Tools for applying heat in edge banding operations

Claim 2

A hand held heating tool particularly adapted for accommodating an edge banding operation, wherein a tape having a hot melt adhesive backing is emplaced to cover an exposed edge of a surface of a panel with said tape, comprising: a. a housing including a handle portion for grasping of the same by a user, b. a barrel portion rotatably coupled to said housing and having a front section relatively transverse to said handle portion, said front section of said barrel portion having a bottom aperture communicating with an internal hollow within said front section, c. placement means coupled to said front section of said barrel portion and positioned about the periphery of said aperture, d. a heat conducting platen dimensioned to cover said aperture and having a top surface including means adapted to coact with said placement means to removably position said platen to cover said aperture, and a bottom surface including a predetermined shaped guide channel for enabling said tool to be moved along said edge to be banded, e. tape dispensing means coupled to said housing and positioned such that a tape accommodated by said means is directed within said guide channel with said hot melt adhesive backing facing said edge, and f. radiant heating means located in said hollow of said housing to transfer heat to said top surface of said platen and therefore to said bottom surface by radiation to heat said platen to a temperature sufficient to melt said adhesive, whereby due to said radiation, said platen can be removed and replaced when desired.

Claim 3

The heating tool according to claim 1 wherein said placement means coupled to said front section of said barrel comprises a first and second flange, said flanges being positioned along opposite sides of said front section and said coacting means on said platen comprising first and second channels on said top surface for coacting with said flanges to retain said platen in a position to cover said aperture.

Claim 4

The hand held tool according to claim 1 wherein said guide channel on said bottom surface of said platen is a relatively U-shaped transverse cross section.

Claim 5

The hand held tool according to claim 1 wherein said guide channel on said bottom surface of said platen is of a semicircular transverse cross section.

Claim 6

A hand held heating tool particularly adapted for accommodating an edge banding operation, wherein a tape having a hot melt adhesive backing is emplaced to cover an exposed edge of a surface, comprising: a. a hollow housing fabricated from an insulative material and having top and side surfaces with an open bottom surface, said top surface having an aperture located thereon, b. a hollow elongated handle section rotatably coupled to said top surface and communicating with said aperture on said top surface of said hollow housing, c. a first flange member positioned on one side of said housing near said bottom surface and a second flange member positioned on an opposite side of said housing near said bottom surface, said flanges being relatively parallel, d. a heating conducting platen having a top and a bottom surface and dimensioned to cover said open bottom, said top surface including two parallel coupling channels at opposite sides and positioned on said top surface to slideably coact with said flanges on said housing to removably position said platen to cover said opened bottom, a guide channel located on said bottom surface and positioned relatively parallel to and between said coupling channels, e. a source of infra red radiation located in said hollow housing for heating said platen by radiation to enable easy removal of said platen, f. means located in said elongated handle portion for controlling the intensity of said radiation and therefore the heating of said platen, and g. dispensing means coupled to said tool for positioning a tape wtihin said guide channel with said adhesive backing facing said surface to cause said backing to melt according to said radiated heat.

Claim 7

A hand held heating tool particularly adapted for accommodating an edge banding operation, wherein a tape having a hot melt adhesive backing is emplaced to cover an exposed edge of a surface, comprising: a. a hollow housing fabricated from an insulative material and having top and side surfaces with an open bottom surface, said top surface having an aperture located thereon, b. a hollow elongated handle section rotatably coupled to said top surface and communicating with said aperture on said top surface of said hollow housing, c. a first flange member positioned on one side of said housing near said bottom surface and a second flange member positioned on an opposite side of said housing near said bottom surface, said flanges being relatively parallel, d. a heating conducting platen having a top and a bottom surface and dimensioned to cover said open bottom, said top surface including two parallel coupling channels at opposite sides and positioned on said top surface to slideably coact with said flanges on said housing to removably position said platen to cover said opened bottom, a guide channel located on said bottom surface and positioned relatively parallel to and between said coupling channels, e. a source of infra red radiation located in said hollow housing for heating said platen by radiation to enable easy removal of said platen, f. means located in said elongated handle portion for controlling the intensity of said radiation and therefore the heating of said platen, and g. dispensing means coupled to said tool for positioning a tape wtihin said guide channel with said adhesive backing facing said surface to cause said backing to melt according to said radiated heat.

Claim 8

The heating tool according to claim 5 wherein said guide channel is relatively of a U-shaped transverse cross sectional configuration.

Claim 9

The heating tool according to claim 5 wherein said guide channel is manifested by at least one downwardly extending flange located across one side of said bottom surface of said platen.

Claim 10

In a hand held heating tool of the type particularly adapted to accommodate an edge banding operation, said tool includng a hollow housing having an opened bottom surface with a hand graspable handle assembly extending from a top surface of said housing, said hollow housing having located therein a source of radiant heat positioned to radiate heat towards said opened bottom of said housing, the improvement therewith of apparatus for selectively collecting said heat for directing the same to melt an adhesive on a surface of a tape to cover an exposed edge of a panel, comprising: a. placement means located on said housing, b. a heat conducting platen having a top surface including peripheral means on said top surface adapted to coact with said placement means to selectively removably position said platen to said housing in a position to cover said opened bottom surface, said platen including a guide channel on a bottom surface and located beneath said radiant heat source, said channel of a configuration selected solely according to said edge of said panel to be covered by said tape to enable said edge to be tranversed by said platen when moving said tool, said channel on said bottom surface being of a given thickness selected to enable a maximum amount of radiated heat to be trasferred to said platen in the area of said channel with said platen being substantially thicker in all regions adjacent said channel, whereby any one of a number of platens with different guide channels according to different edges to be covered, can be accommodated due to said heat by radiation of said platen.

Claim 11

In a hand held heating tool of the type particularly adapted to accommodate an edge banding operation, said tool includng a hollow housing having an opened bottom surface with a hand graspable handle assembly extending from a top surface of said housing, said hollow housing having located therein a source of radiant heat positioned to radiate heat towards said opened bottom of said housing, the improvement therewith of apparatus for selectively collecting said heat for directing the same to melt an adhesive on a surface of a tape to cover an exposed edge of a panel, comprising: a. placement means located on said housing, b. a heat conducting platen having a top surface including peripheral means on said top surface adapted to coact with said placement means to selectively removably position said platen to said housing in a position to cover said opened bottom surface, said platen including a guide channel on a bottom surface and located beneath said radiant heat source, said channel of a configuration selected solely according to said edge of said panel to be covered by said tape to enable said edge to be tranversed by said platen when moving said tool, said channel on said bottom surface being of a given thickness selected to enable a maximum amount of radiated heat to be trasferred to said platen in the area of said channel with said platen being substantially thicker in all regions adjacent said channel, whereby any one of a number of platens with different guide channels according to different edges to be covered, can be accommodated due to said heat by radiation of said platen.

Claim 12

The hand held heating tool according to claim 8 wherein said guide channel is relatively of a U-shaped transverse cross section.

Claim 13

The hand held heating tool according to claim 8 wherein said source radiant heat includes an infra red lamp.