Hot melt apparatus and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097666-B2
Application number	US-202017133274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2017
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

In various embodiments, a hot melt device comprising a heating device that is automatically or manually triggered is configured so as to have its melt surface applied bringing a thermoplastic material in its solid form into contact with a surface via mechanical extrusion; using a heater to heat the thermoplastic material to a temperature above a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material while maintaining the contact of the thermoplastic material with the surface; allowing the heated thermoplastic material to cool to a temperature that is below the thermoplastic material's melting temperature; and allowing the heated thermoplastic material to bond the hot melt apparatus to the contacted surface without a solvent or use of a curing chemical reaction when the heated thermoplastic material is cooled to below the thermoplastic material's melting temperature while remaining connected to the structural body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hot melt apparatus, comprising:
a. a structural body;
b. an extrudable solid form thermoplastic material comprising a mechanically extrudable solid form thermoplastic material which is extrudable onto a surface to be joined when the solid form thermoplastic material is heated and which solidifies while remaining connected to the structural body as the heated solid form thermoplastic material cools;
c. a controllable heater connected to the structural body and to the solid form thermoplastic material, the controllable heater comprising a heat generator adapted to actively heat the solid form thermoplastic material to a temperature above its melting temperature and to actively cool the heated solid form thermoplastic material to a temperature which allows the heated solid form thermoplastic material to cool and solidify without the use of a solvent; and
d. a separable interface disposed intermediate the controllable heater and the thermoplastic material, the separable interface comprising an upper portion connected to the heat generator and a lower portion selectively attachable from the upper portion, the lower portion permanently attached to the thermoplastic material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical integrator configured to allow the hot melt apparatus to be electrically integrated to an object and provide an electrical pathway to be established with the object to support the operation of the hot melt apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an electrically conductive cable operatively in communication with the electrical integrator of the hot melt apparatus at a first end and with the object at a second other end, the electrically conductive cable operative to create an electrical ground path between the object and a secondary object.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a pair of the hot melt apparatuses whose electrical integrators are operatively interconnected by an electrically conductive cable, the electrically conductive cable operative to create an electrical ground path when the pair of hot melt apparatuses are bonded separately to the object and the secondary object.

5. The hot melt apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the solid form thermoplastic material further comprises a shape adapted to improve a bond of the solid form thermoplastic material to the surface when the solid form thermoplastic material is joined with the surface.

6. The hot melt apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the shape comprises a geometric profile comprising a varying thickness of the solid form thermoplastic material when the solid form thermoplastic material is heated to the temperature above its melting temperature.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the thermoplastic material comprises an electrically conductive material able to provide a grounding path through the thermoplastic material.

8. The hot melt apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an interchangeable interface disposed intermediate the structural body and the controllable heater.

9. The hot melt apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
a. the interchangeable interface comprises an upper portion connected to the structural body and a lower portion connected to the controllable heater and to the upper portion, the upper portion and the lower portion being selectively disconnectable from each other; and
b. the heater and the thermoplastic material are integral and are selectively disconnectable to the structural body.

10. The hot melt apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cable manager operatively connected to the hot melt apparatus, the cable manager configured to provide positioning, placement and retention of cables, ropes, or tethers.

11. The hot melt apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the cable manager comprises a hook shape.

12. The hot melt apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a material manager operatively connected to the hot melt apparatus.

13. The hot melt apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the material manager comprises a plow shape configured to aid in providing for movement, lifting, and retention of moveable surface materials of the object.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separable interface is adapted to create an evenly distributed thermal transfer of heat into the thermoplastic material.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separable interface comprises a thermally conductive material, a thermally non-conductive material, an electrically conductive material, or an electrically non-conductive material.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separable interface comprises a metal, a plastic, or a ceramic.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical integrator, configured to allow the hot melt apparatus to be mechanically integrated to an object to become a tool or structural extension of the object.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controllable heater comprises an electro-chemical heater activated using a low power electrical signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controllable heater comprises a chemical-based heater activated through mixing of chemicals.

20. A double-sided hot melt apparatus, comprising:
a. a shared structural body comprising a first end and second end; and
b. a pair of hot melt apparatuses, each hot melt apparatus comprising:
i. an extrudable solid form thermoplastic material comprising a mechanically extrudable solid form thermoplastic material which is extrudable onto a surface to be joined when the solid form thermoplastic material is heated and which solidifies while remaining connected to the structural body as the heated solid form thermoplastic material cools;
ii. a controllable heater connected to the shared structural body and to the solid form thermoplastic material, the controllable heater comprising a heat generator able to heat the solid form thermoplastic material to a temperature above its melting temperature and able to cool to a temperature which allows the heated solid form thermoplastic material to cool and solidify without the use of a solvent; and
iii. a separable interface disposed intermediate the heater and the thermoplastic material, the separable interface comprising an upper portion connected to the heat generator and a lower portion selectively attachable from the upper portion, the lower portion permanently attached to the thermoplastic material.

21. The double-sided hot melt apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the double-sided hot melt apparatus creates an electrical ground path between a surface of a primary object and a secondary object when joined to the objects.

22. A system of double-sided hot melt apparatuses, comprising:
a. a plurality of double-sided hot melt apparatuses, each double-sided hot melt apparatus comprising:
i. a shared structural body comprising a first end and second end; and
ii. a pair of hot melt apparatuses, each hot melt apparatus comprising:
1. An extrudable solid form thermoplastic material comprising a mechanically extrudable solid form thermoplastic material which is extrudable onto a surface to be joined when the solid form thermoplastic material is heated and which solidifies while remaining connected to the structural body as the heated solid form thermoplastic material cools;
2. A controllable heater connected to the shared structural body and to the solid form thermoplastic material, the controllable heater comprising a heat generator adapted to actively heat the solid form thermoplastic material

Assignees

• Oceaneering Int Inc

Inventors

• Christensen Marc
• Carow Peter
• Curley Eric
• Curtis Andrew
• Stein James
• Vyoral Lee
• Withey Michael M

Classifications

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• B29C65/4815

  Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives · CPC title

• B29C65/525

  by extrusion coating · CPC title

• B29C65/4855 Primary

  characterised by their physical properties, e.g. being electrically-conductive · CPC title

• B32B37/0046 Primary

  characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus · CPC title