STORAGE RACK SAFETY DEVICE

• US 20110068943A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lane, Wendell C. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,094,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/668
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/02 Storage devices furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting

Abstract

A safety device for a storage rack can include a length of webbing configured to span across a rear side of the storage rack. A sensor device can be coupled to one end of the webbing and a signaling device can be configured to communicate with the sensor device. The signaling device can include a selectively actuatable alert indicator. The sensor device can be operable to sense an increase in tension in the webbing when an item is placed in a position on the storage rack so as to engage the webbing. The sensor device can generate a signal indicative of the increase in tension and communicate the signal to the signaling device. The signaling device can be operable to actuate the at least one alert indicator responsive to the communicated signal so as to provide an indication of a position of the item relative to the storage rack.

Claims

1. A safety device for a storage rack, comprising:

a length of webbing configured to span across a rear side of the storage rack adapted to store an item;

a sensor device coupled to one end of the webbing; and

a signaling device configured to communicate with the sensor device, the signaling device including at least one selectively actuatable alert indicator;

wherein the sensor device is operable to sense an increase in tension in the webbing when the item is placed in a position on the storage rack so as to engage the webbing, the sensor device further operable to generate a signal indicative of the increase in tension and communicate the signal to the signaling device, the signaling device operable to actuate the at least one alert indicator responsive to the communicated signal to provide an indication of a position of the item relative to the storage rack.

2. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the signaling device is operable to actuate the alert indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

3. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the sensor device is operable to sense an increase in tension relative to a predetermined initial value and a predetermined first threshold value and correlate the sensed increase in tension to a predetermined position of the webbing relative to the rear side of the storage rack, the predetermined position of the webbing under increased tension being indicative of a position of the item relative to the rear side of the storage rack, the generated signal being indicative of the increase in tension relative to the initial value and the first threshold value.

4. The safety device of claim 3, wherein the alert indicator includes a first alert indicator and a second alert indicator;

and

wherein the signaling device is operable to actuate the first alert indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the initial predetermined value and less than the first threshold value, and is operable to actuate the second alert indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the first threshold value.

5. The safety device of claim 3, wherein the sensor device is further operable to sense an increase in tension relative to a second predetermined threshold value, the threshold values increasing from the first threshold value to the second threshold value;

and

wherein the alert indicator includes first, second and third indicators, the signaling device operable to actuate the first indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the initial value and less than the first threshold, to actuate the second indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the first threshold and less then the second threshold, and to actuate the third indicator when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the second threshold.

6. The safety device of claim 5, wherein the first, second and third indicators comprise visual indicators that are selectively illuminated, the first indicator being illuminated with a green color, the second indicator with a yellow color, and the third indicator with a red color.

7. The safety device of claim 5, wherein the signaling device further comprises an audible alert indicator, the signaling device operable to actuate the audible alert indicator response to the output signal being indicative of the sensed increase in tension being greater than the second threshold.

8. The safety device of claim 7, wherein the signaling device is operable to actuate the audible alert indicator with a first audible alert when the output signal is indicative of the sensed increase in tension being greater than the first threshold, and to actuate the audible alert indicator with a second audible alert different than the first when the sensed increase in tension is greater than the second threshold.

9. The safety device of claim 5, wherein the webbing is configured to expand proportional to the increase in tension, and wherein the webbing is further configured to expand in tension only up to a predetermined third threshold greater than the second threshold, such that at the third predetermined threshold, the webbing is configured to substantially prevent further advancement of the item engaging the webbing.

10. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the length of webbing includes a woven polyester material, the length of webbing spanning across the rear side substantially parallel to the rear side.

11. The safety device of claim 1, wherein the storage rack comprises:

a base for receiving the item and having a front side opposite the rear side, and first and second sides spaced apart from each other and connecting the respective front and rear sides; and

a first pair of legs coupled to the base proximate the rear side and a second pair of legs coupled to the base proximate the front side;

wherein the webbing is coupled at another end to a first bracket assembly arranged to be coupled to one of the first pair of legs, and the sensor device is coupled to a second bracket assembly arranged to be coupled to another of the first pair of legs such that the webbing spans across the rear side of the base so as to be substantially parallel to the rear side.

12. The safety device of claim 11, wherein the storage rack includes multiple levels, each level including the base, length of webbing, sensor device and signaling device.

13. The safety device of claim 11, wherein the first and second bracket assemblies each include:

a first member arranged for coupling to one of the respective first pair of legs; and

a second member slidably coupled to the first member in a telescoping configuration;

wherein the sensor device is coupled to the second member of the second bracket assembly and the end of the webbing is coupled to the second member of the first bracket assembly, such that the webbing is adjustable relative to the rear side of the storage rack via the telescoping second members.

14. The safety device of claim 11, wherein the first and second bracket assemblies are slidably coupled to the first pair of legs so as to be vertically adjustable to vary a location of the webbing relative to the base.

15. The safety device of claim 11, further comprising an adjustment mechanism coupled at one end to the end of the webbing and at another end to the first bracket assembly, the adjustment mechanism configured to accommodate various span lengths of the rear side and to provide an initial amount of tension in the webbing.

16. A storage structure assembly, comprising:

a storage rack including a base having a front side opposite a rear side, and first and second sides spaced apart from each other and connecting the respective front and rear sides, the base being configured to receive an item, a first pair of legs coupled to the base proximate the rear side and a second pair of legs coupled to the base proximate the front side; and

a safety device including a first bracket and a second bracket coupled to the respective first pair of legs, a length of webbing configured to span across the rear side of the storage rack, a sensor device coupled to one of the first and second brackets, wherein the webbing is coupled at one end to the sensor device and at another end to the other of the first and second brackets, a signaling device configured to communicate with the sensor device, the signaling device including at least one selectively actuatable alert indicator;

wherein the sensor device is operable to sense movement or a change in tension in the webbing when the item is placed in a position in the storage rack so as to engage the webbing, the sensor device further operable to generate a signal indicative of the movement or change in tension and communicate the signal to the signaling device, the signaling device operable to actuate the at least one alert indicator responsive to the communicated signal to provide an indication of a position of the item relative to the storage rack.

17. The storage structure assembly of claim 16, wherein the sensor device includes a movement sensing device having a retractor assembly and a sensor, the retractor assembly configured to adjustably receive the webbing and maintain a predetermined amount of tension in the webbing, the sensor arranged to sense movement of the webbing.

18. The storage structure of claim 16, wherein the sensor device is a tension sensor device configured to sense an increase in tension of the webbing.

19. The storage structure of claim 16, further comprising a storage rack having multiple levels, each level having the base configured to receive the item and the safety device, wherein at least one level of the multiple levels includes multiple safety devices coupled to the first pair of legs in a vertically stacked manner.

20. The storage structure assembly of claim 16, wherein the sensor device is operable to sense an increase in tension of the webbing relative to predetermined first, second and third threshold values, the tension increasing from the first to the third values;

and

wherein the signaling device further comprises an audible alert indicator and the selectively actuatable alert indicator includes first, second and third visual alert indicators configured to be illuminated in different colors, the signaling device operable to actuate the first indicator when the sensed increase in tension is between the first and second threshold values, the second indicator when the tension is between the second and third threshold values, and to actuate the third indicator when the sensed tension is greater than the third threshold.

21. The storage structure assembly of claim 20, wherein the webbing is configured to expand proportional to the increase in tension, and wherein the webbing is further configured to expand in tension only up to a predetermined fourth threshold greater than the third threshold, such that at the predetermined fourth threshold, the webbing is configured to substantially prevent further advancement of the item engaging the webbing in a direction away from the rear side of the storage rack.