Automatic grease dispensing monitoring and alarm system

Abstract

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.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]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.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]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. ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]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.

[0010]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.

[0011]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.

[0012]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.

Problems solved by technology

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.

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.

However, these conventional lubricating grease dispensers are not satisfactory in function.

When one grease dispenser failed, the workman or mechanic cannot know the condition to take the necessary steps before damage occurs.

This measurement has a low accuracy.

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.

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