Apparatus for dispensing an adhesive

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION For the purpose of the present discussion, the method and apparatus of this invention is described in connection with the dispensing of an adhesive, including hot melt polymeric materials used in adhesive applications.
Hot melt materials are those materials which are normally solid at room or ambient temperature but, when heated, are converted to a liquid state.
It should be understood that the methods and apparatus of this invention are believed to be equally applicable for use in connection with the dispensing of other heated fluid materials, such as waxes, as well as those adhesives which are normally a liquid at room or ambient temperature and therefore do not require heating and are sometimes referred to as cold glue.
Now, with reference to FIG.
1, there is illustrated a dispenser or gun, shown generally by reference numeral 10.
The dispenser 10 includes a dispenser body, otherwise known as a gun module or valve 12, according to one embodiment of this invention, mounted to a service block 14, otherwise known as a manifold.
The service block 14 has an inlet 16, capable of being coupled to an adhesive supply source (not shown) as well as internal fluid passages and an outlet for supplying the adhesive to the module 12 and further contains heaters and temperature sensors, coupled to control circuitry via conduits 18, to maintain the temperature of the hot melt adhesive within the dispenser 10.
The dispenser module 12 may be mounted to the service block 14 by mounting screws 20.
The module 12 receives the adhesive from the service block and in turn dispenses or applies the adhesive 22 to a substrate.
While the dispenser or gun 10 of FIG.
1 utilizes only one gun module 12, a gun may utilize multiple gun modules.
For example, with reference to FIG.
2, there is illustrated a gun, shown generally by reference numeral 10'.
The gun 10' includes three gun modules 12A, 12B, and 12C, each identical to gun module 12 of FIG.
1, mounted to a manifold 14' in side-by-side relationship for dispensing 3 streams or beads of adhesive onto a substrate