Component delivery system utilizing film bags

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968959-B2
Application number	US-201615361681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 30, 2004
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus includes two cylindrical sleeves, two flexible film pack bags disposed within the sleeves, the two film pack bags having an integrally formed rigid face plate bonded therewith, the face plate having a discharge nosepiece integrally formed therewith, the discharge nosepiece having a partition internally configured to maintain separate flow streams from the film pack bags. Two shuttles are slidingly disposed in the sleeves. Push rods are disposed in operable communication with the shuttles. At least one piston is disposed in operable communication with the push rods, the piston configured to drive the push rods. A holder is disposed proximate a front end of the sleeves, the holder configured to restrain the face plate during dispensing of a flowable material. A mixer is configured to be in fluid communication with flow streams from the film pack bags. A material applicator is disposed in fluid communication with the mixer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing a flowable material, the apparatus comprising:
at least one cylindrical sleeve having a front end portion and a back end portion;
at least one flexible film pack bag disposed within the at least one cylindrical sleeve, the at least one flexible film pack bag comprising a composite film having an inner layer and an outer layer;
a rigid face plate integrally formed on a front end portion of the at least one flexible film pack bag, the face plate being bonded to the at least one flexible film pack bag, the face plate having a material common with the outer layer of the at least one flexible film pack bag, and the face plate having a discharge nosepiece integrally formed therewith;
at least one shuttle slidingly disposed internal of and proximate the back end portion of the at least one cylindrical sleeve;
at least one push rod disposed in operable communication with the at least one shuttle;
at least one piston disposed in operable communication with the at least one push rod, the at least one piston configured to drive the at least one push rod; and
a holder disposed proximate the front end portion of the at least one cylindrical sleeve, the holder configured to restrain the face plate during dispensing of the flowable material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one shuttle has a circumference and a plurality of individual flexible fingers disposed around the circumference in sliding engagement with an interior surface of the at least one cylindrical sleeve.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of individual flexible fingers are spaced apart from each other with gaps therebetween to permit trapped air to escape from inside the at least one cylindrical sleeve as the at least one shuttle slides in the at least one cylindrical sleeve from the back end portion to the front end portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one piston comprises a piston housing, and
the at least one cylindrical sleeve is removably disposed between the piston housing and the holder.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mixer configured to be in fluid communication with and on a downstream side of the at least one flexible film pack bag; and
a first flexible tube disposed in fluid communication with and on an upstream side of the mixer, and in fluid communication with the discharge nosepiece.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a material applicator disposed in fluid communication with and on a downstream side of the mixer; and
a second flexible tube disposed in fluid communication with the material applicator, the second flexible tube configured to supply atomization air to the material applicator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one piston is configured to be driven by a pressurized gas.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the face plate is formed integrally on the at least one flexible film pack bag by a method comprising:
mounting a generally tubular flexible synthetic resin film bag on a mandrel;
inserting the mandrel and bag into a mold providing a cavity about an end of the mandrel and bag, the cavity being configured to provide the face plate;
injecting, into the cavity, molten synthetic resin of substantially the same composition as that of the bag, melting the front end portion of the bag using heat of the molten synthetic resin to cause the front end portion of the bag to become molten and intermix with the molten synthetic resin to form the face plate sealingly overmolded on the front end portion of the bag, the face plate and the bag being an integrated structure of essentially uniform composition having no distinct layers at an interface, the face plate having a discharge opening therein and the discharge nosepiece about the opening aligned with the end of the bag, the face plate being overmolded on the film bag, the film bag being disposed inwardly of the face plate;
removing the face plate, bag and mandrel from the cavity;
removing the bag and face plate from the mandrel; and
sealing the end of the bag spaced from the face plate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one shuttle has a circumference and a plurality of individual flexible fingers disposed around the circumference in sliding engagement with an interior surface of the at least one cylindrical sleeve.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
adjacent ones of the plurality of individual flexible fingers are spaced apart from each other with gaps therebetween to permit trapped air to escape from inside the at least one cylindrical sleeve as the at least one shuttle slides in the at least one cylindrical sleeve from the back end portion to the front end portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the at least one piston comprises a piston housing, and
the at least one cylindrical sleeve is removably disposed between the piston housing and the holder.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a mixer in fluid communication with and on a downstream side of the at least one flexible film pack bag; and
a first flexible tube disposed in fluid communication with and on an upstream side of the mixer, and in fluid communication with the discharge nosepiece.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a material applicator disposed in fluid communication with and on a downstream side of the mixer; and
a second flexible tube disposed in fluid communication with the material applicator, the second flexible tube configured to supply atomization air to the material applicator.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one piston is configured to be driven by a pressurized gas.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one cylindrical sleeve comprises two cylindrical sleeves,
the at least one flexible film pack bag comprises two flexible film pack bags,
the at least one shuttle comprises two shuttles,
the at least one push rod comprises two push rods,
each one of the two flexible film pack bags is disposed in a respective one of the two cylindrical sleeves,
the rigid face plate is common to the two flexible film pack bags,
the discharge nosepiece has a partition internally disposed and configured to maintain separate flow streams from respective ones of the two flexible film pack bags,
each one of the two shuttles is slidingly disposed internal of a respective one of the two cylindrical sleeves,
each one of the two push rods is disposed in operable communication with a respective one of the two shuttles,
the at least one piston is disposed in operable communication with each one of the two push rods, and
the front end of respective ones of the two cylindrical sleeves is configured to receive individual ones of the two flexible film pack bags.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus has no distinct layers at an interface between the outer later and the rigid face plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material of the rigid face plate is intermixed with the outer layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the material of the rigid face plate and the outer layer includes one of polypropylene, polyethylene, and nylon.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the composite film further comprises a center layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer include polypropylene, and the center layer includes nylon.

21. An apparatus for dispen

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Frey Charles M

Classifications

• B05C17/00559 Primary

  the different components being stored in coaxial chambers · CPC title

• B05C17/00583

  the container for the material to be dispensed being deformable · CPC title

• B65D81/325

  Containers having parallel or coaxial compartments, provided with a piston or a movable bottom for discharging contents · CPC title

• B05C17/00516

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

• B05C17/015

  with pneumatically {or hydraulically} actuated piston or the like {(B05C17/00543 takes precedence)} · CPC title