Glue pen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12076941-B2
Application number	US-202218066618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2022
Priority date	Dec 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A glue pen including a housing, a heater element, and a feed mechanism. The housing is configured to support a meltable adhesive substance. The heater element is disposed in the housing. The feed mechanism is coupled to the housing. The feed mechanism includes a first actuator and a second actuator. Each of the first actuator and the second actuator is selectively movable relative to the other actuator to move the meltable adhesive substance toward the heater element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A glue pen comprising:
a housing configured to support a meltable adhesive substance;
a heater element disposed in the housing; and
a feed mechanism coupled to the housing and including a first actuator and a second actuator, each of the first actuator and the second actuator selectively movable separately relative to the other actuator to move the meltable adhesive substance toward the heater element.

2. The glue pen of claim 1 , wherein each of the first actuator and the second actuator is further selectively movable simultaneously with the other actuator to move the meltable substance toward the heater element.

3. The glue pen of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a passage and a feed axis that extends longitudinally through the passage and that defines a plane, wherein each of the first actuator and the second actuator are translatable to move the meltable adhesive substance along the first axis, and wherein the first actuator is positioned on a first side of the plane and the second actuator is positioned on a second side of the plane.

4. The glue pen of claim 3 , wherein the housing includes a sleeve disposed in the housing and centered on the feed axis, wherein the sleeve is configured to guide the meltable adhesive substance along the feed axis.

5. The glue pen of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is selectively pivotable about a first axis to engage the meltable adhesive substance, wherein the second actuator is separately selectively pivotable about a second axis to engage the meltable adhesive substance.

6. The glue pen of claim 1 , further comprising a spring disposed in the housing and engaged with the feed mechanism to bias the first actuator and the second actuator to a start state, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are movable against the bias of the spring to an end state.

7. A glue pen comprising:
a housing including an output end and configured to support a meltable adhesive substance;
a heater element disposed in the housing adjacent or at the output end; and
a feed mechanism coupled to the housing and including an actuator pivotable about a first axis to engage the meltable adhesive substance, the actuator further movable from a start state to an end state to move the meltable adhesive substance toward the heater element,
wherein the actuator is disengaged from the meltable adhesive substance in an unactuated state, and
wherein the actuator pivots into engagement with the meltable adhesive substance on engagement of the actuator by a user.

8. The glue pen of claim 7 , further comprising a spring disposed in the housing and engaged with the feed mechanism to bias the actuator to a start state, wherein the actuator is movable against the bias of the spring to the end state.

9. The glue pen of claim 7 , wherein the actuator includes a tab and a protruding portion, and wherein the tab is engageable to pivot the protruding portion into engagement with the meltable adhesive substance.

10. The glue pen of claim 9 , wherein the tab is removably coupled to the protruding portion.

11. The glue pen of claim 7 , wherein the housing defines a passage and a feed axis extending longitudinally through the passage, and wherein the actuator is translatable along the feed axis.

12. The glue pen of claim 11 , wherein the actuator includes a first actuator and the end state is a first end state, wherein the feed mechanism further includes a second actuator that is pivotable about a second axis to engage the meltable adhesive substance, wherein the second actuator is translatable along the feed axis from the start state to a second end state to move the meltable adhesive substance toward the heater element.

13. The glue pen of claim 7 , wherein the end state is defined by any position of the actuator that is forward of the start state.

14. The glue pen of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is disengaged from the meltable adhesive substance on movement of the actuator to the start state.

15. A glue pen comprising:
a housing configured to support a meltable adhesive substance and defining a passage and a feed axis extending longitudinally through the passage, the housing including a grip portion oriented such that the feed axis extends along a plane that bisects the grip portion;
a heater element disposed in the housing;
a feed mechanism coupled to the housing and including an actuator protruding from a first lateral side of the housing away from the plane, the actuator engageable to move the meltable adhesive substance along the feed axis toward the heater element.

16. The glue pen of claim 15 , wherein the actuator includes a first actuator extending from the first lateral side of the housing and the feed mechanism further includes a second actuator protruding from a second lateral side of the housing opposite the first side.

17. The glue pen of claim 15 , wherein the grip portion extends along a grip axis that is oriented at a non-zero angle relative to the feed axis.

18. The glue pen of claim 17 , wherein the grip portion defines a battery cavity and the glue pen further includes an end cap enclosing the battery cavity and removably coupled to a rear end of the grip portion.

19. The glue pen of claim 15 , wherein the actuator includes a tab and a protruding portion selectively pivotable by the tab to engage the meltable adhesive substance, and wherein the tab is removably coupled to the protruding portion.

20. The glue pen of claim 15 , wherein the actuator is pivotable to engage the meltable adhesive substance and translatable along the feed axis to move the meltable adhesive substance toward the heater element.

Assignees

• Techtronic Cordless Gp

Inventors

• Snyder Todd
• Wood Grant A
• Sandoval Gabriel J
• Wright Neil
• Duong Ho Quynh Chau
• Williams Brianna E

Classifications

• C09J2301/304

  the adhesive being heat-activatable, i.e. not tacky at temperatures inferior to 30°C · CPC title

• B05C17/0053

  the driving means for the material being manual, mechanical or electrical · CPC title

• C09J9/005

  Glue sticks · CPC title

• B29C66/8616 Primary

  Pen or pencil like · CPC title

• B05C17/00526 Primary

  the material being supplied to the apparatus in a solid state, e.g. rod, and melted before application (B05C17/0054 takes precedence) · CPC title