APPLICATION DEVICE

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an application device for multi-component substances, in particular multi-component adhesives or multi-component sealants, including: at least two cartridge receiving devices for receiving replaceable cartridges with substance components that are to be mixed; a discharging device for discharging the substance components from the cartridges; a mixing device for mixing the substance components, wherein the mixing device includes a rotary mixer which is driven via a drive shaft, the drive shaft having at least one flexible portion with a first end and a second end.

Claims

1. An application device for multicomponent materials, including multicomponent adhesives or multicomponent sealants, comprising: at least two cartridge receiving devices for receiving exchangeable cartridges containing material components to be mixed; an expulsion device for expelling the material components from the cartridges; and a mixing device for mixing the material components, wherein the mixing device includes a rotary mixer which is configured to be driven via a drive shaft said drive shaft having at least one flexible portion having a first end and a second end.

2. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is rotationally elastic and/or flexurally elastic.

3. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a middle of the flexible portion is displaced by at least 10% of a length of the flexible portion when the first and second ends of the elastic portion are supported and a force of 10 N or less is applied to the middle; and/or wherein the first end of the flexible portion rotates through at least 2° in relation to the second end of the flexible portion when the second end is mounted in a rotationally secure manner and at the first end a torque of 100 Nm or less is applied.

4. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an elastic modulus of a material of the flexible portion is ≦10 kN/mm.sup.2 and/or a shear modulus of a material of the flexible portion is ≦5 kN/mm.sup.2.

5. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is configured, at least in some sections, as a spring and/or is divided into a plurality of mutually distinct, and/or mutually rotatable segments, wherein the drive shaft has at least one cardan joint.

6. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is formed, at least in some sections, of plastic, and has in some sections a plastics sheath, which is arranged around a helical spring.

7. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is at least 3 cm.

8. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is, at least in some sections, curved or curvable, wherein a (minimum) radius of curvature measures 20 cm or less.

9. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is, at least in some sections, twisted and/or is twistable, wherein a (maximum) torsion angle measures at least 1.

10. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is kinked and/or is kinkable, wherein a (maximum) angle defined by the kink measures 5° or more and/or 45° or less.

11. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft has at least a second portion, which runs offset from a first portion, by at least half a diameter of the shaft.

12. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flexural rigidity in a middle of the flexible portion is ≦50,000 Nmm.sup.2 and/or a torsional rigidity in the middle of the flexible portion is ≦40,000 Nmm.sup.2.

13. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft has at least one rigid portion, wherein the rigid portion adjoins the mixing device.

14. An application system comprising: an application device for multicomponent materials, including multicomponent adhesives or multicomponent sealants, having: at least two cartridge receiving devices for receiving exchangeable cartridges containing material components to be mixed; an expulsion device for expelling the material components from the cartridges; and a mixing device for mixing the material components, wherein the mixing device includes a rotary mixer which is configured to be driven via a drive shaft, said drive shaft having at least one flexible portion having a first end and a second end; and comprising: at least one first cartridge and/or second cartridge, wherein the first cartridge is configured as a tubular bag and/or the second cartridge is configured as a rigid, self-supporting, cartridge.

15. A set consisting of an application device having for multicomponent materials, including multicomponent adhesives or multicomponent sealants, comprising: at least two cartridge receiving devices for receiving exchangeable cartridges containing material components to be mixed; an expulsion device for expelling the material components from the cartridges; a mixing device for mixing the material components, wherein the mixing device includes a rotary mixer which is configured to be driven via a drive shaft, said drive shaft having at least one flexible portion having a first end and a second end; and at least two first cartridges and/or at least two second cartridges, wherein the at least two first cartridges and/or the at least two second cartridges are different in terms of their size, length, or their diameter, wherein the differences are compensated by an adapted path of the drive shaft.

16. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a middle of the flexible portion is displaced by at least 10% of a length of the flexible portion when the first and second ends of the elastic portion are supported and a force of 1 N or less is applied to the middle; and/or wherein the first end of the flexible portion rotates through at least 2° in relation to the second end of the flexible portion when the second end is mounted in a rotationally secure manner and at the first end a torque of 5 Nm or less is applied.

17. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an elastic modulus of a material of the flexible portion is ≦1 kN/mm.sup.2 and/or a shear modulus of a material of the flexible portion is ≦0.5 kN/mm.sup.2.

18. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is configured, at least in some sections, as a helical spring and/or is divided into a plurality of mutually distinct, and/or mutually rotatable segments, wherein the drive shaft has two cardan joints.

19. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible portion is at least 8 cm.

20. The application device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive shaft is, at least in some sections, curved or curvable, wherein a (minimum) radius of curvature measures 10 cm or less.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Advantages and expediency of the invention become clear from the following description of a preferred illustrative embodiment on the basis of the figures, wherein:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an application device; and

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a drive shaft according to the invention.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an application device for multicomponent materials, in particular multicomponent adhesives or multicomponent sealants. The application device has a metering and mixing device 10, a drive device 11 and an apparatus body 12. The metering and mixing device 10 comprises two cartridge receiving devices 13 and 14 for respectively a cartridge 15 and 16. The cartridge 15 is preferably configured as a tubular bag, the cartridge 16 as a fixed (self-supporting) cartridge. In terms of the discharge and mixing of the material components contained in the cartridges 15, 16, reference is made to EP 2 606 985 A1.

[0035] The drive device 11 comprises a transmission 17, which, on the one hand (as described in detail in EP 2 606 985 A1) can bring about an expulsion of the material components from the cartridges 15, 16 and, on the other hand, is connected to a drive shaft 18. The drive shaft (unlike in the prior art, in particular EP 2 606 985 A1) is not of rigid, but of flexible configuration. Via the flexible drive shaft 18, a rotary mixer 19 of the metering and mixing device 10 can be driven. The rotary mixer 19 possesses a front-fitted expulsion tip 20.

[0036] In principle, all elements (apart from the flexible drive shaft 18) can be configured as described in EP 2 606 985 A1. This concerns, in particular, the drive of the transmission unit, for example via an electric motor, or details of the transmission.

[0037] In FIG. 2, the flexible drive shaft 18 is represented schematically (and with further details). The flexible drive shaft 18 has a rigid portion 21 and a flexible portion 22 having a first end 23 and a second end 24. At variance with FIG. 2, more than just one rigid portion or more than just one flexible portion can also be provided. In general, the flexible portion can form the shaft, i.e. the entire shaft can be flexible (without rigid portion).

[0038] A first end 25 of the flexible shaft 18 is connected (see FIG. 1) to the rotary mixer 19. A second end 26 of the drive shaft 18 is connected to the transmission 17. The first end 25 is directly adjoined by the rigid portion 21. The second end 26 is directly adjoined by the flexible portion 22.

[0039] The flexible portion 21 is rotationally elastic and flexurally elastic. As a result, both torque peaks can be absorbed and a variable adaptation to different cartridges or mixer positions can be made. In the position of the flexible portion 22 according to FIG. 2, a cross section, bearing the reference symbol 27, is arranged offset from a cross section 28 of the rigid portion 21. If the cross section 27 is thus projected onto a plane perpendicular to the axis defined by the rigid portion 21, then the cross section 27 is offset from the cross section 28. In a rest position or starting position (not shown in FIG. 2), the flexible portion 22 too can run straight. All in all, by a displacement (bending) of the flexible portion 22, an adaptation to various relative positions between rotary mixer 19 and transmission 17 and/or an adaptation to various cartridge sizes can be made.

[0040] The flexible portion 22 can be formed by a (metallic) helical spring core, which is surrounded by a plastics sheath.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

[0041] 10 metering and mixing device [0042] 11 drive device [0043] 12 apparatus body [0044] 13 cartridge receiving device [0045] 14 cartridge receiving device [0046] 15 cartridge [0047] 16 cartridge [0048] 17 transmission [0049] 18 flexible drive shaft [0050] 19 rotary mixer [0051] 20 expulsion tip [0052] 21 rigid portion [0053] 22 flexible portion [0054] 23 first end [0055] 24 second end [0056] 25 first end [0057] 26 second end [0058] 27 cross section [0059] 28 cross section