ALARM SYSTEM FOR A LOADING DOCK
First Claim
1. A safety method for a building that includes a doorway and a loading dock adapted to receive a vehicle, the safety method comprising:
- sensing a potentially hazardous situation at the loading dock;
sensing the presence of a body within an area adjacent to the doorway, wherein the body could be adversely affected by the potentially hazardous situation; and
generating an alarm signal in response to sensing a combination of both the potentially hazardous situation at the loading dock and the presence of the body within the area.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A safety system for a truck loading dock with an elevated platform provides an alarm that warns of a hazard at the loading dock such as a forklift operating inside the truck or a falling hazard that may exist due to the dock door being open while a truck is not present at the dock. In cases where a dock'"'"'s open doorway is protected by a barrier that can be opened or closed, the alarm can be de-activated by closing the barrier. In some embodiments, the safety system includes a remote body sensor that detects when someone or something is near the doorway. In response to the body sensor, a second, more pronounced alarm can warn of more imminent danger where someone on the platform may be too close to an open doorway when a truck is not present.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A safety method for a building that includes a doorway and a loading dock adapted to receive a vehicle, the safety method comprising:
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sensing a potentially hazardous situation at the loading dock; sensing the presence of a body within an area adjacent to the doorway, wherein the body could be adversely affected by the potentially hazardous situation; and generating an alarm signal in response to sensing a combination of both the potentially hazardous situation at the loading dock and the presence of the body within the area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A safety method for a building that includes a doorway and a loading dock adapted to receive a vehicle, the safety method comprising:
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transmitting a sensing signal that is present in the interior of the vehicle; using the sensing signal to determine whether a body is inside the vehicle; and providing an alarm signal in response to determining the body is inside the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A safety system for a building that includes a doorway and a loading dock adapted to receive a vehicle, the safety system comprising:
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a remote body sensor disposed outside the vehicle and projecting a sensing signal into the vehicle to detect whether a body is inside the vehicle; and an alarm system in communication with the remote body sensor such that the alarm system provides an alarm signal in response to the remote body sensor detecting the body inside the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification