System, nozzle and method for coating elastic strands

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807114-B2
Application number	US-201816186572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2018
Priority date	Apr 11, 2011
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A contact nozzle for simultaneously coating a plurality of elastic strands moving in a machine direction with an adhesive is described. The contact nozzle includes a single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive from a fluid module, a first inverted V-shaped notch, a second inverted V-shaped notch, a third inverted V-shaped notch, and a mounting surface configured to abut the fluid module when the contact nozzle is coupled to the fluid module. Each inverted V-shaped notch extends along the contact nozzle in the machine direction, has an open bottom end, a circular closed top end. Each inverted V-shaped notch includes an adhesive orifice in fluid communication with the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive for directing the adhesive into contact with an upper surface of an elastic strand.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact nozzle for simultaneously coating a plurality of elastic strands moving in a machine direction with an adhesive, the contact nozzle comprising:
a single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive from a fluid module;
a first inverted V-shaped notch extending along the contact nozzle in the machine direction, the first inverted V-shaped notch having an open bottom end and a closed top end, the closed top end being circular for receiving a first elastic strand;
a first adhesive passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a first adhesive orifice at the closed top end of the first inverted V-shaped notch, the first adhesive passage being in fluid communication with the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive, and the first adhesive orifice directing the adhesive into contact with an upper surface of the first elastic strand;
a second inverted V-shaped notch extending along the contact nozzle in the machine direction, the second inverted V-shaped notch being adjacent the first inverted V-shaped notch in a direction perpendicular to the machine direction, the second inverted V-shaped notch having an open bottom end and a closed top end, the closed top end being circular for receiving a second elastic strand;
a second adhesive passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a second adhesive orifice at the closed top end of the second inverted V-shaped notch, the second adhesive passage being in fluid communication with the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive, and the second adhesive orifice directing the adhesive into contact with an upper surface of the second elastic strand;
a third inverted V-shaped notch extending along the contact nozzle in the machine direction, the third inverted V-shaped notch being adjacent the second inverted V-shaped notch in the direction perpendicular to the machine direction, the third inverted V-shaped notch having an open bottom end and a closed top end, the closed top end being circular for receiving a third elastic strand;
a third adhesive passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a third adhesive orifice at the closed top end of the third inverted V-shaped notch, the third adhesive passage being in fluid communication with the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive, and the third adhesive orifice directing the adhesive into contact with an upper surface of the third elastic strand; and
a mounting surface configured to abut the fluid module when the contact nozzle is coupled to the fluid module.

2. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the contact nozzle is formed by stacked plates.

3. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein:
the circular closed top end of the first inverted V-shaped notch defines being a first expansion chamber;
the circular closed top end of the second inverted V-shaped notch defines being a second expansion chamber; and
the circular closed top end of the third inverted V-shaped notch defines being a third expansion chamber.

4. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the mounting surface includes the single fluid inlet for receiving the adhesive from the fluid module.

5. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein:
the first adhesive orifice directs the adhesive into contact with the upper surface of the first elastic strand such that the adhesive defines thickness irregularities along the first elastic strand, the thickness irregularities including thicker adhesive portions and thinner adhesive portions along the first elastic strand;
the second adhesive orifice directs the adhesive into contact with the upper surface of the second elastic strand such that the adhesive defines thickness irregularities along the second elastic strand, the thickness irregularities including thicker adhesive portions and thinner adhesive portions along the second elastic strand; and
the third adhesive orifice directs the adhesive into contact with the upper surface of the third elastic strand such that the adhesive defines thickness irregularities along the third elastic strand, the thickness irregularities including thicker adhesive portions and thinner adhesive portions along the third elastic strand.

6. The contact nozzle of claim 5 , wherein the thickness irregularities along the first, second, and third elastic strands include void portions that contain no adhesive.

7. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein:
the first inverted V-shaped notch includes first and second converging surfaces connected at the closed top end and defining an angle between the first and second converging surfaces between 60 degrees and 90 degrees;
the second inverted V-shaped notch includes first and second converging surfaces connected at the closed top end and defining an angle between the first and second converging surfaces between 60 degrees and 90 degrees; and
the third inverted V-shaped notch includes first and second converging surfaces connected at the closed top end and defining an angle between the first and second converging surfaces between 60 degrees and 90 degrees.

8. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the open bottom ends of the first inverted V-shaped notch, the second inverted V-shaped notch, and the third inverted V-shaped notch define gaps in a bottom surface of the contact nozzle.

9. The contact nozzle of claim 1 , further comprising:
a single air inlet for receiving process air;
a first air passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a first air orifice positioned proximate the first adhesive orifice, the first air passage being in fluid communication with the single air inlet, the first air orifice being configured to discharge the process air at the adhesive in contact with the first elastic strand to cause the adhesive to spread around the periphery of the first elastic strand;
a second air passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a second air orifice positioned proximate the second adhesive orifice, the second air passage being in fluid communication with the single air inlet, the second air orifice being configured to discharge the process air at the adhesive in contact with the second elastic strand to cause the adhesive to spread around the periphery of the second elastic strand; and
a third air passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a third air orifice positioned proximate the third adhesive orifice, the third air passage being in fluid communication with the single air inlet, the third air orifice being configured to discharge the process air at the adhesive in contact with the third elastic strand to cause the adhesive to spread around the periphery of the third elastic strand.

10. The contact nozzle of claim 9 , wherein:
the process air discharged from the first air orifice impacts the adhesive on the first elastic strand at an acute angle relative to the machine direction;
the process air discharged from the second air orifice impacts the adhesive on the second elastic strand at an acute angle relative to the machine direction; and
the process air discharged from the third air orifice impacts the adhesive on the third elastic strand at an acute angle relative to the machine direction.

11. The contact nozzle of claim 10 , further comprising:
a fourth air passage formed in the contact nozzle and terminating at a fourth air orifice positioned proximate the first adhesive orifice, the fourth air passage being in fluid communication with the single air inlet, the fourth air orifice being configured to discharge the process air at the adhesive in contact with the first elastic strand to cause the adhesive to spread around the periphery of the first elastic strand;
a fifth air passage formed in the contact

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Saine Joel E
• Ganzer Charles P

Classifications

• B05C11/06

  with a blast of gas or vapour · CPC title

• B05B15/50 Primary

  Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter · CPC title

• D06B15/09

  by jets of gases · CPC title

• B05D1/265

  Extrusion coatings · CPC title

• B05C5/0241

  for applying liquid or other fluent material to elongated work, e.g. wires, cables, tubes · CPC title