Dual pattern shim assembly for use in conjunction with hot melt adhesive dispensing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137472-B2
Application number	US-7337408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2008
Priority date	Apr 6, 2007
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A dual pattern shim assembly, for use in conjunction with hot melt adhesive dispensing systems, permits various different overlapping or overlying deposition or application patterns, having different length dimensions, different width dimensions, different coating thicknesses, and different longitudinal positional locations or dispositions with respect to each other, to be achieved during a single pass of the underlying substrate with respect to the hot melt adhesive contact die applicator or head. In this manner, different or multiple adhesive deposition or application procedures are able to effectively be accomplished simultaneously so as to effectively simplify and shorten the overall assembly lines and production times required for the fabrication or manufacture of various different particular products.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is:

1. A hot melt adhesive dispensing system, comprising:
an underlying substrate; and
a dual pattern shim assembly comprising:
a first pattern shim having a first lower edge in which a plurality of first fluid application ports are formed, wherein the first pattern shim deposits a first hot melt adhesive material onto the underlying substrate in a first material pattern, the first material pattern comprising a plurality of first deposition patterns, each first deposition pattern deposited onto the underlying substrate from a respective first fluid application port of the plurality of first fluid application ports;
a second pattern shim having a second lower edge in which a plurality of second fluid application ports are formed, wherein the second pattern shim deposits a second hot melt adhesive material onto the underlying substrate in a second material pattern, the second material pattern comprising a plurality of second deposition patterns, each second deposition pattern deposited onto the underlying substrate from a respective second fluid application port;
a separation shim interposed between the first and second pattern shims for separating the first and second pattern shims from each other, the separation shim having an intermediate lower edge disposed between the first lower edge and the second lower edge;
a die plate disposed adjacent to the second pattern shim, the die plate having a rearwardly facing bottom edge terminating in an arcuately shaped portion; and
a die adaptor for receiving the first hot melt adhesive material in a plurality of first inlet ports from a source of the first hot melt adhesive material and the second hot melt adhesive material in a plurality of second inlet ports from a source of the second hot melt adhesive material, wherein the die adaptor defines a housing having an undersurface portion, a vertical front wall portion which has first fluid outlet ports for discharging the first hot melt adhesive material and second fluid outlet ports for discharging the second hot melt adhesive material defined within the vertical front wall portion of the die adaptor, and a knife edge portion extending vertically downwardly within a vertical plane from the vertical front wall portion of the die adaptor such that the knife edge portion is disposed beneath the undersurface portion of the die adaptor,

wherein the vertical front wall portion of the die adaptor, the first and second fluid outlet ports, and the knife edge portion are substantially coplanar within a vertical plane,
wherein the first pattern shim is disposed in abutment with the vertical front wall portion of the die adaptor and the knife edge portion of the die adaptor and is configured to receive the first hot melt adhesive material from the die adaptor,
wherein the second pattern shim is configured to receive the second hot melt adhesive material from the die adaptor through the first pattern shim and the separation shim,
wherein the first and second pattern shims, and the separation shim, as an assembly, are disposed immediately adjacent to the knife edge portion of the die adaptor such that the first and second hot melt adhesive materials are deposited onto the underlying substrate in an overlapping pattern relative to one another wherein at least one of a first deposition pattern of the plurality of first deposition patterns and a second deposition pattern of the plurality of second deposition patterns overlaps at least one of the other first deposition pattern and second deposition pattern,
wherein a first flow path for the first hot melt adhesive material to be deposited onto the underlying substrate in the first material pattern by the first pattern shim is defined from the die adaptor to the first pattern shim,
wherein a second flow path for the second hot melt adhesive material to be deposited onto the underlying substrate as the second material pattern by the second pattern shim is defined from the die adaptor, through the first pattern shim, through the separation shim, through the second pattern shim, to the die plate, and back to the second pattern shim,
wherein the first hot melt adhesive material is different than the second hot melt adhesive material,
wherein the underlying substrate is configured for movement along a path below the dual shim pattern assembly,
wherein the knife edge portion, the first lower edge, the intermediate lower edge, the second lower edge and a terminal edge of the arcuately shaped portion are disposed at a same elevational level, and
wherein the underlying substrate contacts the dual pattern shim assembly such that the underlying substrate is depressed by contact with the dual pattern shim assembly and one or more of the first hot melt adhesive material and the second hot melt adhesive material being deposited from the dual pattern shim assembly.

2. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the knife edge portion of the die adaptor is provided for defining the deposition of the first and second material patterns onto the underlying substrate without the first and second material patterns disturbing and adversely affecting each other.

3. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second pattern shims are disposed upon the same side of the knife edge portion of the die adaptor.

4. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the die plate is disposed upon a first side of the second pattern shim while the separation shim is disposed upon a second opposite side of the second pattern shim.

5. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a dispensing valve structure whereby the first and second hot melt adhesive materials are dispensed at predetermined times relative to movement of the underlying substrate in response to timed operation of the dispensing valve structure.

6. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein at least one first fluid application port and at least one second fluid application port are positioned relative to one another in a width direction of the dual pattern shim assembly such that one of a first deposition pattern of the first hot melt adhesive material and a second deposition pattern of the second hot melt adhesive material overlaps the other of the first deposition pattern and the second deposition pattern in the width direction.

7. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein:
in response to the timed operation of the dispensing valve structure, a leading edge portion of the second deposition pattern of the second hot melt adhesive material overlaps a trailing edge portion of the first deposition pattern of the first hot melt adhesive material.

8. The hot melt adhesive dispensing system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein:
in response to the timed operation of the dispensing valve structure, a leading edge portion of the first deposition pattern of the first hot melt adhesive material overlaps a trailing edge portion of the second deposition pattern of the second hot melt adhesive material.

9. A dual pattern shim assembly comprising:
a die adaptor having a first plurality of fluid inlet ports, a first plurality of fluid discharge ports, a second plurality of fluid inlet ports and a second plurality of fluid discharge ports, wherein a first fluid is received in the first plurality of inlet ports and discharged from the first plurality of discharge ports, and a second fluid, different from the first fluid, is received in the second plurality of inlet ports and is discharge

Assignees

• Ayers Andrew S
• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Ayers Andrew S

Classifications

• B05C5/025

  only at particular part of the work (at particular part of separate articles B05C5/0212) · CPC title

• B05C5/0254 Primary

  Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet (B05C5/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05C21/00

  Accessories or implements for use in connection with applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, not provided for in groups B05C1/00 - B05C19/00 (accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing and fully provided for in B44D3/02 - B44D3/38, see subgroups of B44D3/00) · CPC title

• B05C5/02 Primary

  {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work · CPC title

• B05C9/06

  for applying two different liquids or other fluent materials, or the same liquid or other fluent material twice, to the same side of the work · CPC title