DEVICE FOR ACCOMMODATING AN ADHESIVE APPLICATION UNIT AND METHOD

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device and a method for storing adhesive application units, with the device comprising a vacuum container (10) for hermetically accommodating at least one adhesive application unit (2), with the vacuum container (10) having: a passage (22) for evacuating the vacuum container (10), a container housing section (11) having a loading/unloading opening (12) and a closing device (13) for hermetically closing the loading/unloading opening (12).

Claims

1. Device (1) for accommodating at least one adhesive application unit (2) for edge banding machines, comprising: a vacuum container (10) for hermetically accommodating the adhesive application unit (2), wherein the vacuum container (10) comprises a passage (22) for evacuating the vacuum container (10) and further comprises: a container housing section (11) having a loading/unloading opening (12), a closing device (13) for hermetically closing the loading/unloading opening (12).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, in which the vacuum container (10) further comprises a holding device (15) for holding and optionally securing the adhesive application unit (2) in the container housing section (11), wherein the adhesive application unit (2) preferably is a PUR-adhesive application unit.

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sealing device (14) for hermetically sealing the loading/unloading opening (12).

4. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a vacuum generation device (20,50) which, in particular, is formed as a vacuum pump or Venturi nozzle (21), said vacuum generation device (20, 50) being connected to the passage (22) which is provided on or in the container housing section (11) in the form of a vacuum connection (22).

5. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising a vacuum monitoring device (30) for monitoring a vacuum level in the vacuum container (10), wherein the vacuum monitoring apparatus (30) is preferably formed on the vacuum container (10).

6. Device (1) according to claim 5, in which the vacuum monitoring device (30) is formed in the form of a manometer, preferably in the form of a manometer having an alarm function.

7. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the vacuum in the vacuum container (10) is adjustable from 0.3 bar to 0.1 bar, preferably 0.2 bar to 0.15 bar.

8. Device according to one of claims 5 to 7, in which the vacuum generation device (20) and the vacuum monitoring device (30) are provided on the vacuum container (10) in order to form the vacuum container (10) as an autarkic device (1) for storing adhesive application units (2).

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the vacuum container (10), in particular the vacuum container having the vacuum monitoring device (30), is formed interchangeably, and is provided with a vacuum connection (22) to build up the vacuum, with which the vacuum container (10) can be connected to a vacuum generation device (50).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the holding device (15) has an opening into which the adhesive application unit (2) can be inserted in sections, wherein it is further preferred that the adhesive application unit (2) can be held in the holding device (15) in a form-fit.

11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the passage (22) and/or the vacuum generation device (20) and/or the vacuum monitoring apparatus (30) are provided in a closure lid (13) of the container housing section (11).

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims having an adhesive application unit (2) for edge banding machines.

13. Method for storing at least one adhesive application unit (2) for edge banding machines, in particular by using the device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, having the steps: providing a vacuum container (10), inserting the adhesive application unit (2) into a container housing section (11) of the vacuum container (10), closing the vacuum container (10) after the adhesive application unit (2) is held, an air-tight seal being produced, and sucking out an ambient air present in the vacuum container (10) to produce a vacuum in a vacuum container (10).

14. Method according to claim 13, in which after the buildup of the vacuum in the vacuum container (10), it is separated from a vacuum generation device (50) and a new vacuum container (10) for a new loading is provided with an adhesive application unit (2), wherein the vacuum preferably is 0.3 to 0.1 bar, further preferably 0.2 bar to 0.15 bar.

15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, in which after the buildup of the vacuum in the vacuum container (10) by means of a vacuum generation device (20) which is formed in the form of a Venturi nozzle (21), the vacuum container (10) is closed off from an air source in order to be storable as an autarkic vacuum container (10), wherein the vacuum preferably is 0.3 to 0.1 bar, further preferably 0.2 bar to 0.15 bar.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the device of the present invention, in which the vacuum generation device is provided on the vacuum container.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows one alternative embodiment of the device of the present invention, in which a base station is provided in which autarkic vacuum containers can be placed and evacuated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail by means of the enclosed figures. Further modifications of certain features cited in this context can each be combined with one another in order to form new embodiments.

[0041] In FIG. 1, one embodiment of a device 1 of the present invention is shown in which a vacuum connection 22 is provided on a vacuum container 10. As revealed in FIG. 1, the device of the present embodiment has a vacuum container 10 which is formed from a container housing section 11 having a loading/unloading opening 12 and a holding device 15. The vacuum connection 22 is hereby attached to an outer side of the container housing section 11.

[0042] The holding device 15 serves to hold and secure an adhesive application unit 2, with the vacuum container 11 also being able fundamentally to be configured in its dimensioning such that a plurality of adhesive application units 2 can be held. However, for handling reasons the dimensioning could be advantageous for only one adhesive application unit 2.

[0043] The adhesive application unit 2 is held in the holding device 15 preferably in a form-fit and optionally held in order to prevent unnecessary fastening devices and to simplify the holding of the adhesive application unit 2 in the vacuum container 10.

[0044] The vacuum container 10 further has a closing device 13, with which the loading/unloading opening 12 of the vacuum container 10 can be hermetically sealed. To hermetically seal the loading/unloading opening 12, the vacuum container 10 further has a sealing device 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the loading/unloading opening 12 is formed on an upper side of the container housing section 11. Accordingly, the closing device 13 is formed in the form of a closure lid 13 having a sealing device 14 or O-ring.

[0045] In the shown embodiment, the adhesive application unit 2 is inserted into a holding plate 15 which has a holding bore therefor which horizontally fixes the adhesive application unit. The adhesive application unit 2 is also vertically fixed due to its own weight. If desired, a vertical fixing of the adhesive application unit 2 can additionally occur by means of a fixing element, for example, in the form of a rubber element which is attached to an underside of the closure lid 13.

[0046] After inserting the adhesive application unit 2 into the vacuum container 10 and placing the closure lid 13 on the vacuum container 10, this can be secured to the vacuum container, for example, by means of tension levers, and the air-tight seal can be ensured by means of the sealing device 14. The adhesive application unit 2 for edge banding machines is used for gluing workpieces which, for example, consist at least in sections of wood, wood materials or wood substitute materials, and to this end has common roller systems or application nozzle systems.

[0047] Even if the loading/unloading opening 12 is provided on the upper side of the container housing section 11 in the present embodiment by way of example, it can also be provided on a side wall or peripheral wall of the container housing section 11. Furthermore, in contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum container 10 can also be carried out in the form of a cover (bell jar).

[0048] The vacuum connection 22 can furthermore be formed as a check valve 22 which allows an exchange of air between the interior of the vacuum container 10 and the ambient air in the outward direction, which however, stops a backflow of air into the vacuum chamber 10. However, as a rule, a control valve 22 is used with the de-aeration/aeration and locking positions. An outlet of the check valve 22 or the control valve 22 (vacuum connection) is directly connected to an inlet of a vacuum generation device 20 which, in the shown embodiment, is formed in the form of a Venturi nozzle 21 and is attached to the outer side of the vacuum container 10. Furthermore, the Venturi nozzle is provided with an air connection 24 which in turn can be connected to a compressed air source or a compressed air supply. The compressed air provided by the compressed air source or the compressed air supply provides the necessary flowing air (driving power) for the Venturi nozzle 21 by means of which the air (ambient air) present in the hermetically sealed vacuum container can be sucked out through the check valve 22 or the control valve 22 (vacuum connection).

[0049] The vacuum container 10 further has a vacuum monitoring apparatus 30 in the form of a pressure manometer by means of which the vacuum in the vacuum container 10 generated by means of the Venturi nozzle 21 can be monitored. If the vacuum in the vacuum container 10 reaches a pre-determined necessary vacuum (V.sub.Not), the Venturi nozzle 21 can be disconnected from the compressed air source. In order to be able to build up the vacuum in the vacuum container 10 again later and to be able to open the closure lid 13, the vacuum container 10 can further be provided with a vent valve. This is particularly necessary if a check valve 22, and not a control valve 22, is used.

[0050] In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the passage 22 (vacuum connection 22) and/or the vacuum generation device 20 and/or the vacuum monitoring apparatus 30 can also be provided in the closure lid 13 or in a cover (bell jar).

[0051] As the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows, the vacuum container 10 can be provided with a moisture sensor 40 by means of which the air humidity in the closed vacuum container 10 is detectable. Furthermore, if desired, the vacuum container 10 can be provided with a temperature sensor in order to detect the temperature of the ambient air.

[0052] An alternative embodiment of the device 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. The device shown here generally corresponds to the configuration of the device shown in FIG. 1. Identical or equivalent components are provided with the same reference number.

[0053] The embodiment shown here differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that not all components of the device are provided on the vacuum container, but rather, a base station 100 is provided instead. The base station 100 provides a holding device 110 for the vacuum container 10 as well a vacuum generation device 50. Furthermore, in contrast to the embodiment example of FIG. 1, the base station 100 can also comprise the moisture sensor 40 as well as optionally the temperature sensor.

[0054] The vacuum generation device 50 of the base station 100 can be simply connected by means of a flexible air hose 120 to the check valve 22 or control valve 22 (vacuum connection) which functions as a suction connection in this case. In this manner, a higher-quality control technology and suction technology (for example, a vacuum pump) can be used and the individual vacuum containers 10 can be designed more easily and consequently more cost-efficiently. This embodiment is especially useful if a large amount of vacuum containers is required.