GB2410909A

GB2410909A - Adhesive applicator

Info

Publication number: GB2410909A
Application number: GB0402861A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen David Richards
Original assignee: Andrew John Richards
Current assignee: Andrew John Richards
Priority date: 2004-02-10
Filing date: 2004-02-10
Publication date: 2005-08-17
Also published as: GB0402861D0

Abstract

There is an adhesive applicator for simultaneously applying a plurality of beads of adhesive to a surface in a uniform manner, the applicator comprising a body member 24 with a reservoir 28 disposed therein, the reservoir being connected to an adhesive supply means 26. There is a substantially straight applicator tip 32 extending from said body member, the tip having a substantially straight applicator edge with a number of recesses 34 disposed along its length. The recesses are in communication with the reservoir and have at least one opening 36 therein to permit the passage of adhesive contained within the reservoir to the surface.

Description

24 1 0909

DESCRIPTION

ADHESIVE APPLICATOR

The present invention relates to an adhesive applicator for simultaneously applying a number of beads of adhesive to a surface in a uniform manner.

The application of adhesive materials prior to fixing articles to a surface often requires that a uniform spread of adhesive is applied to either the article or the surface prior to bringing both together. The application of adhesive often requires specialist tools and the surrounding area often needs to be protected so as to prevent the adhesive from damaging articles or surfaces in the near vicinity. These problems are particularly prevalent when an area is being tiled. Usually, a tiler or DIY enthusiast will apply a quantity of tile adhesive to a surface using a spatula or similar device and then draw a scrapper (which usually has an undulating edge) across the adhesive in order to produce discrete beads of adhesive. The requirements of such beads helps the tiles to adhere to the wall, as when the tile is placed firmly on to the adhesive, the adhesive can spread to the part of the surface which does not contain any adhesive and therefore the tile will have a tendency to rest along the contours of the surface.

Additionally to the pockets of air between the beads of adhesive also help to hold the tile to the wall by means of a "suction" effect. Whilst this method has been effective for a number of years, it will be apparent that the method of putting the adhesive onto the wall and then scrapping excess material off in order to produce beads of adhesive is not only time consuming but also labourious. Furthermore, even the skilled tiler will inevitably drop some adhesive onto other surfaces due to the fluid properties of - 2 the adhesives.

A number of devices have been developed over the years so as to alleviate one or more of the problems associated with tiling surfaces. For example, DE19814328 discloses a device consisting of a spray gun which discharges a number of lines of adhesive to a surface in an expedient manner. This device does however have a number of problems associated with it, such as the quantity of material deposited on the surface cannot easily be controlled (as this will be a function of both the speed of the operator and the amount of pressure applied to the trigger of the spray gun). In addition to this, the device requires a mechanical/electrical pump which necessitates the use of power so that the device can operate. Furthermore, as tile adhesive is often a fairly viscous material (so that it can set quickly), the pump required by the device would need to be reasonably strong.

WO 924/09770 discloses an adhesive applicator for applying adhesive evenly over the back of a tile comprising a base, a recessed frame in which a tile can be located and a spreader which is advanced along the base so as to evenly spread adhesive onto the tile. Whilst this device would result in an even spread of adhesive material onto the tile, excess adhesive would ultimately fall from the device onto other surfaces and indeed handling the tile with the adhesive disposed thereon would also cause problems for the tiler as the tile would be difficult to handle and adhesive material would end up on the surface of the tile which would further require additional labour to clean the tile after placement onto a surface.

GB 2367864 discloses a fluid material applicator for applying tile adhesive ) - 3 - to a surface which comprises a threaded rod which extends through a threaded hole in a back plate of a container of material so that when the rod is turned, the adhesive material within the container is forced out through a number of nozzles. This device also has a number of problems associated with it, such as it is difficult to control the amount of material deposited on a surface as a user would have to hold it and move the applicator from the surface in addition to turning the rod at the same time which would not only prove tiresome but also difficult. Furthermore, the container would have to be filled manually with the adhesive material which would also be time consuming (being required at frequent intervals) in addition to being rather messy.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to alleviate one or more of the problems associated with prior art devices and to assist individuals in applying tile adhesive to surfaces. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an adhesive applicator which is capable of applying a number of beads of adhesive to a surface in a uniform manner. It would be advantageous to provide an adhesive applicator that could be adapted for use with existing adhesive containers so as to reduce the cost of an applicator. Additionally, it would also be advantageous if an adhesive applicator were provided that would allow a user to easily and effectively control the amount of adhesive placed on a given surface.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an adhesive applicator for simultaneously applying a plurality of beads of adhesive to a surface in a uniform manner, the applicator comprising a body member with a reservoir disposed therein, the reservoir being connected to an adhesive supply means, a - 4 substantially straight applicator tip extending from said body member, the tip having a substantially straight applicator edge with a number of recesses disposed along its length, the recesses being in communication with the reservoir and having at least one opening therein to permit the passage of adhesive contained within the reservoir to the surface.

Therefore, the present invention allows for an efficient means by which to apply adhesive to a surface without undue waste or spillage. The present invention also provides for an applicator for applying beads of adhesive in a uniform manner which therefore permits tiles to be placed on a surface which follow the contours of the surface. The present invention is particularly suited to applying adhesive to a substantially planar surface.

The reservoir may be joined to the openings by means of channels. The applicator may further comprise a connection means which is capable of connecting the applicator to the adhesive supply means. The connection means may comprise a threaded aperture capable of receiving a tube with a corresponding threaded exterior, however a number of additional connection means can also be envisaged such as a "lock fit" system or bayonet system and many others will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Preferably, the adhesive supply means comprises a cylinder of adhesive and such cylinders are commonly used for containing and supplying (by means of placing a threaded nozzle onto a threaded tube) coving adhesive, silicone sealants (such as bathroom and kitchen sealants) and multiple purpose fillers and adhesives. A cylinder may be located in a pressure gun which is commonly used in conjunction with the cylinder type container and such containers and guns will also be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The pressure gun may be powered manually, by means of a piston exerting pressure on the chamber in the cylinder which is moved by the depression or pumping of a trigger. Alternatively, the pressure gun can be powered by an electrical means which is capable of exerting pressure on the chamber in the cylinder. The electrical means may be an electric drill or screwdriver that is coupled to a screw thread which can exert pressure on the chamber in the same manner as the a piston.

The use of an electric drill or screwdriver will allow the adhesive to be applied to a surface at a rate determined by the user and will also reduce the effort that the user has to exert to apply the adhesive.

The body member may be formed from two or more parts which can releasably lock together so as to form a single unit. The use of multiple parts in order to form the complete body member will facilitate the cleaning of the device after use in addition to assist in identifying any problems with the device (such as solid material becoming lodged in one of the channels). Commonly, the body member will comprise two parts which are substantially similar to one an other so that when both are brought together, the body member forms a complete unit. However, it can also be envisaged that a portion of the body member such as an aperture covered by a panel may also permit access to the interior of the body member. Preferably, a seal is located between the two parts so that when the adhesive in the reservoir is pressurized by the adhesive supply means, no adhesive material is allowed to exit the ) applicator other than via the recesses. The two or more parts may be releasably

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locked together by means of a number of locking means such as screws, thumb- screws, hinges, clips or latches or indeed any device which may permit two parts to be releasably locked together.

The reservoir may contain one or more vanes disposed therein to direct the adhesive to the openings/channels. The vanes may be positioned within the reservoir so as to radiate from the adhesive supply means and it is believed that the provision of vanes in such a position so as to permit easier fluid flow through the reservoir and decrease pressure on the middle channels. The vanes may be connected to one of the two parts or alternatively one or more vanes may be connected to each part. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that, in place of vanes, the applicator could be constructed in such a way as to have a number of individual cavities radiating from the adhesive supply means whose diameter would gradually decrease prior to connecting to the channels or recesses.

The applicator tip may be releasably attached to the body member.

Furthermore, a number of applicator tips may be used in conjunction with the present invention and this will allow for recesses of different dimensions to releasably attached to the body member, thus different tips can be used for different applications and to produce beads of differing widths. The applicator tip may also be angled along its length so as to provide an angled surface along which the applicator can be dragged on a surface to which the adhesive is being applied so as to result in a predetermined amount of adhesive being applied to the surface. Indeed, the applicator tip may have a number of angles disposed along its length so as to permit beads of different heights to be applied to a surface. Alternatively, the applicator tip may be rounded along its length so that the height of the adhesive can be manually determined by the tiler. Preferably, the recesses are partially covered on one side of the angled length or rounded length so that the depth of adhesive material being applied to the substantially planar surface can be controlled as excess material would remain within the recess and the non-recessed part of the applicator tip would act to remove excess adhesive material from the surface (by scraping the surface). The length of the applicator tip may be undulating and the recesses may be disposed in the troughs of the undulations. The length of the applicator tip may alternatively be serrated (wherein the recesses would be disposed again in the troughs of the serrations) or indeed the recesses may be rectangular in shape.

The channels of the applicator may have a larger diameter towards the reservoir of the body member rather than the recess in order to permit the even application of the adhesive to a surface. The applicator may be produced from a number of materials but it will be commonly be produced from a plastics, a metal, a rubber or wooden material. New materials such as resin bonded board or plastics coated board may also be used to produce the device. The recesses may further be angled in order to permit the control of the height of adhesive which is being applied to a given surface.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for applying adhesive to a substantially planar surface comprising an adhesive applicator as herein described above and a cylinder of adhesive. The kit may further comprise a cylinder gun so that the adhesive can be expelled from the cylinder into the applicator and thus supplied to a surface.

The present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the following Figures; Figure I is a perspective view of an adhesive applicator in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a transparent perspective view of an adhesive applicator in accordance with the present invention; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of an adhesive applicator as shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of an adhesive applicator in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 5 is a diagram of an adhesive applicator in accordance with the present invention fitted to a cylinder of adhesive which is held within an application gun.

With reference to Figure 1, there is provided an adhesive applicator made from a plastics material having a body portion 10 which houses a reservoir (not shown) and an applicator tip 12 which has a number of recesses 14 disposed along its length. The applicator is formed in two halves, the upper half 16 having similar dimensions to that of the lower half 18 and when both parts are brought together an aperture 20 is formed which has a threaded interior through which adhesive material can be supplied to the applicator. The threaded interior of the aperture 20 can receive - 9 - a tube (not shown) which has a corresponding threaded exterior.

With reference to Figure 2, there is provided an adhesive applicator which is similar to that which is shown in Figure 1 however its construction is different in that it is not formed from two halves (16 and 18) but has a top panel 22 which can be received by the body of the applicator. A threaded aperture 26 is also provided so that the applicator can receive adhesive material and a reservoir 28 is formed within the body 24 and has two vanes 30 disposed therein. the applicator tip 32 also has a number of recesses 34 which permit the adhesive material contained within the reservoir 28 to exit the applicator via means of channels 36 whose diameter is larger towards the reservoir 28 rather than the recesses 34.

With reference to Figure 3, there is provided an adhesive applicator which consists of an upper part 38 and a lower part 40 which have been brought together so as to form a reservoir 42 which is supplied with adhesive that enters the body through the threaded aperture 44. The channel 46 which joins the reservoir 42 to the recess 48 has a first channel 50 which has a larger diameter to the second channel 52 which terminates in the recess 48. The recess 48 is angled relative to the surface of the applicator tip 54 and this permits a height of adhesive which is supplied to a surface to be controlled by adjusting the angle of the applicator relative to a surface.

With reference to Figure 4, there is provided an adhesive applicator which has a body 56 with a threaded aperture 58 through which adhesive material is supplied to the reservoir 60 which can be accessed by removal of panel 62 which is secured to the body 56 by a locking mechanism such as thumb screws or a latch. A seal 64 - 10 is disposed around the panel 62 so that no adhesive material can escape around the join between the panel 62 and the body 56. The applicator tip 66 is angled to a point 68 which touches a surface 70 but permits the recess 72 to place adhesive material onto the surface. The adhesive material can enter the recess 72 by means of a channel 74 which has a larger diameter towards the reservoir 60 than the recess 72.

With reference to Figure 5, there is provided an adhesive applicator 100 attached to a cylinder of adhesive material 102 by means of a threaded tube 104. The cylinder 102 is held within a cylinder gun 106 which applies pressure to the adhesive held within the cylinder 102 by means of a trigger 108 which applies pressure to a rod 110 that exerts a pressure within the cylinder 102. The applicator has an applicator tip 112 which permits adhesive material to flow from recesses 114 onto a surface 116.

In use, the adhesive applicator will be composed of at least two parts so that entry to the interior of the chamber is permitted in order that it may be cleaned after each use. However, the applicator may then also be made of a one piece construction should only one use be required. Alternatively, a substantially air-tight cap may be placed on the applicator tip 12 in order to prevent the adhesive from drying out and to permit subsequent use of the applicator at a later date from the initial use. The aperture 22, 26, 44, 58, will receive the end tube 104 from an adhesive cartridge 102 and the applicator can be connected by simply screwing it onto the cylinder. A number of other means may be employed to attach the cylinder 102 to the applicator such as a clip-on fit or a bayonet type fitting for example. When the trigger 108 of the cylinder gun 106 is pressed, the rod 110 applies pressure to the adhesive located within the cylinder 102 and the fluid adhesive therefore enters the reservoir 28, 42, where it is directed by one or more vanes 30 to the channels 367 50, 74. The position of the vanes 30 reduces the overall pressure within the reservoir 30, 42, 60 and helps to direct the fluid material in an even manner to all of the channels 36, 46, 74. The pressure applied by the cylinder gun 106 therefore results in the adhesive material entering the channel 36, 46, 74 which has a larger diameter towards the reservoir 30, 42, 60. The adhesive then flows to the recesses 14, 34, 48 72, 114 which permits the deposit of the adhesive onto a surface 70, 116. The angle at which the applicator touches the surface 70, 116 can be adjusted in an arc 75 which can be used to adjust the height of the bead of adhesive being applied to the surface. As the recesses 14, 34, 48, 72 and 114 permit adhesive to be applied to the surface 70, 116, the remaining part of the applicator tip 12, 32, 54, 66, 112 will touch the surface 70, 116 and therefore allow for uniform beads of adhesive to be applied to the surface.

Should the adhesive be used for fixing tiles to a surface, the tiles can therefore be placed onto the adhesive in the minimal amount of time and with minimal amount of wastage.

As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the applicator could be modified in a number of ways, for example the channel 36, 46, 74 can gradually reduce its diameter rather than having two channels of discrete diameters. Indeed, in place of the vanes 30, the reservoir 30,42,60 can include a number of different cavities which would perform a similar function. A seal can also be used at the interface between two parts of the applicator (should two parts be used in its manufacture) so as to prevent adhesive material from being expelled around the joints. The cylinder of adhesive 102 and the cylinder gun 106 will be known in the field of DIY as a common device for containing and applying certain materials such as a silicone sealants and the like. Therefore, the applicator can be adapted to be used with such standard equipment which will also greatly reduce costs and increase its application.

Claims

J / art' -: - 13 CLAIMS

1. An adhesive applicator for simultaneously applying a plurality of beads of adhesive to a surface in a uniform manner, the applicator comprising a body member with a reservoir disposed therein, the reservoir being connected to an adhesive supply means, a substantially straight applicator tip extending from said body member, the tip having a substantially straight applicator edge with a number of recesses disposed along its length, the recesses being in communication with the reservoir and having at least one opening therein to permit the passage of adhesive contained within the reservoir to the surface.

2. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reservoir is joined to the openings by means of channels.

3. An adhesive applicator as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, wherein the applicator further comprises a connection means capable of connecting the applicator to the adhesive supply means.

4. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connection means comprises a threaded aperture capable of receiving a tube with a threaded exterior.

5. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adhesive supply means comprises a cylinder of adhesive.

6. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cylinder is located in a cylinder pressure gun.

7. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the 14 body member is formed from two parts which can releasably lock together.

8. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 7, wherein a seal is located between the two parts.

9. An adhesive applicator as claimed in either claim 7 or 8, wherein the two parts are releasably locked together by means of one or more of the following: screws, thumb screws, hinges, latches or clips.

10. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the reservoir has one or more vanes disposed therein to direct the adhesive to the openings.

l I. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vanes radiate from the adhesive supply means.

12. An adhesive applicator as claimed in either claim 10 or 1 1, wherein the vanes are connected to one of the two parts.

13. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the applicator tip is releasably attached to the body member.

14. An adhesive applicator as claimed in claim 13, wherein applicator tips with recesses of different dimensions can be releasably attached to the body member.

15. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the applicator tip is angled along its length.

16. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the applicator tip is rounded along its length.

17. An adhesive applicator as claimed in either claim 15 or 16, wherein the - 15 recesses are partially covered on one side of the angled or rounded length so that the depth of adhesive being applied to the surface can be controlled.

18. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any of claims 2 to 17, wherein the channel has a larger diameter towards the reservoir.

19. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the applicator is produced from a plastics, a metal, rubber or wooden material.

20. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the recesses are angled.

21. An adhesive applicator as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the reservoir is split into two or more cavities.

22. A kit of parts for applying adhesive to a surface comprising an adhesive applicator according to any preceding claim and a cylinder of adhesive.

23. A kit of parts as claimed in claim 22, wherein the kit further comprises a cylinder gun.

24. An adhesive applicator and a kit of parts for applying adhesive to a surface as herein described as reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying Figures.