POWERED DISPENSING TOOL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20120055951A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meritool, LLC
• Original Assignee: Meritool, LLC
• Inventors: Herman, Timm, Findlay, Brent M., Wheeley, Michael R., Kastner, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,387,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/0103 with electrically actuated piston or the like

Abstract

An apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling motor current during a dispensing of material from a dispensing tool (10) is provided, including a method for measuring the motor current of the dispensing tool during operation through a motor controller (U2). The method further includes sending a feedback signal from the motor controller (U2) relating to the measured motor current to an input of a microcontroller (U1) that is adapted to a dispensing tool (10). The feedback signal is compared to a prescribed threshold and the motor current is conditioned based on the comparing of the feedback signal to the prescribed threshold.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. A method for preventing material from excreting from a dispensing tool at the end of operation comprising:

reading motor information received by a microcontroller from a motor controller adapted to a dispensing tool;

analyzing the motor information by comparing the information to a preset parameter;

monitoring motor current for a cease in operation; and

conditioning the motor current based on said monitoring for a cease in operation and from said analyzing of the motor information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said motor information is a measured timed duration that the motor is advanced in a forward direction and said conditioning includes reversing the motor direction for a period of time that is a function of said motor information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said motor information is measured motor current and said conditioning includes reversing the motor for a period of time that is a function of said motor information.

10. A method for conserving power from a power supply adapted in a dispensing tool comprising:

detecting a cease of motor operation in a dispensing tool by sending a signal from a motor controller to a microcontroller that is adapted to said dispensing tool;

delaying a sensing operation for a prescribed period of time from said detecting a cease in motor operation;

measuring the power supply voltage over a predetermined period of time by the microcontroller;

comparing the power supply voltage to a prescribed threshold within the microcontroller; and

conditioning the current supply to the motor controller and a speed potentiometer based on said comparing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said conditioning includes reducing the current supply to the motor controller and speed potentiometer when said comparing results in a power supply voltage below the prescribed threshold over a preset period of time.

12. A material dispensing gun comprising:

a body connected to a dispensing portion, handle portion, and a driver portion;

the driver portion being driven by a motor connected to a motor controller and microcontroller, said microcontroller and motor being connected to a power supply;

the motor being controlled by said microcontroller, motor controller, a trigger, trigger switch, and at least one potentiometer.

13. The material dispensing gun of claim 12 wherein said potentiometer includes a speed control potentiometer and a manual adjust potentiometer.

14. The material dispensing gun of claim 13, further comprising an on/off switch that is coupled to said speed control potentiometer.

15. The material dispensing gun of claim 12, wherein said trigger is a variable speed trigger.

16. The material dispensing gun of claim 15, wherein said variable speed trigger is coupled to a speed control potentiometer.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. A material dispensing gun comprising:

a body including a dispensing portion and a handle portion;

a driver portion comprising a motor, a motor controller connected to the motor, and microcontroller having a control program that controls dispensing of material by the dispensing gun, said microcontroller and motor controller being connected to each other for back and forth communications;

a power supply coupled to said motor; and

a trigger, trigger switch, and at least one potentiometer coupled to the microcontroller that allow a user to control the motor for dispensing of material;

said control program operative to adjust energization of said motor based on settings of the potentiometer by control of at least one control output coupled to the motor controller and for monitoring motor operation by means of at least one feedback signal input to the microcontroller from the motor controller.

22. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein the feedback signal corresponds to motor current and the control program determines a rate of change of motor current, compares the rate of change in motor current to a prescribed rate of change threshold, and reverses a motor direction if the rate of change in motor current exceeds the prescribed rate of change threshold.

23. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein a selected motor demand value is adjusted by a user and conveyed to the microcontroller via the potentiometer and further wherein the control program compares the selected motor demand to a first motor demand value and determines an updated demand value for use in energizing the motor.

24. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein if the updated demand value exceeds a demand value threshold the control program delays an increase in motor current by a delay period to achieve a controlled rise in motor current.

25. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein the control program determines a demand rate from a setting of the potentiometer and if the demand rate is greater than a previous demand rate, applying a preset rise in motor current to the motor.

26. The dispensing gun of claim 21 the feedback signal from the motor controller relates to current through the motor and wherein the control program compares a rate of change in motor current to a rate of change threshold and regulates the dispensing gun'"'"'s motor current by regulating an energization voltage coupled to the motor by the motor controller.

27. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein the motor controller provides a pulse width modulated signal to the motor and wherein the feedback signal from the motor controller to the microcontroller corresponds to the sensed motor current and wherein the control program compares the feedback signal to a prescribed threshold related to a desired flow of dispensed material and further wherein the control program uses the results of the comparison to regulate the dispensing tool'"'"'s motor current by regulating the pulse width modulated voltage input to the motor.

28. The dispensing gun of claim 21 wherein the motor controller regulates an energization voltage to the motor by controlling a phase angle of voltage applied to the motor.