Glue Spreading Apparatus with Return Duct and Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current glue spreading apparatuses face inefficiencies in cleaning and maintaining polyurethane glue, leading to production downtime and waste due to reticulation issues, especially during extended breaks, and existing solutions are either costly or ineffective in preventing glue hardening.
Innovation Solution
A glue spreading apparatus with a containment tank and distribution head made of durable materials, featuring a return duct and valves for easy evacuation and maintenance, allowing for continuous operation without disassembly, and maintaining glue temperature through circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the containment tank and distribution head are made of durable materials, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The distribution head is divided into separate components including the containment tank, distribution head body, and return duct assembly. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured independently using appropriate materials and processes, then assembled together, balancing durability requirements with manufacturing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment tank and distribution head are combined into an integrated assembly where the return duct is built-in. This merging creates a reliable, durable structure that maintains glue circulation while being manufacturable as a complete unit or pre-assembled subcomponents.
2Ease of operation
If valves and return duct are added for easy evacuation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The return duct is extracted as a separate, built-in component within the distribution head, allowing glue to be evacuated from the distribution system back to the containment tank. This extraction provides a dedicated evacuation path without requiring complete disassembly, improving ease of operation while maintaining reasonable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The return duct serves multiple functions: it enables glue evacuation during maintenance, facilitates circulation during operation, and provides a pathway for refilling. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems, balancing operational ease with device complexity.
3Duration of action of moving object
If glue circulation is maintained through heating, then the duration of action is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system maintains continuous, gentle heating of the glue in the containment tank and circulation through the return duct. This continuous low-level energy input prevents glue reticulation during extended breaks, extending the usable life of the glue while consuming minimal energy compared to intermittent high-power heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system operates at controlled, moderate temperatures sufficient to maintain glue fluidity without excessive energy consumption. By optimizing the temperature parameter, the system extends glue usability while minimizing energy use, balancing duration of action with energy consumption.
4Productivity
If multiple tanks are used to avoid shutdown, then the productivity is improved, but the loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The return duct enables preliminary evacuation of glue from the distribution head before shutdown or maintenance. This allows near-complete recovery of remaining glue, minimizing waste while maintaining continuous operation capability with a single tank, thus improving productivity without increasing substance loss.
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective cleaning and maintenance, reducing downtime and waste by allowing for easy evacuation of excess glue and maintaining a uniform temperature, thus extending the usable life of polyurethane glue.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element arranged below the collection chamber (20) suitable for maintaining the glue at a uniform and constant spreading temperature
Implementation Method 2
Thanks to the circulation of the glue during normal operation of the apparatus 1 it is possible to keep the same glue at a uniform and constant spreading temperature
Implementation Method 3
a dosaging roller (6) rotating in contact with the same tape
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Glue spreading apparatus, which comprises a containment tank carrying associated heating means to make the glue fluid and a glue distribution head suitable for picking the glue up from the containment tank and for spreading it on a tape through a dosaging roller. The head is provided with a return duct suitable for making the excess glue from the collection chamber defined by the dosaging roller go back into the containment tank. The distribution head carries an associated circulation valve arranged to interfere with the return duct, able to be moved between a first open position, which in normal operating conditions allows the glue to go back into the containment tank transferring the excess from the collection chamber, and a first closed position that prevents the glue from going back into the containment tank determining an overpressure upstream. The distribution head also carries an associated expulsion valve arranged to interfere with the return duct upstream of the circulation valve, which can be moved between a second closed position, which with said circulation valve in the first open position allows the inflow of glue from the collection chamber to the containment tank through the circulation valve, and a second open position, which with the circulation valve in closed position determines the outflow of the glue through an expulsion channel in communication with the return duct.