Volumetric mixer control system
AssigneeBay-Lynx Manufacturing Inc.
InventorsGreg Koppelaar, Kevin Koppelaar, Ron Dorombozi, Sam Overduin, Mark Pennings
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A volumetric mixer control system for a mobile volumetric mixer for controlling a mix recipe produced by the mobile volumetric mixer. The control system on the mobile volumetric mixer has a programmable logic controller, electronic control units for controlling flow control devices, and a controller area network for controlling the mixer control system. A mobile electronic device connects the controller area network on the mobile volumetric mixer to a remote terminal for providing a control signal to the mobile electronic device to control the mix produced by the volumetric mixer.
Claims20
A mobile volumetric mixer control system comprising:
- a local mixer control system on the mobile volumetric mixer comprising:
- a plurality of electronic control units for controlling a plurality of flow control devices;
- a programmable logic controller in electronic communication with the plurality of electronic control units;
- a transceiver for wireless communication;
- and
- a controller area network for communicating with the plurality of electronic control units;
- a mobile electronic device comprising a transceiver for local wireless communication with the controller area network;
- a remote terminal for providing a control signal to the mobile electronic device to control the mix produced by the volumetric mixer;
- and
- a communication link for bi-directional communication between the remote terminal and the mobile electronic device.
A method of controlling a mobile volumetric mixer, the method comprising:
- formulating a mix recipe at a remote terminal;
- generating control data to control the mobile volumetric mixer for the mix recipe;
- sending the control data to a mobile electronic device;
- sending the control data from the mobile electronic device to the mobile volumetric mixer;
- and
- creating a mix composition at the mobile volumetric mixer per the mix recipe.
A volumetric mixer comprising:
- an aggregate reservoir with an aggregate flow control device;
- one or more primary fluid reservoirs with a flow control valve;
- one or more cementitious material reservoirs with a material flow control device;
- a mixer control system comprising:
- a plurality of electronic control units for controlling a plurality of flow control devices;
- a programmable logic controller in electronic communication with the plurality of electronic control units;
- a transceiver for wireless communication with a mobile electronic device;
- and
- a controller area network for communicating with the plurality of electronic control units;
- wherein the mobile electronic device provides a control signal to the controller area network to control the mix produced by the volumetric mixer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.