Apparatus for applying a foamable resin

An apparatus for applying a multi-component foamable fluid plastic material, the material including at least two reactant fluids configured to form a foam when heated and mixed, the apparatus including:

• a support body structure;
• a mixing chamber supported in the support body structure and configured to receive pre-heated reactant fluids for mixing through two mixing chamber fluid inlet openings, the mixing chamber comprising an axial passage disposed generally transverse to the fluid inlet openings and configured to allow reactant fluids to exit the mixing chamber through an axial outer end of the axial passage;
• two mixing chamber fluid inlets disposed in the support body structure in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to direct the respective reactant fluids into the mixing chamber through the respective mixing chamber fluid inlet openings;
• an elongated valve needle supported in the mixing chamber for reciprocal longitudinal movement between forward closed and a rearward open positions in the mixing chamber, the valve needle configured to expose the fluid inlet openings when retracted to the rearward open position to permit the reactant fluids to flow into the mixing chamber from the respective inlet openings and impingement mix therein, and to close off the fluid inlet openings and dispense the mixed fluids from the mixing chamber through the axial passage while being advanced to the forward closed position;
• and
• a heater disposed on the support body structure and configured to heat the support body structure;
• the valve needle including a helical groove configured to purge the mixing chamber of unreacted and reacted fluids by scraping the interior surface of the mixing chamber.

An apparatus for applying a multi-component foamable fluid plastic material, the material including at least two reactant fluids configured to form a foam when heated and mixed, the apparatus including:

• a support body structure;
• a mixing chamber supported in the support body structure and configured to receive pre-heated reactant fluids for mixing through two mixing chamber fluid inlet openings, the mixing chamber comprising an axial passage disposed generally transverse to the fluid inlet openings and configured to allow reactant fluids to exit the mixing chamber through an axial outer end of the axial passage;
• two mixing chamber fluid inlets disposed in the support body structure in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to direct the respective reactant fluids into the mixing chamber through the respective mixing chamber fluid inlet openings;
• an elongated valve needle supported in the mixing chamber for reciprocal longitudinal movement between forward closed and a rearward open positions in the mixing chamber, the valve needle configured to expose the fluid inlet openings when retracted to the rearward open position to permit the reactant fluids to flow into the mixing chamber from the respective inlet openings and impingement mix therein, and to close off the fluid inlet openings and dispense the mixed fluids from the mixing chamber through the axial passage while being advanced to the forward closed position;
• and
• a heater disposed on the support body structure and configured to heat the support body structure;
• the valve needle including a pair of annular grooves disposed such that one of the annular grooves is positioned forward of the mixing chamber fluid inlet openings when the valve needle is in the closed position and the second of the annular grooves is positioned rearward of the mixing chamber fluid inlet openings when the valve needle is in the closed position;
• and
• the annular grooves are configured to prevent reactant fluids from passing the annular grooves by allowing any residual reactant fluid to collect in the annular grooves and react thus creating a seal between the valve needle and an interior wall of the mixing chamber.

An apparatus for applying a multi-component foamable fluid plastic material, the material including at least two reactant fluids configured to form a foam when heated and mixed, the apparatus including:

• a support body structure;
• a mixing chamber supported in the support body structure and configured to receive pre-heated reactant fluids for mixing through two mixing chamber fluid inlet openings, the mixing chamber comprising an axial passage disposed generally transverse to the fluid inlet openings and configured to allow reactant fluids to exit the mixing chamber through an axial outer end of the axial passage;
• two mixing chamber fluid inlets disposed in the support body structure in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to direct the respective reactant fluids into the mixing chamber through the respective mixing chamber fluid inlet openings;
• and
• an elongated valve needle supported in the mixing chamber for reciprocal longitudinal movement between forward closed and a rearward open positions in the mixing chamber, the valve needle configured to expose the fluid inlet openings when retracted to the rearward open position to permit the reactant fluids to flow into the mixing chamber from the respective inlet openings and impingement mix therein, and to close off the fluid inlet openings and dispense the mixed fluids from the mixing chamber through the axial passage while being advanced to the forward closed position, the valve needle including a helical groove configured to purge the mixing chamber of unreacted and reacted fluids by scraping the interior surface of the mixing chamber.

An apparatus for applying a multi-component foamable fluid plastic material, the material including at least two reactant fluids configured to form a foam when heated and mixed, the apparatus including:

• a support body structure;
• a mixing chamber supported in the support body structure and configured to receive pre-heated reactant fluids for mixing through two mixing chamber fluid inlet openings, the mixing chamber comprising an axial passage disposed generally transverse to the fluid inlet openings and configured to allow reactant fluids to exit the mixing chamber through an axial outer end of the axial passage;
• two mixing chamber fluid inlets disposed in the support body structure in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to direct the respective reactant fluids into the mixing chamber through the respective mixing chamber fluid inlet openings;
• and
• an elongated valve needle supported in the mixing chamber for reciprocal longitudinal movement between forward closed and a rearward open positions in the mixing chamber, the valve needle configured to expose the fluid inlet openings when retracted to the rearward open position to permit the reactant fluids to flow into the mixing chamber from the respective inlet openings and impingement mix therein, and to close off the fluid inlet openings and dispense the mixed fluids from the mixing chamber through the axial passage while being advanced to the forward closed position, the valve needle including a pair of annular grooves disposed such that one of the annular grooves is positioned forward of the mixing chamber fluid inlet openings when the valve needle is in the closed position and the second of the annular grooves is positioned rearward of the mixing chamber fluid inlet openings when the valve needle is in the closed position, the annular grooves being configured to prevent reactant fluids from passing the annular grooves by allowing any residual reactant fluid to collect in the annular grooves and react thus creating a seal between the valve needle and an interior wall of the mixing chamber.