Apparatus for gluing an object to a surface by means of two or more component glue

A device for attaching an object to a substrate by means of glue includes at least one part (21) provided with a breakable sealed cavity, each containing one of the glue components, and one or more cavities (22) in the device (20), which are filled with the remaining glue components, where the parts (20, 21) are movable relative to each other like a piston pump, which makes the glue components flow towards a gluing surface (24, 42) through a system of channels (29, 30) and optionally through mixing chambers (31) and where the breakable seal (26) is broken by this movement. In order not to obstruct an equal flow of glue components, the device according to the invention comprises a cam (27) and a seal storing chamber (35) to store the seal away from the flow after it is broken.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a US National Stage of International Application No. PCT/NL2005/000727, filed 7 Oct. 2005, which claims the benefit of NL 1027196, filed 7 Oct. 2004.

The invention relates to a device for attaching an object to a substrate by means of glue.

The device hereto includes at least one part provided with a glue containing cavity, which part together with a cavity in the device comprises a push or screw activated pump which drives out the glue through a system of one or more channels to a gluing surface on an object or the device.

Such a device is known from the patent with number GB442832. The device according to this patent can be equipped with a breakable glue filled capsule, which breaks when the device is screwed or pushed, releasing the glue through a system of channels towards a gluing surface.

A known drawback of such breakable capsules is that they remain inside the cavities during the expulsion of the glue, in such a way that they can prevent even flowing of the glue, causing unequal flow through the system of channels, which in turn causes an unequal spread of glue on the gluing surface and therewith insufficient bonding, with an increased risk for incomplete expulsion of the glue. With the use of multiple capsules containing different glue components of a two- or more component glue, the presence of broken capsules can lead to not only unequal and insufficient spreading, but also to wrong proportions and insufficient mixing of the components, which prevents optimal hardening of the glue, which causes unreliable bonding.

The invention intends to let the glue components flow in such a way, that the flow of the glue components towards the gluing surface is complete, in the right dosage, evenly spread and fully mixed.

The device according to the invention hereto contains multiple cavities that can contain the glue components of a two- or more component glue system, which cavities are made in different, with respect to each other movable, parts of the device, which parts are shaped in such a way, that the cavity volumes are reduced along with the movement, which builds up pressure inside the glue components, which pressure drives out the glue components to eventually flow to the gluing surface.

To adequately separate the glue components from each other to avoid premature curing of the components, the cavities can be shielded with a breakable seal. This seal can, according to the invention, be placed in such a way that by placing a sealed part, another part of the device is also sealed.

In order not to obstruct the flow of the glue components, the invention includes a guide which stores the seal of a glue filled cavity away from the flow pattern when the seal is broken. Next to this, the invention offers the possibility to apply very fast curing glue systems, because the flow channels merge in a mixing chamber which is located very close to the gluing surface, which will only allow the glue components to start curing right at the moment they flow to the gluing surface. The presence of such a mixing chamber is specifically useful for those fast curing multi-component glue systems that need thorough mixing.

Specific embodiments of the invention are recorded in the claims.

The device inFIGS. 1-3comprise the object for gluing, in this case a fastener20, and a part21filled with one of the glue components. Next to this,22indicates the glue component present inside the fastener20, hereafter referred to as component A, and23the glue component present inside part21, hereafter referred to as component B.24indicates the gluing surface of the fastener20, and25a removable seal placed on the gluing surface24. Further,26indicates a breakable seal,27a cam which is molded on the glue filled part21, and a circumferential planar face28of the glue filled part21. This breakable seal26is welded or glued firmly to the glue filled part21at the cam27and the circumferential face28, creating a durable and hermetic barrier of component B. Further,29indicates one of the channels of component A, and30one of the channels of component B, where it is evident that both systems of channels are paired in such a way that channels29and30are always located close to each other.

31indicates one of the mixing chambers having one of the channels of both component A and B merging into it, and32one of the openings to gluing surface24. In an alternative embodiment, the mixing chambers31and the openings32can be left out, for instance in case a multi-component glue system is used that is not depending on complete mixing, as is the case with catalytic reacting glues. In this alternative embodiment the channels29and30merge directly to the gluing surface24. Next to this,33indicates a system of outer threads attached to part21, and34a corresponding system of inner threads attached to the fastener20. The figure shows that both threads33and34are turned in about one lead.35indicates a seal storing chamber, and36a drive system for turning equipment.

FIG. 2shows the fastener20fromFIG. 1, showing some of the channels of component A29and the complete system of channels of component B30. Further, the system of inner threads34as well as the seal storage chamber35can be seen. Next to this, a system of sharp notches is visible, which are positioned opposite to the breakable seal26in the initial position, at the edge of the circumferal face28.

FIG. 3again shows the fastener20fromFIG. 1, now in a view at the gluing surface24. Here, the system of openings32can be seen.

To glue the fastener20to a substrate, one removes the seal25, and holds the device against a substrate. By turning the glue component filled part21clockwise relative to the fastener20, for instance by using a turning tool in drive36, the thread systems33and34force the glue filled part21towards the gluing surface24, causing the breakable seal26to break at the edge of the circumferal plane28. In order to assist in breaking the seal easily and without the use excessive force, the system of sharp notches37cuts the seal at multiple places. Because the the breakable seal26is fixed to the cam27, it will be moved into the seal storage chamber35in such a way, that it is kept away from the channels for component B30, making it impossible for the seal to obstruct the flow of component B. By turning part21containing glue component B clockwise, pressure is build up inside both components A and B of the glue system, because the parts20and21slide into each other in a way similar to a double action piston pump. The glue components A and B are released through their respective systems of channels29and30, causing these glue components to mix together in the system of mixing chambers31, to further arrive at the gluing surface24as activated glue compound. During the clockwise rotation of part21, the device can be placed against against the substrate, which causes the glue compound to spread between the gluing surface and the substrate, so that an adequate adhesive joint can be accomplished.

FIG. 4shows another embodiment in its initial position, where the device according to the invention is placed in an adhesive bonded object of use20, in this case a towel hook. The movably positioned part21which contains a glue component here has the shape of a push-button, which drives out the glue components with a translating in stead of a screwing motion, and includes a removable safety pin38. Note that in this example part21is not round, like part21in the embodiment described inFIGS. 1-3, but elliptical. The internal layout of the device is similar to the variant described inFIGS. 1-3, with omission of threads33and34, and the drive for a turning tool36. The device according to this embodiment is activated by placing the adhesive bonded object, after removing the safety pin38, at the right spot on the substrate, and by pushing in the push-button shaped glue component containing movably positioned part21. Such an embodiment can achieve quicker driving out of the glue, because the movement of the pistons is quicker than the screwing version described inFIGS. 1-3. Further, a translating movement is not bound to circular and concentrically placed shapes, making it possible to arrange the systems of channels, mixing chambers and openings in a different pattern to better suit the shape and load of the adhesive bonded object by a dedicated distribution of the glue over the gluing surface. A further alternative embodiment is constructed in such a way that the safety pin is cut off by applying the initial pressure on part21, by pushing it against an edge of the device. Finally,FIG. 5shows a cross section of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in its initial position, and where part21, in a similar fashion as shown inFIG. 4, is implemented as push-button, and where safety pin38is shaped like a circumferal sealing flange. Such a sealing flange can hermetically shut off glue component A if the device is in its initial position.

In the embodiment ofFIG. 5, the complete device is placed inside a cavity40provided with an inner thread39of the adhesive bonded object, which cavity together with the device constitute a system of mixing chambers31, where the channels29and30merge in a system of openings in the gluing surface indicated with42of the adhesive bonded object. The embodiment shown in this figure can, similarly to the embodiment ofFIG. 4, be activated by pushing in part21completely, causing the glue components to arrive thoroughly mixed at the gluing surface. The inserted parts of the device20and21can be removed from the cavity40after the glue has flowed out, so that an object provided with an outer thread matching inner thread39can be screwed in. An alternative embodiment of the invention has no inner thread, where the inserted part20and21can be left in the cavity40or taken out of it. Another alternative embodiment of the invention has no collar on the adhesive bonded object which creates cavity40, but is flat at the location of the device according to the invention.

One can imagine that a larger object is equipped with multiple sets of collaborating parts20and21, where for the adequate operation required, precision of the inserting parts is condensed in relatively small parts, which can be mass-manufactured, filled with glue components and sealed precisely and economically.

The invention consequently provides a device for quick and secure adhesive bonding of objects with multi-component glue.