Patent Application
20120125016
The present invention relates to temperature controls for hose assemblies.
There are many industrial applications (for example the manufacture of devices such as motor vehicles) where it is necessary to provide material application within specific temperature controls. For example, many assembly processes require dispensing a bead of material for application to a surface of a part to facilitate the attachment of the part to other parts. The material to be applied may have temperature-dependant qualities that include, but are not limited to, properties such as viscosity and the like. The material to be applied can be contained on any suitable reservoir or material source and can be supplied to the applicator nozzle my means of suitable pumps and the like.
In many application procedures, the applicator nozzle is mounted distal to the pump such as on a suitable robotic arm that can be oriented as desired or required, to accomplish the desired application routine. In various applications, a system is provided that includes a pump device supplying material. The material to be applied to a nozzle which may, for example, be mounted on a robot so as to allow the nozzle to be movable by the robot in any desired motion program so as to apply a predetermined application pattern. In order for such systems to operate successfully, it is important that the temperature dependant characteristics of the material be carefully controlled at all times so as to provide a desired and preprogrammed flow of the material and/or adhesion of the material onto the surface of the part. Control of the rate of flow and/or the adhesion rate for the material involves, among other parameters, control of the temperature of the material. Whereas various temperature control systems have been proposed to control the temperature of the material flowing between the pump and the nozzle, the various temperature control systems are either ineffective to precisely control the temperature and temperature dependant properties of the material and/or are unduly complicated and unduly expensive.
Various temperature control systems that have been proposed to date are not configured to permit upward and/or downward adjustment of the temperature of the material to be dispensed through the applicator nozzle, particularly in various dead head application configurations.
This invention is directed to the provision of an improved temperature control system for hose assembly applicator system configured to dispense materials such as adhesives and the like.
Disclosed herein is a temperature control system for dispensing a fluid material from an applicator nozzle at a controlled temperature. The temperature control system includes at least one temperature control fluid conduit associated with at least one fluid material supply conduit. The temperature control system also includes at least one manifold in communication with the temperature control fluid conduit and the fluid material supply conduit. At least one thermal adjustment device is in thermal contact with the manifold and includes at least one thermoelectric temperature regulator such as a peltier circuit device.
At least one sensor is positioned proximate to the applicator nozzle. The sensor produces at least one signal readable by a suitable control device and actionable on the thermoelectric temperature regulator. The signal derives from temperature readings taken proximate to the applicator nozzle.
The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Disclosed herein is a dual temperature control system for use in the application of temperature controlled fluid material to a surface as well as an application device for delivering temperature controlled fluid material. The application device can be of any suitable configuration and can include a means for conveying the fluid material to an application nozzle. Where desired or required, the application nozzle can be mounted on a suitable device such as a robotic arm. Where desired or required, the application device can have a central fluid temperature adjustment mechanism capable of achieving gross temperature control of the material to be applied.
It is contemplated that the dual control temperature device can be employed with a variety of robotic and non-robotic applicator systems and devices. One nonlimiting example of such systems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,907 to Dunning et al., the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein.
The device disclosed herein can be employed in combination with the aforementioned apparatus. It is also contemplated that the device disclosed herein may have applications in temperature regulation procedures for fluid application that are independent of any central fluid temperature adjustment systems.
The dual functional temperature control system for delivering fluid application material to an applicator nozzle at a controlled temperature, as broadly construed, includes at least one temperature control fluid conduit that can be associated with at least one conduit conveying fluid application material. The device has at least one thermal transfer element such as a manifold in fluid communication with the temperature control fluid conduit. The device also includes at least one thermoelectric element releasably connected to the thermal transfer device in various embodiments. The thermoelectric device can be a peltier circuit and can be configured to provide positive or negative thermal transfer as desired or required. At least one sensor is positioned proximate to the applicator nozzle. The sensor is configured to produce at least one signal actionable on the thermoelectric device.
An embodiment of the dual control temperature control device and system as disclosed herein is set forth in
It is contemplated that the dual control temperature device can be integrated into a suitable applicator device by either initial manufacture or retrofit.
The applicator nozzle 18 may have any suitable configuration. Where desired or required, the flow of material through the central material conveying conduit 14 and associated nozzle 18 can be governed by suitable regulators (not shown). The regulators can include various pumps, values, and the like that can increase, reduce, or start and stop the material flow through the nozzle. In the embodiment as depicted in
The device 10 disclosed herein includes a suitable thermal transfer element 16. In the embodiment depicted in
It is contemplated that the temperature regulating fluid can be any suitable material capable of maintaining, and/or moderating the temperature of the applied material. Suitable temperature regulating fluids include, but are not limited to, materials such as water various organic fluid, and the like. It is contemplated that where desired or required the temperature regulating fluid such as water or organic fluids can include suitable additives. Non-limiting examples of such additives include viscosity modifiers, temperature stabilizers, corrosion inhibitors and the like.
It is contemplated that the temperature regulating fluid passing through the thermal fluid circuit defined by the thermal transfer element 16 can be recirculated in a continuous loop as desired or required. The thermal fluid circuit and associated thermal transfer element 16 can include suitable conduits, including temperature control fluid conduit 20, as well as various devices to facilitate circulation and recirculation of the temperature regulating fluid. In the embodiment depicted, suitable devices include, but need not be limited to, pressure switches 24, expansion tanks 26, make-up fluid reservoirs 28, and pressure relief valves 30. The circuit can also include a suitable recirculating pump or pumps as at reference numeral 32. the pump(s) 32 can be configured to permit the recirvculating fluid to be defined by thermal transfer element 16 continuously recirculated through the circuit defined by element 16 providing thermal transfer and temperature conditioning to the region in application device 12 associated with fluid material supply conduit 14 and applicator nozzle 18.
At least a portion of the temperature control fluid conduit 20 is configured to be positioned or positionable in thermal contact with the fluid material supply conduit 14 and applicator nozzle 18. The temperature control fluid conduit 20 can be positioned in thermal contact with application device 12 by any suitable means. One nonlimiting example of such placement or positioning means are various trace cover assemblies such as those discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,287,913 and 5,363,907 to Dunning et al., the specification of which is incorporated by reference herein. Suitable placement or positioning means will generally include a jacket that surrounds the fluid material supply conduit 14 and any associated temperature control fluid conduits.
The device 10 also includes a suitable thermal transfer device 34 positioned in the fluid circuit defined by thermal transfer element 16. The thermal transfer device 34 is configured to adjust and condition the temperature of the temperature control fluid based upon prescribed inputs. The thermal transfer device 34 will include suitable structure(s) to facilitate thermal transfer to and/or from materials such as the thermal transfer fluid. One non-limiting example of such structure(s) is a fluid manifold such as manifold structure 36. The manifold structure 36 is in thermal contact with at least one thermoelectric device 38. The thermoelectric device 38 employed can be any suitable device capable of facilitating the transfer of thermal energy to and/or from the manifold structure 36 and the material(s) passing therethrough.
The manifold structure 36 as depicted in
The temperature control fluid can be routed through the temperature control conduit 20 proximate to the material supply conduit 14. The respective conduits 14, 20 are positioned in sufficient proximity one another to achieve thermal communication therebetween. It is contemplated that the heat transfer element 34 can be configured to be the sole means of temperature adjustment for the temperature adjustment fluid. It is also considered to be within the purview of this disclosure to utilize additional temperature adjustment devices in tandem with the thermal transfer element 34.
As depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
Where desired or required, the manifold 36 can be configured to provide multiple passes prior to exit of the respective fluid material or temperature control fluid. In certain embodiments, for instance, it is contemplated that the temperature control fluid will be subject to two or three passes, while the process fluid material to be applied is subjected to four or more passes. Thus, it can be appreciated that the residence time of the respective materials in the manifold can be varied to ensure efficient and effective heat transfer. It is also contemplated that the size or surface area of the respective conduits within the manifold can be independently variable in order to assure proper transit of the respective material or fluid and to enable or promote heat transfer.
The dual functional temperature control device 10 as disclosed herein also includes means for monitoring temperature of the fluid material as it exits the applicator nozzle 18. Such monitoring means can include a suitable sensor or sensors 44 located proximate to the outlet orifice of nozzle 18. The sensor 44 can be configured to provide suitable output regarding the temperature of the fluid material as dispensed. The sensor 44 can communicate with suitable control devices such as temperature controller 46 configured to provide output commands actionable on the thermoelectric device(s) 38 associated with heat transfer element 34 to regulate or adjust the physical properties of the fluid material(s) as they pass through the heat exchange element 34. Suitable properties include, but need not be limited to, material temperature as well as temperature dependent properties such as viscosity and, in the case of multi-part reactive components reaction rate.
It is contemplated that temperature data obtained from sensor 44 can be outputted to a suitable control device and the resulting commands actionable on the thermoelectric device or devices 38 associated with heat transfer element 34. Depending upon the temperature data and desired operating parameters, the thermoelectric device 38 can be operated to either introduce thermal energy to the heat transfer element 34 or remove thermal energy form the unit, i.e. either heat or cool the heat transfer unit 34 and material passing therethrough.
Operation of the thermoelectric device 38 can be governed and moderated by suitable control parameters and devices as desired or required with the thermal output of the thermoelectric device 38 being actionable on either the thermal energy of the temperature transfer fluid, the process material to be dispensed or both. In the embodiment depicted in
Where desired or required, it is contemplated that the device 10 can include an additional one or more sensor(s) 48 in electronic communication with suitable temperature controller(s) 50. Where the device 10 is equipped with additional sensor(s) 48, it is contemplated that the additional sensor(s) can be positioned proximate to target locations such as fluid material outlet 42 in order to ascertain the temperature of the fluid material to be applied as it exits from the manifold 36. Data obtained from manifold output sensor 48 can be processed based upon suitable defined operating parameters to control operation of the thermoelectric device(s) 38. Such data can be integrated with data derived from sensor 44 located proximate to the nozzle 18 to produce govern operation of the thermoelectric device 38. Integration of such data can be accomplished by suitable mechanisms including, but not limited to suitable processing and computational devices such as CPU's and the like located on the device or remotely positioned but in electronic communication
Where desired or required, it is also contemplated that the temperature control fluid can also be monitored by a suitable sensor 52, typically positioned proximate to the fluid outlet 39 from the manifold 36. In the embodiment depicted in
It is contemplated that temperature controllers 22, 46, 50, etc., can be configured to provide suitable output signals actionable upon and controllable over the thermoelectric device 38 associated with manifold 36. Where desired or required, the device 10 can include a suitable command and control system to coordinate and/or reconcile the temperature controller data and execute appropriate commands actionable on the thermoelectric device.
As used herein, “thermoelectric devices” are considered to be those devices that directly convert electric voltage into temperature differences by means of the thermo-electric effect. It is contemplated that the thermoelectric device can be a solid-state active heat pump devices that transfer heat from one side of the respective device to the other. Depending upon circumstances including current direction and/or orientation of the thermoelectric device 38, it is contemplated that thermal energy in the form of heat can be transferred away from the heat transfer device 34 or can be transferred to the device 34 based upon data obtained from various locations including but not limited to the nozzle based sensor 18, the outlet sensors 48, 52 as well as any combination of the same.
The thermoelectric device or devices 38 can be any suitable solid state device capable of producing a thermal effect upon application of electric current therethrough. The thermoelectric device or devices 38 can be configured to accommodate current reversal where desired or required. Thus the device can achieve positive or negative heat transfer relative to the heat transfer device 34 as a result of current reversal. One nonlimiting example of a suitable thermoelectric device is a Peltier circuit.
Thermoelectric device or devices 38 can be attached or affixed to the heat transfer device 34 by any suitable means. Attachment can be permanent or nonpermanent. One nonlimiting example of attachment can be by embedding device proximate to an outer surface of manifold 34. It is also contemplated that suitable thermoelectric device(s) 38 can be embedded in suitable heat transfer and/or electroconductive material such as aluminum or the like, cast in suitable configurations such as sheets, and/or overlaid onto or otherwise affixed to a surface of manifold 36 in an either permanent or non-permanent configuration.
In the embodiment as depicted in
An alternate embodiment is depicted in
It is contemplated that the various individual Peltier circuit devices can be configured to provide thermal transfer characteristics that are independent of one another in various applications. Thus any number of Peltier circuits employed can have different ratings, outputs and configurations as desired or required. It is also contemplated that various the thermoelectric device 38 can be configured for the independent activation of various Peltier circuits as desired or required to achieve desired thermal transfer.
It is also contemplated that the device 10 can be configured with various auxiliary devices to assist in thermal transfer operations. They can include, but need not be limited to, suitable fans or other devices associated with the thermal transfer element configured to assist in or augment heat transfer operations (not shown).
Where desired or required, it is contemplated that the heat exchange element 34 can be configured as separate submanifolds as in
Where desired or required, it is contemplated that the respective submanifolds can be oriented in such a manner that the submanifolds are thermally insulated from one another. As used herein, the term “thermally insulated” is taken to mean that the thermal transfer between the respective submanifolds is impeded or prevented. This can be accomplished by any suitable means. In the embodiment set forth in
The manifold 36 portion of heat exchanger element 34 can be configured as a single block or as a plurality of submanifolds as desired or required. The conduits defined in the heat exchanger element 34 can have any ID suitable to achieve conveyance of material therethrough. While achieving the desired thermal transfer characteristics and properties. Where desired or required the conduit conveying thermal transfer fluid can have an inner diameter that differs from the inner diameter of conduits conveying process material. As a non-limiting example, the ID of the thermal transfer fluid conduits may be ⅜ inch while the ID of the adhesive is ½ inch. The respective ID values will be that sufficient to achieve thermal transfer and fluid flow.
Similarly the number of passes through the heat exchanger 34 will be that sufficient to achieve desired thermal transfer. By way of non-limiting example, the thermal transfer fluid may be subject to three passes while the process material is subject to 4 or more passes.
Where desired or required, it is contemplated that multiple submanifolds can be employed to achieve desired specific heating of various materials passing therethrough. By way of nonlimiting example, it is contemplated that three manifolds can be added together to provide temperature adjustment for the temperature control fluid as well as various parts of a two or multipart polymeric blend.
The embodiment as depicted contemplates peltier devices positioned on one face of the manifold unit 36. It is within the purview of this invention to employ Peltier devices on multiple faces of the manifold 34 as desired or required. Thus, it is contemplated that peltier devices can be releasably or removably affixed to opposed sides of the manifold device and can be activated and controlled based upon the output signals from at least one sensor such as sensor 20. Depending upon the orientation and positioning of the respective Peltier devices, it is contemplated that the manifold can be heated or cooled as desired or required.
It is contemplated that the Peltier devices and associated substrate can be permanently attached to a manifold device 34 as desired or required. However, it is also within the purview of this disclosure to provide removable temperature control devices that can be affixed to the desired manifold. In this way, it is contemplated that specific manifolds can be switched out as desired or required.
It is contemplated that the associated thermal transfer device 34 of device 10 can be affixed or attached to any suitable location defined on the applicator mechanism. In various embodiments, it is contemplated that the heat transfer device 34 can be affixed to the movable arm of a suitable robotic device where desired or required. In this way, temperature control and regulation of material to be applied can be accomplished at a location proximate to the final output location.
It is contemplated that the device 10 disclosed herein permits the application of various fluid materials in a thermally controlled manner. The device 10 also permits the application of various thermally controlled materials at locations remote to any centrally located heat exchange device as could occur when various robotically mounted applicators are employed. The device disclosed herein also permits the effective application of thermally conditioned material in application devices that are configured with process material recirculation as well as those configured with deadhead applicators such as the one depicted in
One non-limiting intermittent material application process is outlined in the process diagram set forth in
Before during and after material application, the temperature of the material at the applicator nozzle can be monitored and measured against desired application temperature parameters that can be contained in and executed by suitable software as desired or required. In application situations governed by a “no” command, the temperature of material at or proximate to the nozzle 18 can be monitored constantly or at desired intervals as at reference numeral 110. Based upon monitoring data, a temperature that deviates above the predetermined optimum temperature range triggers commands that result in one operation of at least the thermoelectric device 38 associated with the heat transfer element 34 to remove thermal energy from at least one circulating temperature control fluid. These steps are designated at reference numerals 112 and 114. Similarly, based upon monitoring data, a temperature that deviates below the predetermined optimum temperature range triggers commands that result in the operation of at least one thermoelectric device 38 associated with the heat transfer element 34 to introduce thermal energy into at least one circulating temperature control fluid. These steps are designated at reference numerals 116 and 118.
In application situations governed by a “yes” command, the temperature of material at or proximate to the nozzle 18 can be monitored constantly or at desired intervals as at reference numeral 120. Based upon monitoring data, a temperature that deviates above the predetermined optimum temperature range triggers commands that result in the operation of at least one of the thermoelectric devices associated with the heat transfer element to remove thermal energy from at least one circulating temperature control fluid. These steps are designated at reference numerals 122 and 124. Similarly, based upon monitoring data, a temperature that deviates below the predetermined optimum temperature range triggers commands that result in the operation of at least one thermoelectric device associated with the heat transfer element to introduce thermal energy into at least the circulating temperature control fluid. These steps are designated at reference numerals 126 and 128. In either situation where suitable temperature conditioning has resulted, the process continues with future monitoring as required as at reference numerals 129, 130, 132, 134, and 136.
In either situation, the process also comprehends temperature conditioning of material to be dispensed through the nozzle applicator. It is considered within the purview of the present disclosure to monitor material temperature at the nozzle applicator and condition the temperature of material upstream in the heat transfer unit 34 based upon temperature monitoring data. This can be done simultaneous to temperature control fluid conditioning or in any sequence relative thereto.
In the process depicted in
The above-mentioned embodiments have been described in order to allow easy understanding of the present invention. The invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US10/44425 | 8/4/2010 | WO | 00 | 2/3/2012 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61231136 | Aug 2009 | US |
