Liquid dispensing systems with reduced noise levels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11969748-B2
Application number	US-202017619836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate are disclosed. A dispensing assembly includes a housing, a valve stem, and a control valve. The housing receives the liquid to be dispensed. The valve stem is disposed in the housing and has a first configuration, in which the liquid is allowed to exit the housing, and a second configuration, in which the liquid is prevented from exiting the housing. The control valve receives pressurized air from a pressurized air source. The control valve has a first position, in which the pressurized air acts on the valve stem to move the valve stem to the first configuration or to the second configuration, and a second position, in which the pressurized air is moved out of the dispensing assembly through an exhaust passage defined therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing assembly for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, the dispensing assembly comprising:
a housing configured to receive the liquid to be dispensed;
a valve stem disposed in the housing and having a first configuration in which the liquid is allowed to exit the housing and a second configuration in which the liquid is prevented from exiting the housing;
a control valve configured to receive pressurized air from a pressurized air source, the control valve being movable between a first position and a second position;
an exhaust passage defined on the housing and having a predetermined cross-sectional area, the exhaust passage being configured to receive the pressurized air therein;
a first chamber;
a first channel being disposed between the first chamber and the control valve, the first channel being in fluid communication with the first chamber, and the first channel being in fluid communication with the control valve when the control valve is in the first position;
a second chamber that is separate from the first chamber and is in fluid communication with the exhaust passage; and
a second channel that is disposed between the second chamber and the control valve,
wherein when the control valve is in the first position, the pressurized air is configured to act on the valve stem to cause the valve stem to move to the first configuration or to the second configuration, and when the control valve is in the second position, the pressurized air acting on the valve stem is configured to be moved into the exhaust passage and out of the dispensing assembly through the exhaust passage,
wherein when the control valve is in the first position, the control valve is configured to receive the pressurized air from the pressurized air source and to discharge the pressurized air into the first channel, whereby the control valve is configured to be in fluid communication with the first chamber and configured to direct the pressurized air to the first chamber,
wherein when the control valve is in the second position, the control valve is configured to be in fluid communication with the second chamber, and is further configured to direct the pressurized air from the first chamber to the second chamber via the second channel,
wherein the exhaust passage is configured to fluidly communicate with the second chamber, and
whereby when the control valve is in the second position, the pressurized air that is present in the first chamber is permitted to move through the first channel, through the control valve, through the second channel, and into the second chamber.

2. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second channel is in fluid communication with the second chamber, and the second channel is in fluid communication with the control valve when the control valve is in the second position,
wherein, when the control valve is in the second position, the control valve is configured to receive the pressurized air from the first chamber through the first channel and to discharge the pressurized air into the second channel.

3. The dispensing assembly of claim 2 , wherein when the control valve is in the first position, the pressurized air source is not in fluid communication with the second channel.

4. The dispensing assembly of claim 2 , wherein when the control valve is in the second position, the pressurized air source is not in fluid communication with either the first channel or the second channel.

5. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein when the control valve is in the second position, the control valve is configured to prevent the pressurized air to move from the pressurized air source to either the first chamber or the second chamber.

6. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a valve seat defined on the housing, wherein the valve stem is configured to move relative to the valve seat, such that when the valve stem is in the first configuration, the valve stem is spaced away from the valve seat, and when the valve stem is in the second configuration, the valve stem contacts the valve seat.

7. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the control valve is a solenoid valve.

8. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein a pressure of the pressurized air is between 1 bar and 10 bar.

9. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust passage is oriented at an angle between parallel to the valve stem and perpendicular to the valve stem.

10. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust passage has a cross-sectional diameter of between 0.1 mm and 3.0 mm.

11. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing assembly defines a plurality of exhaust passages.

12. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined cross-sectional area includes a combined cross-sectional area of all exhaust passages in the plurality of exhaust passages.

13. The dispensing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the dispensing assembly defines four exhaust passages arranged circumferentially around the dispensing assembly.

14. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring configured to bias the valve stem in a direction, wherein the valve stem is movable by the pressurized air opposite a direction of bias of the spring.

15. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing assembly is devoid of a muffler operationally attached thereto.

16. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber and the second channel are each defined in the housing.

17. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second channel is directly connected to the second chamber, and the exhaust passage is directly connected to the second chamber.

18. The dispensing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber is larger than the first chamber when the control valve is in the second position, whereby a piston separating the first chamber from the second chamber moves along a first direction that extends from the second chamber to the first chamber thereby reducing a size of the first chamber.

19. A dispensing system for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate, the dispensing system comprising:
a liquid source configured to hold the liquid to be dispensed;
a dispensing assembly having a housing configured to receive the liquid from the liquid source, the dispensing assembly further having a valve stem movable within the housing between a first configuration, in which the liquid is allowed to exit the housing, and a second configuration, in which the liquid is prevented from exiting the housing;
a pressurized air source configured to hold pressurized air; and
a control valve configured to receive pressurized air from the pressurized air source, the control valve being movable between a first position and a second position;
an exhaust passage defined on the housing and having a predetermined cross-sectional area, the exhaust passage being configured to receive the pressurized air therein;
a first chamber;
a first channel that is disposed between the first chamber and the control valve, the first channel being in fluid communication with the first chamber, and the first channel being in fluid communication with the control valve when the control valve is in the first position;
a second chamber that is separate from the first chamber and is in fluid communication with the exhaust passage; and
a second channel that is disposed between the second chamber and the control valve,
wherein when the control valve is in the first position, the pressurized air is c

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Burmester Thomas

Classifications

• B05C5/0237 Primary

  Fluid actuated valves · CPC title

• B05C5/001 Primary

  incorporating means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/1042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/1221

  one side of the piston being spring-loaded · CPC title

• F16K31/124

  servo actuated · CPC title