Direct air motor driven pump to dispense valve

Abstract

A hot melt system includes a melt system, a feed system, and a dispensing system. Unlike traditional hot melt systems, the melt system is directly connected to a motor-driven pump of the dispensing system, without an intervening accumulation device.

1 . A hot melt system comprising:
 a melt system capable of heating hot melt pellets into a liquid;   a feed system for transporting hot melt pellets to the melt system; and   a dispensing system for administering liquefied hot melt pellets from the melt system, the dispensing system including:
 a motor; 
 a pump driven by the motor; and 
 a dispenser directly connected to the pump. 
   
     
     
         2 . The hot melt system of  claim 1 , further comprising a container for storing unmelted hot melt pellets, and from which the feed system receives hot melt pellets. 
     
     
         3 . The hot melt system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump has a changeover time of less than 250 milliseconds. 
     
     
         4 . The hot melt system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is an air motor. 
     
     
         5 . The hot melt system of  claim 3 , wherein the motor is a double acting piston pump. 
     
     
         6 . The hot melt system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a manifold and a dispensing module, the dispensing module having an outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The hot melt system of  claim 6 , wherein the pump has an outlet and the dispenser manifold has an inlet, and the outlet of the pump is directly connected to the inlet of the dispenser manifold. 
     
     
         8 . The hot melt system of  claim 6 , wherein the manifold has an outlet and the dispensing module has an inlet, and the outlet of the manifold is directly connected to the inlet of the dispensing module. 
     
     
         9 . The hot melt system of  claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of outlets from the dispenser manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The hot melt system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is coupled to the pump via a coupling that defines a fixed flow path volume. 
     
     
         11 . A hot melt adhesive dispensing system, comprising:
 a motor;   a pump having a changeover time of less than 250 milliseconds of operating time, wherein the pump is driven by the motor, for pumping a liquid hot melt adhesive; and   a dispenser, directly connected to the pump, for dispensing the liquid hot melt adhesive.   
     
     
         12 . The dispensing system of  claim 11 , wherein the motor is an air motor. 
     
     
         13 . The dispensing system of  claim 11 , wherein there is no accumulation device between the pump and the dispense valve. 
     
     
         14 . The dispensing system of  claim 11 , wherein the pump is a double-acting piston pump. 
     
     
         15 . A method of dispensing hot melt adhesive, the method comprising:
 melting pellets of adhesive in a melt system to form a liquid adhesive;   pumping the liquid adhesive to a dispenser manifold that is directly connected to a pump outlet; and   dispensing the liquid adhesive from the dispenser manifold through a module.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising supplying the pellets of unmelted adhesive from a container to the melt system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein pumping the liquid adhesive to the dispenser manifold includes using a pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pump is a double-acting piston pump. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein dispensing the liquid adhesive further includes selectively dispensing liquid adhesive from any of a plurality of valves connected to the dispenser manifold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising passing the liquid adhesive from the pump outlet to the manifold through a fixed-volume flow path.