Hot Air Welding Nozzle With Segmented Outlet Zones

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing hot-air welding nozzles for sealing sheets, particularly bitumen sheets, are inefficient in terms of welding speed due to limited preheating areas and uneven air distribution, which affects the quality and speed of the welding process.

Innovation Solution

The hot-air welding nozzle features a longer preheating area with forward and rear outlet openings, evenly distributed air outlets, and air ducts to contain hot air, along with a pivotable air brake for efficient air deflection, ensuring consistent and increased heating across the sealing sheets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a conventional hot-air welding nozzle with limited outlet openings is used, then the device structure remains simple, but the welding speed is insufficient due to limited preheating area

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding speedVSAvoidnozzle structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The nozzle is divided into multiple functional zones with different outlet openings: preheating outlet openings at the front, rear outlet openings at the rear, and central outlet openings in the middle. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific heating function independently, increasing overall welding speed without creating a monolithic complex structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a longitudinal dimension to the heating process by adding rear outlet openings that extend the heating action backward along the welding direction. This dimensional extension creates a longer effective preheating area without significantly increasing lateral nozzle dimensions, thus improving welding speed while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If outlet openings are concentrated at one location, then the nozzle structure is simple, but air distribution across the sealing sheet is uneven

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding qualityVSAvoidair outlet distribution system
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The air outlet system is segmented into multiple groups located at different positions: preheating outlets at the front, central outlets in the middle, and rear outlets at the back. This spatial segmentation ensures uniform heat distribution across the entire sealing sheet width and length, improving welding quality through even air distribution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different outlet openings are positioned to address specific local heating needs: preheating outlets target the leading edge, central outlets cover the middle section, and rear outlets address the trailing edge. This localized quality approach ensures each area receives appropriate heating, resulting in uniform welding quality across the entire sheet.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the preheating area is extended, then welding speed increases, but hot air may escape outside the weld area reducing efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding speedVSAvoidhot air loss
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Air ducts serve as intermediary channels that guide hot air from the outlets directly to the sealing sheet surface. These ducts prevent hot air from dispersing into the surrounding environment, ensuring that the extended preheating area along the welding path receives concentrated thermal energy, thus maintaining efficiency while increasing welding speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs air ducts and flow channel structures to control and direct the hot air flow path. By using pneumatic channels to confine and guide the hot air along the extended preheating zone, the system prevents energy loss while maintaining the speed benefits of a longer heating area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

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

This design significantly increases the preheating area and ensures even air distribution, allowing for faster and more efficient welding of sealing sheets by maintaining hot air within the essential weld area, thereby enhancing the welding speed and quality.

Implementation Method 1

The material, delivered in rolls, is guided past a burner device for gaseous or liquid fuels in such a way that the hot burner flames or exhaust gases sweep it in two directions

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal energy transfer: Heating

Implementation Method 2

the hot exhaust gases sweep it in two directions, up and down, parallel to its direction of travel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

so that they adhere to a substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure application: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 4

heating wedge, which is arranged transversely to the length of the bitumen membrane, is essentially surrounded by the bitumen membrane and the concrete surface and heats them in such a way that they weld to one another when they come into contact

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP1900500B1Hot air jet
Publication Date: 2009.02.11 LEISTER PROCESS TECH
  • EP1900500B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1900500B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3f
  • EP1900500B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4f

AI summary

The hot air welding nozzle (5) is for a hot air welding device (1). It has a hot air connection and two heating plates forming an air cavity. and at least one rear-facing outlet aperture between the two heating plates. It also has at least one forward outlet aperture pointing in the direction of motion of the welding device.