Safety systems for vertically storing dock levelers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9284135-B2
Application number	US-201414204987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2014
Priority date	Aug 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

Dock leveler safety systems for vertically storing dock levelers are disclosed herein. An example method for sensing a body present within an area of a pit at a loading dock includes monitoring the area of the pit via a sensor system by capturing an image of the area, comparing the captured image to a reference image to determine whether a body is present in the area of the pit, and commanding a deck of a dock leveler to not lower relative to the pit if the body is present.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring a sensed region of a pit floor of a dock leveler, the method comprising:
positioning a first sensor adjacent a first rear corner of the pit floor and a second sensor adjacent a second rear corner of the pit floor;
receiving a command to move a deck of the dock leveler from a stored upright position toward a range of operative positions;
monitoring the sensed region of the pit floor via the first sensor and the second sensor, where the first sensor is positioned relative to the second sensor such that at least a portion of a first sensing area monitored by the first sensor overlaps at least a portion of a second sensing area monitored by the second sensor, wherein monitoring the sensed region includes only detecting movement of a body in a direction away from at least one of first sensor or the second sensor; and
preventing the deck from moving toward the range of operative positions in response to detecting the body in the sensed region when the deck is in the stored upright position.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the sensed region prior to moving the deck within the range of operative positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing each of the first and second sensors outwardly from a dock wall of the dock leveler and angled toward a middle portion of the pit floor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the sensed region comprises monitoring an area that is substantially similar to a width and a length of the deck.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disregarding a reaction signal provided by at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the sensed region prior to moving the deck toward the range of operative positions.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disregarding a reaction signal provided by at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions to prevent false signals triggered by the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor from interfering with the operation of the deck when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions.

8. A method for monitoring a sensed region of a pit floor of a dock leveler, the method comprising:
receiving a command to move a deck of the dock leveler from a stored upright position toward a range of operative positions;
monitoring the sensed region of the pit floor via at least one of a first sensor located in the pit floor or a second sensor located in the pit floor, where the first sensor is positioned relative to the second sensor such that at least a portion of a first sensing area monitored by the first sensor overlaps at least a portion of a second sensing area monitored by the second sensor, wherein monitoring the sensed region comprises only detecting movement of a body in a direction away from the least one of the first sensor or the second sensor; and
preventing the deck from moving toward the range of operative positions in response to detecting the body in the sensed region when the deck is in the stored upright position.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising monitoring the sensed region prior to moving the deck within the range of operative positions.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein monitoring the sensed region comprises monitoring an area that is substantially similar to a width and a length of the deck.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disregarding a reaction signal provided by at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising positioning the first sensor adjacent a first rear corner of the pit floor and the second sensor adjacent a second rear corner of the pit floor.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising directing each of the first and second sensors outwardly from a dock wall of the dock leveler and angled toward a middle portion of the pit floor.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising disregarding a reaction signal provided by at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions to prevent false signals triggered by the at least one of the first sensor or the second sensor from interfering with the operation of the deck when the deck is moving in the range of operative positions.

Assignees

• Sveum Matthew
• Rite Hite Holding Corp

Inventors

• Sveum Matthew

Classifications

• B65G69/2811

  pivoting ramps · CPC title

• B65G2203/044

  Optical · CPC title

• B65G2203/041

  Camera · CPC title

• B65G69/2882 Primary

  operated by detectors or sensors · CPC title