Patent Grant
10035372
The present disclosure relates to adhesive applicators of the type frequently referred to as “glue sticks”. The disclosure relates more particularly to new constructions of such applicators and also to adaptor units for converting existing applicators to the new construction.
Adhesive applicators as the type known as “glue sticks” comprise a rod (usually cylindrical) of adhesive material located within a tubular body (which may be of circular or other cross-section). One end of the body is fitted with a removable cap. The applicator further comprises a mechanism for axial movement of the rod along the body and retaining the rod at a selected position. Thus, in use of the applicator, the cap is removed and the rod is advanced by the mechanism so as to project from the now open end of the body. The tip of the rod may then be run along a substrate (e.g. a sheet of paper) to which adhesive is to be applied. For the application of the adhesive thereto, the sheet is generally (but not necessarily) laid flat on a rigid surface and the adhesive is applied as desired to the sheet. There is however a “difficulty” when the applicator is used for the application of a line of adhesive at a marginal edge region of the sheet. Consider that the sheet is on a flat surface. Application of the adhesive to the edge region may also cause adhesive to be applied beyond the edge onto the surface below. Problems associated with application of adhesive to the surface can, of course, be avoided by positioning a further sheet of paper on the surface beneath, and projecting beyond, the edge of the sheet to which adhesive is to be applied. Any adhesive applied beyond the edge is then also applied to an underlying sheet. However this can be regarded as a waste of both glue and a (the underlying) sheet of paper. Obviously if the underlying paper is not present then the surface becomes messy. An alternative is to apply the adhesive a little inwardly of the edge. This avoids adhesive being applied beyond the edge but may leave a region of the edge to which no adhesive is applied.
It is an objective of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the abovementioned disadvantages.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an adhesive applicator comprising:
The adhesive applicator of the invention considerably facilitates application of adhesive to the edge of a sheet of paper (or other substrate). To use the applicator, the adhesive rod is advanced to the lower lip of the mouth of the applicator head. The edge of the sheet is then inserted into the mouth and pressure applied (to the pressure applicator member) to move the head and the sheet edge together against the end of the adhesive rod. With pressure continuing to be applied to the pressure applicator member, the edge of the sheet is drawn relatively through the mouth of the applicator head. As the adhesive is applied to the paper, the free end of the rod does “wear down” to a degree due to the dispensation of adhesive onto the sheet. However the continued application of pressure to the head ensures that the latter moves axially towards the second end of the body so that the edge of the paper (or other substrate) continues to be contacted by both the surface of the mouth and the free end of the rod to ensure that the paper continues to be in contact with the free end of the rod, even as the latter wears down. During movement of the paper relatively through the mouth, its edge is guided by the formation of the mouth so that a straight line of adhesive is applied along the substrate edge.
It will be appreciated that other features of the adhesive applicator may be conventional. Thus, for example, axial movement of the rod of adhesive material within the tubular body may be provided by a screw mechanism located at the second end of the body.
The applicator head is completely removable from the body. The applicator of the invention has flexibility in that the head may be removed and the applicator used in a conventional manner to apply adhesive to any region of a substrate sheet. Additionally, the applicator head is configured to act as a closure for the adhesive applicator when not in use.
The mouth may be configured to allow insertion of the sheet edge to a desired degree. This may, for example, be to ensure that the full cross-section of the free end of the adhesive rod may be applied to the marginal edge region of the sheet. Alternatively, the mouth may be configured so that the majority (but not all) of the surface at the free end of the rod is applied to the edge region. It is also within the ambit of the invention for the mouth to be configured so that only a minority of the surface area of the free end of the adhesive rod is applied to the edge region, e.g. in the case where a very narrow glue line is to be applied. The mouth is preferably configured to have rear, axially extending edges positioned to determine the extent to which the sheet may be inserted in the mouth and therefore determine the proportion of the area of the free end of the adhesive rod that is able to apply adhesive to the edge.
The applicator of the first aspect of the invention adaptor may be such that, for the purposes of application of adhesive to the marginal edge region of a sheet, the head is axially moveable between first and second limit positions with the second position being relatively towards the second end of the body as compared to the first position. The head may be releasably held at these positions so as to allow the head to be moved (in one direction) past the first limit position to allow removal of the head from the body and to be moved in the other direction past the second limit position to close the body. These limit positions have the advantage of effecting a secure closure of the tube when the head applicator is moved past the second limit position (preventing the glue rod drying out between uses) and ensures the head applicator remains in stable contact with the tube body at the start point of application (remains within the zone that has the first and second limit positions as its boundaries). The axial movement of the head relative to the body may be effected by linear movement of the head relative to the body. Alternatively, for the case where the body is cylindrical, the head may be rotatably mounted on the body with there being provision for conversion of this rotary movement to axial movement of the head. Various specific constructions operating in accordance with these two possibilities are shown in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.
The pressure applicator member may be one configured for the application of finger or thumb pressure thereto to ensure movement of the head relative to the body during application of adhesive. Alternatively, the pressure applicator member may be pressed against, and moved along, a rigid surface (e.g. a desktop) to apply the requisite pressure. For this purpose, the pressure applicator member may have an additional “formation” which is used to contact the surface and facilitate movement of the applicator along the surface (as well as assisting or enhancing the application of pressure). This additional “formation” may for example be a fixed projection (e.g. in the form of a nipple) on the pressure applicator member. Alternatively, the “formation” may be a ball mounted on the top of the pressure applicator member for rotation in all directions (i.e. in the form of a “roller-ball”). A further possibility is that this “formation” comprises a wheel.
Adhesive applicators as defined (and described above) for the first aspect of the invention may be constructed as such. The invention does however further provide an adaptor head that may be fitted to the body of a conventional adhesive applicator to convert it to one in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. In this respect, a second aspect of the invention provides an adaptor unit for an adhesive applicator of the type comprising;
In one embodiment of the adaptor unit, the adaptor head is fixed relative to the adaptor body. For this embodiment, the adaptor body may comprise a pair of arms providing a clip for removably locating the adaptor unit on the applicator body. These arms have upper edges defining lower edges of the transverse slot. Furthermore in this embodiment the pressure applicator may include a disk member having an undersurface providing the roof surface of the mouth. As a modification of this embodiment, the adapter body may be tubular for location over the first end of the applicator.
In a further embodiment of adaptor unit the adaptor head is moveable relative to the adaptor body. For this embodiment, the adaptor body may be tubular and have first and second ends, the latter of which is configured for mounting over the first end of the adhesive applicator.
All features of the invention described above in relation to the first aspect of the invention are applicable mutatis mutandis to the second aspect.
The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
As shown in
The inner surface of body 2 is generally smooth but the internal surface of adaptor tube 5 is provided with a rib 6 extending part way around the inner peripheral surface of adaptor tube 5 and located just above the mid-point of the distance between the upper ends of casing 4 and adaptor tube 5. The function of the rib 6 will be described more fully below.
A cylindrical body 2 has been shown as being formed of the cylindrical casing 4 and separate adaptor tube 5 since the former (i.e. the casing 4) may be a casing of the conventional adhesive applicator, to which the adaptor body 5 which forms part of the arrangement of the invention has been fitted. It is however within the scope of the invention for the cylindrical body 2 to be moulded in one piece and thus to include the rib 6.
In the assembled applicator, the head 3 is mounted on the adaptor tube 5 in the manner described more fully below. This combination of head 3 and tube 5 forms a removable closure assembly for the applicator in that this assembly may be removed from, and replaced on, the casing 4 as and when required. For this reason, casing 4 may be of a construction (and dimension) as used in conventional adhesive applicators, thus allowing the applicator 1 of the invention to be constructed from a conventional casing 4 by the fitting of the combination of head 3 and adaptor tube 5.
Head 3 is a one-piece plastics moulded component formed in three principal parts, namely an upper, disc-like cap 7 with a flat undersurface, a tubular guide body 8 connected to the undersurface of the cap 7 by an arcuate strut 9 which is a “part-extension” of the cylindrical wall of body 8, and a thumb (or finger) grip element 10 located radially outwardly of strut 9 and guide body 8. Tubular guide body 8 and thumb/finger grip element 10 are dimensioned such that the body 8 locates internally of adaptor tube 5 and the thumb/finger grip element 10 externally thereof.
As will be appreciated from
Formed in tubular body 8 are two diametrically opposed arcuate windows 12, each having an arcuate length equal to that of rib 6 and an axial dimension somewhat greater than the axial thickness of rib 6.
In the assembled applicator, head 3 is mounted on the adaptor tube 5 by virtue of the tubular body 8 of the former locating internally of the latter (the thumb/finger grip element 10 being external of the tube 5).
Moreover, the head 3 is located in the adaptor tube 5 by pushing the lower edge of tubular body 8 past the ribs 6 to allow the latter to locate one in each of the windows 12. With the head 3 and tubular guide 8 mounted together in this way, the head may be moved between a lower position in which mouth 11 is within the adaptor tube 5 (
Reference is now made to
Application of the adhesive is terminated when the sheet is withdrawn from the applicator.
When it is desired to close the applicator, the head 3 may be moved fully downwards to the position shown in
If it is desired to use the applicator 1 to apply adhesive to a region of paper other than the edge then the cap 3 may be removed by the reverse of the procedure described above so that adhesive may be applied as required.
Reference is now made to
Provided around the adaptor 24 are two sets of axially spaced ribs 27, the lowermost set 271 of which is spaced above shoulder 26. Also formed on the adaptor 24 are four circumferentially spaced, axially parallel grooves 28 extending from below lower ribs 271 to upper ribs 27u. Ribs 271 and 27u are interrupted at the region of the grooves 28. Further provided on the adaptor 24 are guide edges 29 projecting transversely from the adaptor and each running from a position above upper rib 27u and midway between two grooves 28 down to an adjacent groove 28. Thus in effect the guide edges 29 define at least one peak between a pair of adjacent grooves, and three peaks as shown in
Head 22 comprises a cap 30 and a tubular guide body 31, between which is defined a mouth 32 of similar configuration of mouth 11 of the embodiment of
To assemble the applicator 20, head 22 is positioned on adaptor 24 and moved towards shoulder 26. The inner, circumferential ridge 34 of head 22 is of sufficiently large diameter that it may pass over the flanks of the “peak” formations formed by the guide edges 29. However the at least one axial rib 33 is dimensioned such that (unless it is immediately aligned with a groove 28) its lower end encounters a guide edge 29 causing the head 22 to rotate until the lower end of said rib 33 is able to enter an axial groove 28. Furthermore, for this to happen, circumferential rib 34 on the inner surface of head 22 must “snap-past” the upper circumferential ribs 27u on the adaptor 24. As head 22 is moved further down, it is constrained to move linearly by virtue of engagement of the at least one axial rib 33 in grooves 28. Head 22 can be moved to a fully closed position by continuing to move the head 22 on the adaptor 24 until the circumferential rib 34 on the inner surface of head 22 “snaps-past” the lower circumferential ribs 271 on adaptor 24.
To apply a line of glue to the edge of a sheet of paper, head 22 is positioned on adaptor 24 so that its circumferential rib 34 is positioned just beneath the upper circumferential ribs 27u on the adaptor 24. The adhesive rod may now be advanced so that its free end reaches the level of the mouth 32. The edge of the paper is now inserted into the mouth 32, finger pressure is applied to the top of the cap 30 to move the head and the sheet edge together to contact the free end of the glue rod, and the sheet is pulled relatively through the mouth 32. With the continued application of finger pressure, the head 22 is able to move downwardly as the free end of the glue rod is “worn-away”, in a manner analogous to that explained in relation to the embodiment of
It will be appreciated that, as with the first embodiment, head 22 may be removed entirely to allow application of adhesive to areas of a paper sheet other than along the edge thereof.
Turning now to
With regard to the adaptor 24, there are two differences. The first is that there is only one circumferential rib, which is equivalent to rib 271 in
As compared to the embodiment of
Assembly of the embodiment of
Use of the applicator of
It will be appreciated that, as with the other embodiments, head 22 may be removed entirely to allow application of adhesive to areas of a paper sheet other than along the edge thereof.
In the embodiments of the invention as thus far described, axial movement of the head has been effected by movement of a projection (e.g. a rib or pin) provided on the inner surface of the head along a linear groove on the body portion. It is however possible for the cap to be rotatably mounted on the body such that rotation of the cap also results in axial movement thereof along the body. Such an arrangement is shown in
Inner surface of the cap 52 is formed with integrally moulded pins 57
When locating cap 52 onto body 51, the pins 57 are guided by edges 53 so that they enter holding section 55 of the groove 54, for which there is slight rotational movement of the head 52 in one direction subsequent to which the head may be rotated in the opposite direction to allow the pins 57 to traverse downwardly along the arcuate section of groove 54 until it reaches the stop formation 56. The holding section 55 and stop formation 56 define first and second limit positions for the rotational (and hence axial) movement of the head 52.
When applying adhesive to the edge of a sheet of paper, head 52 is positioned so that pins 57 are in the holding section 55 towards the upper end of groove 54. As in the case of the previous embodiments, the edge of the paper is inserted into the mouth of the head 52 and the glue rod advanced to contact the paper. Finger pressure is applied to the top of head 52 and the edge of paper drawn through the mouth. As the end of the glue rod “wears-away”, the continued finger pressure causes the pins 57 to move relatively downwardly along the groove 54, resulting in axial movement of the head 52 along the body 51 to allow the paper to remain in contact with the glue rod.
The head may be moved to a fully closed position for the applicator by causing the pins 57 to move past the stop formation 56. As with other embodiments, the head 52 may be removed completely from the applicator 50, in this case by rotation of the head 52 so that the pins 57 move upwardly along groove 54 into holding section 55 from which they may be moved out of the groove.
Within the head 62 is a circumferential rib 67 of internal diameter such as to be capable of locating with slight clearance over the shoulder 65 and guide edges 66. Also provided within the head 62 are two part-helical ribs 68 which are complementary to the grooves 64.
To assemble applicator 60, head 62 is positioned on body 61 until the lower ends of helical ribs 68 (within head 62) contact guide edges 66. The head 62 is now rotated so that the lower ends of the helical ribs 68 reach the entrance to grooves 64 and are temporarily prevented from moving past by the shoulder 65. Continued rotation of the head 62 and application of pressure thereto allows the circumferential rib 67 of the head 62 to “snap-past” upper rib 63u on the body 61 and for the helical ribs 68 to advance along the helical grooves 64 so that there is linear movement of the head 62 relative to the body 61. With continued movement of the head 62, the circumferential rib 67 thereof may be “snapped-past” the lower peripheral rib 631 on body 61 so as to locate head 62 in the fully closed position.
The applicator 62 is used in a manner entirely analogous to that described for the embodiments of the previous figures, it being appreciated that the application of adhesive to the edge of the paper is effected whilst the circumferential rib 67 of head 62 is located between the ribs 63u and 631 on the body 61.
Reference is now made to
Body 72 serves to clip the adaptor 70 onto the applicator 71, in the manner clearly illustrated in
With specific reference to
In a modification of the embodiment illustrated in
Reference is now made to
As shown in
The inner surface of body 82 is generally smooth but the external surface of body 82 is provided with two sets of axially spaced ribs 86, as an uppermost set 86u and a lowermost set 86l. Both sets of ribs 86l and 86u extend the full way around the inner peripheral surface of body 82 and are located just above a shoulder 92 of body 82 and below an open end 84 of body 82 respectively. The function of the ribs 86l and 86u will be described more fully below.
In the assembled applicator, the head 83 is mounted on the body 82 in the manner described more fully below. This combination of head 83 and body 82 forms a closure for the adhesive, but head 83 may be fully removed from body 82 to facilitate traditional use of the glue stick body.
Head 83 is a one-piece plastics moulded component formed in three principal parts, namely an upper, disc-like cap 87 with a flat undersurface, a tubular guide body 88 connected to the undersurface of the cap 87 by an arcuate strut 89 which is a “part-extension” of the cylindrical wall of body 88. Tubular guide body 88 is dimensioned such that it locates externally of body 82.
As will be appreciated from
Formed in tubular body 88 is an additional circumferential rib 93 of sufficiently large diameter that it may pass over the outer surface of body 82 but must be “snapped” over ribs 86u and 86l.
In the assembled applicator, head 83 is mounted on the body 82 by virtue of the tubular body 88 of the former locating externally of the latter. Head 83 is moved towards the shoulder 92 of body 82 and must be “snapped” past rib 86u.
With the head 83 and body 82 mounted together in this way (as shown in
Body 82 and head 83 may be fully closed by further moving head 83 towards the shoulder 92 of body 82. In doing so the circumferential rib 93 is “snapped past” the lower rib 86l on body 82 to form a secure closure as shown in
Reference is now made to
Application of the adhesive is terminated when the sheet is withdrawn from the applicator.
When it is desired to close the applicator, the head 83 may be moved fully downwards to the position shown in
If it is desired to use the applicator 81 to apply adhesive to a region of paper other than the edge then the cap 83 may be removed by the reverse of the procedure described above so that adhesive may be applied as required.
In all of the illustrated embodiments, finger pressure is used to ensure that the applicator head moves downwardly relative to the body as the free end of the glue rod is worn away during application of adhesive to paper. In alternative embodiments, the applicator head may be modified such that the requisite pressure is applied to the head by pressing the latter against a fixed surface (e.g. a desktop) along which the applicator is run to apply adhesive to the edge. This formation may be one which assists in linear movement of the applicator along the surface. The formation may, for example, be a nipple on the upper surface of the head. Alternatively the formation may be a small wheel, again provided on the heads upper surface, the wheel being positioned so as naturally to move in the direction parallel to the paper's edge. Alternatively the formation may be a ball configured to rotate in all directions (a “roller-ball”). The applicator naturally moves in a direction parallel to the paper's edge (whereas it will be appreciated that the aforementioned “roller-ball” is able to move freely in all directions).
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1205977.0 | Apr 2012 | GB | national |
| 1205982.0 | Apr 2012 | GB | national |
This application is a continuation of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/390,525, entitled ADHESIVE APPLICATOR, filed Oct. 3, 2014 by Peter Slevin et al., which is a U.S. national application under U.S.C. 371 of PCT Application Number PCT/GB2013/050859, entitled ADHESIVE APPLICATOR, filed Apr. 2, 2013 by Peter Slevin et al., which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(b) of GB Patent Application Number 1205982.0, filed Apr. 3, 2012, titled “ADHESIVE APPLICATOR”, and GB Patent Application Number 1205977.0, filed Apr. 3, 2012, titled “ADHESIVE APPLICATOR”. Each application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
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| 2013150287 | Oct 2013 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| “Adhesive Applicator”, United Kingdom Application Serial No. 1205977.0, filed on Apr. 3, 2012, 47 pgs. |
| “U.S. Appl. No. 14/390,525, Non Final Office Action dated Apr. 6, 2016”, 10 pgs. |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170057274 A1 | Mar 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14390525 | US | |
| Child | 15351338 | US |
