Procedure, apparatus and system for controlled dispensing of a prepared medium capable of flowing
AssigneeRobatech AG
InventorsRoman Kappeler, Beat Schoch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for use in a system which dispenses, for example, adhesive capable of flowing, that melts with increasing temperature. The apparatus includes a container (10) to receive adhesive and a melting device (19, 25) to induce the rise in temperature, so that part of the adhesive is changed into a fluid state. An outlet zone (19) is provided, having at least one passageway (20) for the adhesive capable of flowing. In the outlet zone (19) a cooling device (19, 26, 27) is provided, for the purpose of cooling the passageway (20) after a proportion of the adhesive capable of flowing has flowed out through the passageway (20)
Claims18
Apparatus for use in a system, that dispenses a medium capable of flowing that undergoes a change to a state of lower viscosity in case of an increase in temperature, the apparatus comprising the following:
- a container to receive a medium,
- a melting device to cause the increase in temperature of a proportion of the medium and alter it to a state of lower viscosity,
- an outlet zone with at least one passageway for the part of the medium with lower viscosity, characterized in that
- a storage unit is provided for the part of the medium with lower viscosity,
- the storage unit is equipped with a level or filling level sensor,
- a cooling device) is present for the purpose of enabling active cooling of the outlet zone) and/or the melting device after a proportion of the part of the medium with lower viscosity has passed through the passageway into the storage unit.
Apparatus according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the outlet zone is traversed by at least one channel through which a coolant or gas can flow.
Apparatus according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the cooling device and the melting device are separately realized.
Apparatus according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the cooling device comprises a refrigeration compressor, heat exchanger or Peltier cooler.
System with an apparatus according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the system comprises a pump to impel the part of the medium with lower viscosity.
Process for dispensing a medium capable of flowing on demand, in which viscous, solid or pasty medium is made available in a container in the following steps:
- Interrogation as to whether sufficient medium capable of flowing is present in a storage unit,
- If so, extraction of the medium capable of flowing out of the storage unit,
- If not, local heating of the viscous, solid or pasty medium in the container by means of a melting device, in order to lower the viscosity of the medium until the latter flows through one or more passageways into the storage unit,
- During the heating process, repeated interrogation as to whether sufficient medium capable of flowing is still present in the storage unit,
- If so, deactivation of the melting device and activation of a cooling device, in order to hinder or reduce further melting of medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.