Hot-melt adhesive temperature control method, applicator therefor, and bookbinding apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308766-B2
Application number	US-67651007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2007
Priority date	Feb 17, 2006
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Bookbinding apparatus adhesive applicator accurately, briefly controls adhesive temperature to a set value by selecting, in accordance with adhesive initial temperature, one of a plurality of temperature-controller heating modes defining different supply powers and supply durations for supplying power to an adhesive-container heater to control its heating temperature. A sensor detects the temperature of the adhesive in the container at applicator start-up, or on restarting a post-standby applicator. In accordance with the detected temperature, one of the heating modes is selected to heat the adhesive. The applicator warm-up time is thus set in response to the state of the adhesive: If solidified, the adhesive is heated and melted in a maximum supply-power, supply-duration mode; if low-temperature liquefied at, it is heated and melted in a second-magnitude supply-power, supply-duration mode; and if the adhesive temperature is high, it is heated and melted in a minimal supply-power, supply-duration mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adhesive applicator comprising:
a container for storing hot-melt adhesive;
heating means disposed on the container, for melting to a predetermined temperature solid adhesive filled in the container;
sensor means for detecting the temperature of the adhesive in the container;
temperature control means for controlling the heating temperature of the heating means in response to the temperature detected by the sensor means, the temperature control means being configured to operate in a plurality of heating modes in which the temperature control means controls supplying of power to the heating means at supply levels and supply durations that differ by mode, and being configured to vary the supply of power stepwise, with predetermined mode-dependent delay periods intervening, in each mode in order that the adhesive in the container reach a preestablished temperature; and
application means for applying the adhesive in the container to a body of documents; wherein
in response to the temperature of the adhesive detected by the sensor means the temperature control means selects a single heating mode from among the plurality of heating modes, and in the selected single heating mode, controls supply of power to the heating means by varying the supply level in time-dependent stages separated by delay periods, until the adhesive in the container reaches the preestablished temperature.

2. An adhesive applicator comprising:
a container for storing hot-melt adhesive;
heating means disposed on the container, for melting to a predetermined temperature solid adhesive filled in the container;
sensor means for detecting the temperature of the adhesive in the container;
temperature control means for controlling the heating temperature of the heating means in response to the temperature detected by the sensor means, the temperature control means being configured to operate in a plurality of heating modes in which the temperature control means controls supplying of power to the heating means at supply levels and supply durations that differ by mode, and being configured to vary the supply of power stepwise, with predetermined mode-dependent delay periods intervening, in each mode in order that the adhesive in the container reach a preestablished temperature; and
application means for applying the adhesive in the container to a body of documents; wherein
the sensor means is configured with a liquid temperature sensor for directly detecting the temperature of the adhesive within the container, and a heating unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a heating unit disposed in the heating means; and
based on the temperature detected by liquid temperature sensor or the heating unit temperature sensor when the applicator is turned on, the temperature control means selects one of the plurality of heating modes, and in the selected heating mode, controls supply of power to the heating means by varying the current level supplied to the heating means in time-dependent stages separated by delay periods, based on the temperature detected by the heating unit temperature sensor, until the adhesive reaches the preestablished temperature.

3. The adhesive applicator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor means is configured with a liquid temperature sensor for directly detecting the temperature of the adhesive within the container, and a heating unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of a heating unit disposed in the heating means;
the temperature control means selects one of the plurality of heating modes based on the temperature detected by liquid temperature sensor or the heating unit temperature sensor when the applicator is turned on; and
the selected heating mode varies the current level supplied to the heating means stepwise, based on the temperature detected by the heating unit temperature sensor, until the adhesive reaches the preestablished temperature.

4. The adhesive applicator according to claim 1 , wherein:
a stirring rotor is provided within the container for stirring adhesive inside it; and
the stirring rotor is provided with a drive means for rotationally driving the stirring rotor when the sensor means reaches a preestablished, predetermined temperature.

5. The adhesive applicator according to claim 2 , wherein:
a stirring rotor is provided within the container for stirring adhesive inside it; and
the stirring rotor is provided with a drive means for rotatively driving the stirring rotor when the sensor means reaches a preestablished, predetermined temperature.

6. The adhesive applicator according to claim 4 , wherein:
the stirring rotor is constituted by an applicator roller provided in the container;
the drive means is constituted by a reversible drive motor for forward-/reverse-rotating the applicator roller; and
the drive motor is controlled to rotationally start when a heating unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the container heating means reaches a predetermined temperature, and to rotate in the opposite direction after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after the rotational start.

7. The adhesive applicator according to claim 6 , wherein:
the applicator roller constituting the stirring rotor rotationally starts after a delay period preestablished by the selected heating mode has elapsed after the sensor means has reached a predetermined temperature; and
the preestablished period delays the timing of the rotational start to an extent that the temperature detected by the sensor means is a low temperature when the applicator is turned on.

8. The adhesive applicator according to claim 5 , wherein:
the stirring rotor is constituted by an applicator roller provided in the container;
the drive means is constituted by a reversible drive motor for forward-/reverse-rotating the applicator roller; and
the drive motor is controlled to rotationally start when a heating unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the container heating means reaches a predetermined temperature, and to rotate in the opposite direction after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after the rotational start.

9. The adhesive applicator according to claim 8 , wherein:
the applicator roller constituting the stirring rotor rotationally starts after a delay period preestablished by the selected heating mode has elapsed after the heating unit temperature sensor has reached a predetermined temperature; and
the preestablished period delays the timing of the rotational start to an extent that the temperature detected by the sensor means is a low temperature when the applicator is turned on.

Assignees

• Sasamoto Shinya
• Tsuchiya Atsushi
• Nisca Corp

Inventors

• Sasamoto Shinya
• Tsuchiya Atsushi

Classifications

• B05C1/006

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

• Y10T156/1798

  with liquid adhesive or adhesive activator applying means · CPC title

• B42C9/0018 Primary

  for binding stacks of sheets one at the time · CPC title

• B42C11/02

  Machines or equipment for casing-in or applying covers to pamphlets, magazines, pads, or other paper-covered booklets (B42C11/06 takes precedence) · CPC title