Obstruction sensing system utilizing physical shielding to prevent errant detection
First Claim
1. An obstruction sensing system for a lift vehicle including a lift platform, the obstruction sensing system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors mountable to the lift platform, the sensors collectively detecting a profile of an area on a sensor side of the platform;
physical shielding cooperating with the plurality of sensors that prevents errant detection of objects that are not in the detected area; and
a control system coupleable with a drive system of the lift vehicle, the control system generating a signal according to the profile detected by the plurality of sensors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An obstruction sensing system is provided for a lift vehicle (10) with a lift platform (20). The system includes a plurality of sensors (32) mounted to the lift platform (20) and a control system (18) coupled with a drive system of the lift vehicle. The sensors collectively detect a profile of an area on a sensor side of the platform, and the control system generates a signal according to the profile detected by the plurality of sensors. The profile detected by the sensors may be compared with a stored plurality of area profiles by the control system based on a position of the lift platform or profiles of substantially symmetrical areas may be compared. If an obstruction is sensed during platform descent, further descent is halted and an alarm is sounded. The system also includes structure for overriding the disabling function.
32 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An obstruction sensing system for a lift vehicle including a lift platform, the obstruction sensing system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors mountable to the lift platform, the sensors collectively detecting a profile of an area on a sensor side of the platform; physical shielding cooperating with the plurality of sensors that prevents errant detection of objects that are not in the detected area; and a control system coupleable with a drive system of the lift vehicle, the control system generating a signal according to the profile detected by the plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A lift vehicle comprising:
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a chassis supporting a lift platform; a driving system coupled with the lift platform for driving the lift platform; and an obstruction sensing system, including; a plurality of sensors mounted to the lift platform, the sensors collectively detecting a profile of an area on a sensor side of the platform, physical shielding cooperating with the plurality of sensors that prevents errant detection of objects that are not in the detected area; and a control system coupled with the driving system of the lift vehicle, the control system generating a signal according to the profile detected by the plurality of sensors. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of sensing obstructions in the traveling path of a lift vehicle lift platform, the method comprising:
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(a) detecting a profile of an area on a traveling path side of the lift platform; and (b) generating a signal according to the profile detected in step (a), wherein step (a) is practiced by preventing errant detection of objects that are not in the detected area. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification