Device and method for wireless lifting assist devices

• US 6,554,252 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Homayoon Kazerooni
• Original Assignee: Homayoon Kazerooni
• Inventors: Chen, Albert, Kazerooni, Homayoon, Shin, Gene, Fairbanks, Dylan Miller
• Primary Examiner(s): Brahan, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US10/098,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20030057408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 254/266, 254/270, 212/330, 212/331, 212/338, 212/270, 212/271, 414/2, 414/4, 414/5
• US Class Current: 254/270
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 3/18 Power-operated hoists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

A wireless lifting assist device includes a pulley driven by an actuator which is attached to a ceiling. An end-effector is suspended, via a line, from the pulley and interfaces the object to be maneuvered. The wireless lifting assist device further provides an instrumented glove worn by an operator. The glove measures the contact force the operator is exerting on either the object to be moved or the lifting assist device and generates a set of contact signals representing the contact force. The contact signals are transmitted to a controller. The controller generates a set of command signals to control the actuator as a function of the operator contact force such that a predetermined percentage of the force necessary to lift or lower the load is applied by the actuator, with the remaining force being supplied by the operator. The object thus feels lighter to the operator.

Claims

1. A lift assist device for lifting and lowering at least one object, among other components, comprising:

an actuator arranged to turn a pulley;

a line wound on said pulley and connectable to said object;

an instrumented glove wearable by a human hand, wherein said instrumented glove detects a contact force imposed by said human hand on said object or a part of said lift assist device and generates a set of contact signals representing said contact force;

at least one transmitter circuitry capable of transmitting a set of control signals representing said contact signals to other locations; and

a controller to receive and process said control signals and to generate command signals to control said actuator to cause said device to maneuver said object.

2. The lift assist device according to claim 1 wherein said transmitter circuitry transmits said control signals wirelessly via an electromagnetic field.

3. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter circuitry transmits said control signals wirelessly in the form of RF waves.

4. The lift assist device according to claim 1 where said transmitter circuitry transmits said control signals to said controller via a signal cable.

5. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented glove comprises at least one force-sensing element.

6. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented glove comprises at least one strain gage based force-sensing element.

7. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented glove further comprises at least one piezoelectric force-sensing element.

8. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented glove further comprises at least one force-sensing resistor.

9. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented glove comprises at least one switch to detect said contact force imposed by said human hand on said object or a part of said lift assist device.

10. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter circuitry comprises a micro-controller, a transmitter module, and a transmitting antenna.

11. The lift assist device according to claim 10, wherein said micro-controller collects said contact signals from said instrumented glove and passes a set of information signals representing said contact signals to said transmitter module which transmits said control signals in the form of RF waves through said transmitting antenna.

12. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a receiver circuitry, a computer, and a power amplifier.

13. The lift assist device according to claim 12, wherein said receiver circuitry comprises a receiver module and a receiving antenna, wherein said receiver module receives said control signals in the form of RF waves through said receiving antenna, and sends a set of data representing said control signals to said computer.

14. The lift assist device according to claim 12, wherein said computer delivers command signals to said power amplifier, which transfers power to said actuator.

15. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said controller further includes a logic circuit comprising at least of an electromechanial relay and a solid state relay to start and stop said lift assist device.

16. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator which causes movement of said lift assist device includes an electric motor.

17. The lift assist device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator which causes movement of said lift assist device includes a clutch.

18. A lift assist device for lifting or lowering at least one object, including an actuator arranged to turn a pulley, a line wound on said pulley and connectable to said object, a controller controlling operation of said actuator, an instrumented glove wearable by a human hand, wherein said instrumented glove includes at least one force sensing element for detecting an operator-applied force on said lift assist device or said object, said lift assist device comprising:

a. the controller being responsive to a first signal representing operator-applied force and a second signal representing tensile force on said line; and

b. the controller being programmed to turn said actuator as a function of said first and second signals.

19. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said controller prevents slack in said line if an operator pushes onto said object or said lift assist device downwardly while said object is constrained from moving downwardly.

20. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said pulley stops turning so that no line is paid out if an operator pushes onto said object or said line downwardly while said object is constrained from moving downwardly.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein said pulley stops turning and prevents said line from being paid out if an operator pushes onto said object or said lift assist device downwardly when tensile force on said line is zero.

22. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said actuator includes a brake arranged to prevent pulley rotation when said brake is engaged.

23. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said brake becomes engaged when no electric power is supplied to said actuator so that said pulley is prevented from rotating during an electric power failure.

24. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said instrumented glove includes a dead-man switch arranged so that when an operator contacts said object, or said lift assist device, said deadman switch is activated and a signal from said dead-man switch prevents a brake from engaging to prevent said pulley from rotating.

25. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein said instrumented glove includes a dead-man switch that causes a signal to be sent to said controller causing said actuator to maintain its position when said operator removes his/her hand from said lift assist device or said object.

26. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein the detector of the second signal includes a current sensor that measures electric current supplied to said actuator to estimate tensile force on said line.

27. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein the detector of the second signal includes a force sensor arranged to generate a signal that represents tensile force on said line.

28. The lift assist device of claim 18, wherein the detector of said second signal is capable of generating a binary signal having one state when line tensile force is zero and a second state when line tensile force is not zero.

29. The device of claim 18, wherein the detector of said second signal is capable of generating a binary signal having one state when said object is constrained from moving downwardly and a second state when said object is not constrained from moving downwardly.

30. The device of claim 18, wherein the detector of said second signal includes a switch that can move to one position when said line is slack and can move to another position when said line is not slack.

31. The device of claim 18, wherein the detector of said second signal includes a force-sensing element arranged to generate a signal that represents the force imposed on said lift assist device by said object.

32. A method of operating a lift assist device, comprising the steps of:

providing an instrumented glove wearable on a human operator'"'"'s hand;

pushing upwardly or downwardly by said human operator wearing said instrumented glove on a part of said lift assist device or an object being manipulated by said lift assist device;

sensing the contact force imposed by said human operator'"'"'s hand on said lift assist device or said object;

transmitting a set of control signals representing said contact force from a transmitter circuitry;

receiving said control signals through a receiver circuitry; and

employing said control signals to control the speed and mechanical assistance of an actuator to move said lift assist device and said object being manipulated thereby.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said sensing step is accomplished by means of at least one force sensing element.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein said sensing step is accomplished by means of at least one strain gage based force-sensing element.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein said sensing step is accomplished by means of at least one piezoelectric force-sensing element.

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein said sensing step is accomplished by means of at least one force-sensing resistor.

37. The method according to claim 32, wherein said transmitting step is accomplished via an electromagnetic field.

38. The method according to claim 32, wherein said transmitting step is accomplished in by transmitting a set of RF waves which represent said control signals.

39. The method according to claim 32, wherein said transmitting step from said transmitter circuitry further comprises the steps of:

collecting a set of contact signals in a micro-controller representing said contact force;

sending a set of information signals representing said contact signals to a transmitter module; and

radiating a set of RF waves representing said control signals through a transmitting antenna.

40. The method according to claim 32, wherein receiving step comprises:

receiving a set of RF waves in a receiver module representing said control signals through a receiving antenna; and

sending a set of data representing said RF waves to a computer.

41. The method according to claim 32, wherein controlling the speed and mechanical assistance of said actuator comprises;

generating a set of command signals by a computer as a function of said control signals; and

delivering said command signals from said computer to a power amplifier which transfers power to said actuator.