Housing for apparatus for melting and dispensing thermoplastic material

Claim 1

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid over the open top of said tank, and a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover, said connector being a snap-fit connector and including a spring element for retaining said tank lid attached to said housing cover, said spring element being operable to release said tank lid from said housing cover in the event that said tank lid becomes adhered to said tank.

Claim 2

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid over the open top of said tank, and a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover, said connector being a snap-fit connector and including a spring element for retaining said tank lid attached to said housing cover, said spring element being operable to release said tank lid from said housing cover in the event that said tank lid becomes adhered to said tank.

Claim 3

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid over the open top of said tank, a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover, said housing including a base section surrounding said melter tank and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing along the lower edge of said console front wall, said housing cover being approximately the same dimension from front to rear as the height of said front wall of said console and the housing cover being at least as wide as the width of said console so that said housing cover, when open, covers the front wall of said console and protects it against splash of molten thermoplastic material during loading of solid thermoplastic material into said tank.

Claim 4

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid over the open top of said tank, a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover, said housing including a base section surrounding said melter tank and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing along the lower edge of said console front wall, said housing cover being approximately the same dimension from front to rear as the height of said front wall of said console and the housing cover being at least as wide as the width of said console so that said housing cover, when open, covers the front wall of said console and protects it against splash of molten thermoplastic material during loading of solid thermoplastic material into said tank.

Claim 5

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid over the open top of said reservoir, a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover, and said connector being a snap-fit connector and including a spring element for retaining said reservoir lid attached to said housing cover, said spring element being operable to release said reservoir lid from said housing cover in the event that said reservoir lid becomes adhered to said reservoir.

Claim 6

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid over the open top of said reservoir, a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover, and said connector being a snap-fit connector and including a spring element for retaining said reservoir lid attached to said housing cover, said spring element being operable to release said reservoir lid from said housing cover in the event that said reservoir lid becomes adhered to said reservoir.

Claim 7

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said housing means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid over the open top of said reservoir, and a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover, said housing including a base section surrounding said reservoir and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing along the lower edge of said console front wall, said housing cover being approximately the same dimension from front to rear as the height of said front wall of said console and the housing cover being at least as wide as the width of said console so that said housing cover, when open, covers the front wall of said console and protects it against splash of molten thermoplastic material during loading of solid thermoplastic material into said tank.

Claim 8

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said housing means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid over the open top of said reservoir, and a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover, said housing including a base section surrounding said reservoir and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing along the lower edge of said console front wall, said housing cover being approximately the same dimension from front to rear as the height of said front wall of said console and the housing cover being at least as wide as the width of said console so that said housing cover, when open, covers the front wall of said console and protects it against splash of molten thermoplastic material during loading of solid thermoplastic material into said tank.

Claim 9

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid under the housing cover and over the open top of said tank, and a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover.

Claim 10

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, a tank lid under the housing cover and over the open top of said tank, and a connector between said tank lid and said housing cover.

Claim 16

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid under said housing cover and over the open top of said reservoir, and a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover.

Claim 17

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a reservoir, said reservoir comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said reservoir having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said reservoir, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said reservoir at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said reservoir and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said reservoir, a reservoir lid under said housing cover and over the open top of said reservoir, and a connector between said reservoir lid and said housing cover.

Claim 23

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, said housing including a base section surrounding said melter tank and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing at the lower edge of said console front wall.

Claim 24

An apparatus for melting solid thermoplastic material and for supplying the molten thermoplastic material to a dispenser, said apparatus including a melter tank, said tank comprising a bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said tank having an open top, electrical resistance heating means mounted within said bottom wall of said tank, electrical control means for supplying electrical power to said heating means so as to maintain thermoplastic material contained in said tank at a preset temperature, a housing encasing said tank and said electrical control means, said housing including a cover over said open top of said melter tank, said housing including a base section surrounding said melter tank and a console section, said console section being located above and to the rear of said base section, said console section having a front wall, and said housing cover being hingedly connected to the housing at the lower edge of said console front wall.