Seal Gun Distance Feedback for Stable Fastener Cap Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sealant application apparatuses struggle with unstable sealant discharge due to viscosity and elasticity changes, leading to quality variations and defects in cap seals, particularly when sealant composition is affected by short-term environmental factors, and existing solutions complicate the equipment or require costly temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A sealant application apparatus using a seal gun, distance meter, and moving mechanism, controlled by a controller, applies sealant to fasteners by measuring and adjusting the discharge based on real-time distance feedback from a laser distance meter to ensure stable application of sealant, simplifying the equipment and avoiding complex mixing mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a mixing mechanism is added to the seal gun to mix two liquids just before discharging, then the viscosity stability of the sealant is improved, but the device complexity and weight of the seal gun increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mixing function from the seal gun by using a separate mixing container positioned upstream. The sealant is mixed in this external container and then transferred to the seal gun for application, eliminating the need for complex mixing mechanisms within the seal gun itself while maintaining viscosity stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mixing container as a mediator between the raw materials and the seal gun. This container performs the mixing function externally, allowing the seal gun to focus solely on the application function and reducing its structural complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If air conditioning equipment and heaters are added to control temperature and suppress viscosity changes, then the sealant quality stability is improved, but the installation cost and equipment complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-mixing the sealant in a controlled environment before it reaches the application point. The mixing is performed in advance in a separate container, allowing the sealant to achieve stable viscosity before being transferred to the seal gun, eliminating the need for complex temperature control equipment during application.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seal gun weight increases due to added mixing mechanisms, then the sealant mixing capability is improved, but the ease of operation and automation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sealant application system into distinct functional modules: a mixing container for preparation, a transfer mechanism for movement, and a seal gun for application. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, keeping the seal gun lightweight and easy to automate while maintaining mixing capability through the separate container.
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
Enables automatic and stable cap sealing of fasteners with sealant of varying viscosity and elasticity without equipment complexity or quality deterioration, allowing for high-quality sealant application.
Implementation Method 1
a laser distance meter for measuring the thickness of applied liquid, such as sealant, discharged to a workpiece from a nozzle
Implementation Method 2
measuring the thickness of applied liquid... by measuring the distance from a measurement position to a surface of the sealant discharged
Data Source
AI summary
A sealant application apparatus includes a seal gun, a distance meter, a moving mechanism and a controller. The seal gun has a nozzle for discharging sealant toward a fastener. The distance meter is fixed to the nozzle. The distance meter measures a distance from a measurement position to a surface of the sealant. The moving mechanism moves the seal gun relatively to the fastener. The controller controls the moving mechanism and the seal gun. The sealant is started to be discharged out from the seal gun in a state where the nozzle has been positioned to cover the fastener at a position away from a surface of the object by a predetermined distance. Subsequently, the sealant is applied to the fastener under a sealant application condition according to the distance measured by the distance meter while moving the nozzle away from the surface of the object.