US5380366A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for optically monitoring and controlling a moving fiber of material
Assignee: Nordson Corp
•
Filing: 1993-04-22
•
Granted: 1995-01-10
•
Expires: 2013-04-22
Abstract
Abstract A beam of light is transmitted from a transmitter (30) which is broken as the moving fiber (22) passes through the beam. A receiver (32) receives the light and generates a signal in response thereto. The signal is processed to determine the status of the pattern generated by the moving fiber (22) of material. In response to changes in the status of the pattern, the rate at which the fiber is dispensed and/or the movement of the pattern can be adjusted as well as alarm conditions noted.
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin C. Becker
- 👤 Patrick J. O'Keefe, Jr.
- 👤 Eddie W. Dixson, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 02:54
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05C; B05C5/00; B05C5/02; D; D06; D06B; D06B23/00; B05B; B05B12/00; B05B12/08; B05B12/082; B05B7/00; B05B7/02; B05B7/08; B05B7/0807; B05B7/0861; B05B7/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A dispensing system comprising: a dispensing means having a discharge opening for dispensing a fiber of material and a means for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate in a moving pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; a transmitting means for transmitting a beam of light; a receiving means, aligned with the beam of light for generating a signal in response thereto, and the transmitting and receiving means positioned such that under normal operating conditions, the fiber of material will pass through the beam of light at least twice as it propagates in the moving pattern; a means, responsive to the signal generated by the receiving means for generating an edge signal when an edge of the fiber bears a predetermined relationship to the beam of light; a means for generating a symmetry signal indicative of, or proportional to, either a time interval between a first said edge signal and a second edge signal or a time interval between the second said edge signal and a third edge signal; a means, generating a period signal indicative of, or proportional to, the time interval between said first edge signal and said third edge signal; and a means, responsive to said period and symmetry signals for determining a motion status of the pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
A dispensing system comprising: a dispensing means having a discharge opening for dispensing a fiber of material and a means for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate in a moving pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; a transmitting means for transmitting a beam of light; a receiving means, aligned with the beam of light for generating a signal in response thereto, and the transmitting and receiving means positioned such that under normal operating conditions, the fiber of material will pass through the beam of light at least twice as it propagates in the moving pattern; a means, responsive to the signal generated by the receiving means for generating an edge signal when an edge of the fiber bears a predetermined relationship to the beam of light; a means for generating a symmetry signal indicative of, or proportional to, either a time interval between a first said edge signal and a second edge signal or a time interval between the second said edge signal and a third edge signal; a means, generating a period signal indicative of, or proportional to, the time interval between said first edge signal and said third edge signal; and a means, responsive to said period and symmetry signals for determining a motion status of the pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising: a means, responsive to changes in the status of the motion of the pattern, for controlling the dispensing means to compensate for said changes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
72 words
The dispensing means of claim 1 wherein said means for determining the status in the motion of the pattern includes: a means, responsive to said period and symmetry signals, for determining an average period signal and an average symmetry ratio signal for a sampling interval; and a means for comparing the average period and an average symmetry ratio signals to a respective reference and generating a signal in response to said comparisons.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
The dispensing means of claim 1 further comprising: a means responsive to an external control signal for controlling the dispensing means such that either the discharge of fiber of material from the discharge opening of the dispensing means is adjusted, or the means for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate is adjusted, or both the discharge of material and the means for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate are adjusted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The dispensing means of claim 1 wherein the beam of light passes through the centerline of the pattern.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The dispensing means of claim 1 wherein said means for determining the status of the motion of the pattern includes a means for indicating an alarm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the fiber of material dispensed is a bead of fluid and the means for causing the fiber to propagate in a moving pattern comprises a plurality of air jets surrounding the opening for propelling the fiber of material in a substantially spiral pattern towards the substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The dispensing system of claim 7 further comprising: a means, responsive to changes in the status of the motion of the pattern, for controlling the dispensing means to compensate for said changes in the status of the pattern such that the pattern is substantially maintained.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The dispensing means of claim 7 further comprising: a means, responsive to changes in the status of the motion of the pattern, for controlling the air flow from the air jets.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The dispensing means of claim 7 further comprising: a means, responsive to changes in the status of the motion of the pattern, for controlling the fluid pressure of the fluid within the dispensing means such that the amount of fluid dispensed from the dispensing means is controlled.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
226 words
An apparatus comprising: a) a means for dispensing a bead of adhesive from a discharge opening at a flow rate; b) a means for causing the dispensed bead of adhesive to propagate in a rotating pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; c) a means for transmitting a beam of light such that, under normal operating conditions, the bead of adhesive will pass through the beam of light at least twice as it moves in said pattern; d) a means for detecting said beam of light and generating in response to the presence or absence of said beam of light a signal indicative of the presence or absence of the bead of adhesive; and e) a means responsive to said signal, corresponding to the passage of the bead of adhesive through the beam of light at least twice, for generating a control signal which is effective to perform at least one of the following: i) to cause the flow rate at which the bead of adhesive is dispensed from the discharged opening to vary in a relationship to said control signal, ii) to cause the rate at which the bead of adhesive rotates in said pattern to vary in a relationship to said control signal, and iii) to cause a motion status of the pattern to be indicated by an indicating means.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
226 words
An apparatus comprising: a) a means for dispensing a bead of adhesive from a discharge opening at a flow rate; b) a means for causing the dispensed bead of adhesive to propagate in a rotating pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; c) a means for transmitting a beam of light such that, under normal operating conditions, the bead of adhesive will pass through the beam of light at least twice as it moves in said pattern; d) a means for detecting said beam of light and generating in response to the presence or absence of said beam of light a signal indicative of the presence or absence of the bead of adhesive; and e) a means responsive to said signal, corresponding to the passage of the bead of adhesive through the beam of light at least twice, for generating a control signal which is effective to perform at least one of the following: i) to cause the flow rate at which the bead of adhesive is dispensed from the discharged opening to vary in a relationship to said control signal, ii) to cause the rate at which the bead of adhesive rotates in said pattern to vary in a relationship to said control signal, and iii) to cause a motion status of the pattern to be indicated by an indicating means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for generating said control signal comprises: a means for comparing an interval between the presence of the bead in the beam of light to a subsequent presence of the bead in the beam of light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for generating said control signal comprises: a means for determining a period of the pattern, determining symmetry of the pattern, and comparing the period and the symmetry of the pattern to a respective reference.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
130 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for generating said control signal comprises: a means for generating an edge signal in response to said signal when an edge of the bead of material bears a relationship to the beam of light; a means for generating a symmetry signal indicative of, or proportional to, either a time interval between a first said edge signal and a second edge signal or a time interval between the second said edge signal and a third edge signal; a means for generating a period signal indicative of, or proportional to, the time interval between said first edge signal and said third edge signal; and a means for determining the status of the motion of the pattern in response to said period and symmetry signals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for determining the status of the motion of the pattern includes a means for determining an average period for a plurality of period signals and comparing the status of the pattern in response to said comparison.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for determining the status of the motion of the pattern includes means for: determining an average symmetry for a plurality of symmetry signals, determining an average symmetry ratio wherein the symmetry ratio is the ratio of the average symmetry divided by the average period, and comparing the average symmetry ratio to a reference and indicating the status of the motion of the pattern in response to said comparison.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
157 words
An apparatus comprising: a dispenser having a discharge opening for dispensing a fiber of material and wherein the dispenser is adapted for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate in a rotating pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; a transmitter and a receiver adapted from being located between the discharge opening of the dispenser and the substrate, the transmitter transmitting a beam of light through the rotating pattern and the receiver receiving the beam of light and generating a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the fiber in the beam of light; a means coupled to said receiver and adapted for performing at least one of the following in response to the passage of the fiber through the beam of light a plurality of times: i) determining a period or frequency of the rotating pattern; and ii) determining a relative placement of the fiber of material on the substrate.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
157 words
An apparatus comprising: a dispenser having a discharge opening for dispensing a fiber of material and wherein the dispenser is adapted for causing the dispensed fiber of material to propagate in a rotating pattern through a space between the discharge opening and a substrate; a transmitter and a receiver adapted from being located between the discharge opening of the dispenser and the substrate, the transmitter transmitting a beam of light through the rotating pattern and the receiver receiving the beam of light and generating a signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the fiber in the beam of light; a means coupled to said receiver and adapted for performing at least one of the following in response to the passage of the fiber through the beam of light a plurality of times: i) determining a period or frequency of the rotating pattern; and ii) determining a relative placement of the fiber of material on the substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 17 further including a means, responsive to said signal, adapted for causing the rate at which the fiber of material rotates in said rotating pattern to vary.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3316410A
Cited
US3587079A
Cited
US3609379A
Cited
US3674177A
Cited
US4102177A
Cited
WO1979000010A1
Cited
SU699333A1
Cited
US4260258A
Cited
US4357900A
Cited
US4712736A
Cited
JPS5878961A
Cited
US4498901A
Cited
US4629903A
Cited
US4680462A
Cited
US4613059A
Cited
EP0222258A2
Cited
EP0239689A2
Cited
US4706267A
Cited
JPS62196109A
Cited
US4834150A
Cited
US4785996A
Cited
SU1451549A1
Cited
US4820281A
Cited
US4858172A
Cited
US4963757A
Cited
JPH01224065A
Cited
US4935261A
Cited
US5045069A
Cited
WO1990014223A1
Cited
US5065695A
Cited
US5217745A
Cited
US5002537A
Cited
US5012496A
Cited
US5060250A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-01-09 | 1998-07-11 | 1999-01-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-01-09 | 2002-07-11 | 2003-01-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-01-09 | 2006-07-11 | 2007-01-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |