The invention relates to a method of dosing lubricating grease with a lubricant dispenser comprising a lubricant cartridge filled with lubricating grease and holding a plunger for expelling the lubricating grease, a spindle driven by a direct-current drive motor for moving the plunger, a power supply and a controller for operating the motor with a microcontroller and a device for interrupting the motor current flowing through the motor.
To enable precise metering, it is necessary to have precise knowledge of the stroke of the plunger. Deviations from the predetermined dispensed amount can result in inefficient lubricant consumption on the one hand or insufficient lubrication, and, as a result, bearing damage. It is for this reason that elaborate sensors are currently used in lubricant dispensers of the generic type that record the stroke of the plunger or the number of rotations completed by the spindle. Such sensors make a compact construction of the lubricant dispensers impossible, generate additional costs and are occasionally susceptible to external disturbances.
DE 103 06 329 discloses a method of controlling a direct-current motor with a servo drive. The cumulative angle of rotation of the direct-current motor is calculated from its operating values, and the motor is slowed down by short-circuiting at a calculated angle. The motor control is intended for a highly dynamic servo system in which the brake path makes up a substantial portion of the total stroke, particularly for a steering lock, a door, a cover or a flap in automobiles.
Against this background, it is the object of the invention to provide a method of dosing lubricating grease with a lubricant dispenser in a manner that is as simple and cost-efficient in its implementation as possible. This object is achieved by the subject matter of the invention, a method according to claim 1.
The lubricant dispenser comprises a lubricant cartridge filled with lubricating grease, a plunger for expelling the lubricating grease, a spindle driven by a direct-current drive motor for moving the plunger, a power supply and a controller for operating the motor with a microcontroller, and a device for interrupting the motor current flowing through the motor. The motor is operated by the controller in adjustable time intervals such that a dose of dispensed agent expelled from the cartridge by a plunger movement with a predetermined plunger stroke. According to the invention, the motor current and the motor voltage are monitored during motor operation, and the motor runtime needed to generate the predetermined plunger stroke is calculated from the measured current and voltage and at least one motor characteristic. When the motor operating time reaches the calculated motor runtime, the motor current is interrupted. Here, motor current and motor voltage refer to the voltage applied to the motor and the electric current flowing through the motor. Worthy of consideration as motor characteristics are, particularly, the armature resistance and a general motor constant to be determined empirically and that encompasses the magnetic field intensity of a permanent magnet built into the electric motor, geometric influencing variables of the coil arrangement, bearing resistances and the like.
According to one preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the ambient temperature is measured, and a temperature-dependent motor characteristic is calculated with a temperature function stored in the controller. The controller expediently has a temperature sensor for this purpose. This can also be integrated directly into the microcontroller. The io temperature function can be provided as an arithmetic statement, for example. Furthermore, a value table can be stored in a memory of the microcontroller from which individual values of the table or values interpolated therebetween are outputted as a function of the input value.
The device for interrupting the motor current can be formed, for example, by a bipolar transistor, a field-effect transistor, preferably a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor, or even by a relay. Transistors can be installed in a highly space-saving manner and even integrated into a microcontroller.
In another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the voltage dropping across the motor is set to a target value by pulse-width modulation in an operating phase while the motor is running. The pulse-width modulation constitutes a conventional method of supplying an electrical consumer with only a portion of the voltage supplied by a power supply without loss of electrical energy. If the voltage is set via a control loop to a target value, the output voltage is largely independent of the supply voltage. This is particularly attractive in applications that are fed by batteries, since their voltage diminishes over the course of their service lives.
Preferably, the actual motor voltage is measured in short time intervals. Intervals on the order of 10 ms are useful for the present application in order to achieve effective control.
To ensure a reliable and fast start-up of the electric motor, it is further advantageous to apply a voltage to the motor during a startup phase prior to the operating phase higher than the target voltage of the operating phase. This is intended to keep the cycle in which the motor is not yet running at the target speed as short as possible. Moreover, this also prevents the motor from coming into operation slowly or not at all due to reduced power and mechanical obstacles to startup.
In one preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the target voltage is selected during the operating phase as a function of the type of lubricant cartridge. Usually, lubricant cartridges with different-sized lubricant reservoirs exist for different applications. The different cartridge sizes each also include different dispenser boxes. Since dispensing occurs more quickly with a higher supply voltage—and thus at a higher motor speed—but the dispensing accuracy is reduced, it is advantageous to provide different operating voltages for the individual cartridge types, representing a best-possible compromise between dispensing speed and dispensing accuracy.
Advantageously, the motor is not short-circuited for braking at the end of the operating phase. Such shorting is not necessary since, as a result of the great mechanical resistance provided by the spindle, plunger and lubricating grease, the electric motor comes to a standstill practically immediately or at least after a short delay once the supply voltage is cut. Overloading of the electronics as a result of short-circuit currents can also be prevented.
The invention will be explained below with reference to an illustrated embodiment shown schematically in the drawing.
It can be seen from the circuit diagram in
In the illustrated example, the controller 8 further comprises a temperature sensor 13 with which the microcontroller 9 determines the ambient temperature. Using a temperature function stored in the memory of the microcontroller 9, at least one motor characteristic can be determined from this as a function of temperature.
Moreover, the device 10 for interrupting the motor current can be formed in the illustrated embodiment by a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor.
In this illustrated embodiment, the microcontroller 9 controls the motor 5 via the device 10 by pulse-width modulation. The device 10 is continuously rendered conductive over and over again in quick succession, and the power circuit is kept closed for a short period of time and then switched off again by the device 10. As long as the power circuit is closed, the entire voltage is applied. When the power circuit is open, no voltage at all is applied via the consumer. The effective average output of the power circuit can be set by selecting the ratio between the times in which the switch is switched on or off. If the frequency at which the switch-on and switch-off operations occur is selected so as to be sufficiently large, this type of power supply acts on an electrically inactive consumer, such as an electric motor, for example, as if it were supplied at a constant voltage whose level is reduced in comparison to the supply voltage of the primary power source 7 by the ratio of time switched on to the total time.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/DE2013/072523 | 10/28/2013 | WO | 00 |