Remote monitoring for fluid applicator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12135568-B2
Application number	US-202318322127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	Feb 11, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

In one embodiment, a remote monitoring system for a fluid applicator system is disclosed. The fluid applicator system is disposed to heat and pump spray fluid, and to transmit reports including sensed temperatures, pressures, and other operational parameters of the fluid applicator system via a wireless network. The remote monitoring system comprises a data storage server, and an end user interface. The data storage server is configured to receive and archive the reports. The end user interface is configured to provide a graphical user interface based on the reports. The graphical user interface illustrates a status of the fluid handling system, sensed and commanded temperatures of the fluid handling system, sensed and commanded pressures of the fluid handling system, and usage statistics of the fluid handling system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile fluid applicator system, comprising:
a mobile fluid sprayer system configured to pressurize and heat A- and B-side fluids and to isolate the A- and B-side fluids from one another through an outlet hose of the mobile fluid sprayer system for mixing only when sprayed from a sprayer device connected to the outlet hose, wherein the mobile fluid sprayer system includes:
an A-side pump to pressurize the A-side fluid and a B-side pump to pressurize the B-side fluid;
a local operator interface to receive at least: a first user input indicative of a setpoint fluid pressure, a second user input indicative of a setpoint A-side fluid temperature, and a third user input indicative of a setpoint B-side fluid temperature,
multiple outlet sensors disposed at one or more outlet locations of the mobile fluid sprayer system and configured to detect at least a sensed fluid pressure and sensed A- and B-side outlet temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids,
a wireless transceiver that is configured to wirelessly transmit from the mobile fluid sprayer system a set of operational spray parameters including at least the setpoint fluid pressure, the setpoint A- and B-side fluid temperatures, the sensed fluid pressure, and the sensed A- and B-side temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids; and

an end user application executable on a wireless tablet or cellular device such that the wireless tablet or cellular device wirelessly receives said operational sprayer parameters from the mobile fluid sprayer system and displays an end user graphical interface, wherein both the local operator interface of the mobile fluid sprayer system and the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device are configured to contemporaneously display all of said setpoint fluid pressure, said setpoint A- and B-side fluid temperatures, said sensed fluid pressure, and said sensed A- and B-side temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile fluid sprayer system further includes multiple inlet temperature sensors located at one or more inlet locations of the mobile fluid sprayer system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said operational spray parameters include sensed A- and B-side inlet temperatures based on the inlet temperature sensors, and wherein both the local operator interface of the mobile fluid sprayer system and the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device are configured to contemporaneously display at least the setpoint fluid pressure, the setpoint A- and B-side fluid temperatures, the sensed fluid pressure, the sensed A- and B-side inlet temperatures, and the sensed A- and B-side outlet temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the A-side pump is configured to pressurized the A-side fluid to the setpoint pressure, and the B-side pump configured to pressurized the B-side fluid to the setpoint pressure.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the mobile fluid sprayer system further comprises an A-side heater configured to heat the A-side fluid and a B-side heater configured to heat the B-side fluid.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the A- and B-side fluids are components of a polyurethane foam.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transceiver of the mobile fluid sprayer system is configured to communicate with the wireless tablet or cellular device via a wireless network connection.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the wireless transceiver comprises a cellular transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein both the local operator interface of the mobile fluid sprayer system and the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device are configured to contemporaneously display at least the setpoint fluid pressure, the setpoint A- and B-side fluid temperatures, the sensed fluid pressure, the sensed A- and B-side temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids, an error alarm state, and an operational status of the mobile fluid sprayer system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operational status is indicative of an active state in which the mobile fluid sprayer system is at least one of heating and pumping the A- and B-side fluids.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the error alarm state indicates an error alarm in response to a detected event at the mobile fluid sprayer system.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the error alarm is indicative of the detected event comprising at least one of: a malfunction of the mobile fluid sprayer system, an overheating event, and a pump jam.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the wireless transceiver of the mobile fluid sprayer system is configured to wirelessly transmit from the mobile fluid sprayer system the set of operational parameters that further includes at least a pumped fluid volume, and the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device is configured to display the pumped fluid volume.

14. The system of claim 7 , wherein the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device is configured to display a hose temperature value of the mobile fluid sprayer system.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end user graphical interface on the wireless tablet or cellular device graphically illustrates a status of the mobile fluid sprayer system, usage statistics of the mobile fluid sprayer system, the setpoint fluid pressure, the setpoint A- and B-side fluid temperatures, the sensed fluid pressure, and the sensed A- and B-side temperatures of the A- and B-side fluids.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile fluid sprayer system further comprises a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to detect location data of the mobile fluid sprayer system.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device is configured to display the location data of the mobile fluid sprayer system contemporaneously with the operational parameters.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile fluid sprayer system further comprises an ambient temperature sensor configured to detect ambient temperature data.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device is configured to display daily usage parameters of the mobile fluid sprayer system including daily material usage, daily actual spray time, daily power on time, and daily cycle count.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end user graphical interface of the wireless tablet or cellular device is configured to display a historical log that graphically illustrates temperatures, pressures, and cycle counts of the mobile fluid sprayer system.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Lange Christopher M
• Pagano Nicholas A

Classifications

• G05D23/1919

  characterised by the type of controller · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05D23/19

  characterised by the use of electric means {(G05D23/1393 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05B12/006

  Pressure or flow rate sensors · CPC title

• B05B7/166

  the material to be sprayed being heated in a container (B05B7/208 takes precedence) · CPC title