Apparatus for dispensing heated fluid materials

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 a hot melt polymeric material used in adhesive applications.
Hot melt materials are those materials which are 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.
Now, with reference to the figures, there is illustrated a dispenser, shown generally by reference numeral 10 according to one embodiment of this invention.
The dispenser 10 includes a dispenser body 12, having an inlet 14 for receiving a source of fluid material, such as a hot melt adhesive.
For example, inlet 14 may be attached to a service module (not shown) having fluid passages therein for supplying fluid and containing heaters and temperature sensors to maintain the temperature of the fluid entering inlet port 14.
An O-ring 15a mounted within inlet port 14.
The dispenser 10 may be mounted to the service block by mounting screws 17.
Mounted within a cavity of the body 12 is an adapter body 16.
The adapter body 16 has an outer annular groove 18, which is coupled to the inlet 14.
The adapter body and the dispenser body form a fluid chamber 20.
An O-ring 15b may be used to provide a seal between the adapter and dispenser bodies 16, 12.
Fluid is transferred from the annular groove 18 to the fluid chamber 20 by fluid passageways 22 and 23.
The fluid chamber 20 is coupled to the discharged outlet 24 via an axially extending fluid passageway 26.
Attached to the dispenser body 12 is a nozzle adapter 28.
The nozzle adapter may be mounted to the dispenser body by screws (not shown) extending through openings 30A, 30B, respectively.
The outer periphery of the nozzle adapter 28 may have threads 31 for receiving a nozzle, not shown.
Located within the fluid chamber 20 and the fluid passageway 26 is a plunger 32, which is slidably mounted for reciprocal motion