Sealant injection systems

Abstract

Sealant injection systems for injecting sealant into a cavity, the sealant injection systems including a sealant dispensing tip having a proximal end portion, a body portion, and a distal end portion that define a continuous channel to an aperture in the distal end portion for dispensing sealant material into a cavity, where the aperture is surrounded by a compressible material. The distal end portion may have a linear ridge defined on an end face, the aperture being asymmetrically provided relative to the ridge.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of injecting sealant into a cavity using a nozzle tip, comprising
 compressing a compressible element provided on a distal end face of a nozzle tip against a structure defining an opening to the cavity, wherein the distal end face of the nozzle tip defines an aperture for dispensing sealant, the aperture being smaller than the opening to the cavity; and   channeling sealant through the nozzle tip into the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the channeling step includes directing the sealant into the cavity opening, where the structure defining the cavity opening is a first wall oriented orthogonally to an adjacent wall. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the compressing step includes compressing the compressible element provided on the distal end face of the nozzle against a corner structure defined by the first wall and the adjacent wall. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compressible element has first and second planar portions oriented orthogonally to one another, and the compressing step includes applying substantially equivalent force on each planar portion of the compressible element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the distal end face has a linear ridge formed where the first and second planar portions intersect, and the ridge crosses the aperture asymmetrically, and the compressing step includes compressing one of the first and second planar portions against the structure defining the opening to the cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the aperture is isolated on one side of the ridge, and the compressing step includes aligning the aperture with the opening of the cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compressible element has first and second planar portions oriented orthogonally to each other, and the compressing step resulting in approximately the same degree of compression for the first and second planar portions of the compressible element. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the channeling step includes directing the sealant into the cavity opening without directing sealant into the adjacent wall. 
     
     
         9 . An automated method of injecting sealant into a cavity via an opening defined by a structure; comprising:
 configuring a processor to control a robot having an end effector that is configured to move a sealant dispenser and to control a flow of sealant from the sealant dispenser to a desired location, wherein the sealant dispenser includes a nozzle tip having a compressible element provided on a distal end face of the nozzle tip, the distal end face of the nozzle tip defining an aperture for dispensing the sealant, where the aperture is smaller than an opening of the cavity;   by controlling the articulated robot, compressing a compressible element provided on the distal end face of the nozzle tip against the structure while the aperture is substantially aligned with the opening to the cavity; and   by controlling the articulated robot, channeling sealant through the nozzle tip into the cavity.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the compressing step includes controlling the articulated robot to position the nozzle tip against the surface, and to apply a force on the surface at the nozzle tip of at least approximately 5 psi (30 kPa). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the compressing step includes controlling the articulated robot to position the nozzle tip against the surface, and to apply a force with the nozzle tip against the surface sufficient to compress the compressible element by at least 25% of its uncompressed thickness. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the structure defining the cavity opening includes a first wall oriented orthogonally to an adjacent wall, and the compressing step includes compressing the compressible element provided on the distal end face of the nozzle tip against a corner structure defined by the first wall and the adjacent wall. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the compressible element has first and second planar portions oriented orthogonally to one another, and the compressing step includes applying substantially equivalent force on each planar portion of the compressible element. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the compressible element has first and second planar portions oriented orthogonally to each other, and the compressing step includes applying approximately the same degree of compression for the first and second planar portions of the compressible element 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 by controlling the articulated robot, repositioning the end effector to a second cavity having a second opening defined by a second structure;   by controlling the articulated robot, compressing the compressible element of the nozzle tip against the second structure while the aperture is substantially aligned with the second opening to the second cavity; and   by controlling the articulated robot, channeling sealant through the nozzle tip into the second cavity.   
     
     
         16 . A method of injecting sealant into a cavity, comprising:
 compressing a compressible element provided on a distal end face of a nozzle tip against a structure adjacent an opening to the cavity, and   channeling sealant through the nozzle tip into the cavity, wherein the compressing step is carried out prior to the channeling step.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the compressible element has first and second planar portions forming an angle with one another of between eighty to one hundred degrees, and the compressing step includes applying substantially equivalent force on each planar portion of the compressible element. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the geometry of the first and second planar portions is configured to accommodate the geometry of a wall surrounding the cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle tip has an aperture smaller than the opening to the cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the aperture and the opening has a width and a height, each of the width and the height of the aperture being less than the corresponding width and height of the opening.