System and method for dispenser control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11975351-B2
Application number	US-202017424530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 21, 2019
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

Applicators and methods for dispensing material are disclosed. The applicator includes a syringe defining an inlet, and outlet, a chamber extending from the inlet to the outlet, a plunger disposed within the chamber, and a piston attached to the plunger, where the piston is configured to move the plunger through the chamber. The applicator also includes an actuation mechanism configured to linearly translate the piston through the chamber so as to dispense material through the outlet, a sensor attached to the plunger, where the sensor is configured to sense a linear movement of the plunger, and a controller configured to adjust operation of the actuation mechanism based on the linear movement sensed by the sensor such that the piston repeatedly dispenses a predetermined amount of the material from the outlet of the syringe over a plurality of dispense cycles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An applicator for dispensing material, the applicator comprising:
a syringe defining an inlet, an outlet, and a chamber extending from the inlet to the outlet;
a piston disposed within the chamber;
a plunger attached to the piston, wherein the piston is configured to move with the plunger through the chamber;
an actuation mechanism configured to linearly translate the piston through the chamber so as to dispense material through the outlet;
a sensor attached to the plunger, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a plurality of linear movements of the plunger; and
a controller configured to adjust operation of the actuation mechanism based on an average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements sensed by the sensor during respective ones of a plurality of dispense cycles, such that the piston repeatedly dispenses a predetermined amount of the material from the outlet of the syringe over the plurality of dispense cycles.

2. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispense cycles comprises 50 dispense cycles.

3. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a human-machine interface configured to receive a user input that determines a quantity for the plurality of dispense cycles.

4. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements is a moving average, such that the average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements at any time is an average magnitude of an immediately preceding plurality of linear movements.

5. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of the actuation mechanism when the linear movement is outside a predetermined range.

6. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a linear position transducer.

7. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of the actuation mechanism automatically.

8. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes an amplifier configured to process a signal that is indicative of the linear movement.

9. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to track a total linear movement of the plunger through the chamber.

10. The applicator of claim 1 , further comprising:
a valve assembly including a valve seat and a needle configured to translate between a first position, where the needle is spaced from the valve seat, and a second position, where the needle contacts the valve seat, in a dispensing operation for jetting material from the valve assembly; and
a piezoelectric device for moving the needle in response to receiving a voltage,
wherein the syringe is configured to provide the material to the valve assembly.

11. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the actuation mechanism is a pneumatic actuator.

12. A method of dispensing material from a syringe, the method comprising:
operating an actuation mechanism to linearly translate a piston and a plunger attached thereto through a chamber of the syringe so as to dispense material through an outlet of the syringe;
sensing a plurality of linear movements of the plunger via a sensor;
calculating an average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements during respective ones of a plurality of dispense cycles; and
adjusting operation of the actuation mechanism based on the average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements sensed by the sensor such that the piston repeatedly dispenses a predetermined amount of the material from the outlet of the syringe over the plurality of dispense cycles.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of dispense cycles comprises 50 dispense cycles.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
recalculating the average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements at regular intervals, such that the average magnitude of the plurality of linear movements at any time is an average magnitude of an immediately preceding plurality of linear movements.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the adjusting operation of the actuation mechanism comprises adjusting the operation of the actuation mechanism when the linear movement is outside a predetermined range.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the operation of the actuation mechanism comprises automatically adjusting the operation of the actuation mechanism via a controller.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting a signal indicative of the linear movement to a controller; and
amplifying the signal.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
tracking a total linear movement of the plunger through the chamber.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the piston progressively advances through the chamber along a first direction over the plurality of dispense cycles, whereby each linear movement of the plurality of linear movements of the plunger is along the first direction.

20. The applicator of claim 1 , wherein the piston is configured to progressively advance through the chamber along a first direction over the plurality of dispense cycles, whereby each linear movement of the plurality of linear movements of the plunger is along the first direction.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Groene Jeff
• Murphy Richard
• Carvahlo Robert

Classifications

• B05C11/1034 Primary

  specially designed for conducting intermittent application of small quantities, e.g. drops, of coating material (B05C5/0225, B05C11/1026 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B1/083

  the pulsating mechanism comprising movable parts · CPC title

• B05B12/004 Primary

  comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm (B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00) · CPC title

• B05C5/0225

  characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet (B05C5/0258, B05C5/0275 take precedence; supply valves upstream the coating head B05C11/1036) · CPC title

• B05C5/02

  {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work · CPC title