EP0822009A1 - Apparatus for the application of a non-solid product - Google Patents

Abstract

The applicator for a viscous product comprises a housing (1) for two product storage cartridges each having a product rear pressure wall. Two pressure pistons (2), acting on the cartridges' rear walls, are driven to the front by friction of front nuts (5) activated by an intermediate advance rod (6). The rod is driven in a to and fro motion by a motor (3). Each nut is abutted against the rod front end by a return spring (13). A rotating cam (7) driving the rod to the front is driven by the motor operated by the control handle. A rotating pressure roller (8) on the intermediate rod is in peripheral contact with the cam. The rod only stops the motor at the end of its return movement. The rod has a bending zone (20) for activating a motor stop switch.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a non-solid, in particular viscous, product from a cartridge storage device mounted on the device. Such a cartridge may include an outer casing with, on one side, a nozzle intended to receive an application nozzle, and on the other side, a bottom wall intended to slide towards the end piece and push the product out of the nozzle and nozzle.

Such devices, or guns, are generally used to apply resins or sealants for thermal and / or sound insulation.
The bottom wall of a cartridge is intended to slide under the action of the advance of a piston actuated manually by means of a pumping handle by means of a rack mechanism or by advance by friction.

As a known mechanism for rod advance by friction, knows a (US-A-4,840,294) having a nut before advance and a rear non-return nut mounted on the rod and each extending in a plane substantially perpendicular thereto.

The nut in advance is intended to come and engage on the rod of piston tilting on the rod, under the action of a pumping of the handle, in order to drive the piston forward along an advance elementary, and to disengage after pumping, the non-return nut, already engaged on the rod, blocking the piston to prevent it from back off.

The application of a determined quantity of the cartridge product requires a certain advance of the piston resulting from a plurality of successive pumping.

In short, using such a device, an operator must get tired of pump a large number of times to apply its product.

The present invention provides a new apparatus for applying non-solid product, first aimed at reducing the physical effort of operator for product application.

To this end, the invention relates to an apparatus for applying a non-solid product comprising means for receiving at least a product storage cartridge, with a rear thrust wall of the product, a push piston, means for driving the piston and a handle for controlling the drive means, characterized by the fact that the drive means are arranged to cause any application of the product by a single actuation of the control handle and include a intermediate feed rod arranged to be driven by a reciprocating back and forth and driving the piston pushed forward during the forward movement.

Thanks to the invention, the operator only has to press once the handle and maintain its action to pump and apply the product.

• une noix avant d'entraínement, par frottement, du piston de poussée actionnée par la biellette d'avance intermédiaire,
• une came rotative d'entraínement de la biellette d'avance entraínée par un moteur mis en marche par la poignée de commande.

In this case, the drive means may include:

• a nut before driving, by friction, of the thrust piston actuated by the intermediate advance link,
• a rotary cam for driving the feed rod driven by a motor started by the control handle.

Advantageously, and in this case always, means are provided to stop the engine only at the end of the return movement of the intermediate link.

Advantageously also, the advance link comprises a zone of flexion arranged to actuate a stop switch exceptional engine, by bending.

Still in the preferred embodiment, a non-return rear nut cooperating by friction with the thrust piston, it is provided an intermediate non-return link between the handle order and the non-return nut.

In this case, and very advantageously, the non-return link is pivotally mounted at the front on an axis integral with the handle control and, at the rear, on the side of the mounted check nut mobile, with two degrees of freedom, around a guide axis back.

In this case, and the handle being mounted movable around an axis of rotation, the rear guide axis of the non-return link, its axis pivot on the handle and the axis of rotation of the handle are arranged to be aligned when the handle is actuated.

Thanks to this, the force exerted backwards on the thrust piston no longer applies to the handle itself, i.e. the hand of the operator, but on its axis of rotation integral with the housing the device.

More preferably, the non-return link includes a light rear, extended by a groove in which is received the axis of rear guide, and through which the non-return nut extends.

In this case, the rear light of the non-return link and the nut non-return valves are arranged so that when the handle is not actuated, the cooperation of the non-return nut and the piston of thrust is broken.

Thanks to this, one can easily pull the piston of the push to, for example, change the cartridge.

• la figure 1 représente une vue de dessus en coupe de la forme de réalisation préférée de l'appareil; et
• la figure 2 représente une vue de côté en coupe de l'appareil de la figure 1.

The invention will be better understood using the following description of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus for applying a non-solid product of the invention, with reference to the attached drawing in which:

• Figure 1 shows a top view in section of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus; and
• 2 shows a side view in section of the device of FIG. 1.

The preferred embodiment of the apparatus which will now be described can receive two storage cartridges containing respectively two products, not solid to be mixed before their application.

• un logement avant 1 de réception des deux cartouches de stockage, chacune présentant une paroi arrière de poussée de leur contenu;
• deux pistons 2 de poussée des parois arrière de cartouches;
• un mécanisme d'entraínement vers l'avant des pistons 2;
• un moteur 3 d'actionnement du mécanisme d'entraínement (représenté par son arbre de sortie);
• un mécanisme d'anti-retour des pistons 2; et
• une poignée de commande 4 pour commander le moteur 3 et actionner le mécanisme d'anti-retour.

The application device comprises, in a housing 10:

• a front housing 1 for receiving the two storage cartridges, each having a rear wall for pushing their contents;
• two pistons 2 pushing the rear walls of cartridges;
• a forward drive mechanism of the pistons 2;
• a motor 3 for actuating the drive mechanism (represented by its output shaft);
• a piston 2 anti-return mechanism; and
• a control handle 4 for controlling the motor 3 and actuating the non-return mechanism.

The two pistons 2 are mutually parallel and symmetrical by relative to a longitudinal axis 9 of symmetry of the mechanisms drive and anti-return.

• deux noix avant 5 d'avance par frottement, respectivement des deux pistons de poussée 2,
• une biellette d'avance intermédiaire 6, d'actionnement des noix avant 5, s'étendant le long de l'axe 9,
• une came rotative 7 d'entraínement vers l'avant de la biellette d'avance 6, montée sur l'arbre de sortie du moteur 3, et
• un galet de poussée 8 monté rotatif sur la biellette d'avance 6 et en contact à sa périphérie, à l'arrière, avec la came 7.

The drive mechanism includes:

• two nuts before 5 in advance by friction, respectively of the two push pistons 2,
• an intermediate feed rod 6, for actuating the front nuts 5, extending along the axis 9,
• a rotary cam 7 for driving towards the front of the feed rod 6, mounted on the output shaft of the motor 3, and
• a thrust roller 8 mounted to rotate on the feed rod 6 and in contact at its periphery, at the rear, with the cam 7.

The two front nuts 5, mounted on their respective pistons 2, at the front, extend in a plane substantially perpendicular to axis 9.

Each front nut 5 is in abutment, on one side, against the front end of the feed rod 6 under the action of a return spring 13 described below and, on the opposite side, against a rear stop 14 secured to the housing 10, under the action of a nut spring before 15 surrounding the piston 2 at the front of the front nut 5 and fixed in position at its front end in the housing 10.

In the front nut rest position 5, the push pistons 2 can slide through the front nuts 5 intended to tilt slightly, towards their respective pistons, from their position rest perpendicular to axis 9 to a locked position inclined for which the relative sliding of the nuts before 5 and of their respective pistons 2 are blocked.

The return spring 13 of the feed rod 6, extending along axis 9, is held in the housing 10 by its front end and resting against the front of the rod 6 by its rear end, by through the nuts before 5.

The non-return mechanism includes two rear non-return nuts 21, mounted like the front nuts 5 but on the rear parts of the two respective pistons 2, and intended to prevent the recoil of push pistons 2 between two elementary advances thereof, as will be explained in the description of the operation of the device.

In the rest position of the applicator, each rear nut 21 abuts against a ring 26 mounted around the piston 2 at the rear of the rear nut 21, under the action of a nut spring rear 27 fixed to the housing 10 and surrounding the piston 2 at the front of the rear nuts 21. The rear nuts 21 extend in a common plane substantially perpendicular to axis 9 and can pivot towards their respective pistons between a rest position perpendicular to the axis piston and a locking position inclined relative to this axis and reached by actuation of non-return links described more far. In the rear nut rest position 21, the pistons 2 can slide through their rear nuts 21, and in the locked position, the pistons 2 are blocked in translation backwards by the nuts rear 21.

Let P _{2 be} the plane of FIG. 1, containing the axes of the pistons 2. The two intermediate non-return links 22, for actuating the two rear nuts 21 respectively, extend in the vicinity of their respective pistons 2, in two lateral planes P1 perpendicular to the plane P2. The rear part of each link 22 provides a light 25 through which the rear nut 21 of the neighboring piston 2 extends.

The non-return links 22 are mounted, at the front, pivoting respectively around two pivot axes 23 integral with the control handle 4 and, at the rear, movable with two degrees of freedom (in translation parallel to axis 9 and in pivoting) respectively around two guide axes 24 integral with the housing 10.

The control handle 4 is pivotally mounted around an axis of rotation 28 integral with the housing 10, and maintained in the rest position by return springs 29 fixed to the housing 10.

The guide axes 24 and rotation axes 28 extend in the plane P2. The pivot axes 23 are movable between a rest position and an operating position reached by actuation of the handle 4. In the rest position, the pivot axis 23 of each rear nuts 21 is outside the plane P2, on the side not containing not the control handle 4, and, in the operating position, contained in the plane P2, the pivot axes 23 and guide axes 24 of each non-return link 22 and the axis of rotation 28 of the handle 4 then being aligned in the plane P1 of extension of this link 22.

The application apparatus further comprises a switch 11 for starting of the motor 3 located in the vicinity of the axis 9 and the control handle 4, a switch 16 for final stop of the engine 3 carried by the feed rod 6, adjacent to the thrust roller 8, and a exceptional stop switch 17 of the motor 3 disposed at the interior of a slot 18 formed in the front part of the link in advance 6.

The slot 18 has two interior faces 19 opposite one of the other, perpendicular to axis 9, and connected to each other by a single side constituting a bending zone 20 provided so that the two faces 19 can be folded towards each other and actuate the exceptional stop switch 17.

A forcing pin 12 secured to the feed rod 6 is disposed in the rear vicinity of cam 7, in order to force the return of the rod 6 under the action of cam 7 in downward phase, as this will be explained later.

The applicator finally has a rear handle 30 manual drive to the rear of the push pistons 2, mounted on the rear ends of the pistons 2.

After the structural description of the application device, its operation will now be described.

In order to apply a desired amount of the product mixture contained in the storage cartridges, received in their housing 1, the control handle 4 is actuated by rotating it, here backwards, around its axis of rotation 28.

The pivoting of the control handle 4 causes the pivoting and the advance of the two non-return links 22, against the action of return springs 29, until the pivot axes are aligned 23, rotation 28 and guide 24. The displacement resulting from that of the lights 25 rotates and slightly advances the non-return nuts rear 21 to their locked position, the pistons 2 do not then being able to move back further.

On the other hand, by pivoting, the control handle 4 actuates the switch 11 for starting the motor 3. The motor 3, in walking, drives the rotary cam 7 which, during a phase ascending, push forward the intermediate feed rod 6, in a forward movement, via the thrust roller 8 turning and advancing along axis 9 simultaneously, advancing the rod 6 acting against the action of the return spring 13.

During the advance of the rod 6, the front nuts 5 rotate, their rest position to their blocking position, and cause their respective pistons 2 along an elementary advance, the advance of push pistons 2 slightly pivoting the rear nuts 21 coming out of their blocking position.

During their elementary advance, the pistons 2 push towards front the back walls of the cartridges, a basic amount of mixture of products being thus forced out of the cartridges.

Then, cam 7 begins a downward phase during which it stops driving the feed rod 6 forward.

Under the action of the rear nut springs 27, the rear nuts 21 rotate again until reaching a new position of blocking of the pistons 2 thus prevented from reversing.

Under the action of the return spring 13, the feed rod 6 starts a return movement until reaching its initial position and, simultaneously, the front nuts 5 rotate again until reach their rest position.

After the downward phase, cam 7 begins a new phase ascending causing a new elementary advance of push pistons 2.

During normal operation of the device, and as long as the control handle 4 remains actuated, the ascending phases and descending from cam 7 follow one another by driving the motor 3, the feed rod 6 being driven by a movement reciprocating back and forth, and driving the push pistons 2 towards the front during forward movements. The application of quantity desired mixture thus results from a succession of applications elementary.

After the desired global application of the products, we stop the action on the control handle 4. The action of the return springs 29 drives the non-return links 22 and the control handle 4, in their respective initial positions of rest, the displacement rods releasing the rear nuts 21 which pivot up to reach their initial rest positions.

At the end of the return movement of the feed rod 6 according to the end of the action on the handle 4, the final stop switch 16, carried by the link 6, is actuated during the movement of the link 6 and motor 3 stops.

During operation and especially in the event of non-return of the feed rod 6, due to a malfunction of the spring recoil 13 for example, the cam 7 in the downward phase drives towards rear the forcing pin 12 by forcing the retraction of the rod in advance 6.

Finally, in the case where the advance link 6 is prevented, at the front, to move forward, because of a cartridge whose content has solidified by example, the bending zone 20 of the rod 6 flexes, the two faces internal 19 of the slot 18 approaching each other, possibly until actuating the stop switch 17 exceptional engine 3.

In the above description, the drive means include a single nut before training, by friction, of each push piston.

A plurality of nuts before driving each piston of thrust mounted side by side on the piston could also be provided to increase the friction surface between the nuts front and the piston.

Claims (12)

Apparatus for applying a non-solid product comprising means for receiving (1) at least one cartridge for storing the product, at the product push back wall, a push piston (2), drive means (5, 3, 6) of the piston (2) and a handle (4) for controlling the drive means, characterized by the fact that the drive means are arranged to cause a any application of the product by a single actuation of the control handle (4) and include a feed rod intermediate (6) arranged to be animated by a movement back and forth and drive the push piston (2) towards the front during the forward movement. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means drive comprise a nut before (5) drive, for friction, of the push piston (2) actuated by the link intermediate feed (6). Apparatus according to one of claims 1 and 2, in which it is provided with a rotary cam (7) for driving the advance link (6) driven by a motor (3) started by the handle control (4). Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein means (6, 16) are provided to stop the motor (3) only at the end of the movement return of the intermediate feed rod (6). Apparatus according to one of claims 3 and 4, in which the feed rod (6) has a flexion zone (20) arranged for actuating an exceptional engine stop switch (17) (3), by bending. Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which a non-return nut (21) cooperating by friction with the piston of thrust (2), an intermediate non-return link (22) is provided, between the control handle (4) and the non-return nut (21). Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the check rod (22) is pivotally mounted at the front on an integral pin (23) of the control handle (4) and, at the rear of the side of the check nut (21), movable climb, with two degrees of freedom, around a rear guide pin (24). The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the handle control (4) being mounted movable about an axis of rotation (28), the guide axis (24) rear of the non-return link (22), its axis pivot (23) on the handle (4) and the axis of rotation (28) of the handle (4) are arranged to be aligned when actuating the control handle (4). Apparatus according to one of claims 7 and 8, wherein the non-return link (22) has an extended rear light (25) by a groove (26) in which the rear guide pin is received (24), and through which the non-return nut (21) extends. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the lumen (25) of the non-return link (22) and the non-return nut (21) are arranged so that, when the handle (4) is not actuated, the cooperation non-return nut (21) and the thrust piston (2) is broken. Apparatus according to one of claims 6 to 10, in which it is provided means (1) for receiving a plurality of cartridges storage, a plurality of push pistons (2) respectively associated with a plurality of drive nuts (5), which can be actuated by an intermediate feed rod (6), and at a plurality of non-return nuts (21) which can be actuated respectively by a plurality of non-return links (22). Apparatus according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the drive means include a plurality of front nuts drive, friction, of the push piston, actuated by the intermediate advance link.

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