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US 9,080,383 B2Granted
Climb assist system
AssigneeD B Industries, Inc.
InventorVincent G. Meillet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motorized climb assist assembly is provided. The motorized climb assist assembly includes a looped belt, an attaching member, a motor assembly and a fall arrest system. The attaching member is coupled to the looped belt. A safety harness is in turn coupled to attaching member. The motor assembly includes a motor and a drive sheave. The motor has a drive shaft. The drive sheave is coupled to the drive shaft. In addition, the drive sheave is in contact with the looped belt. The fall arrest system is integrated with the drive sheave and is configured to limit the looped belt movement as the result of a fall event.
Claims25
A climb aid and safety system, comprising:
- a motorized climb assist system configured to assist a user in using a ladder, the motorized climb assist system including a looped belt with an attaching member that is configured and arranged to be coupled to a safety harness of the user, the looped belt providing a pulling force to assist the user in using the ladder;
- the motorized climb assist system including a motor assembly including,
- an electric motor having a drive shaft, the motor generating a lift force,
- a drive sheave coupled to the drive shaft to convey the lift force of the motor to the drive sheave, the drive sheave being in frictional contact with the looped belt;
- and
- a fall arrest system integrated with the drive sheave of the motorized climb assist system, the fall arrest system configured and arranged to prevent the looped belt from moving during a fall event, the fall arrest system including,
- a ring catch coupled to the motor assembly, the ring catch including at least one protrusion;
- and
- at least one pawl pivotally coupled to the drive sheave, the at least one pawl configured and arranged to engage the at least one protrusion of the ring catch to prevent the drive shaft from rotating thereby preventing the looped belt from moving during a fall event;
- an upper guide configured to be coupled proximate a second end of the ladder, the motor assembly and the upper guide configured to movably engage the looped belt therebetween, the upper guide including;
- an extension member having a first end configured to be coupled proximate the second end of the ladder;
- an upper mounting plate coupled proximate a second end of the extension member;
- and
- an upper sheave rotationally coupled to the upper mounting plate, the upper sheave configured to engage the looped belt.
11 more elements
A motorized climb assist system comprising:
- a looped belt;
- an attaching member coupled to the looped belt configured to attach a safety harness thereto;
- a motor assembly including,
- a motor having a drive shaft, the motor generating a lift force, and
- a drive sheave in frictional contact with the looped belt;
- a slip clutch selectively coupling a rotation of the drive sheave to a rotation of the drive shaft;
- and
- a fall arrest system integrated with the drive sheave, the fall arrest system configured to limit the looped belt movement as the result of a fall event, the fall arrest system including,
- a catch coupled to the motor assembly, the catch including at least one protrusion;
- and
- at least one pawl pivotally coupled to the drive sheave, the at least one pawl configured and arranged to engage the at least one protrusion of the catch to prevent the drive shaft from rotating thereby preventing the looped belt from moving during a fall event;
- an upper guide configured to be coupled proximate a second end of a ladder, the motor assembly and the upper guide configured to movably engage the looped belt therebetween, the upper guide including;
- an extension member having a first end configured to be coupled proximate the second end of the ladder;
- an upper mounting plate coupled proximate a second end of the extension member;
- and
- an upper sheave rotationally coupled to the upper mounting plate, the upper sheave configured to engage the looped belt.
13 more elements
A climb assist system, comprising:
- a tension adjusting assembly coupled proximate a first end of a ladder;
- a motor having a drive shaft, the motor generating a lift force;
- a drive sheave;
- a slip clutch selectively coupling a rotation of the drive sheave to a rotation of the drive shaft;
- a retaining plate coupled to the motor and the tension adjusting assembly;
- a first routing sheave rotationally coupled to the retaining plate;
- a second routing sheave rotationally coupled to the retaining plate;
- a third routing sheave rotationally coupled to the retaining plate, wherein the third routing sheave is positioned on a different side of the ladder than the drive sheave, the first sheave and the second sheave;
- an upper guide having a first end and a second end, the first end of the upper guide coupled proximate a second end of the ladder;
- an upper sheave coupled proximate the second end of the upper guide;
- a looped cable frictionally engaged with the drive sheave, the upper sheave, and the first, second and third routing sheaves, wherein the first, second and third sheaves are configured to route the looped cable between the drive sheave and the upper sheave;
- an attaching member configured to attach a safety harness to the looped belt;
- and
- a fall arrest system integrated with the drive sheave of the drive shaft to prevent the looped cable from moving during a fall event, the fall arrest system including,
- at least one pawl pivotally coupled to the drive sheave,
- a catch coupled to the retaining plate, the at least one pawl configured and arranged to engage the catch during a fall event.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.