SEALANT APPLICATOR AND METHODS OF USE

• US 20170225190A1
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SASHCO, INCORPORATED
• Original Assignee: SASHCO, INCORPORATED
• Inventors: Summons, Wayne L., Summons, Elliot P., Van Ulmer, Kurt, Tunney, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,780,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00516 Shape or geometry of the outlet orifice or the outlet element

Abstract

A sealant applicator nozzle, of the present technology, has a fan-shaped profile, with a broad concave arc that defines a distal end of the nozzle and provides the nozzle with a tooling edge. The concave tooling edge, along with the outlet orifice, and two surface-contact edges are positioned to equidistantly straddle a lap joint to be sealed when in operation. In methods of using the nozzle, a wide ribbon of sealant is applied in a smoothly arched geometry, forming a segment of a circle, over a lap joint so that the thickest part of the arch is centered directly on the edge of the overlapping material that forms the lap joint.

Claims

1. A sealant applicator nozzle, comprising:

an inlet end portion, having a first width, and an opposite outlet end portion, having a second width that is wider than the first width;

the inlet end portion and outlet end portion being fluidly coupled with one another by a nozzle interior that extends along a length of the sealant applicator nozzle;

the outlet end portion having a concave contact surface that extends across the second width and surrounds an outlet orifice.

2. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the contact surface is disposed at a contact surface angle with respect to a longitudinal plane that passes through the first width and the second width.

3. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 2 wherein the contact surface angle is between 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

4. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 2 wherein the contact surface angle is between 40 degrees to 50 degrees.

5. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 2 wherein the contact surface angle is approximately 45 degrees.

6. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the contact surface includes a concave tooling edge positioned at a distal-most end of the sealant applicator nozzle.

7. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the inlet end portion includes one or more mechanical fastener structures configured to removably engage an outlet end portion of a sealant container.

8. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the outlet end portion has an elliptical cross-sectional shape.

9. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the outlet end portion has a biconvex cross-sectional shape.

10. The sealant applicator nozzle of claim 1 wherein the outlet end portion has a plano-convex cross-sectional shape.

11. A method of applying a sealant to a surface, the method comprising:

positioning a concave contact surface of a sealant applicator nozzle closely adjacent the surface;

the sealant applicator nozzle having an inlet end portion and an opposite outlet end portion that are fluidly coupled with one another by a nozzle interior that extends along a length of the sealant applicator nozzle;

the inlet end portion having a first width;

the outlet end portion having a second width that is wider than the first width;

dispensing a sealant from an outlet orifice in the concave contact surface onto the surface.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the concave contact surface is disposed at an angle with respect to a longitudinal plane that passes through the first width and the second width.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the contact surface angle is between 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein dispensing the sealant includes shaping the sealant into a ribbon bead 24, having an arched geometry that tapers at opposite edges of the ribbon bead 24;

wherein the shaping is induced by a tooling edge of the contact surface as the sealant is dispensed from the sealant applicator nozzle.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the arched geometry is defined by an elliptical cross-sectional shape of the outlet end portion.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the arched geometry is defined by a biconvex cross-sectional shape of the outlet end portion.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the arched geometry is defined by a plano-convex cross-sectional shape of the outlet end portion.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the surface is a lap joint and the arched geometry is centered on the lap joint.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the sealant is dispensed by manually applying pressure to a sealant container.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the sealant is dispensed from a pressurized sealant container.