Applicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415202-B2
Application number	US-202418809839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2024
Priority date	Aug 25, 2023
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

An applicator for applying an adhesive film to a surface of an aircraft component includes an adhesive inlet for receiving adhesive from a source of adhesive, adhesive outlets for dispensing of adhesive therethrough, one or more reservoirs for receiving adhesive from a respective adhesive outlet, channels wherein at least two of the channels are configured to facilitate delivery of adhesive from the adhesive inlet to a respective, mutually-different outlet, and one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces for contacting adhesive dispensed from the adhesive outlets into the reservoir and for forming an adhesive film therefrom, the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces being configured to be maintained in spaced relationship with a surface onto which an adhesive film is to be formed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An applicator for applying an adhesive film to a workpiece surface of a workpiece, the applicator comprising:
an inlet for receiving adhesive from a source of adhesive;
a plurality of outlets for dispensing of the adhesive therethrough;
a plurality of channels arranged in a splayed or fan arrangement, at least two of the channels being configured to facilitate delivery of the adhesive from the inlet to a respective, mutually-different outlet of the plurality of outlets;
one or more reservoirs for receiving the adhesive from a respective outlet of the plurality of outlets;
one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces for contacting the adhesive that has been deposited onto the workpiece surface, in a reservoir of the one or more reservoirs, as the applicator is moved across the workpiece surface, thereby forming the adhesive film on the workpiece surface; and
wherein the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces are configured to be maintained in spaced relationship with the workpiece surface, onto which the adhesive film is to be formed.

2. The applicator according to claim 1 , comprising a base, wherein a depth of the one or more reservoirs relative to the base of the applicator is greater at a position adjacent to the outlets than at a position adjacent to the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces.

3. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the one or more reservoirs, which is normal to a longitudinal axis of the applicator and at a position adjacent to the outlets, is greater than a cross-sectional area of the one or more reservoirs at a position adjacent to the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces.

4. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the channels is configured to facilitate delivery of the adhesive from the inlet to a respective, mutually-different outlet of the plurality of outlets; and
separation of adjacent outlets of the plurality of outlets is identical for all pairs of the adjacent outlets.

5. The applicator according to claim 1 , comprising:
rails for retaining the applicator in position relative to the surface onto which the adhesive film is to be formed, optionally wherein the rails define a gap therebetween for receipt of a workpiece; and/or
a base and at least two rails, which are located on opposite sides of the base.

6. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the channels are arranged in a plane, so as to be coplanar with each other, optionally wherein the applicator is configured so that the plane is parallel to a surface onto which an adhesive film is to be deposited.

7. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reservoirs is only one reservoir.

8. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more reservoirs comprise:
a first reservoir configured to receive the adhesive from a first set of outlets of the plurality of outlets; and
a second reservoir configured to receive the adhesive from a second set of outlets of the plurality of outlets.

9. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more reservoirs extend laterally across the applicator;
the one or more reservoirs has a width measured in a direction normal to a direction of intended movement of the applicator; and
the width of the one or more reservoirs is a same as a width of the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces.

10. The applicator according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces are planar and configured to be parallel to the surface onto which the adhesive film is to be deposited.

11. The applicator according to claim 1 , comprising a dispenser-receiving portion that comprises a nozzle-receiving portion.

12. The applicator according to claim 1 , comprising a rigid applicator main body, in which is provided one or more of:
the inlet;
the plurality of outlets;
the one or more reservoirs; and
the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces.

13. An adhesive dispensing arrangement comprising:
the applicator according to claim 1 ; and
an adhesive dispenser configured to dispense the adhesive via the applicator.

14. The adhesive dispensing arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the applicator is attachable to, and removable from, the adhesive dispenser.

15. The adhesive dispensing arrangement according to claim 13 , wherein the applicator is integral with the adhesive dispenser.

16. A method of depositing liquid on to a workpiece surface, the method comprising depositing the liquid using the applicator according to claim 1 .

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein:
the workpiece is an aircraft component; and
the liquid is the adhesive.

18. An adhesive applicator for forming an adhesive film on a workpiece surface of a workpiece, the applicator comprising:
an inlet for receiving an adhesive from a source of the adhesive;
an applicator main body providing:
a plurality of outlets for dispensing of an adhesive therethrough;
one or more reservoirs for receiving the adhesive from the plurality of outlets;
a plurality of channels, each of which is configured to facilitate delivery of the adhesive from the inlet to a respective one of the plurality of outlets;
a base; and
one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces for contacting the adhesive that has been deposited onto the workpiece surface, in a reservoir of the one or more reservoirs, as the applicator is moved across the workpiece surface, thereby forming the adhesive film on the workpiece surface; and

wherein the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces are configured to be maintained in spaced relationship with the workpiece surface, onto which the adhesive film is to be formed; and
wherein a depth of the one or more reservoirs relative to the base of the applicator is greater at a position adjacent to the outlets than at a position adjacent to the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces.

19. The adhesive applicator according to claim 18 , comprising rails for retaining the adhesive applicator in position relative to the workpiece surface onto which the adhesive film is to be formed, the rails defining a gap therebetween for the receipt of the workpiece.

20. An applicator for applying an adhesive film to a workpiece surface of a workpiece, the applicator comprising:
an inlet for receiving adhesive from a source of adhesive;
a plurality of outlets for dispensing of the adhesive therethrough;
a plurality of channels, at least two of the channels being configured to facilitate delivery of the adhesive from the inlet to a respective, mutually-different outlet of the plurality of outlets;
one or more reservoirs for receiving the adhesive from a respective outlet of the plurality of outlets; and
one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces for contacting the adhesive that has been deposited onto the workpiece surface, in a reservoir of the one or more reservoirs, as the applicator is moved across the workpiece surface, thereby forming the adhesive film on the workpiece surface;
wherein the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces are configured to be maintained in spaced relationship with the workpiece surface, onto which the adhesive film is to be formed; and
wherein:
a cross-sectional area of the one or more reservoirs, which is normal to a longitudinal axis of the applicator and at a position adjacent to the outlets, is greater than a cross-sectional area of the one or more reservoirs at a position adjacent to the one or more adhesive-contacting surfaces; and/or
the one o

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Ltd

Inventors

• Clough James

Classifications

• B05C11/028

  with a body having a large flat spreading or distributing surface · CPC title

• B05C5/027 Primary

  Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05C5/0204

  for applying liquid or other fluent material to the edges of essentially flat articles · CPC title

• B05C17/00516

  Shape or geometry of the outlet orifice or the outlet element · CPC title

• B05C5/0254 Primary

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