Adhesive Container/Feeder

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an adhesive container/ feeder for containing a liquid adhesive, particularly cyanoacrylate liquid adhesive, and feeding such adhesive to a portion of an object that is to be bonded.

2. Description of the Prior Art

When a usual adhesive container with a contain cap is out of use, it is accommodated in a separate case on which an case cap is then fitted and is stored in this state. In use, the adhesive container is taken out from the case by removing the case cap, then the container cap is removed, and then a required amount of adhesive is discharged from an outlet of the container by squeezing the container. This procedure of use is rather cumbersome. In addition, when taking out or accommodating the container from or in the case or when removing or fitting again the container cap or when squeezing the container, the hands and fingers touch the container and container cap, so that it is liable that adhesive leaking out from the outlet attaches inself and contaminates the hands and fingers. Once the adhesive is attached to the hands or fingers, it is difficult to remove and sometimes causes dermatitis.

Further, with a prior art pen type liquid adhesive container, the adhesive container will not come out unless the container is urged against a portion of an object to be bonded. Therefore, an excess of liquid adhesive is liable to be discharged and to be attached to various other parts than the area to be bonded, thus resulting in the troubles noted above.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an adhesive container/feeder, which can be simply handled for use and storage.

Another object of the invention is to provied a safe and clean adhesive container/feeder, which is free from the possibility of clinging to the hands and fingers with adhesive when it is used or when it is stored after use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adhesive container/feeder, which is capable of discharging adhesive with its adhesive container accommodated in its case.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pippet-type adhesive container/feeder, which can supply adhesive to a desired part without contact therewith.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide an adhesive container/feeder, with which liquid adhesive can be discharged from an outlet without touching the adhesive container but by merely pushing left and right push members restorably projecting from the outer periphery of the case toward each other.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide an adhesive container/feeder, which can permit excess adhesive discharged from the outlet to be withdrawn again into it at the outlet by releasing the left and righ push members

To attain the above objects of the invention, there is provided an adhesive container/feeder, comprising an elastic adhesive container containing a liquid adhesive, opposite side push members coupled to each other by connector means serving as spring means to bias the members away from each other, a case accommodating said container such that an outlet nozzle of said container projects from the upper end and having opposite side operation windows formed in the peripheral wall, said push members being coupled to each other and biased away from each other and being disposed for projection out of and retreating into said respective windows, a sealing cap removably fitted in the lower end of said case of holding the bottom of said liquid adhesive container and a top cap removably fitted on said case to cover said outlet nozzle of said liquid adhesive container and an upper end portion of said case.

FIGS. 1 to 4 are respectively a front view, a right side view, a plan view and a bottom view showing an embodiment of the liquid adhesive container/feeder according to the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively sectional views taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 1 and line 6--6 in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are respectively a front view, and a right side view showing the embodiment with a top cap removed;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9--9 in FIG. 8 showing a case used in the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a right side view showing a liquid adhesive container used in the embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are respectively a developed plan view and a front view showing a twin push member used in the embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 13 to 15 are respectively a front view, a plan view and a right side view showing a sealing cap used in the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 is an axial sectional view showing the top cap in the embodiment; and

FIGS. 17 to 21 are views for explaining the procedures of unsealing, use and storage of the adhesive container/feeder according to the invetion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

The adhesive container/feeder according to the invention, as labeled A in FIGS. 1 to 6, comprises a liquid adhesive container 11, a case 12, opposite side push members 13 and 14, a sealing cap 15 and a top cap 16.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 10, the liquid adhesive container 11, which is made of polyethylene or like soft elastic material and filled with a liquid adhesive, has a cylindrical body portion 11a, a shoulder 11b at the upper end of the body portion 11a, a neck 11c extending upwardly from the shoulder 11b and a tubular outlet nozzle 11d extending upwardly from the neck 11c. It has diametrically opposite recessed portions 11f and 11g adjacent to the shoulder 11b. Its lower end constitutes an inlet 11h, which is sealed with a screw cap 19 having a tapering inner plug 19a. The outlet nozzle 11d has a sealed free end 11e, which can be unsealed using a needle or a tip of a scissors.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the case 12, which is made of a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropyrene, has an elongate hollow cylindrical body portion 12a closed at the top and opened at the bottom. It has a shoulder 12b, an corner neck 12c extending upwardly from the shoulder 12b, and an angular tapered top 12e extending upwardly from the corner neck 12c and formed at the center with an outlet nozzle insertion hole 12d. The corner neck 12c has a pair of horizontal engagement recesses 12f and 12g formed in central portions of the opposite side outer surfaces. The open lower end 12b of the case 12 has a slight inward projection 12j formed around the edge. The body portion 12a has an upper portion formed with diametrically opposite circular operation windows 12k and 12m. Further, it has a pair of channel-shaped guard ridges 12n and 12i p formed above and below the window 12k such as to face each other and also another pair of channel-shaped guard ridges 12q and 12r formed above and below the window 12m such as to face each other. When the liquid adhesive container 11 is accommodated in the case 12, its outlet nozzle 11d projects outwardly from the outlet nozzle insertion hole 12d formed at the top of the angular tapered top 12i e.

It is possible to provide a continuous guard ridge instead of the pair of guard ridges 12n and 12p, and also instead of the pair of guard ridges 12q and 12r.

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 11 and 12, opposite side push members 13 and 14 are made of an elastic plastic material such as vinyl or nylon. Their edges 13a and 14a are connected to each other by a pair of parallel soft cord typed springs 17 and 18. The push members 13 and 14 and the parallel soft cord typed springs 17 and 18 constitute an integral twin push member. The twin push member is inserted with the central portions of the parallel soft cord typed springs 17 and 18 bent in the directions of the arrows in FIG. 12 into a U-shaped form into the case 12 from the lower open end 12h, and the push members 13 and 14 are engaged in the respective circular operation windows 12k and 12m for projection and retreat with respect to these windows. In this state, the push members 13 and 14 are biased away from each other while they are spaced apart by a sufficient distance l to permit insertion of the liquid adhesive container 11. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the container 11 is inserted in the case 12 so that its body portion 11 a is disposed between the parallel soft cord typed springs 17 and 18 and also between the edges 13a and 14a of the push members 13 and 14, the tendency of the push members 13 and 14 to project from the operation windows 12k and 12m is backed up.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 13 to 15, the sealing cap 15, which is made of the same material as the case 12, is in the form of a hollow cylinder closed at the top and opened at the bottom. It has a lower portion 15a having a large thickness a shoulder 15b at the upper end of the lower portion 15a and angular reduced-thickness portion 15c united to the shoulder 15b. The corner reduced-thickness portion 15c can be fitted in the case 12 from the lower end thereof, and it has an corner tapered upper half portion 15d. Also, its stem is formed over the entire circumference with a groove 15e, which can receive the inward projection 12j formed around the lower open end 12h of the case 12. The top 15f of the sealing cap 15 is formed with a pair of opposite side parallel and elongate holding ridges 15g and 15h having a right-triangular sectional profile for engaging with the opposite sides of the liquid adhesive container 15 adjacent to the bottom thereof when the sealing cap 15 is fitted in the case 12 from the lower end thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 8 and 16, the top cap 16, which is made of the same material as the case 12, has horizontal ridges 16a and 16b formed in central portions of the opposite side inner surfaces adjacent to the lower end. The ridges 16a and 16b can be fitted in the horizontal engagement receses 12f and 12g of the case 12. The top cap 16 also has a top 16c with a recess 16d formed in the top surface. Further, it has a number of anti-slip projections 16e and 16f formed on the opposite outer surfaces.

The liquid adhesive container/feeder A having the construction as described according to the invention is used by removing the top cap 16. To remove the top cap 16, the case 12 is held clamped with the thumb .beta.' and index finger .gamma.' of one hand, while the anti-slip projections 16e and 16f of the top cap 16 are held urged with the thumb .beta. and index finger .gamma. of the other hand 21, whereby the engagement of the ridges 16a and 16b of the top cap 16 in the recesses 12f and 12g of the case 12 is loosened. In this state, the top cap 16 is pulled upwardly, whereby the top cap 16 can be readily removed from the top of the case 12.

Then, if the container/feeder is used for the first time, the sealed free end 11e of the outlet nozzle 11d is unsealed. To this end, the outlet nozzle 11b is topped with the index finger .gamma. with the free end 11c directed up as shown in FIG. 17, and the tip Pa of a separately provided pin P is inserted into the free end 11e of the outlet nozzle 11d while taking care that the push members 13 and 14 will not be pushed as shown is FIGl. 18, thus forming a through hole in the unsealed free end 11e.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the case 12 is held with the hand, and with the free end 11e of the outlet nozzle 11d held at a part in the vicinity of a portion to be bonded, the push members 13 and 14 projecting from the circular operation windows 12k and 12m are pushed toward each other with the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the case 12. As a result, the push members 13 and 14 are retreated into the operation windows 12k and 12m against the elastic biasing force of the parallel cord springs 17 and 18 bent in the U-shaped form, thus pushing the opposite sides of the body portion 11a of the liquid adhesive container 11 that is located between the push members 13 and 14. The liquid adhesive contained in the container 11 thus is discharged through the outlet nozzle 11d and from the free end 11e to be supplied as a drop .epsilon. to the part to be bended.

At any time, a subtle control of the amount of liquid adhesive discharged can be obtained by controlling the force with which the push members 13 and 14 are pushed.

When the supply of the liquid adhesive is completed, the push members 13 and 14 are released, whereby the excess liquid adhesive led through the outlet nozzle 11d and collected at the free end 11e is withdrawn into the body portion 11a of the container 11 again. It is thus possible to eliminate the leakage of liquid adgesive after the completion of the supply and attachment of leaking liquid adhesive to the outlet nozzle 11d and free end 11e.

To store the liquid adhesive container/feeder A after use, the hole of the freen end 11e of the outlet nozzle 11d is closed by inserting the tip pa of the pin P into the hole, and then the top cap 16 is placed on the case 12 and pushed along the corner neck 12c until its lower end strikes the shoulder 12b. As a result, the ridges 16a and 16b of the top cap 16 are received in the recesses 12f and 12g of the case 12, so that the top cap 16 is held on the top portion of the case 12. In this state, the liquid adgesive container/feeder A can be stored.

For replacing the liquid adhesive container/feeder 11 with a new one after it becomes empty, the engagement between the inward projection 12j at the lower open end 12h of the case 12 in the groove 15e of the sealing cap 15 is released, and then the empty container 11 is taken out by pulling out the corner reduced-thickness portion 15c from the lower open end 12h of the case 12.

While in the above embodiment of the invention the push members and operation windows are circular in shape, this shape is by no means limitative, and it is possible to adapt any other shape as rectangular, parallologramic, square and polygonal shapes.

As has been described in the foregoing, with the liquid adhesive container/feeder according to the invention a desired amount of liquid adhesive can be discharged from the free end of the outlet nozzle without the need of taking the liquid adhesive container out of its case, but by merely pushing the push members toward each other after removing the top cap. It is thus possible to simplify the operation of applying the liquid adhesive. In addition, the liquid adhesive container and outlet nozzle are never touched from the start of preparation of the coating operation till the completion of storage of the liquid adhesive container/feeder. Further, the excess liquid adhesive that remains around the free end of the outlet nozzle after completion of the liquid adhesive application is withdrawn into the container with the releasing of the push members. Thus, there is no possibility of attachment of excess liquid adhesive to the outlet nozzle free end, which is thus clean at all times, and also there is no possibility of contamination of the hands, fingers or cloth with liquid adhesive. The liquid adhesive container /feeder accoring to the invention thus can be used safely and easily.

Further, although the liquid adhesive container/feeder according to the invention resembles the prior art pen-type liquid adhesive containner, in the pen type no liquid adhesive will come out unless the containre is urged against a part to be bonded, so that it is difficult to control the amount of liquid adhesive discharged. In addition, liquid adhesive which is discharged or going to be discharged can not be returned into the body portion of the container, so that attachment of liquid adhesive to the neighborhood of the free end of the outlet nozzle can not be avoided. Unlike this pen type liquid adhesive container, the liquid adhesive container/feeder according to the invention is of a pippet type and permits discharge of liquid adhesive drop by drop by pushing the members with the thumb and index finger. Thus, the liquid adhesive container/ feeder according to the invention can be used for supplying liquid adhesive even to a locality at a depth, a place having irregular surface configurations, a material which is so fragile that no force can be applied or a material high in elasticity.

Furthermore, since the opposite side operation windows formed in the peripheral wall of the case are surrounded by the guard ridges, it is possible to avoid the possibility of discharge of liquid adhesive from the outlet nozzle free end with occasional pushing of the push members in such case as when the liquid adhesive container/feeder according to the invention is put on a desk with either side down. The invention is thus very beneficial and useful in practice.