CA2165676A1

CA2165676A1 - Electromechanically powered device for automatically dispensing lubricants or other fluids and suitable for metering such fluids

Info

Publication number: CA2165676A1
Application number: CA002165676A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Edmund Kozlowski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: EUROLUBE HANDEL GmbH
Priority date: 1993-06-29
Filing date: 1994-04-11
Publication date: 1995-01-19
Also published as: CN1125476A; AU6423294A; KR960703220A; WO1995002151A1; DE4321452C1; JPH09511311A; DE9309575U1; DE4494825D2; EP0724697A1

Abstract

Described is a device for dispensing lubricants and other fluids over an extended period, the device being characterized by an integral electromechanical drive with its own or an external power supply, adjustable metering control and the capability to be used with multi-component systems. This drive makes linear metering possible, in which the metered dispensed amount of fluid remains constant.

Description

`_ ,, WO 95/02151 FiLE'~$in~r~L~ I PCT/DE94/00389 Electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids The invention relates t~ a device as described in the preamble of patent claim 1. Such a device has been disclosed (DE-U 9 214 096) and registers the fully empty condition by means of LEDs.

DE-OS 2157 670 has disclosed a lubricator automatically dispensing a lubricant; similar lubricators are also disclosed in DE-OS 21 39 771 and DE-OS 21 66 987, and also in DE-OS
25 20 241 and DE-OS 25 20 241 C3 and US-PS 32 14 067. The common feature of these state-of-the art lubricators disclosed by the patents in question is that gas pressure is generated by means of a chemical or electrochemical reaction and expels lubricant.

Review of the State of the Art The pressure generation processes which have been disclosed and applied are harmful to the environment and are inaccurate, and the operation of some of them even involves the use of toxic substances; in addition, the lubricators must be destroyed after they have been emptied, and this creates disposal problems. Once such lubricators have been switched on, they can be switched off only with great difficulty or not at all. In any event, however, the gas pres~ule must first be reduced so that no additional lubricant or other fluid can escape.
It is the object of the invention further to develop the device as claimed in the preamble of claim 1. It is claimed for the invention that this object is attained by the features set forth in the descriptive portion of claim 1. The housing of the device described consists of two AMENDED ~

~1 65676 (injection-molded plastic) parts, a cylindrical hollow piece and a sealing cover. The hollow piece is divided into two sections, the drive element and the space touched by fluid or lubricant.
A pressure piston prevents the fluid from entering the drive space. An outlet in the form of a tap is provided on the end of the hollow piece in order to permit the lubricant to reach the lubricating point. The external threading may be used simultaneously for f~ctçning at the lubricating point. A nonreturn valve integrated with this tap prevents premature escape of fluid media, since this nonreturn valve builds up a slight counterpressure that must be overcome by the pressure piston in the device. The dispensing times are set with very high precision by means of an electronic control unit. This electromechanical drive is to the greatest extent possible independent of cold and heat and the concomitant variations in the viscosity of the fluid to be ejected. Temperature-dependent fluctuations such as occur in chemical reactions are absent. Various control mechanisms are provided in order to be able to ensure adequate reliability of operation. The device may also be actuated independently of a machine or at intervals. For ecological reasons recyclable or reusable materials were selected. One advantage is that even higher-viscosity fluids may still be dispensed.

AMENDED ~H~;k;l :

An example of the invention is described in what follows with reference to the drawing.

The drawing shows an electromechanically powered device autom~ti~lly dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids, the device consisting of a cylindrieal hollow body 1 and a cover 2 which seals off the interior by means of a gasket.

The device is divided into two sections by a pressure piston 7 which separates the spaee in eontaet with the fluid 8 from the drive space 8. A complete electromechanieal drive eonsisting of energy eomponent 4, mechanical component S, and eleetronie eomponent 6 is mounted in one seetion. The pressure piston 7 eonnected to the mechanical eomponent S, seeured against unintentional torsion, separates this device eomponent from the spaee eoming in eontact with the fluid. An opening 10 in the bottom of this space allows the lubrieant or other fluid to emerge at the desired lubricating point or other consuming elements.

AMENDED

Claims

1. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids, with the following features: (a) cylinder (1) is divided into two sections by a pressure piston (7); (b) an electromechanical drive (5), a power supply unit (4), and an electronic control unit (6) are mounted in one part of this cylinder; (c) a space (8) filled with lubricant or other fluids is situated in the other section of the cylinder, beyond the pressure piston; (d) this space has an exit opening (10) through which a lubricant or other fluid is forced onto a lubricating point or other receiving devices by piston pressure; (e) the electronic control unit is activated by assignment of the dispensing time, staggered over the desired interval, and emits control signals to the electromechanical drive (start or stop) on the basis of stored data controlling the dispensing times; (f) the piston is forced forward by the electromechanical drive and begins to force out the lubricant or other fluid; (g) the electromechanical drive is activated by recurring starting pulses and operates until a new pulse gives the stop signal; (h) the device is shut off automatically after the dispensing time ends; (i) characterized in that, should dispensing for any reason not be possible, the device generates warning messages and shuts off after preset failed attempts.

2. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids 1, wherein shifting of the dispensing time to another cycle during operation is possible and becomes effective immediately.

3. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the electromechanical drive (5) has an electric motor whose speed is stepped down by gearing and which is mounted on a drive shaft acting on the piston (7).

4. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the electromechanical drive (5) has magnets.

5. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids as described in claims 1 to 4, wherein the power supply (4) for the drive is provided by environment-friendly batteries, rechargeable batteries, solar cells, or storage batteries with a capacity coordinated with the lubrication period.

6. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids as described in claims 1 to 4, wherein the power supply (4) for the drive as machine-dependent lubrication is provided by the power supply of the connected machines or system.

7. An electromechanically powered device automatically dispensing a lubricant or other fluids or suitable for metering a lubricant or other fluids as described in claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said device is a double-acting version having two pistons of different diameters for use with two different fluids which may be linearly mixed in any proportions desired, the amount to be metered remaining constant.