Method of bending a conduit

1. A method of bending a conduit comprising:

providing a conduit bender, including:

a frame;

a shoe rotatably mounted on the frame;

a motor configured to rotate the shoe;

a microprocessor in operative communication with the motor;

an engagement member mounted on the frame and reciprocally movable to engage with, and disengage from, a switch, based on contact between the engagement member and a portion of the conduit;

the switch in communication with the engagement member and with the microprocessor;

displacing the engagement member via contact with the conduit, the engagement member moving relative to the frame, causing the engagement member to engage the switch;

sending, via the switch, a signal to the microprocessor indicative of a characteristic of the conduit to be bent, in response to engagement of the switch; and

the microprocessor providing a motor control signal to the motor to control a rotation of the shoe, wherein rotation of the shoe bends the conduit.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a shoe position sensor in communication with the microprocessor; and

wherein the shoe position sensor provides a shoe position signal to the microprocessor corresponding to a rotational position of the shoe.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switch is a mechanical switch or an optical switch.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein:

upon positioning the shoe for the bending operation, the shoe position sensor sending a conduit identification signal to the microprocessor corresponding to a type of conduit to be bent; and

the motor control signal is provided to the motor based upon the conduit identification signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing one or more support rollers mounted on the frame and moveable relative to the frame, wherein the support rollers engage and/or support the conduit;

providing a support roller position switch in communication with the microprocessor; and

wherein upon positioning the support rollers for the bending operation, the roller position switch provides a roller position signal to the microprocessor corresponding to a position of the support rollers, and the microprocessor provides the motor control signal based upon the position of the rollers.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a plurality of engagement members, wherein each engagement member of the plurality of engagement is associated with a corresponding engagement switch of a plurality of engagement switches.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein activation of a selected engagement switch provides a corresponding signal to the microprocessor indicative of a diameter of the conduit to be bent.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

providing a corresponding spring mechanism for each engagement member, the spring mechanism configured to reciprocally displace the corresponding engagement member based on proximity of the conduit relative to a portion of the engagement member.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an absolute encoder operatively coupled to a shaft of the shoe; and

wherein the absolute encoder provides a signal to the microprocessor corresponding to a rotational position of the shoe.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a feedback circuit in communication with the motor and the microprocessor, and further comprising:

measuring a voltage consumption and a current consumption of the motor by the feedback circuit;

wherein the voltage consumption and the current consumption together correspond to a power consumption of the motor; and

adjusting the motor control signal in response to the measured power consumption of the motor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:

a measured power consumption greater than a predetermined amount indicates that a conduit being bent has a rigidity greater than an anticipated value; and

a measured power consumption less than a predetermined amount indicates that the conduit being bent has a rigidity less than the anticipated value.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the microprocessor adjusts the motor control signal to increase an amount of rotation applied to the shoe if the conduit being bent has a rigidity greater than the anticipated value.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the increased amount of rotation applied to the shoe compensates for spring-back experienced by the conduit having the greater rigidity.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the motor control signal is a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the microprocessor adjusts the PWM signal to gradually reduce power applied to the motor thereby gradually reducing a speed of rotation of the shoe, as the rotational position of the shoe approaches a final position.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the microprocessor adjusts the motor control signal to decrease an amount of rotation applied to the shoe if the conduit being bent has a rigidity lower than the anticipated value.

17. A method of bending a conduit comprising:

providing a bender including:

a frame;

a shoe rotatably mounted on the frame;

a motor configured to rotate the shoe;

a microprocessor in communication with the motor;

an engagement member mounted on the frame and reciprocally movable to engage with, and disengage from, a switch, based on contact between the engagement member and a portion of the conduit;

the switch in communication with the microprocessor and in communication with the engagement member;

displacing the engagement member via contact with the conduit, the engagement member moving relative to the frame causing the engagement member to engage the switch;

sending, via the switch, a signal to the microprocessor indicative of a characteristic of the conduit to be bent, in response to engagement with the switch;

providing a feedback circuit in communication with the motor and the microprocessor, the feedback circuit determining a voltage consumption and a current consumption of the motor, and wherein the voltage consumption and the current consumption together correspond to a power consumption of the motor; and

providing a motor control signal from the microprocessor to the motor to control a rotation of the shoe in response to the measured power consumption of the motor.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

providing a shoe position sensor in communication with the microprocessor; and

wherein the shoe position sensor provides a shoe position signal to the microprocessor corresponding to a rotational position of the shoe.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the motor control signal is a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal.

20. A method of bending a conduit comprising:

providing a bender having a shoe mounted on shoe shaft about which the conduit is bent;

providing a microprocessor in communication with a motor, the motor configured to rotate the shoe to perform the bending operation;

providing a conduit-size switch in communication with the microprocessor, and a shoe position sensor in communication with the microprocessor;

providing a shoe position signal from the shoe position sensor to the microprocessor, providing information about the rotational position of the shoe relative to the shoe shaft;

providing a conduit size signal from the conduit-size switch to the microprocessor in response to positioning the conduit for the bending operation, the conduit-size signal providing information regarding the size of the conduit to be bent, to the microprocessor;

providing a motor control signal based upon the conduit size information from the microprocessor to the motor to control the operation of the motor; and

bending the conduit.