Safety enhancements for material application system

• US 20050011967A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Skelton-Becker, Cynthia, Allsop, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/101
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/002 Manually-actuated controlling means, e.g. push buttons, levers or triggers for single units B05B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/18 for improving resistance to wear, e.g. inserts or coatings; for indicating wear; for handling or replacing worn parts
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/14 designed for spraying particulate materials B05B7/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33125 System configuration, reconfiguration, customization, automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45013 Spraying, coating, painting
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0232 based on qualitative trend analysis, e.g. system evolution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A system and related methods for configuring and monitoring a spraying application system for installation and use at a site that is remotely located from the spraying system manufacturing site. The system provides a remote access module that provides spraying system operation and parametric information to be monitored at the manufacturing site to determine how the spraying system is operating and whether repair or maintenance should be initiated. Timer circuits are provided for determining time of usage so that repair/replacement alerts can be issued. Safety related parameters may also be monitored as a backup to the primary monitoring performed at the customer'"'"'s site. The system also provides an extranet or other suitable site available, for example, via the Internet or other communication link, is used to provide an accessible database for historical data and configuration/installation information. A call-in feature is also provided as well as a system query log.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting abnormal operating conditions of a material application device of the type having a manually operated trigger, comprising:

a first circuit to detect a trigger event indicating that the trigger has been activated to turn the device on;

said first circuit producing a signal corresponding to said trigger event such that said signal indicates a beginning and end of said trigger event;

a timer circuit that times the duration of said trigger event; and

a notification circuit that indicates duration of said trigger event has lasted a predetermined period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said timer circuit is a watchdog timer circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said notification circuit produces a signal that activates an alert that the trigger has been activated longer than a predetermined period of normal use.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said alert is an audible and/or visual indication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said notification circuit activates a local alert.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said notification circuit activates an alert that is accessible from a geographically remote location.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said alert is accessible over the Internet.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said alert is accessible over a communications network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said notification circuit causes device shutoff when duration of said trigger event has lasted a predetermined period.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said alert is accessible by one or more of:

telephone, text message, pager and e-mail.

11. A method for detecting unsafe operating conditions of a material application device of the type having a manually operated trigger, comprising the steps of:

detecting a trigger event;

timing duration of said trigger event; and

producing an alert when said duration has lasted a predetermined period.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of producing an alert comprises producing an audible and/or visual indication.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said alert is generated locally.

14. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of accessing said alert from a geographically remote location.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of making said alert accessible from the Internet or other network.

16. Apparatus for detecting usage time of a material application device of the type having a trigger, comprising:

a first circuit to detect a trigger event indicating that the trigger has been activated to turn the device on;

said first circuit producing a signal corresponding to said trigger event such that said signal indicates a beginning and end of said trigger event;

a timer circuit that times the duration of said trigger event;

said timer circuit storing accumulated time of use for the application device; and

a notification circuit that indicates usage time of the application device has reached a predetermined duration.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said notification circuit issues different signals for different wear parts of the application device.

18. Apparatus for detecting usage time of a material application device, comprising:

a first circuit to detect an event indicating that the device has been activated to turn the device on;

said first circuit producing a signal corresponding to said event such that said signal indicates a beginning and end of said event;

a timer circuit that times the duration of said event;

said timer circuit storing accumulated time of use for the application device; and

a notification circuit that indicates usage time of the application device has reached a predetermined duration.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said notification circuit issues different signals for different wear parts of the application device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said notification circuit issues an alert to remote devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said event is a trigger event.

22. A system for monitoring a material application system, comprising:

a material application system including a material application device and a supply of material therefor;

said material application system providing operating parameters;

a material application system monitoring program that formats said operating parameters into signals accessible via a communication network; and

a remote interface program that enables a remote user to acquire said operating parameters via said network;

said remote user accessing said remote interface program with a telephone.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said telephone is wireless.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said remote user receives said operating parameters via voicemail accessed through said telephone.

25. A system for monitoring a material application system, comprising:

a material application system including a material application device and a supply of material therefor;

said material application system providing operating parameters;

a material application system monitoring program that formats said operating parameters into signals accessible via a communication network;

a remote interface program that enables a remote user to acquire said operating parameters via said network; and

an inquiry log function executed by said monitoring program and producing a log of times a remote user accesses said monitoring program.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said remote user access said operating parameters by telephone.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said remote user access said operating parameters over the Internet.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein said remote user is a manufacturer'"'"'s representative, and comprising a notification program that notifies a customer contact that said representative has accessed the system.