Patent ID: 8181468

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing a viscous fluid in a noncontact manner, comprising: a supply of viscous material; a coolant fluid source capable of supplying a coolant fluid; a nozzle assembly including a discharge passageway, a heat transfer member, a temperature sensor thermally coupled with said heat transfer member, a first fluid passageway in said heat transfer member and coupled in fluid communication with said coolant fluid source to direct a flow of the coolant fluid to said first fluid passageway, a plenum connected in fluid communication with said first fluid passageway for receiving the flow of the coolant fluid, and a second fluid passageway in said heat transfer member and coupled in fluid communication with said plenum for exhausting the flow of the coolant fluid from said plenum, the plenum extending at least partially around said nozzle assembly; a fluid chamber housing, said fluid chamber housing including a fluid chamber, said fluid chamber being in fluid communication with said discharge passageway and said supply of viscous material; a main body containing a part of a valve element, a part of said valve element extending through said fluid chamber, said valve element having an opened position in which the viscous material is allowed to flow from said fluid chamber into said discharge passageway and a closed position in which the viscous material is blocked from flowing from said fluid chamber into said discharge passageway; and a controller electrically coupled with said temperature sensor and with said coolant fluid source, said controller causing said coolant fluid source to supply the coolant fluid to said heat transfer member and thereby cool at least a part of said nozzle assembly in response to temperature signals received from said temperature sensor.