Lift task analysis system
First Claim
1. A lift task analysis system arranged to analyze specific lifting tasks, comprising:
- (a) motion parameters measuring means, comprising a length of cable retractably stored and having a distal end movable by the hands of a person relative to an origin in a three-dimensional polar coordinate reference frame in correspondence with three-dimensional movements made by the person during a selected lifting task, means for determining physical locations of the distal end of the cable held by the person'"'"'s hands and generating corresponding outputs in terms of three spherical polar coordinates relative to the origin, a horizontal plane containing the origin and a vertical plane containing the origin;
(b) input means for enabling a user to input selected parameters;
(c) a control processor including(i) means for determining a recommended weight limit for the selected lifting task based upon said outputs from said physical location determining means and said user-inputted parameters;
(ii) means for determining a lifting index for the selected lifting task based upon said recommended weight limit and the user-inputted parameters; and
(d) memory means for storing said lifting index and said recommended weight limit.
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Abstract
A lift task analysis system includes a sensor having a retractable cable grasped by the hands of a participant. The participant moves in accordance with a selected lifting task and, in doing so, move the cable end correspondingly. The sensor generates an output indicative of a location of the mid-point of the participant'"'"'s hands holding the cable end with respect to that sensor, i.e., a position of the end of the extended cable. The sensor is attached to the housing of an analysis device which includes an input for receiving user/selected parameters. The housing also includes a control processor with means for determining a recommended weight limit and means for determining a lifting index. These determinations are made based upon user-selected input and NIOSH equation multipliers automatically determined through the use of the sensor. The system also includes a memory for storing the lifting index and the recommended weight limit for a plurality of different lifting tasks, as well as other data relevant to those lifting tasks.
25 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A lift task analysis system arranged to analyze specific lifting tasks, comprising:
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(a) motion parameters measuring means, comprising a length of cable retractably stored and having a distal end movable by the hands of a person relative to an origin in a three-dimensional polar coordinate reference frame in correspondence with three-dimensional movements made by the person during a selected lifting task, means for determining physical locations of the distal end of the cable held by the person'"'"'s hands and generating corresponding outputs in terms of three spherical polar coordinates relative to the origin, a horizontal plane containing the origin and a vertical plane containing the origin; (b) input means for enabling a user to input selected parameters; (c) a control processor including (i) means for determining a recommended weight limit for the selected lifting task based upon said outputs from said physical location determining means and said user-inputted parameters; (ii) means for determining a lifting index for the selected lifting task based upon said recommended weight limit and the user-inputted parameters; and (d) memory means for storing said lifting index and said recommended weight limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of analyzing specific lifting tasks performed by a user, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a retractably stored and user-extendable length of cable having a distal end held in the hands of the user and movable by the user to a location determinable relative to an origin in three-dimensional space in a polar coordinate reference system during a selected lifting task; (b) determining physical locations of the distal end during the selected lifting tack and generating corresponding outputs in terms of three spherical polar coordinates, a length of cable extended relative to the origin, a first angle measured relative to a first line in a horizontal plane containing the origin and a second angle measured relative to a second line in a vertical plane containing the origin; (c) operating an input means to input user-selected parameters to a means for storing and processing data; (d) determining a recommended weight limit for the selected lifting task based upon said outputs from said physical location determining means and said user-inputted parameters; (e) determining a lifting index for the selected lifting task based upon said recommended weight limit and the user-inputted parameters; and (f) storing said lifting index and said recommended weight limit for user reference in a memory of the data processing means. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification