Glutinous Substance Applicator with Sensor-Actuated Plunger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual application of glutinous substances like sealants and adhesives to surfaces is time-consuming and difficult to achieve uniformly and consistently.
Innovation Solution
An applicator system with a body featuring a first channel oriented at an angle, a sensor port, a plunger, and an actuator that allows for precise control of the glutinous substance flow based on detected characteristics, enabling efficient delivery to complex surface features and ensuring consistent application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual techniques are used to apply glutinous substances, then flexibility and simplicity are maintained, but uniformity, repeatability, and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is divided into distinct functional modules: a body housing containing the channel and sensor, a plunger mechanism for controlled dispensing, and a tip for application. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system manageability and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor is integrated into the first channel to detect characteristics of the glutinous substance during flow. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and adjustment of dispensing parameters, ensuring uniform and repeatable application while automating the process.
2Productivity
If manual application methods are used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator incorporates a movable plunger with a gate that can be dynamically adjusted between open and closed positions. This dynamic control mechanism enables rapid response to sensor feedback, allowing high-speed automated operation while maintaining precise control over the dispensing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical control of substance flow is replaced with an automated system combining sensors to detect substance characteristics and an actuated plunger mechanism. This substitution eliminates manual operation, significantly increasing productivity while the integrated design keeps the overall system complexity manageable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the inlet portion is oriented at an angle to the outlet portion, then adaptability to complex surface features improves, but internal flow path complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The angled inlet portion is nested within the body housing, with the channel configured to bend at angles while remaining contained within the compact applicator structure. This nesting approach allows the channel to achieve the necessary angular orientation for accessing complex surface features without proportionally increasing the overall device size or external complexity.
Data Source
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Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
An applicator (102) for delivering a glutinous substance (168) to a workpiece (170) from an end-effector (101) is disclosed. The applicator (102) comprises a body (110) and a plunger (186). The plunger (186) comprises a gate (118), movable within an outlet portion (182) of a first channel (115) of the body (110) between, inclusively, an open position, allowing the glutinous substance (168) to flow from an inlet (116) of the first channel (115) to an outlet (117) of the first channel (115) and a closed position, preventing the glutinous substance (168) from flowing from the inlet (116) of the first channel (115) to the outlet (117) of the first channel (115). The applicator (102) further comprises an actuator (131), selectively operable to move the plunger (186) such that the gate (118) moves between, inclusively, the open position and the closed position.