Operator interface device for a plural component dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020767-B2
Application number	US-201715469018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A plural component dispensing system includes a dispensing device, first and second fluid component sources, a system controller, and an operator interface device. The first fluid component source is connected to the dispensing device to deliver the first fluid component to the dispensing device. The second fluid component source is connected to the dispensing device to deliver the second fluid component to the dispensing device. The system controller is connected to regulate operation of the first fluid component source and the second fluid component source to produce a target ratio of the first fluid component and the second fluid component at the dispensing device. The operator interface device is remote from and operatively connected to the system controller. The operator interface device is configured to output system state information received from the system controller and to receive operator input to control an operational state of the system controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plural component dispensing system comprising:
a dispensing device configured to receive a first fluid component and a second fluid component and to deliver an activated component after mixing of the first fluid component and the second fluid component, the dispensing device comprising an applicator and a mixer, the applicator configured to separately receive the first fluid component and the second fluid component and to deliver both the first fluid component and the second fluid component to the mixer for mixing;
a first fluid component source configured to store the first fluid component;
a first fluid pump connected to the dispensing device and to the first fluid component source to deliver the first fluid component to the dispensing device;
a second fluid component source configured to store the second fluid component;
a second fluid pump connected to the dispensing device and to the second fluid component source to deliver the second fluid component to the dispensing device;
a first flow meter fluidly connected to and positioned between the first fluid pump and the dispensing device, and a second flow meter fluidly connected to and positioned between the second fluid pump and the dispensing device;
a system controller connected to the first fluid pump and to the second fluid pump to regulate operation of the first fluid pump and the second fluid pump to produce a target ratio of the first fluid component and the second fluid component at the dispensing device, wherein the system controller is directly connected to the first flow meter to receive a flow rate of the first fluid component, and wherein the system controller is directly connected to the second flow meter to receive a flow rate of the second fluid component; and
an operator interface device remote from and operatively connected to the system controller, the operator interface device configured to:
output system state information received from the system controller; and
receive operator input to control an operational state of the system controller.

2. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the system state information received by the operator interface device from the system controller device comprises an indication of whether a ratio of the first fluid component and the second fluid component delivered to the dispensing device deviates from the target ratio.

3. The plural component dispensing system of claim 2 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises one or more indicator lights; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to control an illumination state of the one or more indicator lights to indicate whether the ratio of the first fluid component and the second fluid component delivered to the dispensing device deviates from the target ratio.

4. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises a display device; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to output the system state information received from the system controller via the display device.

5. The plural component dispensing system of claim 4 ,
wherein the display device comprises a touch-sensitive display; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to receive the operator input via the touch-sensitive display.

6. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises a speaker device; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to output the system state information received from the system controller via the speaker device.

7. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises a vibration motor; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to output the system state information received from the system controller by actuating the vibration motor to provide vibratory haptic feedback corresponding to the system state information.

8. The plural component dispensing system of claim 7 ,
wherein the system state information indicates an alert condition; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to actuate the vibration motor to provide the vibratory haptic feedback corresponding to the alert condition in response to receiving the system state information indicating the alert condition.

9. The plural component dispensing system of claim 8 ,
wherein the vibratory haptic feedback corresponding to the alert condition comprises a pattern of vibrations that identifies a type of alert associated with the alert condition.

10. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises one or more motion sensors; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to receive the operator input to control the operational state of the system controller via motion of the operator interface device sensed by the one or more motion sensors.

11. The plural component dispensing system of claim 10 ,
wherein the motion of the operator interface device sensed by the one or more motion sensors corresponds to a defined motion gesture.

12. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises one or more orientation sensors; and
wherein the operator interface device is configured to receive the operator input to control the operational state of the system controller via an orientation of the operator interface device sensed by the one or more orientation sensors.

13. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device comprises a scanner device;
wherein the operator interface device is configured to:
retrieve, via the scanner device, product identification information from a machine-readable product identification code; and
transmit the product identification information to the system controller; and

wherein the system controller is configured to store at least a portion of the system state information in association with the product identification information in a database.

14. The plural component dispensing system of claim 13 ,
wherein the scanner device comprises an optical scanner; and
wherein the machine-readable product identification code comprises one or more of a machine-readable barcode and a machine-readable matrix barcode.

15. The plural component dispensing system of claim 13 ,
wherein the scanner device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader; and
wherein the machine-readable product identification code comprises an RFID tag.

16. The plural component dispensing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the operator interface device is integrally formed with the dispensing device.

17. A dispensing device for a plural component dispensing system, the dispensing device comprising:
an applicator configured to separately receive each of a plurality of fluid components from a plurality of fluid pumps, wherein the dispensing device is a dispensing gun comprising a handle;
a mixer configured to:
receive each of the plurality of fluid components;
mix the plurality of fluid components to produce an activated component; and
deliver the activated component; and

an operator interface device mounted on or within the dispensing gun, the operator interface device comprising:
at least one input device;
at least one output device;
one or more processors; and
computer-readable memory encoded with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the operator interface de

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Vo Thomas V
• Armstrong Jeffrey S
• Bordwell David
• Mcmichael Jonathan R

Classifications

• B29B7/7447

  including means for feeding the components · CPC title

• G08B6/00

  Tactile signalling systems, e.g. tactile personal calling systems · CPC title

• B29B7/72

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · 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

• G05D11/132

  by controlling the flow of the individual components (G05D11/133 takes precedence) · CPC title