Liquid Application Device with Integrated Feed Means
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for applying a liquid product onto a laminate element, such as paper sheets, face challenges including limited operator access for maintenance and cleaning, cumbersome residue collection tanks, inaccurate level sensors due to contamination, and bulky feed ducts that hinder maintenance operations, posing health risks and increasing maintenance time.
Innovation Solution
A device with integrated feed means within the bottom element, allowing for direct access and reduced size, featuring a duct with outlet and inlet openings for uniform product distribution, a movable carriage for adjusting the product layer thickness, and a sensor installed directly on the doctor blade for accurate level detection without disassembly, along with sliding lateral containment elements for easier maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pipe is arranged above the doctor blade to supply liquid product, then the device can feed the bonding agent into the containment volume, but the feed duct becomes bulky and hinders maintenance operations
Solution Approach 1:
The feed means are integrated into the bottom element itself, merging the feeding function with the structural component. The bottom element includes feed means for feeding the liquid product directly into the containment volume, eliminating the need for a separate bulky pipe structure above the doctor blade.
2Ease of operation
If the sensor is installed away from the containment volume, then it is easier to access for cleaning, but contamination from residues affects measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the sensor away from the containment volume to facilitate cleaning, the sensor is integrated directly into the bottom element within the containment volume. This inverted approach places the sensor in the most accurate position for measurement while the modular design allows for easy removal and cleaning of the entire bottom element assembly.
3Device complexity
If the lateral containment elements are fixed in position, then the device structure is simpler, but maintenance requires disassembly of multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral containment elements are made movable along the supporting element rather than being fixed. Each lateral containment element can be independently positioned and locked at different locations, providing both structural simplicity and ease of maintenance access.
4Volume of moving object
If the device components are compactly arranged, then the device size is reduced, but operator access for maintenance becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into modular components including the bottom element with integrated feed means, lateral containment elements that can be independently positioned, and a movable carriage system. This segmentation allows for compact overall arrangement while maintaining easy access to individual components for maintenance.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a device for applying a liquid product (P) onto an element, comprising a supporting element (501r) that supports two lateral containment elements (2) and a bottom element (3) provided with a working edge (3b). The lateral containment elements (2) and the bottom element (3) delimit a containment volume (V) for the liquid product (P) and means (5) for feeding the liquid product, said feed means being arranged inside the bottom element (3). The invention also concerns an apparatus (500) for applying a liquid product onto a preferably laminate element (S).