Lubricator device and a lubricator system
View Patent ↗One aspect of the invention provides a lubricator device for dispensing a lubricant to a lubrication point of a machine. The device includes an electric dispensing mechanism including an electronic control circuit. The control circuit includes an RF receiver for receiving control signals, e.g. signals incorporating a lubrication schedule to be adopted by the control circuit, and an RF transmitter for transmitting operational signals incorporating an ID code of the device and at least one operational parameter of the device. Such at least one operational parameter may include one indicative of an amount of lubricant dispensed or one indicative of an error condition. Another aspect of the invention provides a lubrication system including a plurality of lubricator devices, as referred to, and a computer in communication with them for monitoring their operation via operational signals received from them and for controlling their operation via control signals transmitted to them.
1. A lubricator device for dispensing a lubricant to a lubrication point of a machine, the lubricator device including:
a body for containing the lubricant;
a connector removably connectable to the lubrication point and defining a dispensing outlet for dispensing lubricant from the body to the lubrication point;
an electric dispensing mechanism operable to control dispensation of the lubricant from the body, the electric dispensing mechanism including an electronic control circuit controlling operation of the dispensing mechanism, the control circuit including:
a processor;
a memory module operatively storing therein an ID code of the lubricator device;
an RF receiver; and
an RF transmitter; and
an energy cell for powering the dispensing mechanism,
in which the control circuit is operable to receive control signals via the RF receiver and to transmit, via the RF transmitter, operational signals incorporating the ID code and at least one operational parameter including at least a charge level of the cell or a voltage across the cell.
2. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the control circuit, receiver, and transmitter are in the form of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) module.
3. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the control circuit is programmable with a lubrication schedule, by means of received control signals, to control the dispensing mechanism to dispense lubricant according to the lubrication schedule.
4. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 3 , in which:
the lubrication schedule comprises a series of scheduled dispensing events; and
the control circuit is programmable to report each dispensing event performed by the lubricator device by transmitting an operational signal incorporating the ID code and an operational parameter indicative of the amount of lubricant dispensed during the dispensing event.
5. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the control circuit is configurable to store in the memory module a log of the at least one operational parameter over time.
6. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 5 , in which the operational signals include signals representative of the at least one operational parameter over time from the log.
7. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the dispensing mechanism includes an electric motor and the at least one operational parameter includes current through the motor during operation of the motor.
8. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the at least one operational parameter includes a parameter indicative of an amount of lubricant dispensed by the dispensing mechanism.
9. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the at least one operational parameter includes a parameter indicative of an error condition, should one occur.
10. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 9 , in which the control circuit is configured to transmit an operational signal incorporating the ID code and the parameter indicative of the error condition in response to occurrence of the error condition.
11. A lubricator device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the control circuit is configured to transmit an operational signal incorporating the ID code and the at least one operational parameter in response to receipt of an interrogation command included in a control signal received by the RF receiver.
12. A lubricator system including:
a plurality of lubricator devices, each as claimed in claim 1 ;
a computer having a processor, a memory module, and a database stored in the memory module; and
a communication system operable to communicate between the lubricator devices and the computer,
in which the computer is configured to receive via the communication system the ID code and the at least one operational parameter incorporated in each of a plurality of operational signals transmitted by any of the lubricator devices and to store the at least one operational parameter in the database in association with the ID code.
13. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 12 , in which the computer is operable to transmit a control signal addressed to at least one of the lubricator devices, i.e. at least one addressee lubricator device, by incorporating the ID code of the lubricator device in the control signal.
14. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 13 , in which the control signal includes a lubrication schedule, the at least one addressee lubricator device being configured to adopt the lubrication schedule in response to receipt of the control signal.
15. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 13 , in which the control signal includes an interrogation command, the at least one addressee lubricator device being configured to respond to the interrogation command by transmitting an operational signal incorporating its ID code and the at least one operational parameter.
16. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 12 , in which:
the control circuit of each lubricator device is programmed with a lubrication schedule comprising a series of scheduled dispensing events and to report each dispensing event performed by the lubricator device by transmitting an operational signal incorporating the ID code and an operational parameter indicative of the amount of lubricant dispensed during the dispensing event; and
the computer is operable to record in its database each dispensing event reported by each dispensing device in association with the ID code of the device.
17. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 12 , in which the communication system includes at least one relay station, having an RF communication module compatible with the RF transmitter and RF receiver of each lubricator device for communicating with them.
18. A lubricator system as claimed in claim 17 , in which communication between the computer and the relay station is via a telecommunications network.