Hot melt systems, feeder devices and methods for moving particulate hot melt adhesive
AssigneeNordson Corporation
InventorsSing Yi Chau, Justin A. Clark, William M. Ridge, Leslie J. Varga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, feeder devices and methods for moving particulate hot melt adhesive from an adhesive supply to an adhesive melter. A feeder device includes a body having an inlet and an outlet, and an interior communicating with the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is configured to receive particulate hot melt adhesive from an outlet of the adhesive supply, and the outlet is configured to provide particulate hot melt adhesive to an inlet of the adhesive melter. The feeder device further includes a mechanical agitator positioned in the interior for urging the particulate hot melt adhesive in a flow direction toward the outlet.
Claims29
A feeder device for moving particulate hot melt adhesive from an adhesive supply to an adhesive melter, comprising:
- a body having an inlet and an outlet, and an interior communicating with the inlet and the outlet, the inlet being configured to receive particulate hot melt adhesive from an outlet of the adhesive supply, and the outlet being configured to provide particulate hot melt adhesive to an inlet of the adhesive melter, and
- a mechanical agitator positioned in the interior for urging the particulate hot melt adhesive in a flow direction toward the outlet.
A method of moving particulate hot melt adhesive between an adhesive supply containing a bulk quantity of the particulate hot melt adhesive and an adhesive melter for heating and melting the particulate hot melt adhesive into a liquid hot melt adhesive, comprising:
- introducing the particulate hot melt adhesive into an inlet of a feeder device from the adhesive supply,
- operating a mechanical agitator in the feeder device to move the particulate hot melt adhesive in a feed direction toward and through an outlet of the feeder device, and
- directing the particulate hot melt adhesive from the outlet into the adhesive melter.
A hot melt adhesive system comprising:
- an adhesive supply configured to contain a bulk quantity of particulate hot melt adhesive and having an outlet,
- an adhesive melter configured to melt the particulate hot melt adhesive into a liquid hot melt adhesive and having an inlet, and
- a feeder device configured to move between a first position wherein the particulate hot melt adhesive can be directed from the adhesive supply to the adhesive melter and a second position wherein particulate hot melt adhesive cannot be directed to the adhesive melter, the feeder device including a body having an inlet and an outlet and an interior communicating with the inlet and the outlet, the inlet being configured to receive particulate hot melt adhesive from the outlet of the adhesive supply, and the outlet being configured to provide particulate hot melt adhesive to the inlet of the adhesive melter in the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.