Gates for overhead lifting rails

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11376180-B2
Application number	US-201715826810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a gate system for an overhead lifting rail system, comprising: a first gate comprising: a rail portion for supporting a lifting carriage; and a bridging element pivotally coupled adjacent a proximal end to the rail portion; and a second gate comprising: a rail portion for suspending a lifting carriage; and a bridging element support portion. Upon the first gate engaging with the second gate, a distal end of the bridging element of the first gate engages with the bridging element support portion of the second gate to form a bridge between the first gate and the second gate; and the distal end of the bridging element and the bridging element support portion are configured such that the ends of the bridging element are substantially aligned with the respective ends of the rail portions of the first and second gates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gate for an overhead lifting rail, comprising:
a rail portion for suspending a lifting carriage;
a locking pin movable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the lifting carriage is blocked from traversing the rail portion, and in the second position the lifting carriage is able to traverse the rail portion;
a locking pin magnetic portion coupled to the locking pin; and
a gate magnetic portion fixed relative to the rail portion;
wherein, at least one of the locking pin magnetic portion and the gate magnetic portion is a permanent magnet,
upon the gate engaging with a corresponding second gate also comprising a rail portion, a locking pin, a locking pin magnet portion and a gate magnetic portion, the locking pin magnetic portion of the gate engages with the gate magnetic portion of the corresponding second gate such that, upon the rail portion of the gate being substantially aligned with the rail portion of the corresponding second gate, the locking pin is moved from the first position to the second position.

2. A gate system for an overhead lifting rail system, comprising:
a first gate, and a second gate, each gate comprising:
a rail portion for suspending a lifting carriage;
a locking pin movable between a first position and a second position,

wherein in the first position the lifting carriage is blocked from traversing the rail portion, and in the second position the lifting carriage is able to traverse the rail portion;
a locking pin magnetic portion coupled to the locking pin; and
a gate magnetic portion fixed relative to the rail portion;

wherein, at least one of the locking pin magnetic portion and the gate magnetic portion is a permanent magnet,
upon the first gate engaging with the second gate, the locking pin magnetic portion of the first gate engages with the gate magnetic portion of the second gate, and the locking pin of the second gate engages with the gate magnetic portion of the first gate such that, upon the rail portions being substantially aligned, each locking pin is moved from the first position to the second position.

3. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein each gate magnetic portion is configured to magnetically attract the respective locking pin magnetic portion.

4. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein each locking pin magnetic portion protrudes from the respective gate, and each gate magnetic portion is provided in a recessed channel in the respective gate, the recessed channel extending from a first side to a second side of the gate.

5. The gate system according to claim 4 , wherein an edge of each recessed channel comprises a cam profile configured to engage the respective locking pin magnetic portion and move the locking pin from the second position to the first position upon the first gate and the second gate being disengaged.

6. The gate system according to claim 5 , wherein the cam profile is substantially symmetrical about a centre line of the gate.

7. The gate system according to claim 5 , wherein each gate magnetic portion has a shape which conforms to the cam profile.

8. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein each gate magnetic portion comprises a first gate magnet, and a second gate magnet, the first gate magnet being configured to magnetically attract the respective locking pin magnetic portion, and the second gate magnet being configured to magnetically repel the locking pin magnetic portion towards the first gate magnet.

9. The gate system according to claim 8 , wherein the locking pin magnetic portion comprises a first locking pin magnet configured to magnetically attract the respective first gate magnet, and a second locking pin magnet configured to magnetically repel the respective second gate magnet.

10. The gate system according to claim 9 , wherein:
each locking pin magnetic portion protrudes from the respective gate, and each gate magnetic portion is provided in a recessed channel in the respective gate, the recessed channel extending from a first side to a second side of the gate; and
the first gate magnet is provided in a top edge of the recessed channel, and the second gate magnet is provided in a bottom edge of the recessed channel.

11. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein the gate magnetic portion is a permanent magnet, and the locking pin magnetic portion is a permanent magnet.

12. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein the gate magnetic portion is a permanent magnet and the locking pin magnetic portion is formed of a ferromagnetic material.

13. The gate system according to claim 2 , each locking pin being slidably movable from the first position to the second position, wherein in the first position, a distal end of the locking pin protrudes through a hole in the rail portion to block the lifting carriage from traversing the rail portion, and in the second position, the distal end of the locking pin does not protrude through the hole in the rail portion.

14. The gate system according to claim 2 , wherein the first gate further comprises at least one alignment magnet, and the second gate comprises at least one corresponding alignment magnet, the alignment magnets being configured to magnetically attract each other.

15. A gate system for an overhead lifting rail system, comprising:
a first gate comprising:
a rail portion for supporting a lifting carriage; and
a bridging element pivotally coupled adjacent a proximal end to the rail portion; and

a second gate comprising:
a rail portion for suspending a lifting carriage; and
a bridging element support portion;

wherein:
upon the first gate engaging with the second gate, a distal end of the bridging element of the first gate engages with the bridging element support portion of the second gate to form a bridge between the first gate and the second gate; and
the distal end of the bridging element and the bridging element support portion are configured such that ends of the bridging element are substantially aligned with the respective ends of the rail portions of the first and second gates,
wherein the first gate and the second gate each further comprises:
a locking pin movable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the lifting carriage is blocked from traversing the rail portion, and in the second position the lifting carriage is able to traverse the rail portion;
a locking pin magnet coupled to the locking pin; and
a gate magnet fixed relative to the rail portion; and

upon the first gate engaging with the second gate the locking pin magnet of the first gate engages with the gate magnet of the second gate, and vice versa, such that, upon the rail portion of the first gate being substantially aligned with the rail portion of the second gate, each locking pin is moved from the first position to the second position.

16. The gate system according to claim 15 , wherein the bridging element is pivotally coupled at a position substantially aligned with a lifting carriage support surface of the rail portion.

17. The gate system according to claim 15 , wherein each end of the bridging element support portion comprises a tapered portion.

18. The gate system according to claim 15 , wherein the bridging element support portion is formed of an edge of a recessed channel extending from a first side to a second side of the first gate.

19. The gate system according to claim 15 , wherein the distal end of the bridging element configured to engage with the bridging eleme

Assignees

• Liko Res & Dev Ab

Inventors

• Bolin Andreas
• Andersson Mattias
• Pettersson Calle
• Ohlund Robin

Classifications

• A61G7/1049

  Attachment, suspending or supporting means for patients · CPC title

• B66C7/02

  for underhung trolleys or cranes · CPC title

• A61H3/008

  using suspension devices for supporting the body in an upright walking or standing position, e.g. harnesses · CPC title

• A61G7/1063

  Safety means · CPC title

• A61G7/1013

  Lifting of patients by · CPC title