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US 10,328,448 B2Granted
Adhesive dispensing assembly having a mechanism for cleaning the dispensing nozzle
AssigneePrecision Valve & Automation, Inc.
InventorsJonathan Neal Urquhart, Andrew John Nally, Max Egdorf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided, including operably coupling a dispensing assembly to an end effector, wherein the dispensing assembly dispenses a dispensing fluid onto a substrate from a nozzle located on the dispensing assembly, wherein, when the dispensing assembly stops dispensing a dispensing fluid from the outlet, compressed gas is directed at a tip of the nozzle to clean off a residue of the dispensing fluid left on the tip of the nozzle.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- operably coupling a dispensing assembly to an end effector, the dispensing assembly including a blow-off mechanism including a cap member having one or more openings proximate a dispensing nozzle;
- wherein the dispensing assembly continuously dispenses a dispensing fluid onto a substrate from the dispensing nozzle located on the dispensing assembly through an outlet of the dispensing nozzle;
- wherein, when the dispensing assembly stops dispensing the dispensing fluid from the outlet, a fluid is forced through the one or more openings to blow-off a dispensed fluid residue that has accumulated on a tip of the dispensing nozzle, a path of the fluid flowing between the cap member and the dispensing nozzle from a first end of a surface of the cap member that faces the dispensing nozzle to a second end of the surface of the cap member, the second end being an end of the cap member where the fluid exits the one or more openings to the tip of the dispensing nozzle external to the dispensing nozzle;
- wherein the fluid is forced through the one or more openings while the dispensing fluid is not continuously exiting an outlet of the dispensing nozzle;
- wherein the second end of the cap member that defines the end of the cap member is located on a different plane than the tip of the dispensing nozzle.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- initiating a continuous flow of a dispensing fluid through an adhesive dispensing assembly at a location proximate a dispensing nozzle, wherein the continuous flow of the dispensing fluid continuously exits the dispensing nozzle during a dispensing cycle;
- stopping the continuous flow of the dispensing fluid at an end of the dispensing cycle so that the continuous flow no longer exits the dispensing nozzle;
- and
- cleaning a residue amount of the dispensing fluid that has collected onto the dispensing nozzle by blowing off any dispensed fluid residue from the dispensing nozzle with a blow-off mechanism;
- wherein the blow-off mechanism is operably attached to a body portion of the adhesive dispensing assembly, the blow-off mechanism including one or more openings to allow a fluid to pass through to the dispensing nozzle to remove a dispensed fluid residue from a tip of the dispensing nozzle, the fluid flowing through a path located between a cap member and the dispensing nozzle from a first end of a surface of the cap member that faces the dispensing nozzle to a second end of the surface of the cap member, the second end being an end of the cap member, the second end of the cap member being located on a different plane than the tip of the nozzle;
- wherein the cap member is stationary with respect to the body portion when the fluid is passed through the one or more openings.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- starting a continuous flow of a dispensing fluid that continuously flows through an adhesive dispensing assembly and out of the adhesive dispensing assembly at a dispensing nozzle during a dispensing cycle;
- stopping the continuous flow of the dispensing fluid at an end of the dispensing cycle so that the continuous flow no longer exits the dispensing nozzle;
- and
- cleaning a residue amount of the dispensing fluid that has collected onto the dispensing nozzle by blowing off any dispensed fluid residue from the dispensing nozzle with a blow-off mechanism included with the adhesive dispensing assembly, in response to the stopping;
- wherein the blow-off mechanism is not used during the continuous flow of the dispensing fluid.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.