Abstract
A distributor head for a distributor apparatus for distributing fluids onto a surface includes an elongate base element having a fluid volume to receive the fluid, a filling opening connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the fluid volume to fill the fluid into the fluid volume, and a plurality of distributor openings connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the fluid volume to distribute the fluid from the fluid volume. The filling opening arranged at a first longitudinal side of the distributor head and the plurality of distributor openings arranged at a second longitudinal side of the distributor head, the first longitudinal side arranged opposite the second longitudinal side, and the plurality of distributor openings continuously formed in a wall of the base element.
Claims
1. A distributor head for a distributor apparatus for distributing fluid onto a surface, the distributor head comprising: an elongate base element having a fluid volume to receive the fluid; a filling opening connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the fluid volume to fill the fluid into the fluid volume; and a plurality of distributor openings connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the fluid volume to distribute the fluid from the fluid volume, the filling opening arranged at a first longitudinal side of the distributor head and the plurality of distributor openings arranged at a second longitudinal side of the distributor head, the first longitudinal side arranged opposite the second longitudinal side, the plurality of distributor openings continuously formed in a wall of the base element, the plurality of distributor openings arranged adjacent to one another, the plurality of distributor openings are each formed with a defined length and a defined width, and the defined lengths of the plurality of distributor openings along a flow direction (72) of the fluid or the defined widths of the distributor openings transverse to the flow direction of the fluid are formed in a varying manner over the plurality of distributor openings for a uniform or at least substantially uniform fluid distribution on the surface upon the distribution of the fluid, or at least one of the plurality of distributor openings being a slot-like distributor opening, the slot-like distributor opening extending along a longitudinal direction of the second longitudinal side and a length of the slot-like distributor opening along a flow direction of the fluid or a width of the slot-like distributor opening transverse to the flow direction of the fluid and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the second longitudinal side is formed in a varying manner for a uniform or at least substantially uniform fluid distribution on the surface upon the distribution of the fluid, or distribution elements for a uniform or at least substantially uniform distribution of the fluid in the fluid volume arranged in the fluid volume for a uniform or at least substantially uniform fluid distribution on the surface upon the distribution of the fluid through the at least one distributor opening.
2. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the length or the width of each of the plurality of distributor openings varies based on a position relative to the filling opening.
3. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the length or the width of each of the plurality of distributor openings varies based on a spacing between the filling opening and a respective distributor opening.
4. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lengths of the each of the plurality distributor openings decreases as a spacing between the filling opening and a respective distributor opening increases.
5. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the widths of each of the plurality of distributor openings increases as a spacing between the at least one filling opening and a respective distributor opening increases.
6. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, the filling opening is one of a plurality of filling openings, and the plurality of filling openings are arranged in the first longitudinal side of the distributor head.
7. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, further comprising two mutually opposite end sections at a termination of the first longitudinal side and the second longitudinal side, a disk-like spacer element arranged at each of the end sections, and the disk-like spacer elements at least project over the second longitudinal side of the distributor head.
8. The distributor head in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of the disk-like spacer elements is arranged in a rotatably supported manner at a respective end section.
9. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base element has an at least substantially triangular cross-section transverse to the first longitudinal side or the second longitudinal side.
10. The distributor head in accordance with claim 9, wherein the base element has a first wall element, a second wall element, and a third wall element, the first, second and third wall elements being elongate and arranged abutting one another to form the at least substantially triangular cross-section of the base element.
11. The distributor head in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first wall element and the second wall element are formed in one piece or monolithically and separately from the third wall element.
12. The distributor head in accordance with claim 10, wherein the third wall element is connectable in a sealed manner to the first wall element and the second wall element to form the fluid volume.
13. The distributor head in accordance with claim 10, wherein the third wall element forms the first longitudinal side of the distributor head, or the filling opening is arranged in the third wall element.
14. The distributor head in accordance with claim 10, wherein a connection region between the first wall element and the second wall element forms the second longitudinal side of the distributor head, and the plurality of distributor openings is arranged in the connection region.
15. The distributor head in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a closure element for selectively at least partly closing at least one of the plurality of distributor openings.
16. A distributor apparatus for distributing fluid onto a surface, comprising: a distributor head in accordance with claim 1; and a provision element configured to provide the fluid, the provision element connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the filling opening of the distributor head.
17. The distributor head in accordance with claim 16, wherein the fluid is liquid adhesives or adhesive agents and the surface is a substrate surface.
18. The distributor apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fluid is liquid adhesives or adhesive agents and the surface is a substrate surface.
19. The distributor head in accordance with claim 9, wherein the base element has a first wall element, a second wall element, and a third wall element, the first, second and third wall elements being elongate and connected to one another to form the at least substantially triangular cross-section of the base element.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0033] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
[0034] FIG. 1 is a distributor apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0035] FIG. 2 is a distributor head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 3 is a distributor head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in an exploded representation;
[0037] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a first embodiment of distributor openings in a distributor head in accordance with the invention;
[0038] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a second embodiment of distributor openings in a distributor head in accordance with the invention;
[0039] FIG. 6 is a sectional representation through a distributor apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention on the distribution of a fluid;
[0040] FIG. 7 is a further sectional representation of a distributor apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention on the distribution of a fluid;
[0041] FIG. 8 is a part view of a distributor head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention with a slot-like distributor opening; and
[0042] FIG. 9 is a sectional representation of a distributor head in accordance with an embodiment of the invention with distribution elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a distributor apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention. The distributor apparatus 10 has a provision element 12 for providing a fluid 70 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) from fluid containers 18 and a corresponding distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention that is in turn provided for the actual distribution of the fluid 70 over a larger width. The distributor apparatus 10 in particular has two fluid containers 18 that are connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the distributor head 20. As shown, the fluid containers 18 can be formed by tubular and/or cylindrical housing elements, wherein these housing elements can preferably be removably fastened to the remainder of the distributor apparatus 10. In this respect, it is possible that the fluid containers 18 directly contain the fluid 70 or that separate fluid packings 19 (see FIG. 6), in particular in the form of flexible bags, are arranged in the fluid containers 18 for receiving the fluid. In the latter case, full fluid packings 19 can be inserted into the hollow fluid containers 18 of the distributor apparatus 10 prior to use of the distributor apparatus. After the emptying of the fluid packings 19, they can be removed from the fluid containers 18 and can either be refilled or disposed of and replaced with new fluid packings 19.
[0044] A handle 14 of the provision element 12 enables a particularly simple handling of the distributor apparatus 10. Control elements and/or operating elements for a conveying element 16 of the distributor apparatus 10 can, for example, be arranged in these handles 14. A particularly simple operation of the distributor apparatus can thereby be made possible. Via the conveying element 16, the fluid 70 can be urged from the fluid containers 18 into the distributor head 20 and can be distributed from distributor openings 60 onto a surface 80 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The conveying element 16 can in particular, for example, have an electric motor for conveying the fluid 70. A pneumatic or hydraulic drive as part of the conveying element 16 is also possible. Furthermore, a manually driven, purely mechanical conveying element 16 is also conceivable. The different embodiments of a conveying element 16 preferably each have pistons that are guided in the fluid containers 18 and that urge the fluid 70 out of the fluid containers 18. The conveying element 16 often also has a drive rod (see FIG. 7) that is coupled to two drive rods, which each project into the fluid containers 18 or the hollow reception tubes and which are connected to the pistons, in order ultimately to transmit the movement of a drive of the conveying element 16, for example of an electric motor, to the pistons.
[0045] A distributor head 20 is shown enlarged in FIG. 2. The distributor head 20 comprises a base element 30 that has an at least substantially triangular cross-section 36 (see FIG. 7). Two filling openings 50, which can be connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the fluid containers 18 (not shown) shown in FIG. 1, are arranged in a first longitudinal side 22 of the distributor head 20 that is formed by the rear side of the base element 30. The fluid 70 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) from the fluid containers 18 is distributed in the interior of the base element 30 and is distributed on a surface 80 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) via a plurality of distributor openings 60 that are arranged in a second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20.
[0046] In this embodiment, the second longitudinal side 24 is arranged in a connection region 44 of a first wall element 38 and of a second wall element 40, not shown (see FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B and 7). Rotatably supported spacer elements 28, which at least project over the second longitudinal side 24, are preferably arranged at opposite end sections 26 of the distributor head 20. Due to the spacer element 28, a spacing between the surface 80 and the distributor openings 60 can be ensured on the placement of the distributor head 20 on the surface 80. Furthermore, the distributor head 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention can have a closure element 66 which is preferably movable and by which individual distributor openings 60 can selectively be closed.
[0047] FIG. 3 shows the distributor head 20 shown in FIG. 2 in an exploded representation. It is clearly visible that the first longitudinal side 22 in this embodiment of the distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention is formed by a third wall element 42, wherein the two filling openings 50 are located spaced apart from one another substantially centrally in this third wall element 42. The third wall element 42 can preferably be arranged sealed at the first wall element 38 and at the non-visible second wall element 40 in order to enclose the fluid volume 32.
[0048] The first wall element 38 and the second wall element 40 are formed in one piece, preferably monolithically, wherein the distributor openings 60 necessary for discharging the fluid 70 are in turn arranged in their connection region 44. In other words, a second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention is formed by the connection region 44. The first wall element 38 and the second wall element 40 can in particular be composed of plastic and can preferably be manufactured as an injection-molded part. The third wall element 42 can in particular also be composed of plastic and can preferably be manufactured as an injection-molded part.
[0049] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B show two possible embodiments of a distributor head 20 in accordance with embodiments of the invention in which the principle in accordance with embodiments of the invention of varying a length 62 and/or a width 64 of the respective distributor openings 60 is implemented differently in each case. Both embodiments agree to the extent that the fluid volume 32 here also has an at least substantially triangular cross-section 36 (see FIG. 7), wherein only the first wall element 38 and the second wall element 40 connected in one piece and/or monolithically thereto are shown in each case. The fluid volume 32 in particular extends within the base element 30 of the distributor head 20 between the two end sections 26 of the distributor head 20.
[0050] Furthermore, in both embodiments of the distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention, provision is made such that the distributor openings 60 are each arranged in a wall 34 of the base element 30, wherein this wall 34 extends in the connection region 44 between the first wall element 38 and the second wall element 40 as the second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20. Furthermore, the filling openings 50 are indicated in each of the two Figures.
[0051] In FIGS. 4A and 4B, an embodiment of a distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention is shown in which in particular the lengths 62 of the distributor opening 60 are formed in a varying manner adapted to the respective position 52 of the filling openings 50. It is clearly visible that in particular the lengths 62 of the distributor openings 60 decrease as the spacing 54 from the respective filling openings 50 increases. In other words, the distributor openings 60 that are disposed closer to the filling openings 50 have a larger length 62 than the distributor openings 60 that are disposed further remote from the filling openings 50. Expressed differently, distributor openings 60 having a larger length 62 are provided in regions of the fluid volume 32 in which the fluid 70 (not shown) is present at a high pressure due to the position 52 of the filling openings 50 rather than in regions further remote from the filling openings 50 at which distributor openings having a smaller length 62 are arranged in the wall 34. A compensation of the different pressure ratios in the fluid 70 in the fluid volume 32 can be achieved in this manner. Furthermore, it is particularly easily apparent that if two filling openings 50 are provided as in the embodiment shown, this is also reflected in the lengths 62 of the distributor openings 60 or their variation.
[0052] In an alternative or additional embodiment of a distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention, the above-described differences in the effective pressure of the fluid 70 in the fluid volume 32 can also be compensated by a variation of the width 64 of the distributor openings 60. This is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, wherein it is in particular visible that the widths 64 of the distributor openings 60 likewise increase as the spacing 54 from the filling openings 50 increases. It is also visible here that the presence of two filling openings 50 is likewise reflected in the variation of the width 64 of the distributor openings 60.
[0053] FIG. 6 shows a distributor apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention on the distribution of a fluid 70 onto a surface 80. The distributor openings 60 are arranged in a connection region 44 that is disposed opposite the first longitudinal side 22 of the distributor head 20 that is formed by the third wall element 42. Rotatably supported spacer elements 28 are again arranged at end sections 26 of the distributor head 20, whereby a uniform application or movement of the total distributor apparatus 10 can be particularly easily achieved on the application of the fluid 70 to the surface 80. The fluid 70 is pressed from the two fluid packings 19, which are arranged in the fluid containers 18 and which are configured as flexible bags, into the fluid volume 32 of the base element 30 via a conveying element 16 of the provision element 12 of which only a drive rod is visible in this Figure. For this purpose, the base element 30 is connected in a fluid-communicating manner to the two fluid containers 18 via the two filling openings 50. On the entry into the fluid volume 32, the fluid 70 is distributed in this fluid volume 32 along a flow direction 72. In this respect, it is recognizable that the flow direction 72 of the fluid 70 in the fluid volume 32 near the filling openings 50 at least substantially faces in the direction of the distributor openings 60, but is oriented transversely thereto further remote from the filling openings 50. It thereby becomes clear that a higher effective pressure is adopted in the fluid 70 near the position 52 of the filling openings 50 than remote from this position 52. As described above with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the lengths 62 of the distributor openings 60 provided in the second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20 are therefore formed as varying depending on the spacing 54 of the respective distributor opening 60 from the position 52 of the filling opening 50.
[0054] A further sectional representation of a distributor apparatus 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention on the application of a fluid 70 in a flow direction 72 to a surface 80 is shown in FIG. 7. On the application of the fluid 70 to the surface 80, the total distributor apparatus 10 moves in a distribution direction 82, wherein this is made possible particularly easily by the rotatably supported spacer elements 28. The fluid 70 is introduced from the fluid containers 18 via the filling opening 50 into the fluid volume 32 of the distributor head 20 and leaves the latter along the flow direction 72 through the plurality of distributor openings 60 that are provided in the second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20 that is configured as a connection region 44. In this sectional representation, it is particularly clearly visible that the base element 30, and thus also the fluid volume 32, has a triangular or at least substantially triangular cross-section 36. This cross-section 36 is in particular formed by the first wall element 38 and the second wall element 40 formed in one piece and/or monolithically therewith. The first and second wall elements 38, 40 close the connection region 44 that forms the second longitudinal side 24 of the distributor head 20 and in particular supports the plurality of distributor openings 60. The third wall element 42 is arranged opposite the connection region 44 and, as the first longitudinal side 22 of the distributor head 20, is in turn used for arranging the filling opening 50.
[0055] While the embodiment example shown in the Figures has two fluid containers 18 arranged in parallel next to one another, a distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention can naturally also only be connected to a single fluid container 18 or to more than two fluid containers 18. Such a distributor head and such a distributor apparatus are also within the scope of the present invention and have the advantages mentioned with reference to the embodiment example described. All the structural and functional features described are also applicable in such modifications.
[0056] A further embodiment of a distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the distributor head 20 is equipped with a single distributor opening 60, wherein this distributor opening 60 is slot-like and extends over the total or at least substantially the total second longitudinal side 24 in its longitudinal direction 74. It is clearly visible that this distributor opening 60 has a width 64 that is variably formed along the longitudinal direction 74. Overall, the width 64 of the slot-like distributor opening 60 increases as the spacing 54 from the two filling openings 50 or their positions 52 increases. The inner differences of the fluid 70 to be distributed in the fluid volume 32 of the distributor head 20 that have already been described above can also be at least partly compensated, preferably completely compensated, in this manner. A uniform discharge of the fluid 70 onto a surface 80 can thus also be provided with a correspondingly designed slot-like distributor opening 60.
[0057] FIG. 9 shows an alternative or additional embodiment of an inner design of a distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention in a sectional representation. This distributor head 20 also has two filling openings 50 and a plurality of distributor openings 60. In order already to be able to provide as uniform as possible a distribution of the fluid 70 in the fluid volume 32 of the distributor head 20, guide elements 46 are arranged in this embodiment of the distributor head 20 in accordance with the invention. As shown, these guide elements 46 can, for example, be configured as guide surfaces that preferably start in a ray-like manner from the respective filling openings 50. A uniform distribution of the fluid 70 can already be achieved or at least supported within the fluid volume 32 in this manner. A discharge of the fluid 70 through the plurality of distributor openings 60 can then take place uniformly over the total width of the distributor head 20 in a particularly simple manner.
