Person lifting devices with accessory detection features and methods for operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10478360-B2
Application number	US-201615196465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

In the embodiments described herein, the person lifting device automatically determines if an accessory, such as a sling, is properly connected to a sling bar of the person lifting device and, if the accessory is not properly connected, the person lifting device provides a user with a visual and/or audible warning and, in some embodiments, may lock-out the actuation controls of the person lifting device to prevent the person lifting device from being used.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a person lifting device, the method comprising:
detecting, with a first coupling detector, an identification of a first accessory coupling attached to a first lifting hook of a sling bar of the person lifting device;
determining, automatically with an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the first coupling detector, a type of the first accessory coupling based on the identification of the first accessory coupling, wherein the type of the first accessory coupling is based on a predetermined attachment configuration for attaching the first accessory coupling to the sling bar;
detecting, with the first coupling detector, an identification of a second accessory coupling attached to the first lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device;
determining, automatically with the electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the first coupling detector, a type of the second accessory coupling based on the identification of the second accessory coupling, wherein the type of the second accessory coupling is based on a predetermined attachment configuration for attaching the second accessory coupling to the sling bar;
comparing, with the electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the first coupling detector, the type of the first accessory coupling and the type of the second accessory coupling; and
communicating, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal indicating that an accessory is improperly attached to the sling bar when the type of the first accessory coupling and the type of the second accessory coupling are different.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking-out an actuation control of the person lifting device when the type of the first accessory coupling and the type of the second accessory coupling are different.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, automatically with the first coupling detector and the electronic control unit, a number of accessory couplings attached to the first lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device;
determining, with a second coupling detector and the electronic control unit, a number of accessory couplings attached to a second lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device; and
communicating, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal when the number of accessory couplings attached to the first lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device is different than the number of accessory couplings attached to the second lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
locking-out an actuation control of the person lifting device when the number of accessory couplings attached to the first lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device is different than the number of accessory couplings attached to the second lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first accessory coupling and the second accessory coupling comprise RFID tags encoded with the identification; and
the first coupling detector comprises an RFID reader.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the warning signal is communicated by illuminating a visual indicator.

7. A method for operating a person lifting device, the method comprising:
detecting, with at least one coupling detector, an identification of an accessory coupling of an accessory attached to a lifting hook of a sling bar of the person lifting device;
comparing, automatically with an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the at least one coupling detector, the identification of the accessory coupling with an array of one or more compatible accessory couplings associated with the lifting hook of the sling bar; and
communicating, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal indicative of the accessory coupling being improperly attached to the sling bar when the identification of the accessory coupling is not in the array of one or more compatible accessory couplings.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
locking-out an actuation control of the person lifting device when the identification of the accessory coupling is not in the array of one or more compatible accessory couplings.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the preliminary steps of:
detecting, with an accessory detector communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, an identification of the sling bar;
detecting, with the accessory detector, an identification of the accessory;
comparing, automatically with the electronic control unit, the identification of the accessory with an array of one or more compatible accessories associated with the identification of the sling bar; and
communicating, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal when the identification of the accessory is not in the array of one or more compatible accessories.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
locking-out an actuation control of the person lifting device when the identification of the accessory coupling is not in the array of one or more compatible accessories.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
determining, automatically with the electronic control unit, a number of accessory couplings associated with the identification of the accessory;
determining, automatically with the at least one coupling detector and the electronic control unit, a number of attached accessory couplings attached to lifting hooks of the sling bar;
comparing, automatically with the electronic control unit, the number of accessory couplings associated with the identification of the accessory and the number of attached accessory couplings; and
communicating, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal when the number of accessory couplings associated with the identification of the accessory and the number of attached accessory couplings are not equal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
locking-out an actuation control of the person lifting device when the number of accessory couplings associated with the identification of the accessory and the number of attached accessory couplings are not equal.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the warning signal is communicated by illuminating a visual indicator.

14. A person lifting device comprising:
a lift actuator operatively connected to a sling bar, whereby the lift actuator raises and lowers the sling bar;
at least one coupling detector; and
an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the lift actuator and the at least one coupling detector, the electronic control unit comprising a processor and a computer readable and executable instruction set which, when executed by the processor:
detects, automatically with the at least one coupling detector, an identification of an accessory coupling of an accessory attached to a lifting hook of the sling bar of the person lifting device;
compares, automatically with the electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the at least one coupling detector, the identification of the accessory coupling with an array of one or more compatible accessory couplings associated with the lifting hook of the sling bar; and
communicates, automatically with the electronic control unit, a warning signal indicative of the accessory coupling being improperly attached to the sling bar when the identification of the accessory coupling is not in the array of one or more compatible accessory couplings.

1

Assignees

• Liko Res & Dev Ab

Inventors

• Andersson Mattias
• Bolin Andreas
• Demby Marica
• Harmeyer John V
• Karlsson Roger
• Seim Douglas A
• Srivastava Varad Narayan

Classifications

• A61G7/10 Primary

  Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons, e.g. special adaptations of hoists thereto · CPC title

• A61G7/1017

  Pivoting arms, e.g. crane type mechanisms · CPC title

• A61G2205/10

  Bar codes · CPC title

• A61G7/1046

  Mobile bases, e.g. having wheels · CPC title

• A61G7/1051

  Flexible harnesses or slings · CPC title