Modular fluid-dispensing system

• US 6,893,321 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Buehler Ltd. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, Michael F., Holt, Scott, Doan, Deborah, Buchanan, Arnold, Ceckowski, Doug, Dougill, Nicolas John, Leithner, Kelly, Shewey, Chuck
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grant, Alvin J
• Application Number:
  US10/282,823
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 451/5, 451/41, 451/36, 451/60, 451/285, 451/286, 451/287, 451/446
• US Class Current: 451/5
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/00 Lapping machines or devices; Accessories B24B3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 57/02 for feeding of fluid, sprayed, pulverised, or liquefied grinding, polishing or lapping agents

Abstract

A modular fluid-dispensing system includes a master control dispenser and/or one or more satellite dispensers that communicate bi-directionally with the master control dispenser. The master control dispenser is programmable and may dispense one or more solutions. Each satellite may dispense fluid in either a stand-alone mode or under control of another fluid-dispensing-system component, such as a master control dispenser, or a grinder/polisher. A master control dispenser may store various multi-step dispensing methods and may advance a dispensing method to a next step automatically or based on a control signal received from a grinder/polisher. A master control dispenser may perform a fluid-dispensing method that is synchronized with a corresponding grinder/polisher method performed by a grinder/polisher that is coupled to the master control dispenser.

Claims

1. A fluid-dispensing system comprising:

a master control dispenser that dispenses fluid from at least one master-control-dispenser fluid container;

wherein the master control dispenser includes;

a master-control-dispenser processor that is separate from a grinder/polisher, at least one pump coupled to the at least one master-control-dispenser fluid container;

a first coupling port that accepts a coupling to one or more other fluid-dispensing-system components; and

wherein the master control dispenser can send and receive fluid-dispensing control information to and from at least one satellite dispenser that is separate from the master control dispenser.

2. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the fluid-dispensing control information is selected from the group consisting of:

a cycle on/off signal, satellite dispenser identification information; and

a progress-to-next-step signal for a multi-step fluid-dispensing method.

3. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an external power supply that supplies electrical power to the master control dispenser.

4. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser has dimensions of approximately 9.5 inches wide by less than approximately 10 inches deep.

5. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser can detect when a satellite dispenser becomes operatively coupled to the master control dispenser.

6. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 5, wherein, when the master control dispenser detects that a satellite dispenser has become operatively coupled to the master control dispenser, the master control dispenser prompts a system user to enter identification information for the satellite dispenser that has become operatively coupled to the master control dispenser.

7. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser can detect when a satellite dispenser becomes operatively decoupled from the master control dispenser.

8. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser provides electrical power to at least one satellite dispenser.

9. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser stores at least one multi-step dispensing method.

10. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 9, wherein the master control dispenser displays an error message upon determining that a fluid container to be used in performing a selected dispensing method is not entered into the system.

11. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser can individually start or stop fluid dispensing by a plurality of satellites coupled to the master control dispenser.

12. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser can accept inputs from multiple grinder/polishers.

13. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser automatically advances a multi-step fluid-dispensing method from a currently executing step to a next step.

14. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser advances a multi-step fluid-dispensing method from a currently executing step to a next step based on a grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser progress-to-next-step signal received by the master control dispenser from a grinder/polisher.

15. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 14, wherein the master control dispenser sends to at least one satellite a master control dispenser-to-satellite progress-to-next-step signal based on having received the grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser progress-to-next-step signal.

16. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser activates or deactivates a fluid dispensing cycle based on a grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser cycle-on/off signal received by the master control dispenser from a grinder/polisher.

17. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 16, wherein the master control dispenser sends to at least one satellite a master control dispenser-to-satellite cycle-on/off signal based on having received the grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser cycle-on/off signal.

18. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser sends a cycle-start signal to a first satellite dispenser and to a second satellite dispenser thereby causing the first satellite to start a first fluid-dispensing cycle and causing the second satellite to start a second fluid-dispensing cycle, wherein the first fluid-dispensing cycle and the second fluid-dispensing cycle start at substantially the same time.

19. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 17, wherein a duration of the first fluid-dispensing cycle is different than a duration of the second fluid-dispensing cycle.

20. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 17, wherein a dispensing rate of the first fluid-dispensing cycle is different than a dispensing rate of the second fluid-dispensing cycle.

21. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser executes a default fluid-dispensing method, the execution of which is synchronized with execution by a grinder/polisher of a default grinder/polisher method that corresponds to the default fluid-dispensing method.

22. The fluid-dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the master control dispenser monitors a fluid level of at least one bottle of fluid and provides an indication when the monitored fluid level goes below a threshold.

23. A fluid-dispensing method performed by a master control dispenser, the method comprising:

using a master-control-dispenser processor, which is separate from a grinder polisher, to cause the master control dispenser to;

dispense fluid from at least one master-control-dispenser fluid containers,

end fluid-dispensing control information to at least one satellite dispenser, and

receive fluid-dispensing control information from the at least one satellite dispenser; and

wherein the fluid-dispensing control information is selected from the group consisting of;

 

a cycle on/off signal, satellite dispenser identification information; and

a progress-to-next-step signal for a multi-step fluid-dispensing method.

24. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving electrical power from a power supply that is external to the master control dispenser.

25. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting when a satellite dispenser becomes operatively coupled to the master control dispenser.

26. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 25, further comprising:

upon detecting that a satellite dispenser has become operatively coupled to the master control dispenser, prompting a system user to enter identification information for the satellite dispenser that has become operatively coupled to the master control dispenser.

27. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting when a satellite dispenser becomes operatively decoupled from the master control dispenser.

28. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing electrical power to at least one satellite dispenser.

29. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying an error message upon determining that a fluid container to be used in performing a selected dispensing method is not programmed into the system.

30. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

individually starting fluid dispensing by a plurality of satellites coupled to the master control dispenser.

31. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

individually stopping fluid dispensing by a plurality of satellites coupled to the master control dispenser.

32. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

automatically advancing a multi-step fluid-dispensing method from a currently executing step to a next step.

33. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

advancing a multi-step fluid-dispensing method from a currently executing step to a next step based on a grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser progress-to-next-step signal received by the master control dispenser from a grinder/polisher.

34. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

sending to at least one satellite a master control dispenser-to-satellite progress-to-next-step signal based on having received the grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser progress-to-next-step signal.

35. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

activating or deactivating a fluid dispensing cycle based on a grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser cycle-on/off signal received by the master control dispenser from a grinder/polisher.

36. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising sending to at least one satellite a master control dispenser-to-satellite cycle-on/off signal based on having received the grinder/polisher-to-master control dispenser cycle-on/off signal.

37. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

sending a cycle-start signal to a first satellite dispenser and to a second satellite dispenser thereby causing the first satellite to start a first fluid-dispensing cycle and causing the second satellite to start a second fluid-dispensing cycle, wherein the first fluid-dispensing cycle and the second fluid-dispensing cycle start at substantially the same time.

38. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, wherein a duration of the first fluid-dispensing cycle is different than a duration of the second fluid-dispensing cycle.

39. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, wherein a dispensing rate of the first fluid-dispensing cycle is different than a dispensing rate of the second fluid-dispensing cycle.

40. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

executing a default fluid-dispensing method, the execution of which is synchronized with execution by a grinder/polisher of a default grinder/polisher method that corresponds to the default fluid-dispensing method.

41. The fluid-dispensing method of claim 23, further comprising:

monitoring a fluid level of at least one bottle of fluid and indicating when the monitored fluid level goes below a threshold.