DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MELTING A HOT-MELT ADHESIVE

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for melting a hot-melt adhesive (3), comprising a heating plate (5), a plunger (7), the plunger (7) comprising a plunger end face (9), and a mounting (11), wherein the mounting (11) is suitable for receiving a storage container (13), which has a rigid lateral wall (15) and two opposite side faces (17, 19) and contains the hot-melt adhesive (3), in such a manner that the hot-melt adhesive (3) is arranged between the plunger (7) and the to heating plate (5), and the plunger end face (9) and the heating plate (5) are arranged opposite one another, wherein the heating plate (5), the plunger (7) and the mounting (11) are so dimensioned that the storage container (13) having an inner volume (21) of more than 50 L can be received. The invention relates further to a method for melting a hot-melt adhesive.

Claims

1.-17. (canceled)

18. A device (1) for melting a hot-melt adhesive (3), comprising a heating plate (5), a plunger (7), the plunger (7) comprising a plunger end face (9), a mounting (11) and a storage container (13) having an inner volume (21) of more than 50 L, wherein the storage container (13) has a rigid lateral wall (15) and two opposite side faces (17, 19) and contains the hot-melt adhesive (3), the plunger end face (9) and the heating plate (5) are arranged opposite one another, and the storage container (13) is received in the mounting (11) in such a manner that the hot-melt adhesive (3) is arranged between the plunger (7) and the heating plate (5), wherein the storage container (13) can be removed from the device, characterized in that the heating plate (5) has a V-shaped surface structure (27) which is formed by ribs (69), and wherein the V-shaped surface structure (27) forms an outlet (29) for melted hot-melt adhesive (31).

19. The device as claimed claim 18, characterized in that the plunger end face (9) and the heating plate (5) enclose an angle (25) of more than 30 with a horizontal plane (23).

20. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the storage container (13) has a cylindrical shape.

21. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the rigid lateral wall (15) of the storage container (13) is made of steel, plastics material or wood fibers.

22. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that a flexible sleeve (33) is arranged in the storage container (13), which flexible sleeve has an opening (37) at least on one side (35) of the flexible sleeve (33), and the flexible sleeve (33) preferably has a sleeve material comprising aluminum.

23. A coating device (41) comprising an application unit (43) and a device (1) for melting as claimed in claim 18, wherein the device (1) for melting is arranged on the application unit (43).

24. A method for melting a hot-melt adhesive (3), comprising the following steps: a) providing the hot-melt adhesive (3) in a storage container (13) having an inner volume (21) of more than 50 L, wherein the storage container (13) has a rigid lateral wall (15) and two opposite side faces (17, 19), b) arranging the storage container (13), containing the hot-melt adhesive (3) in unmelted form (32), in a device (1) for melting as claimed in claim 18, comprising a heating plate (5), so that a first of the two opposite side faces (19) is arranged at the heating plate (5), c) feeding the hot-melt adhesive (3) relative to the storage container (13) and in the direction towards the heating plate (5), wherein the two opposite side faces (17, 19) of the storage container (13) are open, so that the hot-melt adhesive (3) is brought into contact with the heating plate (5) and there is formed melted hot-melt adhesive (31), which flows away on the heating plate (5), wherein the device (1) for melting has a plunger (7), the plunger (7) comprising a plunger end face (9), and the hot-melt adhesive (3) is pressed against the heating plate (5) with a pressing pressure by means of the plunger (7), and the pressing pressure is preferably more than 7 bar.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the storage container (13) has a longitudinal axis (45) which intersects the two opposite side faces (17, 19), and in step b), the storage container (13) is so arranged in the device (1) for melting that the longitudinal axis (45) of the storage container (13) encloses an angle (47) of less than 80 with a horizontal plane (23), wherein the angle (47) is preferably from 0 to 45.

26. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the storage container (13) comprises two opposite side walls (49, 51) which are removed at the latest before step c), so that the two opposite side faces (17, 19) of the storage container (13) are open.

27. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the hot-melt adhesive (3) is arranged in the storage container (13) in a flexible sleeve (33), and the flexible sleeve (33) is opened before step b) at least at the first of the two opposite side faces (19), which in step b) is arranged at the heating plate (5), wherein during the opening preferably a portion of the flexible sleeve (33) is folded back against the rigid lateral wall (15).

28. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that in step b), the rigid lateral wall (15) of the storage container (13) is arranged tightly against the heating plate (5) at the first of the two opposite side faces (19).

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the device (1) has at least one further plunger (53) which presses the rigid lateral wall (15) of the storage container (13) against the heating plate (5) for tight arrangement.

30. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that in step c), the hot-melt adhesive (3) is warmed at the heating plate (5) to an adhesive temperature of more than 70 C.

31. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that in step c), more than 50 kg of the hot-melt adhesive (3) are melted per hour.

32. The method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the device (1) for melting is arranged on an application unit (43), and the melted hot-melt adhesive (31) flows into the application unit (43) by means of gravity and by the pressing pressure, or the device (1) for melting has a pump (55), and the melted hot-melt adhesive (31) is fed to an application unit (43) by means of the pump (55), wherein the application unit (43) preferably comprises a hose (57) and a slot die (59).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] Embodiments according to the invention are shown in the drawings and will be explained in greater detail in the following description.

[0049] In the drawings:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention for melting a hot-melt adhesive,

[0051] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a device according to the invention for melting a hot-melt adhesive,

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a storage container,

[0053] FIG. 4 shows an open storage container,

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a coating device comprising a device for melting according to the invention,

[0055] FIG. 6 shows a coating device comprising a further embodiment of a device for melting according to the invention,

[0056] FIG. 7 shows a coating device comprising a device for melting according to the invention and a further embodiment of an application unit, and

[0057] FIG. 8 shows a heating plate of a device for melting according to the invention.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for melting according to the invention, comprising a heating plate 5 having a seal 73, a plunger 7 and a mounting 11. In addition to the plunger 7, two further plungeres 53 are provided. The heating plate 5 and the plunger 7 are arranged spaced apart from and opposite one another, wherein the mounting 11 is located at least in part between the heating plate 5 and the plunger 7. Above the heating plate 5, the device 1 for melting has a pipe socket 75 to which an extraction system can be connected.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a device 1 according to the invention for melting a hot-melt adhesive 3. The device 1 for melting comprises a heating plate 5, a plunger 7, a mounting 11 and a storage container 13. A pipe socket 75 is further arranged above the heating plate 5. The storage container 13 has an inner volume 21, which is delimited by a rigid lateral wall 15 and two opposite side faces 17, 19. The storage container 13 further has a longitudinal axis 45, which intersects a first of the two opposite side faces 19 and a second of the two opposite side faces 17. In this representation, only a portion of each of the heating plate 5 and the first of the two side faces 19 is visible through the pipe socket 75.

[0060] The storage container 13 contains the hot-melt adhesive 3 and is received in the mounting 11. The mounting 11 holds the storage container 13, in particular the rigid lateral wall 15, in a fixed position. The fixed position of the rigid lateral wall 15 can be supported by further plungeres 53. Furthermore, the storage container 13 is arranged in the mounting 11 at least in part between the plunger 7 and the heating plate 5.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a storage container 13 which is arranged in a device 1 for melting according to the invention. The storage container 13 has an inner volume 21, which is delimited by a rigid lateral wall 15 and two opposite side faces 17, 19. There are initially located at the two opposite side faces 17, 19 two opposite side walls 49, 51, which are removed for carrying out the method according to the invention, so that the two opposite side faces 17, 19 are open.

[0062] The hot-melt adhesive 3 in unmelted form 32 is arranged in the inner volume 21 of the storage container 13. In the embodiment shown here, the hot-melt adhesive 7 is surrounded in the storage container 13 by a flexible sleeve 33. The storage container 13, which here is cylindrical in shape, further has a longitudinal axis 45, which is parallel to the rigid lateral wall 15 and intersects the two opposite side faces 17, 19 orthogonally.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows an open storage container 13, which differs from the storage container 13 according to FIG. 3 in that the side wall 51 has already been removed at the first of the first of the two opposite side faces 19. Furthermore, the flexible sleeve 33 has been opened on one side 35 of the flexible sleeve 33, so that an opening 37 has been formed. A portion of the flexible sleeve 33, which had closed the opening 37, has been folded outwards about the rigid lateral wall 15, so that the hot-melt adhesive 3 at the first of the two opposite side faces 19 of the storage container 13 is exposed.

[0064] FIG. 5 shows a coating device 41 comprising an application unit 43 and a device 1 for melting according to the invention. As the application unit 43 there is shown a first application unit 61, which comprises rollers 65.

[0065] The device 1 for melting is so arranged that the plunger end face 9 of the plunger 7 and also the heating plate 5 enclose an angle 25 of 90 with a horizontal plane 23. Correspondingly, the storage container 13 is arranged with the rigid lateral wall 15 horizontal.

[0066] The hot-melt adhesive 3 in unmelted form 32 is melted at the heating plate 5, so that melted adhesive 31 is present, which melted adhesive 31 flows from above through an outlet 29 directly into the application unit 43 by means of gravity and as a result of the pressing pressure.

[0067] FIG. 6 shows a coating unit 41 which corresponds substantially to the coating unit 41 according to FIG. 5, with the difference that the storage container 13 in the device 1 according to the invention is here arranged on the application device 43 inclined by an angle 47. The angle 47 is enclosed by a horizontal plane 23 and the longitudinal axis 45 of the storage container 13 and in the embodiment shown is less than 45.

[0068] FIG. 7 shows a coating device 41 having a device 1 for melting according to the invention and an application unit 43. As the application unit 43 is a second application unit 63, which comprises a hose 57, which is heatable, and a slot die 59.

[0069] In this embodiment, the device 1 for melting comprises a pump 55, which is arranged in a collecting container 67. From the collecting container 67, the melted hot-melt adhesive 31 is fed by means of the pump 55 through the hose 57 to the slot die 59 and can be applied to surfaces by the slot die 59.

[0070] FIG. 8 shows a heating plate 5, which has a V-shaped surface structure 27. The V-shaped surface structure 27 is formed by ribs 69. The melted hot-melt adhesive 31 flows along the V-shaped surface structure 27 to an outlet 29 and leaves the heating plate 5 through a valve 71. Valve 71 regulates the inflow of the hot-melt composition into the application unit or the reservoir (not shown). The heating plate 5 further has a seal 73 as the outer edge.

Example

[0071] 200 L of a hot-melt adhesive of the trademark Kleiberit HotCoatings 717.6 (a PUR hot-melt adhesive which reacts with moisture from the material to be bonded or from the environment, such as, for example, the air, that is to say there is not only a physical effect due to solidification of the liquid adhesive but additionally a chemically reactive effect) are placed in a cylindrical storage container. In the storage container, the hot-melt adhesive is additionally arranged in an aluminum composite bag.

[0072] The storage container is brought into a horizontal position and opened by removal of two opposite side walls of the storage container. The hot-melt adhesive remains in a rigid lateral wall of the storage container and the aluminum composite bag is opened where a side wall has been removed, so that the hot-melt adhesive at a side face of the storage container is exposed.

[0073] The storage container, likewise in a horizontal position, is then arranged in a device according to the invention. The device according to the invention has a heating plate and a plunger, between which the storage container is so arranged that the exposed hot-melt adhesive faces the heating plate.

[0074] The heating plate has a plate temperature of 150 C., the plunger generates a pressing pressure of 6 bar, and approximately 90 kg of hot-melt adhesive are melted per hour.

[0075] The melted hot-melt composition flows via a heated system of grooves into an application unit on which the device for melting is arranged. The application unit has three rollers.

[0076] The hot-melt composition collects between the heated metering roller of metal and the silicone-coated application roller and is then transferred from the co-rotating application roller to the substrate. The counter-rotating heated smoothing roller arranged immediately downstream smooths the surface of the applied hot-melt composition, which serves as a coating for flooring elements.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 1 device [0078] 3 hot-melt adhesive [0079] 5 heating plate [0080] 7 plunger [0081] 9 plunger end face [0082] 11 mounting [0083] 13 storage container [0084] 15 rigid lateral wall [0085] 17 second of the two opposite side faces [0086] 19 first of the two opposite side faces [0087] 21 inner volume [0088] 23 horizontal plane [0089] 25 angle [0090] 27 surface structure [0091] 29 outlet [0092] 31 melted hot-melt adhesive [0093] 32 hot-melt adhesive in unmelted form [0094] 33 flexible sleeve [0095] 35 side of the flexible sleeve 33 [0096] 37 opening [0097] 41 coating device [0098] 43 application unit [0099] 45 longitudinal axis [0100] 47 angle [0101] 49, 51 opposite side walls [0102] 53 further plunger [0103] 55 pump [0104] 57 hose [0105] 59 slot die [0106] 61 first application unit [0107] 63 second application unit [0108] 65 rollers [0109] 67 collecting container [0110] 69 ribs [0111] 71 valve [0112] 73 seal [0113] 75 pipe socket