Methods and apparatus for monitoring a dock leveler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10947069-B2
Application number	US-201916298664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2014
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring a dock leveler are disclosed herein. One example dock leveler system for use at a doorway of a loading dock, where a body is sometimes present at the loading dock, includes a deck movable between a raised position and a lowered position. The example dock leveler system also includes a sensor having a field of view extending over the deck when the deck is in the lowered position. The sensor is in a normal state when the deck is in the lowered position while the body is off the deck, the sensor is in a triggered state when the deck is in the lowered position while the body is on the deck interrupting the field of view, and the sensor is in the triggered state when the deck is in the raised position with the deck interrupting the field of view regardless of whether the body is on or off the deck.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a sensor positioned adjacent a doorway of a loading dock to provide data related to the loading dock; and
a controller to:
determine, via the data generated by the sensor, a status of a rear cargo door of a vehicle adjacent the doorway of the loading dock being in at least one of an open position or a closed position, and a status of a body on a deck associated with the doorway of the loading dock; and
operate the deck to move between stored position and an operating position based on the status of the vehicle door and the presence of the body on the deck.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to detect at least one of a position of a lip or a position of the deck using the data generated by the sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is to control the at least one of the deck or the lip based on the position of the deck and the status of the vehicle door.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is to cause the lip to extend when the position of the deck is at a predetermined elevation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is to at least one of emit or receive a plurality of beams of electromagnetic radiation through a field of view, and the plurality of beams are substantially parallel to the deck when the deck is in the stored position.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is positioned near a horizontal surface of the deck corresponding to when the deck is in the stored position.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to determine when the deck is raised to an elevation relative to the vehicle sufficient to allow the lip of the deck to be extended between the stored position and the extended position without interference with a rear edge of the vehicle parked at the loading dock.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to determine a position of a door at the doorway being in an open position or a closed position, and in response to determining that the door is in the open position, determine a presence of the vehicle at the loading dock.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to operate the deck to move from stored position to the operating position in response to determining that the vehicle door is in the open position and a body is not detected on an upper surface of the deck.

10. A tangible computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
determine, in response to sensor data generated by a sensor positioned at a loading dock, a status of a rear cargo door of a vehicle, the status including at least one of a closed position or an open position, and a presence of a body on a deck associated with the doorway of the loading dock; and
cause a deck to move between a stored position and an operating position based on the status of the vehicle door and the presence of the body on the deck.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine a condition of the loading dock including at least one or more of a position of the deck, a position of a dock door of the loading dock, or a position of a loading surface of the vehicle.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to control at least one of the deck or a lip of the deck based on the condition of the deck.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to control at least one or more of the deck or a lip of the deck based on at least one of a detected presence or a detected position of a vehicle.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to detect a position of a lip of the deck via the sensor data generated by the sensor.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to cause the lip of the deck to extend when the deck is detected at a predetermined elevation.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to, in response to determining that the vehicle door is in the open position, determine when the deck is raised to an elevation relative to the vehicle sufficient to allow a lip of the deck to be extended between the stored position and the extended position without interference with a rear edge of the vehicle parked at the loading dock.

17. A system comprising:
a sensor data analyzer to, in response to data generated by a sensor positioned adjacent a doorway of a loading dock, determine a status of a rear cargo door of a vehicle positioned at the loading dock, the status including at least one of a closed position or an open position, and
a loading dock condition analyzer to, based on the status of the vehicle door determined by the sensor data analyzer, determine a condition of the loading dock including a presence of a body on a deck, the loading dock condition analyzer to cause at least one of the deck to move between a stored position and an operating position or a lip of the deck to move between a retracted position and an extended position based on the rear cargo door status and the presence of the body on the deck.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the loading dock condition analyzer determines the condition of the loading dock prior to moving the at least one of the deck or the lip.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the condition of the loading dock further includes at least one of: a position of the deck; a position of the lip; or a position of a door of the doorway.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the loading dock condition analyzer causes the deck to move from the stored position toward the operative position in response to the loading dock condition analyzer determining that: (1) the rear cargo door is in the open position; (2) the door of the doorway is in an open position; and (3) a body is not present on the deck.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the loading dock condition analyzer causes the lip to move from the retracted position toward the extended position in response to determining that the deck is raised to an elevation relative to the vehicle sufficient to allow the lip of the deck to be extended without interference with a rear edge of the vehicle.

22. The system of claim 17 , further including the sensor, wherein the sensor is positioned adjacent an edge of a doorway of the loading dock.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the sensor includes a first sensor positioned adjacent a lateral edge of the doorway and a second sensor positioned adjacent a floor of the loading dock.

Assignees

• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Brooks Andrew
• Stone Bradley J
• Senfleben Jason
• Sveum Matthew

Classifications

• B65G69/2882 Primary

  operated by detectors or sensors · CPC title

• B65G69/00

  Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with loading or unloading (by means incorporated in, or operatively associated with, conveyors B65G47/00; preventing fire A62C3/00; in vehicles, see the relevant subclasses, e.g., B60P1/58, B61D7/32, B62D33/00, B63B25/00, B64D9/00) · CPC title

• B65G69/287

  Constructional features of deck or surround · CPC title