Fall protection monitor
AssigneeTextron Aviation Inc.
InventorDarren Fair
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Personnel working at elevated positions use safety lines to prevent falls. Equipment being used in proximity to the personnel may interfere with the safety lines presenting a potential hazard. A fall protection monitor provides an automated and wireless sensor system for avoiding interactions between equipment and safety lines. The fall-protection monitor includes a first sensor for monitoring whether a safety line is in operation. A second sensor monitors a location of a moveable device being used in the vicinity of the safety line. A controller determines the location of the moveable device and whether the safety line is in operation. The controller prevents movement of the moveable device within a predetermined distance from an operational safety line.
Claims17
A fall-protection monitor, comprising:
- a safety line mechanically coupled to an overhead support structure, the safety line having a user attachment point, wherein the user attachment point is suspended above a workspace;
- a first sensor adapted to monitor a location of the attachment point;
- a second sensor adapted to monitor a location of a moveable member, the moveable member being adapted to move with respect to the overhead support structure;
- a controller adapted to determine whether the safety line is in operation based on information from the first sensor and to determine the location of the moveable member based on information from the second sensor;
- and
- the controller is adapted to prevent movement of the moveable member within a predetermined distance from the safety line when the safety line is in operation.
A safety system for preventing accidents, comprising:
- a first sensor adapted to monitor whether a retractable safety line is in operation;
- a second sensor adapted to monitor a location of manufacturing equipment;
- and
- a controller adapted to automatically determine whether the retractable safety line is in operation based on information from the first sensor and to automatically determine the location of the manufacturing equipment based on information from the second sensor such that the controller prevents movement of the manufacturing equipment within a predetermined distance from the retractable safety line when the retractable safety line is in operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.