Alarm system for a loading dock
AssigneeRite-Hite Holding Corporation
InventorPaul J. Maly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety system for a truck doorway such as a loading dock with an elevated platform provides an alarm that warns of a falling hazard that may exist due to the dock door being open while a truck is not present at the dock. In cases where a dock's open doorway is protected by a barrier that can be opened or closed, the alarm can be de-activated by closing the barrier. In some embodiments, the safety system includes a remote body sensor that detects when someone or something is near the doorway. In response to the body sensor, a second, more pronounced alarm can warn of more imminent danger where someone on the platform may be too close to an open doorway when a truck is not present.
Claims12
A safety system for a building that includes a doorway adapted to receive a vehicle and which has a barrier associated therewith that is movable between a blocking position for obstructing at least part of the doorway to help protect a remote body inside the building and a nonblocking position for less obstruction, the safety system comprising:
- a vehicle sensor disposed adjacent the doorway, wherein the vehicle sensor determines the presence of the vehicle adjacent the doorway;
- a barrier sensor disposed adjacent the doorway, wherein the barrier sensor determines whether the barrier is at the blocking position;
- and
- an alarm system responsive to the barrier sensor and the vehicle sensor, wherein the alarm system provides an alarm signal in response to the barrier sensor determining that the barrier is not at the blocking position and the vehicle sensor determining that the vehicle is not present adjacent the doorway.
A safety system for a building that includes a doorway, wherein the doorway is adapted to receive a vehicle and which has a barrier associated therewith that is movable between a blocking position obstructing the doorway to help protect a remote body inside the building and a nonblocking position exposing the doorway, the safety system comprising:
- a vehicle sensor disposed adjacent the doorway, wherein the vehicle sensor determines the presence of the vehicle adjacent the doorway;
- a barrier sensor disposed adjacent the doorway, wherein the barrier sensor determines whether the barrier is at the blocking position;
- a remote body sensor that determines whether the remote body inside the building is within a certain area adjacent to the doorway;
- and
- an alarm system responsive to the barrier sensor, the vehicle sensor, and the remote body sensor such that:
- i. the alarm system provides an alarm signal in response to the barrier sensor and the vehicle sensor determining that the barrier is not at the blocking position and the vehicle is not present adjacent the doorway, and
- ii. the alarm system provides a warning signal in response to a concurrence of the barrier not being at the blocking position, the vehicle not being present adjacent the doorway, and the remote body being within the certain area adjacent to the doorway, wherein the alarm signal is distinguishable from the warning signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.