Hot Melt Glue Dispenser with Parallel Wire Feeding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hot melt glue dispenser devices for automatic gluing systems are cumbersome, limited in size and weight, and struggle to achieve high molten glue flow rates due to the melting rate barrier, which restricts the diameter and feeding speed of the hot melt solid glue wire, leading to inefficient energy use and bulky melter bodies.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser device with multiple wire feeding units connected to a single melter body, allowing for increased heat exchange and optimized thermal energy use, enabling high molten glue flow rates while maintaining small dimensions and reducing weight, and allowing for easy reconfiguration and interchangeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the diameter of the hot melt solid glue wire is increased to achieve higher molten glue flow rate, then the molten glue temporal rate increases, but the residence time required for complete melting increases, requiring a longer passage or reduced feeding speed which reduces the advantage of greater diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single wire feeding process into multiple parallel wire feeding units (first wire feeding unit, second wire feeding unit, etc.), each feeding a separate hot melt solid glue wire into the melter body simultaneously. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high molten glue flow rates without requiring excessively long passages, as multiple wires melt in parallel rather than sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-dimension approach (one wire, one passage) to a multi-dimensional approach by introducing multiple wire feeding units that feed wires into different regions of the melter body. The melter body is configured with multiple passages or heating zones that process multiple wires simultaneously, effectively adding spatial dimensions to the melting process.
2Reliability
If the passage length in the melter body is increased to allow complete melting of larger diameter wires, then the melting is more thorough, but the melter body becomes too bulky and heavy to be used on an easily interchangeable device
Solution Approach 1:
The melter body is segmented into multiple heating zones or passages, each handling a portion of the total melting load. This allows the overall melting function to be distributed across multiple smaller heating sections rather than requiring one large, heavy continuous passage, reducing the overall weight while maintaining complete melting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple wire feeding units and their associated melting passages are merged into a single integrated melter body structure. This consolidation allows the system to achieve the functionality of multiple separate melters (which would be heavy) in a single optimized unit with shared heating elements and structure, reducing total weight while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If the wire feeding speed is reduced to allow complete melting of larger diameter wires, then the melting is more thorough, but the advantage due to the greater diameter of the wire is reduced or canceled
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the wire feeding and melting process into multiple parallel channels, each handling a wire at optimized feeding speed. The cumulative output of multiple channels at moderate feeding speeds achieves higher total productivity than a single channel could achieve even at reduced speeds, while maintaining complete melting in each channel.
4Weight of stationary object
If a single melter body is used to melt multiple hot melt solid glue wires simultaneously, then the overall dimensions and weight of the device are reduced, but the heat exchange surface area required increases to maintain efficient melting
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heating functions are merged into a single melter body structure, sharing common heating elements, insulation, and support structures. This consolidation reduces the total weight compared to multiple separate melters, while the internal passage design optimizes heat exchange surface area distribution to maintain efficient melting across all wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The melter body incorporates three-dimensional heating zones and passages that maximize heat exchange surface area within a compact volume. By utilizing vertical and radial heating surfaces rather than only linear passages, the design increases effective heat exchange area without proportionally increasing external dimensions or weight.
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 solution achieves a high flow rate of molten glue with reduced energy consumption and compact dimensions, enabling efficient gluing processes and easy integration into automatic systems, while allowing for the simultaneous dispensing of different types or mixed glues.
Implementation Method 1
a melter body (20) connected to all the wire feeding units (100, 200) for melting the hot melt glue as a wire when it passes therethrough
Implementation Method 2
for melting the hot melt glue as a wire (30, 130) when it passes therethrough thus forming molten glue
Implementation Method 3
which receives an amount of heat from the melter body which passes through the outer surface of the solid glue wire and gradually penetrates into the interior of the same
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A dispenser device (1) to melt hot melt solid glue as a wire (30, 130) and to dispense molten glue starting from said hot melt solid glue as a wire, comprising A) a first wire feeding unit (100) comprising a first dragging mechanism (40) for a first solid glue wire (30), a first motor (75) associated with said first dragging mechanism (40); a first connection member (60) made of a thermally insulating material having a tubular shape defining an inner passage (66) for said first solid glue wire (30); B) at least one further wire feeding unit (200) comprising a further dragging mechanism (140) for a further solid glue wire (130), a further tubular connection member (160) made of a thermally insulating material defining an inner passage (166); C) a melter body (20) having a first inlet (21) for said first solid glue wire (30) and at least a second inlet (121) for said at least one further solid glue wire (130), said melter body (20) comprising heating members to melt the first solid glue wire (30) and the at least one further solid glue wire (130); D) at least one dispensing nozzle (70) for molten glue, secured to said melter body (23); E) at least one opening/closure valve (90), driven actuation means (92) to actuate said valve.