IP Library Granted Patent US 10,046,351
Granted Patent B2
US 10,046,351 · App. 14/679,178 · Granted Aug 14, 2018

Material dispense tracking and control

Inventors: Mark J. Brudevold (Fridley, MN); Benjamin R. Godding (St. Cloud, MN); Joseph E. Tix (Hastings, MN); Daniel P. Ross (Maplewood, MN)
Assignee: Graco Minnesota Inc.
B05B12/122B05B12/006F04B17/00F04B19/22F04B49/02F04B49/06F04B49/065F04B53/10F04B53/144B05C5/002B05C11/1042B05C11/1044F04B2201/0201F04B2205/09
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,046,351
App. No.
14/679,178
Granted
Aug 14, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pump system for pumping a fluid includes a motor housing, a motor, a rod, a positive displacement pump, a position sensor, and a controller. The motor is located within the motor housing. The rod is connected to and driven by the motor and the positive displacement pump for moving a fluid is driven by the rod. The position sensor produces a rod position signal that is a function of a position of the rod, and the controller produces a drive signal for driving the motor as a function of the rod position signal.

Claims (47)

1. A system for pumping, tracking and controlling a fluid, the system comprising:

a pump system for pumping the fluid, the pump comprising:

a motor housing;

a motor located within the motor housing;

a rod connected to and driven by the motor;

a pump driven by the rod for moving a fluid; and

a position sensor for producing a rod position signal that is a function of a position of the rod;

a dispenser for controllably dispensing multiple streams of fluid received from the pump;

a work piece sensor for producing a work piece signal that is a function of detection of a work piece; and

a controller, the controller comprising a calculating circuit and computer readable storage media and configured to:

receive a programmed dispenser output from a user interface,

produce a drive signal for driving the motor,

produce a dispense signal for the dispenser that is a function of the work piece signal,

produce a calculated work piece count as a function of the work piece signal,

produce a calculated volume usage as a function of the position signal,

produce a calculated flow rate as a function of the calculated volume usage,

produce a calculated fluid weight as a function of the calculated volume usage, and

produce a calculated fluid compressibility as a function of the calculated volume usage.

2. The system of claim 1 and further comprising a sleeve connected to the motor housing, wherein the position sensor is connected to the sleeve.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is a linear variable differential transformer sensor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the rod acts as a core for the position sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is connected to the motor housing.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor is a reed sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the motor is double ended type air motor.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a programmed dispenser output from a user interface.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the drive signal and the dispense signal as a function of the volume to meet the programmed dispenser output.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the dispenser signal to vary timing or a stitching percentage of the dispensed fluid.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programmed dispenser output is a programmed flow rate.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the programmed dispenser output is a programmed volume per work piece.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a plurality of sprayers for spraying multiple streams of fluid, and wherein each sprayer receives a dispense signal from the controller.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller calculates sprayer performance of each sprayer as a function of an adjustment to the dispenser signals.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller produces the drive signal as a function of the sprayer performance.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller produces the dispenser signals as a function of the sprayer performance.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller displays a real-time value of the calculated flow rate on a user interface.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces an average flow rate as a function the calculated flowrate, and wherein the controller displays a real-time value of the average flow rate on a user interface.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces an alarm as a function of the calculated flow rate when the calculated flow rate has changed by a prescribed amount, is under a prescribed minimum value, or is above a prescribed maximum value.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces a per-work piece fluid output as a function of the work piece count and the calculated flow rate.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the controller displays a real-time value of the per-work piece fluid output on a user interface.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the controller produces an alarm as a function of per-work piece fluid output when the per-work piece fluid output has changed by a prescribed amount, is under a prescribed minimum value, or is above a prescribed maximum value.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces a long-term fluid output per work piece as a function work piece count and calculated flow rate.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller produces a trend over time of long-term fluid output per work piece.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the controller uploads data of the trend over time of long-term fluid output per work piece to a computer readable storage media.

27. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller displays a real-time value of the long-term fluid output per work piece on a user interface.

28. The system of claim 24 , wherein the controller produces an alarm as a function of long-term fluid output per work piece when the long-term fluid output per work piece has changed by a prescribed amount, is over a prescribed minimum value, or is above a prescribed maximum value.

29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces an average calculated flow rate as a function of calculated flow rate.

30. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller produces a dispensed fluid output as a function the calculated flow rate and the dispense signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2015
From: BRUDEVOLD, MARK J.; GODDING, BENJAMIN R.; TIX, JOSEPH E.; ROSS, DANIEL P.
To: GRACO MINNESOTA INC.
Reel/Frame 035338/0067 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62024278 · Jul 14, 2014
Related Publication 20160008834A1 · Jan 14, 2016
Cited By (5)
US 12,233,429 US 12,366,233 US 12,383,924 US 12,421,965 US 12,565,877