Patent application title: Automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system
Shih-Kuei Lin (Taoyuan City, TW)
IPC8 Class: AF01M1110FI
Class name: Lubrication safety alarm or indicating means
Publication date: 2011-10-20
Patent application number: 20110253481
An automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system using a
control unit in each automatic grease dispenser to provide message to a
center monitoring control and alarm system wirelessly, achieving wireless
remote lubrication control, abnormality alarm, and auto grease-dispensing
functions. Each automatic grease dispenser comprises a driving mechanism
for driving a piston to dispense the lubricating grease, a
microprocessor-based control unit for the setting of the lubricating
cycle and for checking the grease dispensing amount subject to the
detection of the rate of turn of the driving mechanism through a sensor
and a black and white reflective plate.
1. An automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system comprising:
a plurality of automatic grease dispensers installed in mechanical parts
at different locations in a factory, said automatic grease dispensers
each comprising a housing covered with a top cap, a grease container
mounted inside said housing and connected to the associating mechanical
part and holding a lubricating grease, a piston mounted in said grease
container and adapted to force the lubricating grease out of said grease
container into the associating mechanical part, a propelling device
controllable to move said piston, a driving mechanism adapted to drive
said propelling device to move said piston, said driving mechanism
comprising a motor and a speed reducing gear set coupled between said
motor and said propelling device, a control unit adapted to control
operation of said driving mechanism, said control unit comprising a
microprocessor, a sensor and a black-and-white reflection signal plate
adapted to detect the rate of turn of said driving mechanism and to feed
back detected data to said microprocessor for reading, an indicator lamp
adapted to give a visual warning signal when the reading of said
microprocessor is out of a normal range, a battery mounted in said top
cap and electrically connected to said control unit and said driving
mechanism to provide the necessary working voltage, and a transmitter
electrically connected to said microprocessor for data transmission
wirelessly to a center monitoring control and alarm system; and a center
monitoring control and alarm system disposed in communication with the
transmitters of said automatic grease dispensers wirelessly and adapted
to calculate and record the amount of the lubricating grease dispensed by
each of said automatic grease dispensers, to set and calculate the
lubricating cycle of each of said automatic grease dispenser, to record
the routine check and maintenance records of each of said automatic
grease dispensers, and to provide data inquiry and message updating
functions, said center monitoring control and alarm system giving an
alarm signal upon interruption of the connection of one of said automatic
grease dispensers and indicate the location and data of the automatic
grease dispenser that is in trouble.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to a lubricating grease dispensing system and more particularly, to an automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system, which comprises a plurality of automatic grease dispensers installed in different mechanical parts at different locations in a factory, and a center monitoring control and alarm system connected to the automatic grease dispensers wirelessly and adapted to control lubricating operation of the automatic grease dispensers, to monitor and record their lubrication data, or to give an alarm signal if any automatic grease dispenser fails.
 2. Description of the Related Art
 Conventionally, the lubricating points of industrial machinery systems are lubricated point by point with a manual grease dispensing gun, power grease dispensing gun, or pneumatic grease dispensing gun by labor. These lubricating points are also regularly checked and maintained point by point. The grease content of the bearing at each lubricating point can be measured. However, because the number of lubricating points of an industrial machinery system is numerous and because each lubricating point has a different operation condition and requirement, it is difficult to control the lubricating grease dispensing amount for each lubricating point or to estimate the supplying cycle (maintenance interval) of each lubricating point. The lubricating grease dispensing amount for each lubricating point is usually determined subject to the skill workmen's experience. Maintaining lubricating points by means of experience cannot is not the best way because it cannot eliminate the problem of excessive applied amount of lubricating grease that may cause damage of the axle seal, and the problem of grease leakage. More particularly, a skill workman cannot accurate check the amount of lubricating grease in an enclosed lubrication point (such as the axle bearing of a motor) by experience.
 An excessive amount of lubricating grease will lower the heat dissipation efficiency of the axle bearing or mechanical part, causing damage to the axle seal and the axle bearing or mechanical part. Insufficient amount of lubricating grease cannot provide the necessary lubrication, and the axle bearing or mechanical part will wear soon. Therefore, conventional lubricating point maintaining methods require much labor and time and may affect normal production. There are many commercial lubricating grease dispensers that use spring means or pneumatic force to dispense lubricating grease. However, these conventional lubricating grease dispensers are not satisfactory in function. The mechanics must regularly check the functioning of the lubricating grease dispensers. When one grease dispenser failed, the workman or mechanic cannot know the condition to take the necessary steps before damage occurs.
 Further, a conventional automatic grease dispenser can automatically dispense lubricating grease. However, it calculates the grease output amount subject to the number of displacement actions of the plunger. This measurement has a low accuracy. Because lubricating grease is a mixture of base oil and soap thickener. These two substances have different density and different physical properties. They cause different physical changes when the pressure or temperature is changed. Except the change of flowability (viscosity) toward a relatively thickener and hardener status, the grease dispensing amount will also be affected and changed. The workman cannot judge whether or not the grease dispensing amount has been reduced due to a change of the physical properties of the lubricating grease. In case the grease dispenser is blocked and unable to function normally, the workman cannot find the problem immediately.
 Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system that eliminates the aforesaid problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. An automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system provided by the present invention allows setting of different lubricating cycle for controlling the operation of multiple automatic grease dispensers at different locations individually. Each automatic grease dispenser comprises a control unit that controls a driving mechanism to move a piston, forcing a propelling device to propel lubricating grease out of a grease container into the axle bearing, i.e., lubricating grease is stored in a common space defined between the bearing and the grease container below the piston and automatically supplied to the axle bearing subject to the principle of equalized pressure in one same space. A sensor automatically detects the rate of turn of the driving mechanism and provides the data to a control chip (MIC) for reading. The data thus obtained is transmitted to a center monitoring control and alarm system wirelessly. If the wireless connection is interrupted, the center monitoring control and alarm system immediately gives an alarm signal and indicates the location and history data of the automatic grease dispenser in trouble, enabling the workman to take the necessary steps soon.
 In general, the automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system of the present invention has the following features and benefits:
 1. The automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system allows setting of lubricating grease dispensing cycle for each automatic grease dispenser so that the automatic grease dispensers automatically lubricate the respective lubricating points with a proper amount of lubricating grease; by means of the operation of a motor and gear driving mechanism and the detection of a sensor to detect the rate of turn of the motor and gear driving mechanism and the data reading and compensation correction operation of the control chip (MIC), lubricating points are properly lubricated.
 2. The control unit of every automatic grease dispenser controls the associating driving mechanism to move the associating propelling device, achieving timing and quantitative grease dispensing operation; the sensor of the control unit detects the rate of turn of the associating driving mechanism and feeds the detected data back to the microprocessor of the circuit board for reading and calculation of a compensation value to correct the supply of lubricating grease, thereby eliminating the affect of a physical property change of the lubricating grease and assuring stable output amount of the lubricating grease.
 3. When the driving mechanism is operated to move the pressure board of the propelling device and a piston downwards, the speed of the motor and the electric current applied to the motor of the driving mechanism are measured for correction of grease dispensing amount, avoiding interference of physical property changes of the lubricating grease (flowability change due to change of pressure or temperature), assuring stable supply of the lubricating grease.
 4. In case of an output abnormality, malfunctioning or operation interruption of either automatic grease dispenser or a connection failure between either automatic grease dispenser and the center monitoring control and alarm system, the center monitoring control and alarm system immediately gives an alarm signal and indicate the location and data of the automatic greater dispenser in trouble so that the workman can take the necessary steps immediately.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
 FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an automatic grease dispenser of an automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system in accordance with the present invention.
 FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the automatic grease dispenser shown in FIG. 1.
 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the present invention, showing the positioning of the sensor and black-and-white reflecting signal plate relative to the speed reducing gear set.
 FIG. 4 is an applied view of the present invention, showing the automatic grease dispenser installed in a bushing holder.
 FIG. 5 is another applied view of the present invention, showing the automatic grease dispenser installed in a bearing block.
 FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a wireless control arrangement of the present invention.
 FIG. 7 is a circuit block diagram of the center monitoring control and alarm system according to the present invention.
 FIG. 8 is an operation flow chart of the center monitoring control and alarm system according to the present invention.
 FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a wireless sensor network constructed in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an automatic grease dispenser in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a housing 1, a holder frame 2, a driving mechanism 3, a control unit 4, a propelling device 5, and a grease container 6. The bottom side of the body 11 of the housing 1 is an open side. The top side of the body 11 is configured to accommodate a battery 43 of the control unit 4. Further, a top cap 12 is threaded onto the top side of the body 11 to hold down the battery 43.
 The holder frame 2 is fixedly mounted in the body 11 of the housing 1 to block the grease container 6 from parts disposed at the top side of the holder frame 2, comprising a plurality of upright supports 22, a top mount 21 affixed to the upright supports 22 at the top.
 The driving mechanism 3 comprises a motor 31 fixedly mounted on the top mount 21, a speed reducing gear set 32 installed in the holder frame 2 below the top mount 21 and surrounded by the upright supports 22 and coupled to the motor 31, and the aforesaid propelling device 5. The propelling device 5 comprises a screw tube 51 coupled to the speed reducing gear set 32.
 Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 again, the control unit 4 comprises a circuit board 41, a sensor 42, the aforesaid battery 43, a black-and-white reflection signal plate 44, and a setting switch 45. The black-and-white reflection signal plate 44 is disposed above the speed reducing gear set 32 corresponding to the sensor 42 and rotatable by the speed reducing gear set 32. During rotation of the speed reducing gear set 32, the sensor 42 detects the speed of the black-and-white reflection signal plate 44 subject to cycling of on and off signals (black and white reflecting signals). The sensor 42 feeds back the detected signal to the circuit board 41 for calculating the dispensing amount of the lubricating grease. The circuit board 41 comprises a LED (light emitting diode) 411, which is inserted into (a through hole of) the body 11 of the housing 1 and controlled to provide a visual warning signal.
 The aforesaid propelling device 5 is comprised of the aforesaid screw tube 51 and a pressure board 52. The screw tube 51 is inserted through the holder frame 2 and coupled to the speed reducing gear set 32. When rotating the speed reducing gear set 3, the screw tube 51 is rotated to move the pressure board 52 upwards or downwards.
 Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the grease container 6 comprises a container body 61 holding a lubricating grease 7, a nozzle 611 extending from the bottom side of the container body 61 and connectable to a bearing block 8 or bushing holder 9, and a piston 62 mounted in the container body 61 and connected to the pressure board 52 of the propelling device 5. When the control unit 4 drives the driving mechanism 3 to rotate the speed reducing gear set 32, the propelling device 5 is forced to move the piston 62 downwards in the container body 61, thereby forcing the lubricating grease 7 out of the nozzle 611 into the bearing block 8 or bushing holder 9. Because the internal pressure of the bearing block 8 or bushing holder 9 is equal to the internal pressure of the container body 61, the internal pressure of the container body 61 is detected and fed back to the circuit board 41 of the control unit 4 for calculation of the dispensed amount of the lubricating grease 7, and therefore the control unit 4 can control the lubricating grease output amount.
 Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, during normal functioning (YES) of the motor of the driving mechanism, the sensor 42 detects the speed of the motor and provides the detection to the control chip (MIC) of the circuit board 41 for reading, and the read value is sent to a firmware of a center monitoring control and alarm system 10 wirelessly. If the value read by the control chip (MIC) of the circuit board 41 shows abnormal (NO), the LED of the lubricating grease dispenser is driven to provide a warning visual signal, at the same time, the warning signal is sent to the center monitoring control and alarm system 10 wirelessly to show the abnormal condition.
 When the center monitoring control and alarm system 10 receives a message from the control unit 4, the message enters the system to establish system connection. In case of system connection failure, abnormal reading, or operation interruption, the center monitoring control and alarm system 10 immediately gives a warning signal to indicate abnormality of the lubricating grease dispenser, achieving auto monitoring of the lubricating grease dispenser.
 Referring to FIG. 8, the firmware of the center monitoring control and alarm system has the functions of calculation of the amount of the lubricating grease dispensed, basic data establishment, setting and calculation of lubricating cycle of the lubricating grease dispenser, and recording of history data of the lubricating grease dispenser, as well as recording of routine check and maintenance records, and data inquiry and message update. In case an abnormal warning is not handled or updated, the warning status is maintained until the trouble is settled.
 Referring to FIG. 9, a wireless sensor network in accordance with the present invention is a local area network system, comprising a plurality of wireless data block collectors 30, and a plurality of automatic grease dispensers 20 each carrying a transmitter. The automatic grease dispensers 20 are installed in different mechanical parts at different locations in the factory. The wireless data block collectors 30 collect lubricating grease dispensing data from the automatic grease dispensers 20 wirelessly, and then transmit collected data to the center monitoring control and alarm system 10, and therefore the center monitoring control and alarm system 10 achieves the functions of real-time monitoring, auto-alarm, auto lubrication, and management control.
 Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.