Patent ID: 6105824
Filing Date: 2000-08-22
Classification: B05C,H01H

Abstract:
A glue gun for selectively applying molten adhesive, said gun comprising:a housing having a manually engageable handle portion;a manually operable actuator movable between an actuated position and a non-actuated position;a nozzle configured to allow molten adhesive to flow therethrough;an interior surface defining an adhesive receiving chamber fluidly communicated with said nozzle, said chamber having an opening at one end thereof for allowing a supply of solidified adhesive to be inserted into said chamber;a heating element associated with said chamber, said heating element being positioned so as to be disposed adjacent to a lead end portion of the solidified adhesive supply when the adhesive supply is inserted into said chamber;said heating element being operable to apply heat to the lead end portion of the solidified adhesive supply sufficient to melt the lead end portion when an electric signal is supplied to said heating element;said chamber being constructed and arranged such that pressure can be applied to the solidified adhesive supply so as to force the molten adhesive from the lead end portion thereof outwardly through said nozzle; anda heating element controller having a signal source input adapted to be connected to an electric signal source in power supplying relation;said controller being operable to connect said heating element to the signal source input so as to allow an electric signal from the signal source to flow through the heating element in response to said actuator being moved to said actuated position thereof, thereby causing the heating element to generate and apply heat to the lead end portion of the solidified adhesive supply;said controller being operable to allow the electric signal to flow from the signal source through said heating element for a predetermined time period after said actuator has been moved to said non-actuated position and to thereafter prevent the electric signal from flowing through said heating element at the end of the predetermined time period, thereby causing said heating element to continue applying heat to the lead end portion of the solidified adhesive supply for the predetermined time period and then subsequently allowing said heating element to cool.