Arrangement for cleaning dispense valves

The combination of a dispense nozzle and cleaning nozzle therefor, comprising:

• a dispense nozzle having a dispense end from which material is dispensed;
• a housing having opposed first and second ends, a sidewall extending between the first and second ends and an inlet wall at the second end;
• a tapered wall extending from the first end;
• a recess wall joined to the sidewall at a point remote from the first end of the housing;
• the recess wall and the sidewall cooperating to form an open ended concave recess portion extending into the housing from the first end of the housing, receiving the dispense end of the nozzle to form a cleaning chamber therewith;
• a standoff wall between the recess wall and the inlet wall, cooperating therewith to form an inlet chamber within the housing;
• the sidewall defining an outlet port;
• the inlet wall defining an inlet port communicating with the inlet chamber;
• the recess wall defining a plurality of apertures extending from the inlet cavity to the cleaning chamber and pointing toward the dispense end of the nozzle;
• the tapered wall defining at least one withdrawal aperture so that cleaning media can be withdrawn away from the recess portion to the outlet port;
• and
• connection means coupling the outlet port to the withdrawal aperture.

Cleaning apparatus for cleaning a dispense nozzle, comprising:

• a nozzle including a housing having opposed first and second ends, a sidewall extending between the first and second ends and an inlet wall at the second end, a tapered wall extending from the first end, a recess wall joined to the sidewall at a point remote from the first end of the housing, the recess wall and the sidewall cooperating to form an open ended concave recess portion extending into the housing from the first end of the housing, a standoff wall between the recess wall and the inlet wall, cooperating therewith to form an inlet chamber within the housing, the sidewall defining an outlet port, the inlet wall defining an inlet port communicating with the inlet chamber, the recess wall defining a plurality of apertures extending from the inlet cavity to the recess portion, so that cleaning media entering the inlet chamber has a directed path toward the first end of the housing, whereby an external part seated against the housing adjacent its first end will lie in the path of travel of the cleaning media, the tapered wall defining at least one withdrawal aperture so that cleaning media can be withdrawn away from the recess portion to the outlet port, connection means coupling the outlet port to the withdrawal aperture;
• and
• transport means for transporting the cleaning nozzle about a dispense area, comprising a table supporting the cleaning nozzle, seating means for seating the cleaning nozzle against a part to be cleaned by moving the cleaning nozzle toward and away from the table, and the transport means further comprising x-y indexing means for moving the cleaning nozzle and table about a plane.

A combination of a valve assembly having a plurality of valves and cleaning apparatus for cleaning the valves, including:

• transport means for transporting the valve assembly about a dispense area, comprising a valve table supporting the valves and x-y indexing means for moving the valves and valve table about a plane;
• a cleaning nozzle comprising a nozzle housing having opposed first and second ends, a sidewall extending between the first and second ends and an inlet wall at the second end, a tapered wall extending from the first end, a recess wall joined to the sidewall at a point remote from the first end of the housing, the recess wall and the sidewall cooperating to form an open ended concave recess portion extending into the housing from the first end of the housing, a standoff wall between the recess wall and the inlet wall, cooperating therewith to form an inlet chamber within the housing, the sidewall defining an outlet port, the inlet wall defining an inlet port communicating with the inlet chamber, the recess wall defining a plurality of apertures extending from the inlet cavity to the recess portion, so that cleaning media entering the inlet chamber has a directed path toward the first end of the housing, whereby an external part seated against the housing adjacent its first end will lie in the path of travel of the cleaning media, the tapered wall defining at least one withdrawal aperture so that cleaning media can be withdrawn away from the recess portion to the outlet port, connection means coupling the outlet port to the withdrawal aperture;
• and
• transport means for transporting the cleaning nozzle about a dispense area, comprising a cleaning table supporting the cleaning nozzle, seating means for seating the cleaning nozzle against a valve to be cleaned by moving the cleaning nozzle toward and away from the cleaning table, and the transport means further comprising x-y indexing means for moving the cleaning nozzle and cleaning table about a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the valves.

The combination of a dispense head and cleaning nozzle therefor, comprising:

• a dispense head having a plurality of dispense nozzles terminating at a dispense end;
• a cleaning nozzle comprising a nozzle housing having opposed first and second ends, a sidewall extending between the first and second ends and an inlet wall at the second end, a tapered wall extending from the first end, a recess wall joined to the sidewall at a point remote from the first end of the housing, the recess wall and the sidewall cooperating to form an open ended concave recess portion extending into the housing from the first end of the housing, a standoff wall between the recess wall and the inlet wall, cooperating therewith to form an inlet chamber within the housing, the sidewall defining an outlet port, the inlet wall defining an inlet port communicating with the inlet chamber, the recess wall defining a plurality of apertures extending from the inlet cavity to the recess portion, so that cleaning media entering the inlet chamber has a directed path toward the first end of the housing, whereby an external part seated against the housing adjacent its first end will lie in the path of travel of the cleaning media, the tapered wall defining at least one withdrawal aperture so that cleaning media can be withdrawn away from the recess portion to the outlet port, connection means coupling the outlet port to the withdrawal aperture.

Cleaning apparatus, comprising:

• a cleaning nozzle including a housing having opposed first and second ends, a sidewall extending between the first and second ends and an inlet wall at the second end, a tapered wall extending from the first end, a recess wall joined to the sidewall at a point remote from the first end of the housing, the recess wall and the sidewall cooperating to form an open ended concave recess portion extending into the housing from the first end of the housing, a standoff wall between the recess wall and the inlet wall, cooperating therewith to form an inlet chamber within the housing, the tapered wall cooperating with the sidewall to form an outlet chamber, the sidewall defining an outlet port communicating with the outlet chamber, the inlet wall defining an inlet port communicating with the inlet chamber, the recess wall defining a plurality of apertures extending from the inlet cavity to the recess portion, so that cleaning media entering the inlet chamber has a directed path toward the first end of the housing, whereby an external part seated against the housing adjacent its first end will lie in the path of travel of the cleaning media, the tapered wall defining at least one aperture communicating from the recess portion to the outlet chamber so that cleaning media can be withdrawn away from the recess portion to the outlet port;
• a plurality of vessels for containing cleaning materials;
• and
• a control valve having multiple inputs coupled to the vessels and an output coupled to the inlet port of the cleaning nozzle, the control valve operable to direct material from at least one of the vessels to the cleaning nozzle input.