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US 10,851,940 B2Granted
Pump having diagnostic system
AssigneeLincoln Industrial Corporation
InventorPaul G. Conley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and method for supplying lubricant to a plurality of lubrication sites. Embodiments include a pump with venting and non-venting piston return, a pump with stirrer and direct feed mechanism, a pump with CAN system and self-diagnostics, a pump with heated housing and reservoir and a pump with stepper motor and overdrive control.
Claims20
A system for supplying lubricant, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding lubricant, said reservoir having a reservoir outlet;
- a pump comprising a cylinder defining a cylinder bore, a cylinder inlet in communication with said reservoir outlet for flow of lubricant from the reservoir into the cylinder bore, and a cylinder outlet supplying lubricant, a piston movable in the cylinder bore;
- a lubricant delivery system in communication with said cylinder outlet for delivering lubricant;
- a drive mechanism including a stepper motor for moving the piston in the cylinder bore;
- a sensor for sensing a condition of the system and providing a condition signal corresponding to the condition;
- a controller for controlling the operation of the stepper motor by selectively energizing the stepper motor to move the piston, said controller responsive to the condition signal to modify operation of the stepper motor;
- and
- an alarm;
- wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor monitoring a lubricant pressure of the lubricant delivery system, wherein the condition signal is a pressure signal and wherein the controller is responsive to the pressure signal to energize the alarm when the pressure signal indicates that the lubricant pressure is less than a minimum pressure after a given period of time of operating the stepper motor has elapsed;
- and
- said controller controlling pulses applied to the stepper motor, wherein the controller is responsive to the condition signal to vary the speed and/or torque of the stepper motor depending on a value of the condition signal.
8 more elements
A system for supplying lubricant, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding lubricant, said reservoir having a reservoir outlet;
- a pump comprising a cylinder defining a cylinder bore, a cylinder inlet in communication with said reservoir outlet for flow of lubricant from the reservoir into the cylinder bore, and a cylinder outlet supplying lubricant, a piston movable in the cylinder bore;
- a lubricant delivery system in communication with said cylinder outlet for delivering lubricant;
- a drive mechanism including a stepper motor for moving the piston in the cylinder bore;
- a sensor for sensing a condition of the system and providing a condition signal;
- and,
- a controller for controlling the operation of the stepper motor by selectively energizing the stepper motor to move the piston, said controller responsive to the condition signal to modify operation of the stepper motor;
- and
- an alarm;
- a stirrer in the reservoir and a stirrer motor driving the stirrer, said controller selectively energizing the stirrer motor, wherein the sensor comprises a current sensor monitoring a current applied to the stirrer motor, wherein the condition signal is a current signal and wherein the controller is responsive to the current signal to energize the alarm when the current signal indicates that the current applied to the stirrer motor is greater than a maximum current;
- and
- said controller controlling pulses applied to the stepper motor, wherein the controller is responsive to the condition signal to vary the speed and/or torque of the stepper motor depending on a value of the condition signal.
9 more elements
A system for supplying lubricant, comprising:
- a reservoir for holding lubricant, said reservoir having a reservoir outlet;
- a pump comprising a cylinder defining a cylinder bore, a cylinder inlet in communication with said reservoir outlet for flow of lubricant from the reservoir into the cylinder bore, and a cylinder outlet supplying lubricant, a piston movable in the cylinder bore;
- a lubricant delivery system in communication with said cylinder outlet for delivering lubricant;
- a drive mechanism including a stepper motor for moving the piston in the cylinder bore;
- a sensor for sensing a condition of the system and providing a condition signal;
- and,
- a controller for controlling the operation of the stepper motor by selectively energizing the stepper motor to move the piston, said controller responsive to the condition signal to modify operation of the stepper motor;
- and
- an alarm;
- wherein the lubricant delivery system includes an injector and wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor configured for sensing a lubricant pressure supplied to the injector and configured to provide a pressure signal corresponding thereto and wherein the controller selectively energizes the stepper motor in response to the pressure signal to activate the injector to dispense lubricant;
- said controller controlling pulses applied to the stepper motor, wherein the controller is responsive to the condition signal to vary the speed and/or torque of the stepper motor depending on a value of the condition signal.
8 more elements
A method for supplying lubricant, comprising:
- providing a pump;
- providing a stepper motor which, when energized, actuates the pump to deliver lubricant from a reservoir to a lubricant injector;
- sensing a condition of the lubricant and providing a condition signal;
- and,
- controlling the operation of the stepper motor by selectively energizing the stepper motor to actuate the pump in response to the condition signal to selectively modify the operation of the stepper motor;
- wherein the sensing includes performing a vent test to determine whether the lubricant injector is venting and energizing an alarm when the vent test indicates that the injector is not venting.
3 more elements
A system for supplying lubricant, comprising:
- a pump;
- a stepper motor which, when energized, actuates the pump to deliver lubricant from a reservoir;
- a sensor for sensing a condition of the lubricant and providing a condition signal;
- and,
- a controller for controlling the operation of the stepper motor by selectively energizing the stepper motor to actuate the pump in response to the condition signal to selectively modify the operation of the stepper motor;
- wherein the controller is configured to perform a vent test to determine whether a lubricant injector is venting and activate an alarm when the vent test indicates that the injector is not venting.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.