Polymeric Nozzle with Resilient Cap for Adhesive Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flowable adhesives, especially reactive and viscous ones, tend to cure and clog nozzles, and can drip or ooze due to viscosity, leading to operational issues and high maintenance costs for metallic valves.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle design featuring a thermally stable hollow body with a resilient cap that snugly contacts a frustoconical cap seat, having an annular sidewall with a slit, and a polymeric material construction that prevents plugging and dripping, allowing for efficient dispensing of heated viscous adhesives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metallic valve with multiple machined or cast parts is placed within the nozzle to prevent dripping or oozing, then the control over adhesive flow is improved, but the cost increases and the valve becomes prone to failure due to adhesive properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, complex metallic valves with a simple, inexpensive polymeric nozzle that can be easily replaced. The entire nozzle is made from a single piece of polymeric material with an integrated frustoconical portion and slit, eliminating the need for costly metallic valve components while maintaining functional effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from metallic to polymeric, and modifies the structural parameters by creating a frustoconical portion with a slit that can be crimped. This allows the nozzle to transition between open and closed states through mechanical deformation of the polymeric material rather than complex valve mechanisms.
2Reliability
If a metallic valve is used to control adhesive flow, then dripping or oozing is prevented, but the maintenance cost increases due to frequent valve failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable polymeric nozzle that eliminates the need for maintenance. When the nozzle becomes clogged or fails, the entire component is replaced rather than repaired, significantly reducing maintenance costs and downtime associated with complex metallic valve systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the nozzle into distinct functional portions: a body portion, a frustoconical portion with a slit, and integrates these in a way that allows the frustoconical portion to be crimped for closing. This segmentation enables simple operational control without complex internal valve mechanisms.
3Temperature
If the vinyl resilient cap softens and deforms at high temperature, then the cap progresses down the conduit, but the slit closes due to compression from the inner wall surface causing plugging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from vinyl resilient cap to a polymeric material with appropriate thermal stability. The frustoconical portion is made from polymeric material that maintains its structural integrity at elevated temperatures, preventing the softening and deformation that causes plugging in vinyl caps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymeric material with specific thermal properties to construct the frustoconical portion, selecting materials that combine flexibility for crimping with thermal stability for high-temperature operation, avoiding the temperature-induced failure modes of vinyl materials.
4Ease of manufacture
If a polymeric nozzle without a valve is used, then the manufacturing cost decreases and the nozzle becomes disposable, but the control over adhesive flow to prevent dripping or oozing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an inexpensive polymeric nozzle that can be manufactured at low cost and disposed of after use. The simplicity of the single-piece construction with integrated frustoconical portion and slit eliminates complex valve components while maintaining adequate flow control for disposable application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic sealing mechanism by crimping the frustoconical portion to close the slit, providing flow control without a traditional valve. The polymeric material's flexibility allows it to be deformed for closing and returns to its original shape for opening, enabling dynamic flow control in a simple structure.
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 nozzle remains operational at high temperatures, prevents plugging and dripping, and can be manufactured inexpensively for disposable use, effectively addressing the challenges of viscous adhesive dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient cap snugly contacting the substantially frustoconical cap seat, the resilient cap comprising an annular sidewall extending from a circular base
Implementation Method 2
viscous flowable adhesives that are heated (e.g., to a temperature of at least 240° F.) in order to dispense them
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle, which is for in at least one embodiment a hot glue gun, has a resilient cap that is positioned within the nozzle's conduit. The resilient cap has at least one slit that serves as a check valve. The invention solves the problem of resilient caps in hot glue guns becoming unseated and wedging in the tapering section of the glue gun nozzle conduit by adding a collar inside the conduit that prevents the base section of the resilient cap from wedging in deeper into the nozzle's conduit, which would otherwise make the valve fail.