NOZZLE ARRANGEMENT FOR APPLYING FLUIDS, USE OF THE NOZZLE ARRANGEMENT, AND SYSTEM FOR APPLYING FLUIDS

Abstract

A nozzle arrangement for applying fluids to a substrate has a connection body that is connectable to a distributor mounting region and has a spray nozzle that is connectable to the connection body. The spray nozzle has a nozzle body that longitudinally extends and has a first fluid channel for the fluid to be applied to the substrate. The spray nozzle has a nozzle housing in which the nozzle body is received. Second fluid channels for shaping air are formed between a lateral surface and inner of the nozzle body. The second fluid channels extend in the direction of a nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body such that, by way of the shaping air dispensed from the second fluid channels at the nozzle outlet region, a spiral-shaped deflection of the fluid dispensed from the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body is created.

Claims

1. A nozzle arrangement for applying a fluid to a substrate, the nozzle arrangement comprising: a connection body configured to be connectable to a mounting region of a distributor; a spray nozzle configured to be connectable to the connection body, wherein the spray nozzle has a bar-like nozzle body extending in a longitudinal direction of the spray nozzle and that has at least one first fluid channel for the fluid to be applied to the substrate, the spray nozzle also having a nozzle housing configured to receive the nozzle body, wherein second fluid channels for shaping air is formed between a lateral surface of the nozzle body and an inner surface of the nozzle housing, the second fluid channels extending in a direction of a nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body such that, by way of the air that is shaped by and dispensed from the second fluid channels at an end side nozzle outlet region of the spray nozzle, a spiral-shaped deflection of the fluid that is dispensed from the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body is created.

2. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nozzle housing is a sleeve-like body at least partially surrounding the nozzle body, wherein the nozzle housing is configured to be fastened to a connection region of the connection body.

3. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nozzle body has a polygonal cross-sectional profile in a first region with a first diameter between six millimeters and twelve millimeters, and the nozzle body has a hexagonal cross-sectional profile in a second region with a second diameter between six millimeters and ten millimeters.

4. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nozzle body has a substantially circular-cylindrical cross-sectional profile in a first region with groove regions extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle body.

5. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second fluid channels are uniformly formed over the lateral surface of the nozzle body with respect to one another.

6. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nozzle body has a substantially cylindrical nozzle body in a region where the nozzle body is received by the nozzle housing with one or more of groove regions extending in the longitudinal direction of the spray nozzle or second regions extending in the longitudinal direction of the spray nozzle and recessed with respect to the lateral surface of the nozzle body, which delimit the second fluid channels with the inner surface of the nozzle housing.

7. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second fluid channels include at least three second fluid channels uniformly formed over a lateral surface of the nozzle body with respect to one another.

8. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the nozzle housing has a conical shape that narrows in a direction of a nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body and which is matched to a conical shape of the nozzle body with the second fluid channels oriented in the direction of the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body at the nozzle outlet region of the spray nozzle.

9. The nozzle arrangement of claim 8, wherein the spray nozzle includes one or more of groove regions or cutout regions at the end side nozzle outlet region with the one or more of the groove regions or cutout regions fluidically connected to the second fluid channels.

10. The nozzle arrangement of claim 8, wherein the nozzle body has a conical shape at the end side nozzle outlet region that narrows in the direction of the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body and that has a cone angle of between thirty degrees to one hundred twenty degrees.

11. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein the nozzle body has a length between twenty millimeters and one hundred millimeters along the longitudinal direction.

12. The nozzle arrangement of claim 1, wherein an annular region is formed between the connection body and the spray nozzle while the spray nozzle is mounted on the connection region of the connection body, the annular region fluidically connected at one side to a source for shaping air and at another side is fluidically connected to the second fluid channels of the spray nozzle.

13. The nozzle arrangement of claim 12, wherein the nozzle body is coupled with a seal that separates the annular region for shaping air and a region that is axially arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle body and via which the fluid is fed into the first fluid channel of the spray nozzle.

14. A method comprising: using the nozzle arrangement of claim 1 to apply the fluid to an edge fold region of a component.

15. A system for applying fluids to a substrate, the system comprising: a distributor head configured to be connected to a robot arm and which is movable relative to the substrate along a movement direction; and at least one of the nozzle arrangements of claim 1 which is connected to the distributor head in a mounting region of the distributor head.

16. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2, wherein the nozzle housing and the nozzle body are configured to be detachable to the connection region of the connection body.

17. The nozzle arrangement of claim 2, wherein the nozzle housing is configured to be fastened to the connection region of the connection body by a compressive screw connection that includes a union nut.

18. The nozzle arrangement of claim 3, wherein the hexagonal cross-sectional profile of the second region of the nozzle body has a wrench flat dimension between five millimeters and nine millimeters.

19. The nozzle arrangement of claim 5, wherein the second fluid channels are equidistant from each other.

20. The nozzle arrangement of claim 8, wherein the second fluid channels are decentralized with respect to the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0058] Example embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] The figures show:

[0060] FIG. 1 schematically and in an isometric view, a conventional system for applying thermoplastic adhesives to a substrate;

[0061] FIG. 2 schematically and in an isometric view, an example embodiment of a system according to the invention for applying thermoplastic adhesives to a substrate;

[0062] FIG. 3 schematically and in an isometric view, a further example embodiment of the system according to the invention for applying thermoplastic adhesives to a substrate;

[0063] FIG. 4 schematically and in an isometric exploded view, a first example embodiment of a spray nozzle of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention;

[0064] FIG. 5 schematically and in an isometric view, the example embodiment of the spray nozzle of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 4 in the assembled state;

[0065] FIG. 6 schematically and in an isometric detail view, the nozzle body of the nozzle arrangement according to FIG. 4 at the end-side nozzle outlet region;

[0066] FIG. 7 schematically and in an isometric exploded view, a further example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention;

[0067] FIG. 8 schematically and in an isometric view, the further example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 7 in the assembled state;

[0068] FIG. 9 schematically and in an isometric detail view, the nozzle body of the nozzle arrangement according to FIG. 7 at the end-side nozzle outlet region;

[0069] FIG. 10 schematically and in a side view, a further example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention;

[0070] FIG. 11 schematically and in a longitudinal sectional view, the further example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 10; and

[0071] FIG. 12 schematically and in an isometric view, the example embodiment of the system according to the invention according to FIG. 2 when applying a thermoplastic adhesive to a substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] It has long been recognized that thermoplastic adhesives constitute good binding agents. This is because the adhesives harden quickly, which is particularly advantageous when the adhesive is applied incrementally and the joining of the parts to be bonded is then immediate, and the obtained adhesive bond is very strong. The range of components of which thermoplastic adhesives can be composed is moreover so extensive that an appropriate adhesive composition can easily be produced for any given purpose.

[0073] Nevertheless, certain difficulties have stood in the way of the widespread use of these adhesives insofar as the thermoplastic adhesive sometimes cannot be applied in an automated manner to specific, selected regions of a substrate, in particular those having a complex geometry, or can only be applied with great difficulty. This applies in particular to edge fold regions of substrates formed as molded bodies.

[0074] FIG. 1 shows schematically and in an isometric view a conventional system 50, by means of which a thermoplastic adhesive 20 is applied in an automated manner to specific regions of a substrate formed as a molded part. The conventional system 50 for applying thermoplastic adhesives 20 to a substrate 21 formed as a molded body comprises a distributor head 30, which preferably is or can be connected to a robot arm not shown in FIG. 1 and which can be moved along a movement direction relative to the substrate 21 with the aid of the robot arm.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional system 50 for applying thermoplastic adhesives further comprises a nozzle arrangement 101, which is preferably interchangeably connected to the distributor head 30 in a mounting region of the distributor head 30. The nozzle arrangement 101 is formed substantially by an approximately rectangular base body 102, via which the nozzle arrangement 101 is connected to the mounting region of the distributor head 30. This base body 102 of the nozzle arrangement 101, which is substantially rectangular when viewed from above, comprises a front-side lateral surface 103 in which a discharge nozzle 105 is formed. The main flow axis defined by the discharge nozzle 105 or the discharge opening of the discharge nozzle 105, along which the thermoplastic adhesive material 20 dispensed by the discharge nozzle 105 moves, encloses an at least substantially right angle with the front-side lateral surface 103 of the base body 102 of the nozzle arrangement 101. The front-side lateral surface 103 of the base body 102 is furthermore in the movement direction of the distributor.

[0076] In applications of the conventional system 50 for molded parts having complex geometric structures and in particular comprising edge fold regions, it is typically unavoidable that either parts of the system, in particular the distributor head or the nozzle arrangement, come into contact with regions of the molded part or that not all necessary regions of the molded part can be reached with the nozzle arrangement.

[0077] To solve this problem, the invention proposes an optimized nozzle arrangement 1, where example embodiments of the nozzle arrangement 1 are described in more detail in the following with reference to the illustrations in FIG. 2 to FIG. 12.

[0078] More specifically, in a schematic and isometric view, FIG. 2 shows an example embodiment of the system 19 according to the invention, where the system 19 is used to apply fluids 20, in particular thermoplastic adhesives, to a substrate 21, and where the system 19 substantially comprises a distributor head 2, which preferably is or can be connected to a robot arm and which can be moved along a movement direction relative to the substrate 21 (not shown in FIG. 2).

[0079] The system 19 schematically shown in FIG. 2 furthermore comprises a nozzle arrangement 1, which is preferably interchangeably connected to the distributor head 2 in a mounting region of the distributor head 2.

[0080] The structure and the mode of operation of the nozzle arrangement 1 used in the system 19 shown schematically in FIG. 2 are described in more detail in the following with reference to the illustrations in FIG. 4 to FIG. 11.

[0081] In a schematic and isometric view, FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the system 19 according to the invention for applying fluids 20 to a substrate 21 (likewise not shown in FIG. 3). The example embodiment of the system 19 according to the invention shown schematically in FIG. 3 differs from the system 19 shown schematically in FIG. 2 primarily in the structure of the distributor head 2 to which the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention is connected.

[0082] Example embodiments of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention or the spray nozzles 3 of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention are described in more detail in the following with reference to the illustrations in FIG. 4 to FIG. 11.

[0083] In summary, common to all of the embodiments is that the nozzle arrangement 1 is used to apply fluids 20, in particular thermoplastic adhesives, to a substrate 21, where the nozzle arrangement 1 comprises a connecting body 9 which can be preferably interchangeably connected to a mounting region of a distributor 2 and a spray nozzle 3 which can be preferably interchangeably connected to the connecting body 9.

[0084] As is in particular evident from the exploded views in FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 and from the sectional view in FIG. 11, the spray nozzle 3 according to the invention has a substantially two-part structure and consists of an in particular rod-shaped nozzle body 5 which extends in the longitudinal direction 4 of the spray nozzle 3 and a nozzle housing 7. The nozzle housing 7 comprises a sleeve-shaped base body.

[0085] A first fluid channel 6 for the fluid 20 to be applied to the substrate 21 is formed in the rod-shaped nozzle body 5. In this context, reference is made to the detail view, for example in FIG. 6 or FIG. 9, or to the sectional view in FIG. 11. The first fluid channel 6 extends in particular coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the (rod-shaped) nozzle body 5.

[0086] A plurality of second fluid channels 10 is formed between the outer surface of the rod-shaped nozzle body 5 and the inner surface of the in particular partially sleeve-shaped nozzle housing 7, and serves to supply shaping air to the end-side nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3. The shaping air delivered with the aid of the second fluid channels 10 in particular serves to create a spiral-shaped deflection of the fluid 20 dispensed or to be dispensed from the nozzle outlet opening at the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5.

[0087] More specifically, and as is evident in particular from the sectional view in FIG. 11, for example, the nozzle housing 7 of the spray nozzle 3 is configured at least partly as a sleeve-shaped body which at least in certain areas surrounds the (rod-shaped) nozzle body 5. It is in particular provided that the nozzle housing 7 can be fastened, preferably together with the nozzle body 5, to the connecting region 12 of the connecting body 9, in particular in a detachable and/or interchangeable manner, namely with the aid of a squeeze screw connection on the connecting region 12 of the connecting body 9 created by means of a union nut 13.

[0088] On the other hand, at least in the region in which it is held in the nozzle housing 7, the (in particular rod-shaped) nozzle body 5 is configured at least partly as a substantially cylindrical nozzle body 5, where groove regions 14 extending in the longitudinal direction 4 of the spray nozzle 3, or regions 15 extending in the longitudinal direction 4 of the spray nozzle 3 and recessed with respect to the outer surface of the cylindrical nozzle body 5, are formed in the substantially cylindrical nozzle body 5. Together with the inner surface of the nozzle housing 7, these regions (groove regions 14 or recessed regions 15) at least partly delimit the individual second fluid channels 10 of the spray nozzle 3.

[0089] In the example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, it is provided that the rod-shaped nozzle body 5 has a polygonal cross-sectional profile at least in certain areas in order to form the corresponding second fluid channels 10 over the surface regions 15 of the polygonal cross-sectional profile (and the inner surface of the nozzle housing 7).

[0090] More specifically, in the embodiment according to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9 it is provided that the in particular rod-shaped nozzle body 5 has a hexagonal cross-sectional profile, at least in certain areas, in order to form a total of six second fluid channels 10 together with the nozzle housing 7.

[0091] According to preferred implementations, it is provided in this context that the diameter of the rod-shaped nozzle body 5 is preferably in a range from 6 mm to 12 mm and particularly preferably in a range from 6 mm to 10 mm.

[0092] In the case of the hexagonal cross-sectional profile shape of the rod-shaped nozzle body 5, which can be seen in particular in FIG. 9, the diameter of the rod-shaped nozzle body 5 is in particular 6 mm to 10 mm with a key face dimension of the hexagon between 5 mm and 9 mm.

[0093] In contrast to the embodiment described above with reference to the illustrations in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the rod-shaped nozzle body 5 of the spray nozzle 3 in the example embodiment of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 is provided, at least in certain areas, with a substantially circular-cylindrical cross-sectional profile, where groove regions 14 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle body 5 are formed in the outer surface of the circular-cylindrical nozzle body 5 to form the second fluid channels 10.

[0094] Independent of the question of how the second fluid channels 10 are ultimately formed, the second fluid channels 10 should be configured evenly spaced and in particular equidistant with respect to one another over the outer surface of the nozzle body 5, in order to be able to create the best possible spiral-shaped deflection of the fluid dispensed from the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5 at the nozzle outlet region 11.

[0095] Common to all of the example embodiments of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention shown in the drawings is also that, at the end-side nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3, the nozzle body 5 has a conical shape which tapers in the direction of the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5 with a cone angle of preferably 30 degrees to 120 degrees and in particular with a cone angle of preferably 50 degrees to 100 degrees. In this context, reference is made to the detail view, for example in FIG. 6 or FIG. 9, or to the sectional view in FIG. 11.

[0096] In the nozzle arrangements 1 shown in the drawings, it is similarly provided that at least the inner surface of the nozzle housing 7 on the end-side nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3 has a conical shape which tapers in the direction of the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5 and in particular matches a conical shape of the nozzle body 5, namely such that, at least on the nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3, the second fluid channels 10 are aligned decentered in the direction of the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5 and in particular with respect to the nozzle outlet opening of the nozzle body 5. In this context, reference is made in particular to the detail view in FIG. 9.

[0097] It can also be seen from the detail view in FIG. 6 or FIG. 9 that, according to embodiments of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention, groove and/or recess regions 8 are formed in the nozzle body 5 on the end-side nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3, each of which is fluidically connected to one of the second fluid channels 10.

[0098] In the sectional view in FIG. 11 it can be seen that, when the spray nozzle 3 is mounted on the connecting region 12 of the connecting body 9, a preferably ring-shaped region 17 is formed in a region between the connecting body 9 and the spray nozzle 3 and, on the one hand, is fluidically connected to a source for shaping air, in particular with a compressed air source (not shown in FIG. 10), and, on the other hand, is fluidically connected to the second fluid channels 10 of the spray nozzle 3.

[0099] The sectional view according to FIG. 11 also shows that a seal 18, in particular in the form of a sealing ring, is associated with the nozzle body 5 to separate the in particular ring-shaped region 17 for shaping air and a region, which is preferably arranged axially with respect to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle body 5 and via which the fluid to be applied to the substrate 21 is fed into the first fluid channel 6 of the spray nozzle 3.

[0100] The invention further relates to the use of the nozzle arrangement 1 according to the invention for applying a fluid, in particular thermoplastic adhesive, to an edge fold region of a component, as shown schematically and in an isometric view in FIG. 12.

[0101] With the aid of the second fluid channels 10, shaping air (compressed air) is directed in the direction of the thermoplastic adhesive jet dispensed from the end-side nozzle outlet region 11 of the spray nozzle 3 to suitably deflect the adhesive jet 20. In this context, it is in particular provided that the dispensed thermoplastic adhesive jet is deflected in a spiral shape.

[0102] The invention is not limited to the example embodiments shown in the drawings, but results when all of the features disclosed herein are considered together.