WARNING AND MESSAGE DELIVERY AND LOGGING SYSTEM UTILIZABLE IN THE MONITORING OF FALL ARRESTING AND PREVENTION DEVICES AND METHOD OF SAME

• US 20120217091A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OEM Controls, Inc., Terex South Dakota, Inc. (Terex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Paul D. Baillargeon, Van Walbridge
• Inventors: Baillargeon, Paul D., Walbridge, Van
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 182/18
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/04 for movable platforms or cabins, e.g. on vehicles, permitting workmen to place themselves in any desired position for carrying out required operations Working platforms on fork-lift trucks B66F9/127; vehicle aspects of service vehicles B60P3/14; platforms for cleaning windows A47L3/02; devices for rescuing persons from buildings A62B1/02; liftable or lowerable platforms for use on ladders E06C7/16; maintenance travellers for bridges E01D19/10; scaffolds on an extensible sub-structure E04G1/22
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/044 Working platforms suspended from booms
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/006 for working platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

An active interface monitoring and warning system for fall arresting/prevention devices delivering specific fault condition messages to individuals who are subject to accidental falls or other safety hazards when performing construction or the like or when operating elevating construction machinery such as aerialift work platforms and the like. The invention further provides a data logging system to record and transmit operational conditions, fault conditions and safety infractions.

Claims

1. A safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus comprising:

a personnel support platform for supporting and moving personnel to a desired work location;

an interface monitoring unit mounted to the personnel support platform for receiving and transmitting data;

a plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform of the aerial lift apparatus and communicating with the interface monitoring unit;

a data server for at least one of receiving, storing and transmitting data and commands in communicating with the interface monitoring unit; and

wherein the data server is provided with at least one information logging database and data received by the data server from the interface monitoring unit on the personnel support platform is input to the database and organized according to predetermined categories.

2. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interface monitoring unit is integrated with a GPS receiver and capable of continually receiving, storing and transmitting of operational conditions and telematics data for the aerial lift apparatus.

3. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the interface monitoring unit includes a memory storage device having at least one of a message library and an alarm signal library containing respective message and alarm data.

4. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein a signal from a plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform is evaluated according to predetermined parameters to determine any corresponding message and alarm data in the message and alarm signal library.

5. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the signal from the plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform is transmitted to the data server and recorded in the appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database.

6. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the signal from the plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform is evaluated according to predetermined parameters defining an emergency event and telematics data stored in the interface monitoring unit is associated with emergency event information transmitted to the data server.

7. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a movement control device incorporated into the personnel support platform and operable by the personnel to control the personnel support platform, and the movement control device generates a predetermined movement signal received by the interface monitoring unit and transmitted to the data server and recorded in the appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database.

8. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein date and time data or metadata is directly associated with the movement signal received by the interface monitoring unit and transmitted to the data server for recording in the appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database.

9. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an independent power source for the interface monitoring unit located with the personnel support platform to electrically insulate the support platform from electrical continuity with other portions of the aerial lift apparatus.

10. The safety protection system for aerial lift apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising active controls for operators to receive and access one of at least diagnostic, training, and safety procedural data.

11. A method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server comprising the steps of:

providing a personnel support platform for supporting and moving personnel to a desired work location;

attaching an interface monitoring unit to the personnel support platform for receiving and transmitting data;

locating a plurality of equipment condition detectors on the personnel support platform of the aerial lift apparatus to communicate with the interface monitoring unit;

providing a data server for at least one of receiving, storing and transmitting data and commands and communicating with the interface monitoring unit; and

organizing transmitted data from the interface monitoring unit to the data server with at least one information logging database according to predetermined categories.

12. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 11 further comprising the step of interfacing with a GPS receiver and continually receiving, storing and transmitting operational conditions and telematics data for the aerial lift apparatus.

13. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 11 further comprising the step of integrating the interface monitoring unit with a memory storage device having at least one of a message library and an alarm signal library containing respective message and alarm data.

14. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 13 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the step of evaluating a signal from a plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform according to predetermined parameters to determine any corresponding message and alarm data in the message and alarm signal library.

15. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 14 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the step of transmitting to the data server and recording in the appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database the signal detected from the plurality of equipment condition detectors on the personnel support platform.

16. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 15 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the steps of:

evaluating the signal from the plurality of equipment condition detectors located on the personnel support platform according to predetermined parameters defining an emergency event;

associating telematics data stored in the interface monitoring unit with an emergency event; and

transmitting said emergency event information to the data server.

17. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 16 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the steps of:

controlling the movement of the personnel support platform; and

transmitting to the data server a control movement event corresponding to controlling the movement of the personnel support platform for recording in an appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database.

18. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 17 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the steps of:

associating the date and time data or metadata with controlling the movement of the personnel support platform by the interface monitoring unit; and

transmitting said data to the data server for recording in the appropriate predetermined category in the information logging database.

19. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 11 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the step of powering the interface monitoring unit from an independent power source with the personnel support platform to electrically insulate the support platform from electrical continuity with other portions of the aerial lift apparatus.

20. The method of integrating a safety protection system into an aerial lift apparatus with safety condition detectors and a data server as set forth in claim 11 wherein the interface monitoring unit further comprises the step of providing active controls for an operator to receive and access one of at least diagnostic, training, and safety procedural data.