Chemical dispensing system using keyboardless data entry

• US 6,325,286 B1
• Filed: 04/13/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delaware Capital Formation Incorporated (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Howland, David R., Cassady, Henry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/061,530
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/375, 235/380, 235/383, 235/385, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/456, 235/376, 434/353-360, 222/2, 222/108, 222/129.4, 222/249, 222/266, 141/83, 141/94, 141/198, 815/8, 68/121.8, 68/122.7, 68/17.R, 68/27
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/124 using tapes, cards or discs with optically sensed marks or codes G05B19/128, G05B19/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/14 using punched cards or tapes G05B19/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23363 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23367 Card with picture of work to be done, together with selectable codes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23384 Tape, card with magnetic, luminescent, iron particles for sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2633 Washing, laundry

Abstract

A chemical dispensing system features a card reader in data communication with a controller to programmably control the transfer of chemicals between a supply of chemicals and a washing chamber while allowing retention of a permanent record of the programmed status of the controller.

Claims

1. A method of operating a chemical dispensing system of the type including a plurality of supplies of chemicals, a chamber coupled to said supply, a plurality of pumps each of which is in fluid communication with one of said plurality of supplies, and a controller, in data communication with both said chamber and said pumps, to regulate the transfer of fluid chemicals between said plurality of supplies and said chamber using operating data, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a data entry substrate adapted to be selectively placed in data communication with said controller, said substrate having a plurality of machine readable data entry regions arranged at differing spatial positions and adapted to contain operating data for use by said controller, and human readable indicia in selected corresponding locations arranged to direct the entry of operating data in corresponding data entry regions; and

,

establishing operational parameters for said plurality of pumps by entering operating data in said plurality of data entry regions, and placing said substrate in data communication with said controller.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said operational parameters include a quantity of liquid to be transferred between said supplies and said chamber.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said step of establishing operational parameters further includes a step of varying an optical contrast of said data entry regions, defining a varied region, with said operational parameters being established as a function of both a spatial position of said varied region and a quantity of varied regions present.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said step of establishing operational parameters further includes a step of forming an aperture in said data entry regions, defining a punched region, with said operational parameters being established as a function of both a spatial position of said punched region and a quantity of punched regions present.

5. A chemical dispensing system, comprising:

a supply of chemicals and a plurality of pumps in fluid communication therewith;

a chamber coupled to said supply;

a controller in data communication with said chamber and said pumps, said controller adapted to employ operating data, including operational parameters for said pumps, to control the transfer of fluid chemicals between said supply and said chamber;

a card reader in data communication with said controller and adapted to read machine readable operating data from a data entry substrate; and

said data entry substrate adapted to be selectively placed in data communication with said card reader, said data entry substrate having a plurality of machine readable data entry regions arranged at differing spatial positions and adapted to contain operating data for use by said controller, and human readable indicia in selected corresponding locations arranged to direct the entry of operating data in corresponding data entry regions,

whereby upon entry of operating data into said data entry regions and placing said data entry substrate in data communication with said card reader, said operating data is communicated to said controller.

6. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said data entry substrate has a longitudinal axis, and wherein said plurality of data entry regions are arranged collinearly and extending along a line parallel to said axis, with each of said data regions having a weighted value associated therewith, with weighted values associated with a subset of said plurality of data regions being dependent upon a spatial position of the data region, of the subset, along said line.

7. The dispensing system as recited in claim 6 wherein said line extends between opposed ends of said substrate with a weighted value associated with data entry regions of said subset being greatest proximate to one of said opposed ends and weighted values associated with the remaining data entry regions of said subset decreasing in magnitude as a function of a distance from said one of said opposed ends.

8. The dispensing system as recited in claim 6 wherein said weighted values associated with said subset correspond to a quantity of chemical said controller is to transmit to said chamber.

9. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said plurality of data entry regions are arranged at differing spatial positions, with each of said plurality of data entry regions having a weighted value associated therewith, with weighted values associated with a subset of said plurality of data entry regions being dependent upon the spatial position of the data entry regions of said subset in said substrate, with indicia being disposed adjacent to data entry regions of said subset reciting the weighted value associated therewith.

10. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said card reader includes a marked card reader.

11. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 where said card reader includes a punched-card reader.

12. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 further including a plurality of pumps coupled to said supply and said chamber, said plurality of pumps in data communication with said controller.

13. The dispensing system as recited in claim 12 wherein said operating data includes operating data for said pumps.

14. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said data entry substrate further includes human readable indicia arranged to direct recording said operating data on said substrate in selected corresponding locations in human readable format.

15. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said data entry regions are arranged collinearly on said data entry substrate.

16. The dispensing system as recited in claim 15 wherein said human readable indicia are arranged adjacent corresponding data entry regions.

17. The dispensing system as recited in claim 15 wherein said card reader includes an elongate slot for receiving said data entry substrate in substantially linear sliding relation, and circuitry for sequentially reading operating data from the data entry regions on said data entry substrate as said data entry substrate slides in said slot.

18. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said data entry regions are adapted to contain operating data including a quantity of chemical to be transferred and a time for chemical to be transferred.

19. The dispensing system as recited in claim 5 wherein said data entry substrate further includes machine readable header information in a selected location, which header information is adapted to be commonly associated with the operating data in a predetermined number of said plurality of data entry regions.

20. The dispensing system as recited in claim 19 wherein said header information includes information relating to a machine type and programming units.