초록 ▼

A hot melt high temperature material application system with application device pressure monitoring and heated recirculating manifold uses high temperature pressure transducers with each application device such as spray guns to monitor hot melt material application. A material supply line fitting ha

A hot melt high temperature material application system with application device pressure monitoring and heated recirculating manifold uses high temperature pressure transducers with each application device such as spray guns to monitor hot melt material application. A material supply line fitting has a calibrated orifice at the interface with a device manifold associated with each application device. In another embodiment, the calibrated orifice is located in a fluid passageway of the device manifold. The calibrated orifice corresponds in size to the opening of a nozzle of the application device. Heated recirculating manifolds are combined with hot melt material supply systems to provide uniform pressure to multiple application devices, and to recirculate material back through the supply system. Each recirculating manifold includes a heater, pressure regulator, and a recirculation path. The manifolds may be directly or remotely connected to one or more hot melt material supply systems.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for supplying heated material and applying it to a substrate, wherein the system includes a hot melt unit which heats and supplies material from a material reservoir through at least one material output line, each said material output line being connected to a device manifold, each said

1. A system for supplying heated material and applying it to a substrate, wherein the system includes a hot melt unit which heats and supplies material from a material reservoir through at least one material output line, each said material output line being connected to a device manifold, each said device manifold being connected to a material application device, each said device manifold having a material flow passage therethrough; each said device manifold including a flow restricting orifice disposed in said material flow passage and a pressure transducer disposed between said orifice and said material application device, said heated material flowing from said material output line and through said orifice of said device manifold past said pressure transducer and into said material application device, said transducer having a sensing face exposed to the flow of said heated material for sensing the pressure of the heated material in said material flow passage and producing an output indicative of the pressure therein, said heated material being applied by said material application device to said substrate. 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one heated recirculating manifold, each said heated recirculating manifold in fluid communication between said material reservoir and at least one said at least one material output line, said heated recirculating manifold having a recirculation line and a pressure relief valve for each said material output line, each said recirculation line being connected to said reservoir of said hot melt unit through said pressure relief valve. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein each said heated recirculating manifold further comprises a heater and a pressure regulator. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein each said heated recirculating manifold supplies heated material through two material output lines. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensing face of each said pressure transducer is substantially directly exposed to the flow of said heated material within a flow passage through said device manifold for said heated material. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensing face of each said pressure transducer is substantially flush with a flow passage through said device manifold for said heated material. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said material application devices has a nozzle and each of said flow restricting orifices has an orifice through which said heated material flows, and wherein said nozzles are selected based on the size of said orifices. 8. The system of claim 3 wherein said pressure regulator in said heated recirculating manifold provide independent control of the pressure of said heated material in said material output lines. 9. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said device manifolds includes a heater to apply heat to said heated material flowing through said device manifolds, said device manifold heaters providing independent control of the temperature of said heated material flowing from said device manifolds into said material application devices. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said pressure regulators in said at least one heated recirculating manifold provide independent control of the pressure of said heated material in said material output lines. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein each of said pressure transducers has a face which is substantially flush with a flow passage through said device manifolds for said heated material. 12. The system of claim 11 wherein each of said material application devices has a nozzle and each of said flow restricting orifices has an orifice through which said heated material flows, and wherein said nozzles are selected based on the size of said orifices. 13. The system of claim 2 wherein at least two heated recirculating manifolds are provided, each of said the heated recirculating manifolds supplying heated material through at least one said material output line. 14. A material application system for supplying hea ted material to a substrate, comprising a heated recirculating manifold and a hot melt unit which heats and supplies material from a material reservoir to at least one application device, the heated recirculating manifold adapted to be installed in a fluid circuit with the hot melt unit and the application device, the heated recirculating manifold comprising:a manifold body having a material passageway,an entry port to the material passageway adapted to be connected to an output of the hot melt unit,an exit port from the material passageway adapted to be connected to an input of an application device,a recirculating exit port from the material passageway adapted to be connected to the hot melt unit,a heating element in thermal communication with the body of the manifold,a pressure regulator disposed in the material passageway between the entry port and exit port, anda recirculation control valve associated with the material passageway and the recirculation exit port. 15. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 in combination with a shut-off valve located in a fluid connection between the manifold and the application device. 16. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 in combination with a pressure regulator operatively connected to the material passageway of the manifold. 17. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 in combination with a hot melt unit, wherein a connection extends from the recirculation exit port of the manifold to the hot melt unit and to a material reservoir associated with the hot melt unit. 18. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 attached to a manifold of a hot melt unit. 19. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 connected to a hot melt unit by a heated hose. 20. The heated recirculating manifold of claim 14 in combination with a single hot melt unit and at least one other heated recirculating manifold. 21. The system of claim 14 further comprising a device manifold for each said material application device, each said device manifold being connected to one of said at least one material application device, each said device manifold including a flow restricting orifice and a pressure transducer, said heated material flowing from said hot melt unit through said orifice of said device manifold and into said material application device for application to the substrate. 22. The system of claim 21 wherein each said pressure transducer has a face which is substantially flush with a flow passage through said device manifold for said heated material. 23. The system of claim 21 wherein each said material application device has a nozzle and said flow restricting orifice has an orifice through which said heated material flows, and wherein said nozzle is selected based on the size of said orifice. 24. The system of claim 16 wherein said pressure regulator in said heated recirculating manifold provides independent control of the pressure of said heated material in said system between said recirculating manifold and said application device. 25. The system of claim 21 wherein each said device manifold includes a heater to apply heat to said heated material flowing through said device manifold, said device manifold heater providing independent control of the temperature of said heated material flowing from said device manifold into said material application device.