Patent Publication Number: US-11383265-B2

Title: Device for applying adhesive and/or sealant

Description:
The present invention relates to a device for applying adhesive and/or sealant, comprising a housing for receiving a container containing the adhesive and/or sealant. A device of this kind is known, for example, from DE 39 37 299 A1. 
     An object of the present invention is that of providing a device for applying adhesive and/or sealant, which device comprises a housing for receiving a container containing the adhesive and/or sealant and is particularly easy to handle. In particular, the adhesive and/or sealant is intended to be dispensed particularly precisely and without much effort. 
     This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Further embodiments are found in the dependent claims. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a device for applying adhesive and/or sealant, which device comprises a housing for receiving a container containing the adhesive and/or sealant, is provided, the housing comprising a receiving space for receiving the container and a closable application tip which is connected to the receiving space and through which the adhesive and/or sealant can be discharged. The housing also comprises a stable casing for the receiving space, and at least one region of the housing which is designed as a deformable pressure region and which allows pressure to be exerted from the outside onto the container that can be arranged in the receiving space. 
     In this case, a container is understood to be a body which is filled with adhesive and/or sealant and can be inserted into the device. The device can be refilled by replacing the container. In this case, the container may be designed in particular as a cartridge or a tube, and may be made of a plastics material or a metal material, for example aluminum. 
     A stable casing is understood to be a casing which is not inherently deformable when the device is being used as intended. In particular, the stable casing is made of a material that will not deform during normal manipulation by a user but is instead made of a stiff material. 
     According to the invention, an optionally replaceable container is thus received in the housing, specifically in such a way that adhesive and/or sealant can be discharged from the container through the application tip of the device. 
     The discharge of the adhesive and/or sealant is caused by pressure on the container. For this purpose, a pressure region is provided in the otherwise stable, i.e. non-deformable, casing of the receiving space, which pressure region is deformable when manipulated by a user. The material in the pressure region can thus be deformed by a user exerting finger pressure onto the pressure region, and the pressure is transmitted to the container arranged therebelow in the receiving space. 
     The advantage of the device is that the container is securely received in the housing that is made, to the greatest possible extent, of a stable material, and yet it is possible to dispense adhesive and/or sealant particularly simply and precisely owing to the deformable pressure region. The device thus facilitates the application of adhesive and/or sealant. It also makes it possible to use a replaceable adhesive container and thus reduce waste. 
     According to one embodiment, the pressure region comprises a deformable, in particular elastic or elastomeric material, for example, rubber. The pressure region can, for example, be completely made of a deformable material. As a result, the pressure region itself gains a level of deformability during user manipulation which allows pressure to be exerted onto the container through the material of the pressure region. 
     Alternatively or additionally, the deformability of the pressure region can also be achieved by the pressure region comprising at least one movable region, which is separated from the remainder of the housing that surrounds it by a zone having increased deformability. In this case, the zone having increased deformability may be easily deformable such that pressure exerted onto the pressure region is transmitted to the container almost without loss. 
     A zone of increased deformability is understood to be a region that can be particularly easily deformed by user manipulation, in particular more easily deformed than regions adjacent thereto. 
     The zone having increased deformability can, for example, be formed by a region having lower material strength or by a material that can be more easily deformed, an easily deformable material being understood to be a material which requires lower forces to deform than are required for the remainder of the material of the pressure region. In one advantageous embodiment, when using an easily deformable material, the region having the easily deformable material is molded onto the adjacent region that is harder to deform. When using plastics materials for the two regions, this can be accomplished in particular by means of a bi-injection molding process. 
     A region having lower material strength means a region having a material strength that is lower than the material strength in regions that are directly adjacent to the region having lower material strength. 
     Alternatively or additionally, the zone having increased deformability can also be formed by the material of the pressure region in said zone being depressed, such that it is inverted when the movable region is pushed in and allows the movable region to move against the remainder of the housing that surrounds the movable region. 
     In this case, a depression of the material is understood to be an arrangement of the material in a small space, from which arrangement the material can be expanded to a greater dimension when the movable region is pressed in, without the material having to be deformed. An example of an arrangement of this kind is a bellows, in which it is also possible to provide just one single fold. 
     The advantage of embodiments of this kind of the zone having increased deformability is that they are suitable, individually or in combination with one another, for ensuring that the movable region has good mobility and thus for ensuring good transmission of force to the container. 
     According to one embodiment, the at least one pressure region comprises an upper face and a lower face, the upper face being exposed on the surface of the housing and the lower face facing a stable movable structure, which defines the receiving space below the at least one pressure region. 
     In this case, a stable movable structure is understood to be a structure which is inherently stable, i.e. not deformable, but which is mounted such that the entire structure can be moved. In particular, this can in this case be an elongated structure, one end of which is fastened to the stable casing or is integrally formed therewith, while the structure is otherwise free and therefore springs back under pressure on the free end thereof. 
     The advantage of the stable movable structure is that it allows force to be transmitted from the pressure region to the container particularly efficiently and uniformly. It also stabilizes the housing of the device. The embodiment of the stable moveable structure also allows the location of the force transmission to the container to be determined. It may therefore be possible, for example, for the adhesive and/or sealant to be pressed out from the closed end of the container, no matter at which location a user exerts the pressure onto the pressure region. 
     For this purpose, the stable movable structure can be arranged below the movable region and thus between the movable region and the container arranged in the receiving space. The movable structure can be in contact with both the container and the movable region. 
     According to one embodiment, the device comprises two pressure regions, which are formed on sides of the housing that are opposite to one another. 
     The advantage of this is that the orientation of the device does not matter when handling said device. Since the pressure regions are formed on two sides of the housing that are opposite to one another, the device can also be held such that it is rotated by 180 degrees. It is also possible to exert pressure onto the two pressure regions simultaneously, e.g. by having the thumb on one side and the forefinger on the opposite side. 
     According to one embodiment, the stable casing is made of a rigid material that will not deform when the device is held and used by a user. Rigid materials such as a hard plastic are particularly well suited to producing non-deformable portions of the housing, for example, by an injection molding process. Useful rigid materials include metal, acrylic polymer (PMMA), polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (Nylon), polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyetherimide (PEI), polyoxymethylene (POM), and combinations thereof, 
     The deformable material may comprise a number of openings. These improve the feel of the surface in the pressure region by making it more difficult for the finger to slide off while handling the device. In addition, they visually emphasize the pressure region, which likewise contributes to better handling behavior, because the regions in which pressure is to be exerted in order to press out adhesive and/or sealant are more easily recognizable. For this purpose, the openings can be arranged in particular in the movable region of the pressure region. 
     According to one embodiment, the device comprises an extended grip region, which is formed by the housing extending in the longitudinal direction of the device over the receiving space for receiving the container. 
     This has the following advantage: To prevent adhesive and/or sealant from drying up during long periods of non-use, the container should not be too large. The volume of adhesive and/or sealant located therein should instead typically be used within a period of time within which the adhesive and/or sealant is unlikely to experience a loss of quality. The container may therefore advantageously be relatively short. However, for good handling behavior of the device, the length of the housing should not fall below a certain length, in order to ensure that the device can be held well and securely in the hand. For this purpose, the extended grip region is provided, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the device over the receiving space and thus is arranged on the end of the device which faces away from the application tip. 
     In this case, the extended grip region can be made of the same material as the stable casing. It is therefore stable and can be integrally formed with the stable casing. 
     According to one embodiment, a second container is also received in the housing. This may, for example, comprise a second component of the use of a two-component adhesive and/or sealant, the first container described at the outset containing the first component. The second container may also be a pen, for example for releasing an activation agent for the adhesive and/or sealant contained in the first container described at the outset. Furthermore, other design variants are of course conceivable. In particular, the second container may be used as a marker pen in the pen-like design. In the pen-like design, the container may be arranged in particular in an extended grip region of the device. For this purpose, the device may comprise a further application tip on the end thereof that is opposite the application tip for adhesive and/or sealant, on which end a tip of the second container is exposed. 
     The advantage of this embodiment is that the device can be used particularly versatilely. In particular, the otherwise unused space within the extended grip region could be used for a further container for example for releasing an activation agent. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the invention are described in the following in greater detail with reference to schematic drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a device for applying adhesive according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view from above of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the rear end of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows a detail from  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows the detail according to  FIG. 6  when a force is being applied in order to press out adhesive; 
         FIG. 8  is a first longitudinal sectional view of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a second longitudinal sectional view of the device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a longitudinal sectional view through a device for applying adhesive and/or sealant according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the device according to  FIG. 10 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a view from above of the device according to  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     The device  1  for applying adhesive according to  FIG. 1  comprises a housing  2 , which is made of hard plastics material. In the shown embodiment, a cyanoacrylate adhesive is used as the adhesive, which is commonly also known as instant glue or superglue. In principle, the depicted device can of course also be used for releasing a different adhesive or a sealant. An application tip for the adhesive, which tip can be closed by a closure cap  3 , is arranged at one end of the housing  2 . 
     The housing  2  comprises a stable casing  4  for a receiving space for receiving an adhesive cartridge or container for the adhesive. The stable casing  4  of the device  1  is formed of two largely identical half-shells, namely the first half-shell  7  and the second half-shell  8 , which are interconnected to form the housing  2 , for example by means of a snap connection which can be released in order to refill with adhesive. 
     A deformable pressure region  5  is formed in each of the two half-shells  7 ,  8 . The pressure region  5  in this case comprises an outer region  10 , which is connected in an edge region  6  to the stable casing  4 . The pressure region  5  also comprises an inner region  9 , which is arranged within the outer region  10 . The inner region  9  is designed as a movable region. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the outer region  10  surrounds the inner region  9  on three sides. 
     Both the outer region  10  and the inner region  9  are made of a deformable material, in particular rubber. A number of openings  21  may optionally be formed in the inner region  9 , which openings penetrate through some or all of the thickness of the deformable material of the inner region  9 . 
     The inner region  9 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , can be pressed inwards into the housing  2 , the inner region already being pressed in regions into the housing in the shown embodiment. For this purpose, an inherently stable movable structure is provided under the material of the inner region  9  adjacent to the receiving space for the adhesive cartridge, onto which structure the deformable material of the inner region  9  is applied. 
     By exerting pressure onto the inner region  9 , the movable structure (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) is pressed into the housing  2 , and thus exerts pressure onto the adhesive cartridge  16  that is located in the receiving space. 
     The inner region  9  is separated from the outer region  10  by a zone  11  of increased deformability. The zone  11  of increased deformability makes it easier to press in the movable structure by means of the inner region  9 . This makes it possible to form a region that can be very easily moved, specifically the inner region  9  comprising the movable structure, in the per se closed housing  2 , in which region pressure can be exerted in order to apply adhesive. 
     The housing  2  also comprises an extended grip region  12 , which adjoins the side of the pressure region  5  that faces away from the application tip. A receiving space for an adhesive cartridge is not formed within the extended grip region  12 . 
       FIGS. 2, 3 and 4  are further views of the device  1 , it being particularly easy in  FIGS. 3 and 4  to see in particular the formation of the housing  2  from two half-shells  7 ,  8 , and the formation of a second, identical pressure region  5  on the opposite side to the first pressure region  5 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the device according to  FIGS. 1 to 4  in cross section, the section plane also extending through the receiving space. 
     In this drawing it can be seen that the first half-shell  7  and the second half-shell  8  form a receiving space  15  that is designed as a cavity, in which space the adhesive cartridge  16  is received. This can also be seen in the other sectional views in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . 
     The adhesive cartridge  16  is arranged in the receiving space  15  such that it is connected to an application tip  17  of the device  1 . The adhesive cartridge  16  can in particular be made of a deformable plastic material or metal. 
     In the region of the receiving space  15 , the first half-shell  7  and the second half-shell  8  are formed in part as the stable movable structure  14 . For this purpose, as can be seen particularly well in  FIG. 9 , the end of the half-shells that is remote from the application tip  17  is rigidly connected to the remainder of the housing  2  of the device  1 , while the half-shells comprise a free end  22  near the application tip  17 . The inherently stable movable structure  14  can therefore be pressed into the receiving space  15  by means of pressure adjacent the free end  22 . The pressure on the free end  22  is thereby transmitted to the adhesive cartridge  16 , and in so doing adhesive can be pressed out from said adhesive cartridge  16  into the application tip  17 . 
     In the shown embodiment, the stable movable structure  14  comprises a number of ribs  23 , which simultaneously make the structure  14  stable and movable. Additionally, these ribs are used to improve the connection between the structure  14  and the elastic material of the pressure region  5 . 
     To make it easier to press in the structure  14  in order to apply adhesive, the pressure region  5  made of elastic material is applied to the structure  14 , which region forms a portion of the surface of the device  1 . 
     In the detailed view of  FIG. 6 , it can be seen that the inner region  9  is separated from the outer region  10  of the pressure region  5  by a zone  11  of increased deformability. A u-shaped curved region  24  that has lower material strength is formed in the region of the zone  11 , which curved region connects the inner region  9  to the outer region  10 .  FIG. 6  shows the u-shaped curved region  24  in a neutral position. The u-shaped curved region, like a bellows that has a single fold, enables the inner region  9  to be moved when pressure is exerted almost without resistance. 
     To this end,  FIG. 7  shows the situation in which the inner region  9  has been moved by the exertion of pressure. The u-shaped curved region  24  in  FIG. 7  is displaced out of the neutral position and is extended and therefore inverted out of its folded or depressed position. 
     The u-shaped curved region  24 , in the neutral position, causes the pressure region  5  to offer little resistance against being pressed in. The applied force is thus almost completely transmitted to the adhesive cartridge  16 . Only a negligibly small proportion is expended on the deformation of the elastic material in the pressure region  5 . This makes it possible to handle the device  1  with little effort and particularly precisely. 
     In the longitudinal section shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , it can be seen that the adhesive cartridge  16  in the receiving space  15  is connected to a component of the device that contains the application tip  17  by means of a threaded region  25 . Here too, the application tip  17  is covered by the closure cap  3 . In addition, the stable movable structure  14  and the free ends  22  of the two half-shells  7 ,  8  are visible in each case. 
       FIGS. 10 to 12  are views of a device  1 ′ for applying adhesive according to a second embodiment. 
     This differs from the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 to 9  only in that a second container  18 , containing, for example, a marking pen or an activation agent for the adhesive, is arranged within the extended grip region  12 , for which container a second application tip  19  and a closure cap  20  are provided on the other end of the device  1 ′. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           1 ,  1 ′ Device 
           2  Housing 
           3  Closure cap 
           4  Stable casing 
           5  Pressure region 
           6  Edge region 
           7  First half-shell 
           8  Second half-shell 
           9  Inner region 
           10  Outer region 
           11  Zone of increased deformability 
           12  Extended grip region 
           14  Stable movable structure 
           15  Receiving space 
           16  Adhesive container or cartridge 
           17  Application tip 
           18  Second container 
           19  Second application tip 
           20  Closure cap 
           21  Opening 
           22  Free end 
           23  Rib 
           24  Curved region 
           25  Threaded region