US 12,595,882 B2Granted

Electric-powered lubricator, and method for calibrating electric-powered lubricator

AssigneeMakita Corporation

InventorsYuki Hayashi, Hidefumi Hagiwara

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Abstract

An electric-powered lubricator in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first manual switch, an electric motor, a drive circuit, a pump, a memory device, and a control circuit. The memory device stores one or more reference values. Each of the one or more reference values corresponds to a mass of lubricant to be dispensed from a dispensing port of the pump per reciprocation of a plunger of the pump. The control circuit in a calibration mode calculates a new reference value based on (i) an input value and (ii) a count of reciprocation of the plunger. The input value corresponds to a measured total mass of the lubricant dispensed from the dispensing port.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An electric-powered lubricator comprising:

a first manual switch configured to be manually operated by a user of the electric- powered lubricator;
an electric motor configured to generate a driving force;
a drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor;
a pump including a dispensing port, a chamber, and a plunger, the dispensing port communicating with the chamber, the chamber being configured to accommodate a lubricant, the plunger being (i) within the chamber and (ii) configured to reciprocate within the chamber by the driving force of the electric motor so as to dispense the lubricant within the chamber from the dispensing port;
a memory device configured to store one or more reference values, each of the one or more reference values corresponding to a mass of the lubricant to be dispensed from the dispensing port per reciprocation of the plunger;
and
a control circuit configured to switch its operating mode between two or more operating modes including a calibration mode and a normal mode;
the control circuit in the calibration mode being configured to perform:
a first operation to drive the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a second operation to calculate a count of reciprocation of the plunger based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a third operation to calculate a new reference value based on (i) an input value and (ii) the count of reciprocation, the input value corresponding to a total mass of the lubricant dispensed from the dispensing port, the input value being (i) manually provided to the electric lubricator by a user through an input interface, (ii) a fixed value set in the electric lubricator in advance, or (iii) automatically provided to the electric lubricator by an external device communicatively coupled with the electric lubricator;
and
a fourth operation to update any of the one or more reference values stored in the memory device with the new reference value calculated,
the control circuit in the normal mode being configured to perform:
a fifth operation to drive the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a sixth operation to calculate the count of reciprocation based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a seventh operation to calculate an estimated value based on (i) any of the one or more reference values stored in the memory device and (ii) the count of reciprocation, the estimated value corresponding to an estimated total mass of the lubricant dispensed from the dispensing port;
and
an eighth operation (i) to display on a display device the estimated value calculated, and/or (ii) to control the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the estimated value calculated.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An electric-powered lubricator comprising:

a first manual switch configured to be manually operated by a user of the electric- powered lubricator;
an electric motor configured to generate a driving force;
a drive circuit configured to drive the electric motor;
a pump including a dispensing port, a chamber, and a plunger, the dispensing port communicating with the chamber, the chamber being configured to accommodate a lubricant, the plunger being (i) within the chamber and (ii) configured to reciprocate within the chamber by the driving force of the electric motor so as to dispense the lubricant within the chamber from the dispensing port;
a memory device configured to store one or more reference values, each of the one or more reference values corresponding to a mass of the lubricant to be dispensed from the dispensing port per reciprocation of the plunger;
and
a control circuit configured to switch its operating mode between two or more operating modes including a calibration mode and a normal mode;
the control circuit in the calibration mode being configured to perform:
a first operation to drive the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a second operation to calculate a count of reciprocation of the plunger based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a third operation to calculate a new reference value based on (i) an input value and (ii) the count of reciprocation, the input value corresponding to a total mass of the lubricant dispensed from the dispensing port, the input value being (i) manually provided to the electric lubricator by a user through an input interface, (ii) a fixed value set in the electric lubricator in advance, or (iii) automatically provided to the electric lubricator by an external device communicatively coupled with the electric lubricator;
and
a fourth operation to update any of the one or more reference values stored in the memory device with the new reference value calculated,
the control circuit in the normal mode being configured to perform:
a fifth operation to drive the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a sixth operation to calculate the count of reciprocation based on the first manual switch being manually operated;
a seventh operation to calculate an estimated value based on (i) any of the one or more reference values stored in the memory device and (ii) the count of reciprocation, the estimated value corresponding to an estimated total mass of the lubricant dispensed from the dispensing port;
and
an eighth operation (i) to display on a display device the estimated value calculated, and/or (ii) to control the electric motor via the drive circuit based on the estimated value calculated.

16 more elements