DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR TRACKING THE CONFIGURATION OR OPERATIONAL HISTORY OF A NOZZLE IN A FLUID JETTING SYSTEM

• US 20150041555A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Ahmadi, Mani, Fiske, Erik A., Ashley, Daniel W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,642,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/71
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1034 specially designed for conducting intermittent application of small quantities, e.g. drops, of coating material B05C5/0225, B05C11/1026 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0216 by relative movement of article and outlet according to a predetermined path
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0225 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 Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0085 Apparatus for treatments of printed circuits with liquids not provided for in groups H05K3/02 - H05K3/46; conveyors and holding means therefor apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing assemblages of electric components, e.g. printed circuit boards, H05K13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1241 by ink-jet printing or drawing by dispensing

Abstract

Apparatus for use with an applicator, systems for dispensing fluids, methods of using a nozzle (52), and a nozzle (52). The nozzle (52) includes a communication device (60) having a memory (86). The memory (86) stores data relating to the operational history and configuration of the nozzle (52). In response to receiving a query signal (90) from an interrogation device (24), the communication device (60) transmits the data residing in the memory (86). The communication device (60) also receives and stores data in the query signal (90) to the memory (86) so that the operational history of the nozzle (52) is maintained in the memory (86) of the communication device (60).

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with an applicator, the apparatus comprising:

a nozzle configured to be removably coupled to the applicator and to receive fluid therefrom, the nozzle having an outlet through which amounts of fluid are discharged; and

a communication device coupled to the nozzle and including a memory, the communication device configured to transmit a response signal containing data residing in the memory in response to receiving a query signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including a transceiver coupled to the memory and configured to transmit the response signal as a wireless response signal in response to receiving the query signal as a wireless query signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzle includes an exterior surface having a recess, and the communication device is located in the recess.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzle comprises a valve seat coupled with the outlet, and the data residing in the memory comprises a size of an opening in the valve seat, a cumulative number of operation cycles to which the valve seat has been subjected, an identity of the applicator to which the nozzle has been removably coupled, a type of fluid that has been dispensed by the nozzle, a type of material comprising the valve seat, or an identity of the nozzle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a read/write portion and a read-only portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the read/write portion of the memory comprises a user-definable field.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the amounts of fluid are jetted from the nozzle.

8. A system for use with a nozzle configured to dispense amounts of fluid through an outlet, the nozzle having a communication device with a memory and configured to transmit a response signal containing data residing in the memory in response to receiving a query signal, the system comprising:

an applicator configured to removably receive the nozzle; and

an interrogation device configured to transmit the query signal to the communication device of the nozzle.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the interrogation device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader configured to transmit the query signal as a wireless query signal and to receive the response signal as a wireless response signal.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a positioning mechanism coupled to the applicator; and

a system controller coupled to the interrogation device and the positioning mechanism, the system controller being configured to cause the positioning mechanism to position the applicator so that the communication device of the nozzle moves in close proximity to the interrogation device when the interrogation device is transmitting the query signal.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a system controller coupled to the interrogation device, the system controller configured to cause the applicator to perform a fluid dispensing operation and to determine if the nozzle is compatible with the fluid dispensing operation based on the data contained in the response signal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the system controller is configured to interrupt the fluid dispensing operation in response to determining that the nozzle is not compatible with the fluid dispensing operation.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the data contained in the memory includes data relating to a fluid previously dispensed by the nozzle, and the system controller is configured to determine if the nozzle is compatible with the fluid dispensing operation by determining if the previously dispensed fluid is compatible with the fluid dispensing operation.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the amounts of fluid are jetted from the nozzle.

15. A method of using a nozzle, the method comprising:

receiving a query signal in a communication device coupled to the nozzle; and

in response to receiving the query signal, transmitting a response signal containing data residing in a memory of the communication device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the communication device comprises a radio frequency identity (RFID) tag that receives the query signal as a wireless query signal and transmits the response signal as a wireless response signal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the data residing in the memory relates to a type of fluid previously dispensed using the nozzle, and further comprising:

determining compatibility of a fluid to be dispensed using the nozzle with the type of fluid previously dispensed by the nozzle.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the data is a number of operation cycles experienced by the nozzle, and further comprising:

determining whether the number of operation cycles exceeds a lifetime number of cycles; and

if the number of operation cycles exceeds the lifetime number of cycles, alerting an operator that a projected lifetime of the nozzle has been reached.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the data is a number of operation cycles previously experienced by the nozzle, and further comprising:

communicating a larger number of operation cycles to the memory following use of the nozzle in a production operation.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a configuration of the nozzle based on the data contained in the response signal; and

determining if the nozzle is compatible with a fluid dispensing operation based on the configuration of the nozzle.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the configuration of the nozzle is a material comprising a valve seat of the nozzle or a size of an opening in the valve seat of the nozzle.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the data comprises an identifier of the nozzle, and further comprising:

updating an inventory control system based on the identifier for the nozzle.

23. A nozzle for use with an applicator for fluid material, the nozzle comprising:

an inlet through which the fluid material is received;

an outlet through which amounts of the fluid material are discharged; and

a communication device including a memory, the communication device configured to transmit a response signal containing data residing in the memory in response to receiving a query signal.

24. The nozzle of claim 23 wherein the communication device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag including a transceiver coupled to the memory and configured to transmit the response signal as a wireless response signal in response to receiving the query signal as a wireless query signal.

25. The nozzle of claim 23 wherein the nozzle includes an exterior surface having a recess, and the communication device is located in the recess.

26. The nozzle of claim 23 wherein the nozzle includes a valve seat between the inlet and the outlet, and the data residing in the memory comprises a size of an opening in the valve seat, a cumulative number of operation cycles to which the valve seat has been subjected, an identity of the applicator to which the nozzle has been removably coupled, a type of fluid that has been dispensed by the nozzle, a type of material comprising the valve seat, or an identity of the nozzle.

27. The nozzle of claim 23 wherein the memory comprises a read/write portion and a read-only portion.

28. The nozzle of claim 27 wherein the read/write portion of the memory comprises a user-definable field.