Remote metering station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464098-B2
Application number	US-201715698137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A remote metering station for pumping a flow of adhesive to a dispensing module is disclosed. The remote metering station includes a manifold having a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface, a first side surface, a second side surface opposite the first side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface opposite to said top surface. The remote metering station also includes a modular pump assembly removably mounted to the manifold, where the modular pump assembly includes a bottom surface, an outlet on the bottom surface, the outlet being in fluid communication with the manifold, and an inlet for receiving the adhesive. The modular pump assembly further includes a gear assembly and a drive motor coupled to the gear assembly. The gear assembly is operable for pumping the adhesive from the inlet to the outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote metering station for pumping a flow of adhesive to a dispensing module, the remote metering station comprising:
a manifold having a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite the first side surface;
a modular pump assembly removably mounted to said manifold, said modular pump assembly comprising:
a bottom surface;
an outlet on said bottom surface, said outlet being in fluid communication with said manifold;
an inlet for receiving the adhesive;
a gear assembly; and
a drive motor coupled to said gear assembly and operable for pumping the adhesive from said inlet to said outlet, said drive motor having a shaft, said shaft having an axis that intersects said bottom surface, and does not intersect either of said first side surface or said second side surface;

a control unit; and
a rotational sensor coupled to said control unit and said drive motor, said rotational sensor configured to provide data indicative of an actual rotation speed of said drive motor to said control unit, said control unit configured to receive data indicative of a target rotational speed of said drive motor, said control unit configured to a) determine an extent of a variance between the target rotational speed of said drive motor and the actual rotational speed of said drive motor, and b) adjust the rotational speed of said drive motor to reduce the variance.

2. The remote metering station of claim 1 , wherein said axis of said shaft is aligned with a plane that is parallel to said first side surface and said second side surface.

3. The remote metering station of claim 1 , wherein said gear assembly comprises a gear with an outer diameter and a length that is greater than or equal to said outer diameter.

4. The remote metering station of claim 1 , wherein said modular pump assembly further includes a thermal isolation region between said gear assembly and said drive motor.

5. A remote metering station for pumping a flow of adhesive to a dispensing module, the remote metering station comprising:
a manifold having a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite the first side surface; and
first and second modular pump assemblies removably mounted to said manifold, each of said first and second modular pump assemblies comprising:
a bottom surface;
an outlet on said bottom surface, said outlet being in fluid communication with said manifold;
an inlet for receiving the adhesive;
a gear assembly; and
a drive motor coupled to said gear assembly and operable for pumping the adhesive from said inlet to said outlet, said drive motor having a shaft, said shaft having an axis that intersects said bottom surface, and does not intersect either of said first side surface or said second side surface,

wherein said drive motor of said first modular pump assembly is configured to pump the adhesive through said outlet of said first modular pump assembly at a first volumetric flow rate, and said drive motor of said second modular pump assembly is configured to pump the adhesive through said outlet of said second modular pump assembly at a second volumetric flow rate that is different than said first volumetric flow rate.

6. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein the first volumetric flow rate is different than the second volumetric flow rate.

7. The remote metering station of claim 6 , further comprising a control unit that is configured to transmit a signal to said first modular pump assembly, such that the signal directs said drive motor of said first modular pump assembly to pump the adhesive through said outlet of said first modular pump assembly at a third volumetric flow rate.

8. The remote metering station of claim 7 , wherein the third volumetric flow rate is different than the first and second volumetric flow rates.

9. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein said first modular pump assembly is capable of pumping adhesive through the outlet of said first modular pump assembly at a first maximum volumetric flow rate, and said second modular pump assembly is capable of pumping adhesive through said outlet of said second modular pump assembly at a second maximum volumetric flow rate, wherein the first maximum volumetric flow rate is different than the second maximum volumetric flow rate.

10. The remote metering station of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first hose configured to receive the adhesive from said outlet of said first modular pump assembly and provide the adhesive to said dispensing module spaced from the manifold; and
a second hose configured to receive the adhesive from said outlet of said second modular pump assembly and provide the adhesive to said dispensing module.

11. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein said dispensing module comprises a first dispensing module and a second dispensing module, the remote metering station further comprising:
a first hose configured to receive the adhesive from said outlet of said first modular pump assembly and provide the adhesive to said first dispensing module spaced from said manifold; and
a second hose configured to receive the adhesive from said outlet of said second modular pump assembly and provide the adhesive to said second dispensing module spaced from said first dispensing module and said manifold.

12. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein said axis of said shaft of said first modular pump assembly is aligned with a first plane that is parallel to said first side surface and said second side surface of said first modular pump assembly,
wherein said axis of said shaft of said second modular pump assembly is aligned with a second plane that is parallel to said first side surface and said second side surface of said second modular pump assembly.

13. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein said gear assembly of each of said first and second modular pump assemblies comprises a gear with an outer diameter and a length that is greater than or equal to said outer diameter.

14. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein each of said first and second modular pump assemblies further includes a thermal isolation region between said gear assembly and said drive motor.

15. The remote metering station of claim 5 , wherein said manifold includes first and second manifold segments, wherein said first manifold segment is attached to said first modular pump assembly and said second manifold segment is attached to said second modular pump assembly.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Saine Joel E

Classifications

• B05C11/1002

  Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves · CPC title

• B05C11/1013

  responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00) · CPC title

• B05C11/1044 Primary

  Apparatus or installations for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several applying apparatus or several dispensing outlets, e.g. to several extrusion nozzles · CPC title

• B05B12/04

  for sequential operation or multiple outlets · CPC title

• B05C11/1042

  provided with means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material in the supplying means upstream of the applying apparatus · CPC title