Nozzle bar with adjustable pattern

Apparatus for depositing a pattern of a viscous material upon a portion of a substrate movable disposed within a plane relative to said apparatus, wherein said apparatus is adjustable so as to vary the length, width, and position of said pattern of said viscous material relative to said substrate, comprising:

• viscous material supply means for supplying said viscous material to be deposited upon said substrate;
• a nozzle bar having a longitudinal extent;
• a longitudinal bore defined within said nozzle bar and extending throughout said longitudinal extent of said nozzle bar so as to have first and second oppositely disposed open ends, said longitudinal bore being fluidically connected to said viscous material supply means so as to receive a supply of said viscous material from said viscous material supply means;
• a plurality of channels defined within said nozzle bar along said longitudinal extent thereof, fluidically connected at first end portions thereof to said longitudinal bore so as to receive said viscous material from said longitudinal bore, and defining material dispensing outlets, facing the substrate for dispensing the material onto said substrate, at second opposite end portions thereof which are disposed at an acute angle with respect to said plane of said substrate so as to prevent dripping and stringing of said viscous material as said viscous material is deposited upon said substrate;
• heating means disposed within said nozzle bar at a position adjacent to said longitudinal bore and said plurality of channels for heating said nozzle bar and said viscous material to a predetermined temperature;
• sensor means disposed within said nozzle bar at a position adjacent to said longitudinal bore and said plurality of channels and operatively connected to said heating means for sensing the temperature of said nozzle bar and controlling said heating means so that the temperature of said nozzle bar and said viscous material is regulated to said predetermined temperature;
• and
• means adjustably movable within said first and second oppositely disposed open ends of said longitudinal bore for selectively preventing said viscous material, as supplied from said viscous material supply means, from reaching predetermined ones of said plurality of channels so as to thereby vary the width, as well as the relative position, of said pattern of said dispensed viscous material along said longitudinal extent of said nozzle bar and with respect to said substrate.