APPLICATION NOZZLE

Abstract

An application nozzle for applying viscous material to a workpiece includes a nozzle body which has a material inlet opening and material outlet openings which are arranged in at least one row in a material outlet face. An inlet channel extends in the nozzle body from the material inlet opening to at least one branch point. At each branch point, two distributor channels extend in the nozzle body in opposite directions from the inlet channel, wherein the distributor channels are each arranged over their entire length at a distance from the material outlet face, and at least one outlet channel extends in the nozzle body from each of the distributor channels in each case to one of the material outlet openings.

Claims

1. An application nozzle for application of viscous material to a workpiece, having a nozzle body (12) that has a material inlet opening (16) and multiple material outlet openings (20), which are arranged in at least one row in a material outlet surface (18), wherein an inlet channel (22) extends in the nozzle body (12) from the material inlet opening (16) all the way to at least one branching point (24), wherein two distributor channels (26) extend in the nozzle body (12) in opposite directions from the inlet channel (22) at each branching point (24), wherein the distributor channels (26) are arranged at a distance from the material outlet surface (18) over their entire length, in each instance, and wherein at least one outlet channel (28) extends in the nozzle body (12) from each distributor channel (26) all the way to one of the material outlet openings (20), in each instance.

2. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the outlet channels (28) run essentially parallel to one another.

3. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the inlet channel (22), the distributor channels (26), and the outlet channels (28) form a cavity (14) in the nozzle body (12), which cavity is symmetrical with reference to a center plane (30).

4. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the distributor channels (26) are arranged, at every point, at a distance from the material outlet surface (18) that is at least 1.5 times as great and preferably at least 2 times as great as the diameter of the material outlet openings (20).

5. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the outlet channels (28) have an initial region (38) that branches off from one of the distributor channels (26) and an end region (40) that extends to the related material outlet opening (20), in each instance, wherein the diameter of the end region (40) is smaller than the diameter of the initial region (38).

6. The application nozzle according to claim 5, wherein the diameter of each of the outlet channels (28) decreases in steps at the transition from the initial region (38) to the end region (40).

7. The application nozzle according to claim 5, wherein the end regions (40) run essentially perpendicular to the material outlet surface (18).

8. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein multiple outlet channels (28) extend from each distributor channel (26) to the material outlet surface (18), and all of the outlet channels (28) that branch off from one of the distributor channels (26) have a different length.

9. The application nozzle according to claim 8, wherein the length of the outlet channels (28) is all the shorter, the farther away from the branching point (24) the outlet channel (28) in question branches off from the related distributor channel (26).

10. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein each of the distributor channels (26) has at least two consecutive sections (32, 34) that are curved in different directions.

11. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein each of the distributor channels (26) first narrows, proceeding from the branching point (24), and then widens again.

12. The application nozzle according to claim 11, wherein each of the distributor channels (26) narrows again toward its end (36).

13. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle body (12) is produced in one piece and is preferably produced from metal, in particular stainless steel or aluminum.

14. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle body (12) has at least one further material inlet opening (16) and multiple further material outlet openings (20) in the material outlet surface (18), wherein a further inlet channel (22) extends in the nozzle body (12) from the further material inlet opening (16), all the way to at least one further branching point (24), wherein two further distributor channels (26) extend, in the nozzle body (12), in opposite directions from the further inlet channel (22) at each further branching point (24), wherein the further distribution channels (26) are arranged at a distance from the material outlet surface (18) over their entire length, in each instance, and wherein at least one further outlet channel (28) extends in the nozzle body (12) all the way to one of the further material outlet openings (20), in each instance, from each of the further distributor channels (26), wherein the inlet channel (22), the distributor channels (26), and the outlet channels (28), on the one hand, and the further inlet channel (22), the further distributor channels (26), and the further outlet channels (28), on the other hand, form two cavities (14, 14) in the nozzle body (12), which cavities have an identical geometry.

15. The application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the material outlet openings (20) and, if applicable, the further material outlet openings (20) of each row are arranged at equal distances from one another.

16. The application nozzle according to claim 15, wherein the last of the material outlet openings (20) or of the further material outlet openings (20) of each row, in each instance, are arranged at a distance from an edge (44) of the nozzle body (12) that corresponds to half the distance between the material outlet openings (20) or between the further material outlet openings (20).

17. A method for the production of the application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein a blank of the nozzle body (12) is produced by means of a 3D printing process.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the end regions (40) of the outlet channels (28) are introduced into the blank by means of drilling.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the material outlet surface (18) is formed by means of grinding and preferably subsequent hardening of a surface of the blank.

Description

[0014] In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail using an exemplary embodiment shown schematically in the drawing. This shows:

[0015] FIG. 1 an application nozzle in a perspective view;

[0016] FIG. 2 the application nozzle according to FIG. 1 in a top view onto its end face, and

[0017] FIG. 3 a representation of the application nozzle according to FIGS. 1, 2 in section along the line A-A.

[0018] The application nozzle 10 shown in the drawing serves for application of a viscous material to a workpiece. It has a nozzle body 12 that is produced in one piece from stainless steel or aluminum, and in which a cavity 14 is arranged. The viscous material can be introduced into the cavity 14 by way of a material inlet opening 16, with which a metering valve can be connected. Downward, the nozzle body 12 is delimited by a material outlet surface 18, in which multiple material outlet openings 20 are arranged in a row. An inlet channel 22 extends from the material inlet opening 16 all the way to a branching point 24, from which two distributor channels 26 extend in opposite directions. A plurality of outlet channels 28 extend from each of the distributor channels 26 to the material outlet surface 18, wherein each of the outlet channels 28 ends at one of the material outlet openings 20.

[0019] The cavity 14 formed by the inlet channel 22, the distributor channels 26, and the outlet channels 28 is symmetrical with reference to a center plane 30 that stands perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 3. Each of the distributor channels 26 has an essentially S-shaped curvature having a first section 32, which is curved in a first direction, and a second section 34, which is curved in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The cross-section of the distributor channels 26 narrows at first, proceeding from the branching point 24, before it widens again and narrows again toward an end 36 of the distributor channel 26. All of the outlet channels 28 that branch off from one of the distributor channels 26 have a different length, wherein this length is measured between the respective distributor channel 26 and the material outlet surface 18. In this regard, the length of the outlet channels 28 is all the shorter, the farther away from the branching point 24 the respective outlet channel 28 is located. In this regard, the outlet channel 28 that begins directly at the branching point 24 branches off both from one and from the other channel 26. The length of the outlet channels 28 corresponds to at least 1.5 times, in the exemplary embodiment shown actually 3 times the diameter of the material outlet openings 20, which all have an identical size. Each of the outlet channels 28 furthermore has an initial region 38 that branches off directly from the respective distributor channel 26, and an end region 40 that extends to the related material outlet opening 20, wherein the end regions 40 have a lesser diameter than the initial regions 38. The transition between the initial region 38 and the end region 40 of each of the outlet channels 28 takes place at a step 42.

[0020] The application nozzle 10 has a further cavity 14 in its nozzle body 12, which cavity is configured to be identical with the cavity 14. The further cavity 14 is formed by a further inlet channel 22, two further distributor channels 26, and further outlet channels 28, and can be filled with viscous material by way of a further material inlet opening 16. The further outlet channels 28 end at further material outlet openings 20, which are arranged in a row in the material outlet surface 18, which row represents a continuation of the row formed by the material outlet openings 20. A metering valve can be connected with the further material outlet openings 16, as well. The material outlet openings 20 and the further material outlet openings 20 are arranged at equal reciprocal distances. The outermost of the material outlet openings 20 or of the further material outlet openings 20, in each instance, are arranged at a distance from an edge 44 of the nozzle body 12 that corresponds to half the reciprocal distance.

[0021] In the production of the application nozzle 10, first a blank of the nozzle body 12 is produced by means of a 3D printing method. No material outlet openings 20, 20 are present yet in this blank, since the end regions 40, 40 of the outlet channels 28, 28 have not yet been formed. These are introduced in a second method step, by drilling into the blank. Finally, the material outlet surface 18 is formed by means of grinding the surface of the blank that is directed downward.

[0022] In summary, the following should be stated: The invention relates to an application nozzle 10 for application of viscous material to a workpiece, having a nozzle body 12 that has a material inlet opening 16 and multiple material outlet openings 20, which are arranged in at least one row in a material outlet surface 18. According to the invention, it is provided that an inlet channel 22 extends in the nozzle body 12 from the material inlet opening 16 all the way to at least one branching point 24, that two distributor channels 26 extend in the nozzle body 12 in opposite directions from the inlet channel 22 at each branching point 24, wherein the distributor channels 26 are arranged at a distance from the material outlet surface 18 over their entire length, in each instance, and that at least one outlet channel 28 extends in the nozzle body 12 from each distributor channel 26 all the way to one of the material outlet openings 20, in each instance.