System for displaying the amount of fluid dispensed from a hand-held sprayer

• US 5,731,526 A
• Filed: 06/21/1996
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dudley R. Kindrick
• Original Assignee: Dudley R. Kindrick
• Inventors: Kindrick, Dudley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad
• Application Number:
  US08/668,406
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861, 73/861.77, 73/861.78, 73/198, 73/3, 377/39, 377/53, 377/2, 377/21, 364/465, 364/509, 364/510, 222/23, 222/36, 222/39, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 73/861
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0089 Regulating or controlling systems the delivery being related to the movement of a vehicle B05B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/0092 for metering by volume

Abstract

A system for displaying a units categorized value corresponding to the cumulative amount of fluid dispensed from a delivery system having a hand-held nozzle with a trigger actuable by an operator to admit fluid through the nozzle. A display is mounted upon an enclosure to be responsive to a control signal for displaying visually perceptible indicia in selected increments corresponding to the units categorized value. A processor is provided within the enclosure for deriving the control signal. The processor is responsive in a calibration mode to the actuation of the trigger of the hand-held nozzle to derive a calibration count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing a predetermined unit amount of fluid. When this trigger is actuated, a flow monitor at a fluid tank source detects the flow of fluid and broadcasts the presence of the fluid flow condition to a receiver mounted at the enclosure. The processor is further responsive in a run mode to derive an incrementing run count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing an amount of fluid, and to compare the incrementing run count value and the calibration count value for deriving the control signal incrementing the units categorized value when the run count value equals the calibration count value.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a units categorized value corresponding to the cumulative amount of fluid dispensed from a delivery system having a tank storage source of said fluid, a fluid conduit and a hand-held nozzle with a trigger actuable by an operator to admit fluid through the nozzle from said conduit, said system comprising:

(a) a transmitter module including;

a fluid flow monitoring transducer positioned at said source and responsive to the flow of fluid through said conduit to provide a flow signal,

a controller positioned at said source and responsive to said flow signal to derive a message signal, and

a transmitter assembly responsive to said message signal to effect the broadcasting thereof to establish broadcast link; and

(b) a portable flow analyzer module, including;

an enclosure,

a receiver assembly mounted upon said enclosure and responsive to said broadcasted message signal to complete said broadcast link and derive a digital message signal corresponding therewith,

a display mounted upon said enclosure responsive to a control signal for displaying visually perceptible indicia in selected increments corresponding to said units categorized value; and

a control circuit within said enclosure for deriving said control signal, said control circuit comprising;

a first circuit responsive to said digital message signal to generate a clocked output,

a second circuit responsive in a calibration mode to said clocked output for generating a calibration count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing a predetermined unit amount of fluid,

a third circuit responsive in a run mode to said clocked output for generating an incrementing run count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing an amount of fluid, and

a comparator circuit connected to said second and said third circuits and to said display for comparing said incrementing run count value and said calibration count value to derive said control signal incrementing said units categorized value when said count value equals said calibration count value.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display reset switch connected to said display, said reset switch being actuable by the operator to reset said display.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a holder assembly for portably mounting said enclosure upon the operator.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a mode switch connected to said control circuit and operable between a run mode position and a calibration mode position for switching said control circuit between said run mode and said calibration mode.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said third circuit is responsive to said control signal to reset said incrementing run count value.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said controller positioned at said source derives said message signal to correspond with the presence of fluid flow through said conduit.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said controller positioned at said source derives said message signal further to correspond with the elapsed time of a presence of fluid flow through said conduit.

8. A method for displaying a units categorized value corresponding to the cumulative amount of fluid dispensed from a delivery system having a tank storage source of said fluid, a fluid conduit, and a hand-held nozzle with a trigger actuable by an operator to admit fluid through the nozzle from the conduit, said units categorized value being displayed in selected increments as visually perceptible indicia and said method comprising the steps of:

providing a transmitter module including a fluid flow monitoring transducer positioned at said source and responsive to the flow of fluid through said conduit to provide a flow signal, a controller positioned at said source, responsive to said flow signal to derive a message signal, and a transmitter assembly responsive to said message signal to effect the broadcasting thereof to establish a broadcast link;

providing a portable flow analyzer module having a receiver assembly responsive to said broadcasted message signal to complete said broadcast link and derive a digital message signal corresponding therewith to actuate said analyzer module into an operating state;

carrying out a first actuation of said trigger to establish said broadcast link;

deriving responsive to said first actuation of said trigger a calibration count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing a predetermined unit amount of fluid;

carrying out a second actuation of said trigger to re-establish said broadcast link;

deriving responsive to a said second actuation of said trigger an increment run count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing an amount of fluid;

comparing said incrementing run count value and said calibration count value; and

incrementing said units categorized value when said incrementing run counter value output equals said calibration count value output.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

resetting said incrementing run count value; and

deriving responsive to said second actuation of said trigger an increment run count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing an amount of fluid.

10. A system for displaying a units categorized value corresponding to the cumulative amount of fluid dispensed from a delivery system having a tank storage source of said fluid, a fluid conduit and a hand-held nozzle with a trigger actuable by an operator to admit fluid through the nozzle from said conduit, said system comprising:

(a) a transmitter module including;

a fluid flow monitoring transducer positioned at said source and responsive to the flow of fluid through said conduit to provide a flow signal,

a controller positioned at said source and responsive to said flow signal to derive a message signal, and

a transmitter assembly responsive to said message signal to effect the broadcasting thereof to establish broadcast link; and

(b) a portable flow analyzer module including;

an enclosure,

a receiver assembly mounted upon said enclosure and responsive to said broadcasted message signal to complete said broadcast link and derive a digital message signal corresponding therewith,

a display mounted upon said enclosure responsive to a control signal for displaying visually perceptible indicia in selected increments corresponding to said units categorized value; and

a processor within said enclosure for deriving said control signal, said processor being responsive in a calibration mode to said digital message signal count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing a predetermined unit amount of fluid, and being responsive to a run mode to derive an incrementing run count value corresponding to the time elapsed in dispensing an amount of fluid, and to compare said incrementing run count value and said count value for deriving said control signal incrementing said units categorized value when said run count value equals said calibration count value.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a mode switch connected to said processor, said mode switch operable between a run mode position and a calibration mode position for switching said processor between said run mode and said calibration mode.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said processor is responsive to the derivation of said control signal to reset said run count value.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising a display reset switch connected to said display, said reset switch being actuable by the operator to reset said display.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising a holder assembly for portably mounting said enclosure upon the operator.