap. This eliminates lateral discharge of excess sealant, maintaining sealing effectiveness while preventing the formation of removable excess material, thus eliminating the time-consuming cleanup step
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane automatically adjusts its position and shape based on the joint geometry and discharge pressure, self-regulating the sealant flow to match the joint's absorption capacity. This self-adjusting mechanism ensures that sealant is only discharged where needed, eliminating the need for manual removal of excess material
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 enables easy, one-step formation of a smooth sealant bead in corner joints and overhead applications, compensating for construction tolerances, reducing manual skill requirements, and minimizing material loss, while allowing for central sealant bead joint creation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic structured rubber shaping segment (14) which is positioned by a guide system that flexibly adjusts to the adhesion surfaces (3)
Implementation Method 2
these are designed to ensure that they can be applied to/inserted into the area to be sealed via an application nozzle under pressure. After the—usually manual—sealant application, these materials quickly adhere to the application substrate.
Implementation Method 3
The sealant paste is pressed through the nozzle as uniformly as possible in which process the nozzle is moved at an adequate guiding speed so that the desired triangular cross-section is filled with the sealant.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an application nozzle (5.) for plastic sealants in a pasty form which can be easily and uniformly guided. The functional principle of the invention relates to a molding region (14.) made of an elastic structured rubber (8.) which is positioned by a guiding system, flexibly adapts to the adhesive surfaces, and has a pressure point-developing effect as a result of the molding region (14.) being sealed laterally or to the front (in the guide direction). By means of the pressure resistance, which changes noticeably to the user, in the counter-pressure of the hand lever during a manual application process using a conventional application pistol, the actuation of the hand lever becomes a simple control variable, from which a flawless visible surface results in a work process which is easy to control. The sealant material can be applied horizontally and vertically, as well as in an overhead position, in an approximately loss-free manner. The guiding system of the application nozzle (5.) consists of two contact bodies ((16.) and (21.)). By virtue of the dual function of the second contact body (21.), a central sealant abutment can be produced.