Method for operating a dispensing system and dispensing system

Abstract

A dispensing system includes a dispensing apparatus and a cartridge device. The dispensing apparatus has at least one receiving chamber for receiving the cartridge device, at least one dispensing device, a control device, a drive device and a power supply. The method includes inserting the cartridge device into the at least one receiving chamber; emitting at least one first signal from a signal generator of the cartridge device; receiving the at least one signal of the cartridge device by at least one sensor of the dispensing apparatus; transmitting a second signal from the sensor to the control device; transferring the drive device from a first operating mode into a second operating mode if the second signal corresponds to a value stored in the control device or if an algorithm stored in the control device verifies the second signal, or transferring the drive device into a third operating mode.

Claims

1. A method for operating a dispensing system, comprising a dispensing apparatus and a cartridge device, the dispensing apparatus comprising at least one receiving chamber for receiving the cartridge device, at least one dispensing device, a control device, a drive device and a power supply, said method comprising: inserting the cartridge device into the at least one receiving chamber; emitting at least one first signal from a signal generator of the cartridge device; receiving the at least one signal of the cartridge device by at least one sensor of the dispensing apparatus; transmitting a second signal from the sensor to the control device; transferring the drive device from a first operating mode into a second operating mode if the second signal corresponds to a value stored in the control device or if an algorithm stored in the control device verifies the second signal; or transferring the drive device into a third operating mode wherein the first operating mode of the drive device is a deactivation mode in which no current is fed from the power supply to the drive device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third operating mode of the drive device corresponds to the first operating mode of the drive device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the drive device remains in the first operating mode by means of interrupting the energy path between the power supply and the drive device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the third operating mode of the drive device, the dispensing device is subjected to a feed motion in a first direction at a first speed which is slower than a speed of the feed motion of the dispensing device in the first direction in the second operating mode of the drive device.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising: emitting at least one third signal from the signal generator of the cartridge device, which third signal sets the drive device into the first operating mode if the third signal is greater than a threshold value stored in the control device.

6. The method according to claim 5, comprising: emitting a warning signal by a warning signal generator in the third operating mode of the drive device.

7. The method according to claim 6, comprising: emitting a warning signal by a warning signal generator if the third signal exceeds a threshold value stored in the control device.

8. A dispensing system for carrying out a method according to claim 1, comprising: a dispensing apparatus, and a cartridge device, wherein the dispensing apparatus comprises at least one receiving chamber for receiving the cartridge device, at least one dispensing device, a control device, a drive device, and a power supply wherein said dispensing, apparatus is in a first operating mode whereby an energy path between said power supply and said the drive device is interrupted.

9. The dispensing system according to claim 8, wherein a wireless transmission device is provided which comprises a signal generator associated with the cartridge device and at least one sensor associated with the dispensing device.

10. The dispensing system according to claim 9, wherein the wireless transmission device is an optical transmission device or a radio transmission device and is in particular designed as an RFID transmission device, as a Bluetooth transmission device, as an NFC transmission device, as a WiFi transmission device, as a QR transmission device, as a DMC transmission device, as a WLAN transmission device, as a ZigBee transmission device, as a Wibree transmission device, as a WiMAX transmission device, as an IrDA transmission device or as a transmission device which operates in accordance with optical directional radio.

11. The dispensing system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor is connected to the control device by a further transmission device, the further transmission device being wired or wireless.

12. The dispensing system according to claim 11, wherein the further transmission device is designed as an RFID transmission device, as a Bluetooth transmission device, as an NFC transmission device, as a WiFi transmission device, as a QR transmission device, as a DMC transmission device, as a WLAN transmission device, as a ZigBee transmission device, as a Wibree transmission device, as a WiMAX transmission device, as an IrDA transmission device or as a transmission device which operates in accordance with optical directional radio.

13. The dispensing system according to claim 8, wherein an output device is provided on a housing of the dispensing apparatus.

14. The dispensing system according to claim 8, wherein the dispensing apparatus has at least one readable storage device which is designed to at least temporarily store the first signal, the second signal and/or the third signal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge device comprises a component of a two-component mortar composition.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said cartridge device comprises a first chamber comprising a curable resin component and a second chamber comprising a curing component.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein in said second operating mode, it is possible to dispense material from said cartridge device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a simplified three-dimensional view of a dispensing apparatus of a dispensing system;

(2) FIG. 2 is a simplified side view of the dispensing apparatus of the dispensing system according to FIG. 1;

(3) FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of a cartridge device of the dispensing system, which cartridge device is designed to interact with the dispensing apparatus according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2; and

(4) FIG. 4 is a simplified view of a flow chart of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating the dispensing system according to FIGS. 1 to 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) A preferred embodiment of a dispensing system 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a dispensing apparatus 10 of the dispensing system 1 being shown in FIG. 1 and a cartridge device 40 of the dispensing system 1 being shown in FIG. 2.

(6) The dispensing apparatus 10 can in principle be designed to dispense single-component and, in the present case, in particular multi-component compositions, and the compositions can be provided for filling, gluing or sealing or similar applications in the construction sector, for example. These and other compositions are arranged in one or more cartridges of a cartridge device.

(7) In the present case, the dispensing apparatus 10 is designed to interact with a cartridge device 40 shown in FIG. 3 that has two containers designed as cartridges 41 and 42. The cartridge device 40 can be arranged in a receiving chamber 11 of a housing 12 of the dispensing apparatus 10 and can contain, for example, a two-component mortar composition. In this case, a curable resin component can be arranged in one chamber or cartridge 41 of the cartridge device 40, and a curing component can be arranged in the other chamber or cartridge 42 of the cartridge device 40 that is arranged separately from the first chamber or cartridge in a reaction-inhibiting manner. The composition produced after mixing the curable resin component and the curing component is used, for example, as an injection mortar for the chemical anchoring, for example, of metal elements in mineral substances, in particular structures made of brickwork, concrete or natural stone. In this case, the boreholes which are correspondingly required for fastening the anchoring means are first introduced into the mineral substrate, after which the curable resin component is mixed with the curing component of the two-component mortar composition and introduced into the borehole, whereupon the anchoring means to be fastened is inserted and adjusted, and the mortar composition is subsequently cured.

(8) In the present case, the housing 12 of the dispensing apparatus 10 extends substantially along an axial direction A and has a functional portion 14 and a handling portion 16. The functional portion 14 substantially comprises the receiving chamber 11 and, at a processing-side distal end 18 of the functional portion 14, a processing head 19 into which a dispensing opening of the cartridges 41, 42 extends. Compositions output from the cartridges 41, 42 are mixed in particular in a mixing region 49 of the cartridge device 40 and output, at the processing-side distal end 18 of the functional portion 14, to a location which is to be processed.

(9) In addition to a handle 21, the handling portion 16 of the housing 12 comprises an actuation switch 22 which is arranged in the region of the handle 21 and can be designed, for example, as a so-called MOSFET switch. In order to dispense out of the cartridges 41, 42, a dispensing device 24 is provided which in the present case is designed so as to have two dispensing pistons 25, 26 which in the present case are rigidly interconnected via a push rod 29. Each dispensing piston 25, 26 comprises a stamp 27 or 28 at the end thereof facing the relevant cartridge 41 or 42, respectively.

(10) Furthermore, a drive device is provided which is only shown schematically here and is in particular designed as an electric motor 30, by means of which device the dispensing pistons 25, 26 can be displaced in the axial direction A. Alternatively, the dispensing pistons 25, 26 can also be operated by means of compressed air or by means of a hydraulic drive.

(11) In order to convey compositions in the cartridges 41, 42 out of the cartridges 41, 42 via the dispensing openings, the dispensing pistons 25, 26 can be moved together in the direction of the distal end 18 by means of the push rod 29 that can be driven by the electric motor 30 in a feed direction V.

(12) In the present case, the electric motor 30 is supplied with energy by a power supply which is only shown schematically in FIG. 2 and is designed as an accumulator 31. Alternatively, the dispensing apparatus 10 may also be mains-powered, it being possible for a plug which can be coupled to a mains supply to be provided. The dispensing apparatus 10 also comprises a control device 33 which is designed to actuate the electric motor 30 according to a user request by means of the actuation switch 22.

(13) The electric motor 30 can be put into different operating modes by the control device 33, a first operating mode corresponding to a deactivation mode in which no current is fed from the accumulator 31 to the electric motor 30 and an actuation of the actuation switch 22 does not lead to a displacement of the push rod 29. A second operating mode corresponds to normal or regular operation of the electric motor 30, in which a user's actuation of the actuation switch 22 leads to a displacement of the dispensing pistons 25 and 26 in the feed direction V at a first speed. The electric motor 30 can in particular also be set into a third operating mode by the control device 33, in which mode a user's actuation of the actuation switch 22 leads to a displacement of the dispensing pistons 25 and 26 in the feed direction V at a second speed which is reduced relative to the first speed.

(14) In the present case, the cartridges 41, 42 of the cartridge device 40 each have a substantially cylindrical main body 43 or 44 comprising a first end wall 45 or 46 and an opposite second end wall 47 or 48, respectively. An output opening is provided at each first end wall 45 or 46, which openings are interconnected via the mixing region 49. For example, an output device in the form of a spout can be connected to the mixing region 49. The second end wall 47 or 48 is designed to interact with the stamp 27 or 28 of the relevant dispensing piston 25 or 26, respectively, a volume of the main body 43 or 44 of the relevant cartridge 41 or 42 being reduced when the dispensing piston 25 or 26 is displaced in the feed direction V in the direction of the first end wall 45 or 46 such that the relevant composition is conveyed into the cartridges 41 and 42 through the output opening, mixed together in the mixing region 49 and dispensed out via the output device.

(15) The dispensing system 1 also has a transmission device 60 which has at least one sensor 61 arranged on the dispensing apparatus 10 and a signal generator 62 arranged on the cartridge device 40. The transmission device 60 is wireless and can operate by means of various transmission principles. In particular, said transmission device is an RFID transmission device, but may alternatively also be designed, for example, as a Bluetooth transmission device, an NFC transmission device, a WiFi transmission device, a QR transmission device, a DMC transmission device, a WLAN transmission device, a ZigBee transmission device, a Wibree transmission device, a WiMAX transmission device, an IrDA transmission device or a transmission device which operates in accordance with optical directional radio.

(16) In the present case, the signal generator 62 is arranged on an end face 50 of the mixing region 49 of the cartridge device 40 whereas the sensor 61 is arranged on the housing 12 of the dispensing apparatus 10 such that, when the cartridge device 40 is arranged in the receiving chamber 11 in a prescribed manner, the signal generator 62 of the cartridge device 40 interacts with the sensor 61 and signals can be transmitted from the signal generator 62 to the sensor 61. For this purpose, the sensor 61 is arranged, for example, in the region of a wall of the housing 12 that defines a distal end region of the receiving region 11.

(17) The sensor 61 is coupled to the control device 33 by means of a further transmission device 65, it being possible for the further transmission device 65 to be wireless or wired. The further transmission device 65 can be designed on the basis of the same transmission mechanisms as the transmission device 60.

(18) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating the dispensing system 1, it being possible by means of the method to determine, for example, whether a compatible system consisting of a dispensing apparatus 10 and a cartridge device 40 is present. As a result, damage both to the dispensing apparatus 10 and to the cartridge device 40 can be reliably prevented. The risk of damage as a result of incorrect operation can also be reduced or prevented, for example.

(19) The method begins at the start S. In step S1, the cartridge device 40 is inserted into the receiving chamber 11. In step S2, the signal generator 62 of the cartridge device 40 emits a first signal which in particular identifies the cartridge device 40 in terms of type, size, shape and the like. In addition, in the present case, the cartridge device 40 additionally emits a third signal which contains, for example, a best-before date of the cartridge device 40, a permissible temperature range of the surrounding region for processing or the like. The signals emitted by the cartridge device 40 are received by the sensor 61 of the dispensing apparatus 10 in step S3 when the cartridge device 40 is arranged in the receiving chamber 11 in a prescribed manner.

(20) Subsequently, in step S4, a second signal which corresponds to the first signal and the third signal or is generated from the first signal and the third signal is transmitted from the sensor 61 to the control device 33. In query step S5, the second signal that correlates to the third signal is compared, for example, with a current ambient temperature determined by a temperature sensor and, if the current ambient temperature lies within a permissible temperature range for the cartridge device 40, the method proceeds to query step S6. Alternatively or in addition, the query step S5 can compare whether the current date is before the permissible best-before date of the cartridge device 40. If the result is positive, the method proceeds to query step S6.

(21) If the query result in query step S5 is negative, the electric motor 30 is set into the first operating mode by the control device 33 in step S7, i.e. the electric motor 30 remains in the first operating mode if it was already in said mode, or the electric motor 30 is transferred into the first operating mode if it was previously in another operating mode. In the first operating mode of the electric motor 30, an actuation of the actuation switch 22 does not lead to a displacement of the push rod 29 and thus of the dispensing pistons 25 and 26.

(22) Following a positive query result in query step S5, in query step S6 the second signal that correlates to the first signal is compared with values stored in the control device 33, for example in the form of a look-up table, or verified by means of an algorithm stored in the control device 33. If the result of the comparison or the verification is positive, the electric motor 30 is transferred into the second operating mode by the control device 33 in step S8, whereas if the query result in the query step S6 is negative, the electric motor 30 is transferred into the third operating mode in step S9. Alternatively, the electric motor 30 can also be transferred into the first operating mode in step S9. In the second operating mode of the electric motor 30, a user request caused by actuating the actuation switch 22 leads to a displacement of the push rod 29 and thus to the displacement of the dispensing pistons 25, 26.

(23) In the query step S10 which follows steps S7, S8 and S9, a query is made as to whether relevant framework conditions to be defined have changed to a predetermined extent. If the query result is positive, the method is resumed at step S1. If the query result is negative, the method is stopped at step E.

(24) By means of the method for operating the dispensing system 1, damage both to the dispensing apparatus 10 and to the cartridge device 40, which damage could occur, for example, as a result of using a cartridge device 40 which is incompatible with the dispensing apparatus 10, can be easily prevented. Furthermore, by transmitting corresponding data from the cartridge device 40 to the dispensing apparatus 10, it is possible to easily prevent the cartridge device 40 from being used in the event of correspondingly definable impermissible framework conditions which can lead to undesired processing results. Damage to the cartridge device 40 and/or the dispensing apparatus 10 that is caused by a cartridge device 40 being arranged incorrectly in the receiving chamber is also prevented from occurring when the signal generator 62 and the sensor 61 are designed and arranged such that signal transmission between the signal generator 62 and the sensor 61 only takes place when the cartridge device 40 is arranged in the receiving chamber 11 to a prescribed extent.

(25) The dispensing apparatus 10 comprises in particular an output device 70 which is designed, for example, to output a warning signal in an optical, acoustic and/or haptic manner when the electric motor 30 is set into the first operating mode by the control device 33 in step S7 and/or transferred into the third operating mode in step S9. The control device 33 can also have a storage device 72 which is designed to at least temporarily store the first signal, the second signal and/or the third signal and which can be read out via an output device. As a result, utilization information of the dispensing system 1 can be easily evaluated.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(26) 1 dispensing system 10 dispensing apparatus 11 receiving chamber 12 housing 14 functional portion 16 handling portion 18 distal end 19 processing head 21 handle 22 actuation switch 24 dispensing device 25 dispensing piston 26 dispensing piston 27 stamp 28 stamp 29 push rod 30 drive device; electric motor 31 power supply; accumulator 33 control device 40 cartridge device 41 first cartridge 42 second cartridge 43 main body 44 main body 45 first end wall 46 first end wall 47 second end wall 48 second end wall 49 mixing region 50 end face 60 transmission device 61 sensor 62 signal generator 65 further transmission device 70 output device 72 storage device A axial direction V feed direction