Vibrational paint shaker with managed can detection and clamping features

1. A system for agitating a liquid-containing can, comprising:

an outer frame;

an inner frame mounted to the outer frame and mechanically isolated therefrom, the inner frame comprising a can support location, a clamping plate, and means for supporting the clamping plate for movement toward and away from the can support location;

a drive motor for driving the inner frame in order to agitate the can;

a microprocessor;

a clamping motor operable according to instructions of the microprocessor to drive the means for supporting the clamping plate to change the position of the clamping plate;

an encoder for detecting the position of the clamping plate relative to the can support location; and

means for detecting a current draw of the clamping motor, the means for detecting configured to detect the current draw for a baseline reference state, representing a state of operation when the clamping motor is driving the means for supporting the clamping plate without engagement thereof with a can at the can support location, and a clamping state, representing a prevailing actual state of operation when the clamping motor is driving the means for supporting the clamping plate into engagement with a can present at the can support location;

the microprocessor being programmed to control movement of the clamping plate according to a subtractive comparison wherein the baseline reference state current draw is repetitively subtracted from the clamping state current draw and to stop and at least maintain the clamping plate in a can clamping position in response to a predetermined positive value of the subtractive comparison representing clamping engagement of the clamping plate with a can.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a drive motor control for controlling the operation of the drive motor according to a detected characteristic of the can.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the detected characteristic is a height of the can.

4. A method of clamping at least one liquid-containing can in a mechanical can agitator comprising a clamping plate driveable using an electrical motor, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a baseline reference current draw for the electrical motor when driving the clamping plate through a reference distance;

detecting an actual current draw for the electrical motor when driving the clamping plate through a driven distance;

subtracting the baseline reference current draw from the actual current draw to produce a current draw margin; and

detecting a can height for the at least one can based upon the value of the current draw margin.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of establishing a baseline reference current draw further comprises the step of:

establishing a baseline reference current draw over each a plurality of reference distances with the mechanical can agitator in an unladen state.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the position of the clamping plate and the can height are detected using an encoder.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of:

associating a baseline reference current draw with a position of the clamping plate as measured using the encoder.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of:

verifying the presence of the can by pulsing the electrical motor.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of:

applying a clamping pressure to the at least one can according to the detected can height.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the reference distance is the driven distance.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the reference distance is located above the driven distance.

12. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one expected can height range; and

driving the clamping plate to a first location above the at least one expected can height range.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the reference distance is selected to be the distance from the first location to the top of the at least one expected can height range, and the driven distance is selected to be within the at least one expected can height range.

14. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of:

cleaning the agitator by driving the clamping plate through its entire range of motion.

15. A method of retaining a clamped liquid-containing can in a mechanical can agitator during agitation, wherein the mechanical can agitator comprises an inner frame driven by a drive motor to agitate the can, a clamping plate, means for supporting and driving the clamping plate, an encoder for detecting the height of the clamping plate, and a clamping motor operable to drive means for supporting and driving the clamping plate to exert an initial clamping pressure on the can, the method comprising the steps of:

driving the clamping plate to exert and initial clamping pressure on the can;

detecting a reference position of the clamping plate at which the initial clamping pressure is exerted on the can;

driving the inner frame member to agitate the can while clamped by the initial clamping pressure;

monitoring the encoder for detecting a deviation of the clamping plate from the reference position indicating a loss of clamping pressure on the can; and

upon the detecting of the deviation of the clamping plate, increasing the clamping pressure on the can to a level incrementally higher than the initial clamping pressure.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of increasing the clamping pressure further comprises the steps of:

determining a maximum acceptable clamping pressure for the can; and

discontinuing the agitation if the apparent increased clamping pressure would exceed the maximum acceptable clamping pressure.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the initial clamping pressure is selected based upon a detected can height.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

bringing the drive motor gradually from a state of rest to a desired rate of agitation over a period of time selected to reduce a current draw spike.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:

detecting the weight and number of cans loaded in the agitator; and

adjusting the initial clamping pressure or discontinuing agitation according to the weight and number of cans loaded.