AIR LIFTING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a pneumatic hoist and a method for operating a pneumatic hoist.

[0002] Hoists are known in a wide variety of designs from the state of the art and are used primarily for the suspended lifting and moving of loads. For this purpose, the load is usually secured to a chain, rope, or similar device using a hook or other attachment, and the chain or rope is moved by a drive. The drive comprises a motor, usually a gearbox, and other components. In an air hoist, the motor is driven hydraulically or pneumatically, so no power supply is required for the hoist.

[0003] A hand-held control unit is typically provided to control the hoist. In the case of pneumatic hoists, this control unit is also typically fluid-operated and connected to the hoist via fluid lines. One advantage of these hoists is that they only require a supply of compressed air as the operating fluid, but no electrical connection to operate the hoist. A significant disadvantage of these purely pneumatic hoists, however, is that operating an electrical load, such as a control and / or evaluation unit, is not readily possible.

[0004] Hoists operated by radio remote control are also known. However, even with a purely pneumatically operated hoist, a power supply must be connected throughout to supply the radio remote control receiver and / or a control and / or evaluation unit in the hoist area. Due to the typical positioning of the hoist in an elevated position, for example on a hall ceiling, a corresponding power supply is difficult to achieve, especially when retrofitting an existing pneumatic hoist, as there is usually no power supply provided in the hoist area. The additional wiring effort makes the installation of such a hoist very complex and expensive, and the required power supply also significantly increases the price of the hoist.

[0005] Finally, such an electrical consumer of a pneumatic hoist can also be supplied with power by means of a battery, which, however, must be replaced regularly, which is complex and dangerous due to the usual installation situation of a hoist, typically in the area of ​​a hall ceiling.

[0006] From NO 20 160 714 A1 a ship's winch with a drum motor is already known, wherein the drum motor has an axial inner shaft, an arrangement of hydraulic cylinders arranged radially around an axial inner shaft, one or more valves for controlling an actuation of the arrangement of hydraulic cylinders and a cam ring with an inner surface with a profile modulated in the radial direction, wherein the one row of hydraulic cylinders is arranged between the axial inner shaft and the modulated profile of the cam ring and an actuation of the row of hydraulic cylinders drives the cam ring rotatably about the axial inner shaft and wherein an outer surface of the cam ring forms a portion of a winch drum.

[0007] US 2019 / 077641 A1 discloses a winch system for lifting loads, comprising a gearbox connected to an output, an electric motor connected to the gearbox, and a hydraulic motor connected to the gearbox. The electric motor and the hydraulic motor distribute the power to the output via the gearbox.

[0008] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a fluid-operated hoist and a method for operating a pneumatic hoist, wherein the hoist is particularly inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and can be operated reliably over the long term and without frequent maintenance, and with at least one electrical consumer on the hoist.

[0009] The object is achieved according to the invention by a pneumatic hoist according to claim 1 and by a method for operating a pneumatic hoist according to claim 8. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0010] The fluid-operated hoist according to the invention for lifting loads has a fluid supply line for supplying compressed air as an operating fluid to the hoist, a compressed air generator connected to the fluid supply line for generating electricity by means of the compressed air, and at least one electrical consumer on the hoist which is operated by means of the electricity generated by the compressed air generator.

[0011] The method according to the invention for operating a pneumatic hoist comprises the following method steps: first, supplying compressed air as an operating fluid to the hoist via a fluid supply line, followed by supplying the operating fluid to a compressed air generator of the hoist, and then generating electricity using the operating fluid. The generated electricity is then passed on to at least one electrical consumer of the hoist.

[0012] The inventors have recognized that a compressed air generator easily enables a continuous power supply to at least one consumer during operation of the hoist, without the need for an external power supply or regular charging of an operating battery. This allows the hoist to be operated with low maintenance and easily installed anywhere where only lines for the operating fluid are available.

[0013] A pneumatic hoist is essentially a hoist for lifting loads, in which at least the drive unit intended for lifting and / or lowering the load, in particular a motor, is driven by compressed air as the operating fluid. The hoist is preferably operated exclusively by the operating fluid and is particularly preferably a pneumatic hoist. However, a design as a hydraulic hoist is also conceivable. Likewise, the fluid-operated hoist preferably has no external electrical connection and / or does not require an external power supply for operation.

[0014] The motor of the pneumatic hoist can, in principle, be any fluid motor. It is preferably an expansion motor, and particularly preferably a gas expansion motor. Most preferably, the motor is a vane motor. Furthermore, the vane motor is preferably intended to drive the hoist and, in particular, a chain of the hoist. However, the motor can be not only a pneumatic motor, but can also be operated hydraulically using a fluid. This could, for example, be a gear motor.

[0015] According to the invention, the operating fluid is compressed air. Likewise, the pressure of the operating fluid can initially be chosen arbitrarily. The pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the hoist is preferably between 0 bar and 10 bar, particularly preferably a maximum of 6 bar, and most particularly preferably exactly 6 bar, so that a constant pressure of approximately 6 bar is maintained at the fluid supply line supplying the operating fluid.

[0016] The fluid supply line supplying the operating fluid to the hoist can be any component or assembly suitable for permanently holding and / or conducting a pressurized operating fluid. In principle, the fluid supply line can be a component connected to the hoist that is independent of it. However, at least a short section of the fluid supply line is preferably permanently installed on the hoist, and this short section is particularly preferably provided to provide a connection for a fixed compressed air line or compressed air hose.

[0017] The generator can firstly be any device that can generate electricity without having to be connected to an electrical line or an external power supply. According to the invention, the generator is a compressed air generator. The generator can use both the movement and the pressure of the operating fluid to generate electricity. In addition, another physical quantity, such as a temperature difference or a force in the area of ​​the hoist and / or a component of the hoist, e.g. a rotating axle, can be used to generate electricity. Most preferably, the electricity is generated exclusively by means of the operating fluid, which means that a property of the operating fluid in the generator is used to generate electricity, for example the pressure or the flow or the movement.

[0018] According to the invention, the generator is arranged on the hoist and / or connected to the fluid supply line. Arranged on the hoist means that the generator is at least in the immediate vicinity of the hoist, preferably directly connected to the hoist and very particularly preferably arranged on or in a control box in the region of the hoist. Likewise preferably, the generator is arranged in the region of the hoist between a connection of the hoist for an external fluid supply line and the external fluid supply line. However, it is fundamentally possible for further components of the hoist, for example one or more valves and in particular a main switching valve, to be arranged between an external fluid supply line and the fluid supply or between the fluid supply line and the generator.Furthermore, the generator is preferably directly connected to the fluid supply, in particular such that the fluid pressure is applied to the generator as soon as the fluid supply line and / or an external fluid supply line is pressurized. Furthermore, however, it is particularly preferred that no valve, and most preferably generally no component, be arranged between the internal and / or external fluid supply line and the generator.

[0019] According to the invention, an operating fluid is first supplied to the hoist via a fluid supply line, followed temporally and / or spatially by the operating fluid being supplied to a generator of the hoist. This initially simply means that a pressurized operating fluid must be present at the hoist or in the vicinity of the hoist so that the hoist and / or the generator can be operated. The sequence can be such that the operating fluid in the fluid supply line is routed or branched off to the generator via a control valve upstream of the hoist, preferably close to or immediately upstream of the hoist, and only then is the operating fluid fed into the hoist.However, there may also be a connection on the hoist from which the operating fluid can first be branched off to the generator within the hoist, and only then does the operating fluid reach the hoist drive, preferably initially being located upstream of a control valve block of the hoist. The branch for the generator fluid or

[0020] The branch for the operating fluid leading to the generator is located upstream of a control valve and / or downstream of a main connection valve of the hoist, ensuring that the generator can always be supplied with the operating fluid for power generation when the hoist is pressurized, regardless of the hoist's operating state. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable to arrange a branch for the generator fluid at the exhaust, downstream of the pneumatic hoist motor, and / or directly at or upstream of the operating fluid outlet from the hoist.

[0021] According to the invention, at least one electrical consumer is arranged on the hoist, whereby the hoist can also have several electrical consumers. Preferably, all electrical consumers of the hoist are operated exclusively by means of the current generated by the generator. The current required to operate the at least one consumer can be generated directly by the generator. Preferably, all electrical consumers are electrically connected exclusively to the generator and / or other components of the hoist. Preferably, at least one consumer, and particularly preferably all consumers, are arranged directly on the hoist and / or on a control unit of the hoist.

[0022] The load(s) can be any electrically operated and / or electronic component. In particular, at least one of the loads is an electronic control component and / or a sensor, in particular a sensor for speed, for load measurement, for measuring vibrations, temperature, fluid pressure, or other physical variables. Furthermore, at least one of the loads can also be a communications module for data transmission, for example via a modem, WLAN, Bluetooth, radio, or in another way. Such a communications module particularly preferably provides a web interface. Furthermore, at least one of the loads can be a GPS module or a tracking module in order to be able to record the position of the lifting gear and, if necessary, also transmit it.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the pneumatic hoist according to the invention, at least one, preferably exactly one, of the electrical consumers is a receiver unit of a radio remote control of the hoist, an electronic control unit, an operating hours counter and / or an evaluation unit for determining operating states of the hoist. In general, an electrical consumer can also comprise any sensor for detecting physical variables or be such a sensor, so that information about the hoist and in particular about the operating state can be derived and / or obtained particularly preferably using the sensor data. The electronic consumer is preferably arranged directly on the hoist. A control unit is preferably arranged to control the hoist and particularly preferably to control at least one valve for the operating fluid, very particularly preferably to control all valves for the operating fluid of the hoist.In addition, the control unit can control additional functions and / or actuators of the hoist. An evaluation unit can be connected to any sensors and / or record any signals or data relating to an operating and / or fault condition of a hoist. Furthermore, a control and / or evaluation unit can be connected to one or more sensors, in particular pressure sensors. Finally, an operating hours counter is preferably provided at least to record the operating time and particularly preferably also the duration of individual operating states.

[0024] A further preferred embodiment of the pneumatic hoist according to the invention has a battery for storing the power generated by the generator and / or for operating at least one electrical consumer while the generator is not generating power. Such a battery advantageously allows the generated power to be buffered and / or stored, so that no continuous operating fluid pressure is necessary to operate the consumer or the consumer can also be used if the operating fluid supply to the hoist is interrupted, at least for a short time. By means of a battery, downtimes of the hoist, in particular without operating fluid present, can thus be easily bridged on the control side. The battery is therefore preferably used as an intermediate power storage device.Instead of a rechargeable battery or in addition to it, at least one capacitor can also be provided as a buffer and / or as a power storage device, although a design with at least one rechargeable battery is preferred because this enables longer-term storage and provides a higher storage capacity. Furthermore, a rechargeable battery or a battery can also be provided, for example, for operating a real-time clock, particularly in the case of an operating hours counter as a consumer, with a compact long-life battery or a ten-year battery, particularly on a circuit board, being particularly preferred as the battery. Alternatively, a rechargeable battery or a battery is also advantageous in order to be able to operate at least one sensor and / or one control element continuously.

[0025] According to the invention, the generator for generating electricity is a compressed air generator, which is preferably at least indirectly, particularly preferably directly, connected to the fluid supply line of a pneumatically operated hoist, whereby electricity can be generated particularly efficiently and reliably by means of the pressurized operating fluid, in particular by means of compressed air. The compressed air generator preferably only requires an applied gas pressure to operate and thus functions independently of the operation of the hoist. Particularly preferably, the compressed air generator comprises a gas turbine or another component that can be rotated by flowing air, with a generator part being arranged downstream such that electricity is generated by the rotation of the turbine or component. In principle, however, any other rotating component of the hoist can also be used to drive the generator.

[0026] A preferred development of the pneumatic hoist according to the invention is designed such that at least one of the electrical consumers on the hoist is an electronic or electro-pneumatic control of the hoist, which preferably controls at least one valve, in particular all valves, of the hoist. Additionally or alternatively, a wired manual control for operating at least one electro-pneumatic valve of the hoist is also preferably arranged on the hoist, wherein the electro-pneumatic valve is particularly preferably supplied with power by the generator and / or operated by means of an electro-pneumatic control. Particularly preferably, the hoist has exclusively electro-pneumatic valves.Furthermore, the electro-pneumatic control and / or at least one electro-pneumatic valve, particularly preferably all electro-pneumatic valves, and most preferably all valves of the hoist, are preferably supplied with power by the generator. An electro-pneumatic valve is a valve that is electrically controlled and / or operated and is intended to block a pneumatic line. Alternatively, an electro-hydraulic valve and a corresponding control system can also be used.

[0027] The wired hand control is also preferably fully powered by the generator. Particularly preferably, the hand control, and especially preferably the entire hoist, does not have an external power supply. The hand control can also have a battery as a buffer. In principle, however, the hand control can also have a power supply connection, in particular to charge a battery of the hand control or the hoist and / or to facilitate commissioning after a long downtime, especially lasting several weeks.

[0028] An alternative, preferred embodiment of the pneumatic hoist does not have a cable-connected, but a pneumatic manual control, at which a fluid pressure is preferably always present in the operational state of the hoist, wherein particularly preferably a main switching valve of the fluid supply line can be opened by means of the manual control, so that the operating fluid is supplied to the generator for generating electricity and / or a motor, in particular a vane motor, of the hoist.

[0029] An advantageous embodiment of the pneumatic hoist provides for a main control valve and / or a fluid pressure sensor to be arranged between the fluid supply line and the generator connected to the fluid supply line. The main control valve is preferably provided to disconnect the generator from the fluid supply line, with the hoist particularly preferably not being disconnected from the fluid supply line at the same time. A pressure sensor is preferably arranged upstream of the main control valve and / or the generator is preferably arranged downstream of the main control valve. In principle, the generator can also be used as a fluid pressure sensor, since power generation always occurs when pressure is present, and the applied pressure can particularly preferably be quantitatively determined via the current intensity.

[0030] This design of the pneumatic hoist has the advantage that power is generated whenever it is needed, while no power is generated when the hoist is not in operation. Furthermore, no control component is required, especially no "watchdog," which constantly checks whether the hoist has been started in order to subsequently start further routines or algorithms. Instead, the electrical loads, and especially the electronic components, are always started simultaneously with the opening of the main control valve and / or with the supply of operating fluid to the motor.

[0031] Finally, a preferred development of the pneumatic hoist provides that the generator and the motor of the hoist are connected to the fluid supply line in parallel to one another and / or inseparably from one another, wherein the main switching valve is particularly preferably arranged between a fluid control line for manual control and the generator and / or the motor of the hoist.

[0032] One possible embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating a pneumatic hoist provides that the generator continuously generates power as soon as and / or as long as operating fluid is supplied to the hoist or an operating fluid pressure is applied to the hoist and / or the motor of the hoist. This advantageously automatically generates power whenever the hoist is ready for operation and / or in operation. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the generator runs continuously at least during operation of the hoist. Furthermore, it is preferred that when a main control valve arranged between the fluid supply line and the motor of the hoist is opened, the generator is automatically supplied with operating fluid, thus generating power for electrical consumers.

[0033] In an alternative embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating a pneumatic hoist, a check is carried out when the operating fluid pressure is present to determine whether at least one consumer is active and / or whether power is required to charge a battery or to operate at least one consumer. Preferably, the generator is disconnected from the fluid supply line by means of a main switching valve when no power is required, thereby advantageously preventing the generator from being active without power being required. The test can be carried out continuously or periodically. Preferably, the test is started by switching on the operating fluid pressure, which is particularly preferably detected by means of a pressure sensor or the start of power generation by the generator.Alternatively or additionally, the test is performed using an electronic control device, which is particularly preferably located on the hoist and / or powered by the generator. Most preferably, the control device is additionally powered by a battery so that it can be operated independently of the generator.

[0034] According to an advantageous development of the method for operating a pneumatic hoist, when an actuating button, in particular any actuating button, is pressed on a pneumatic manual control, the main switching valve is opened and / or the generator is supplied with operating fluid, so that the hoist is activated and / or at least one electrical consumer, particularly preferably all electrical consumers, are started.

[0035] A particularly preferred advantageous development of the method according to the invention for operating a pneumatic hoist is one in which, after the main valve has been opened, fluid pressure continuously builds upstream of a motor control valve for lifting or lowering by means of the hoist, while the generator is already being supplied with operating fluid, wherein an electrical consumer, in particular a control unit, is preferably fully started until the fluid pressure is sufficiently high to open the motor control valve. This results in a time delay between a first actuation of an actuation button and the starting of the motor of the hoist, which time delay is, however, preferably shorter than 1 s, more preferably shorter than 0.5 s, most preferably shorter than 200 ms, and most preferably less than 100 ms.Within this time, the electrical load can start and reach a fully operational state, so that a fully operational hoist is then available.

[0036] However, if the motor has started before an electrical consumer, in particular the control unit and / or the operating hours counter, has been fully started or is ready for operation, a control unit and / or an operating hours counter of a particularly preferred development of the invention interpolates the starting time on the basis of the current speed of the starting motor of the hoist, so that even with a slight delay in the start of one or more electrical consumers, a complete recording of the operating state is possible.

[0037] According to an advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating a pneumatic hoist, at least one electrical consumer, in particular an electronic control unit and / or an operating hour counter and / or an evaluation unit for determining operating states of the hoist, is started as soon as the generator generates power, wherein preferably a controller, in particular a voltage limiter, is provided which only starts the respective electrical consumer when the necessary power is available, so that a faulty start or a breakdown of the power supply can be successfully avoided.

[0038] Finally, a preferred embodiment of the method for operating a pneumatic hoist is one in which, when no operating fluid pressure is applied, at least some of the electrical consumers, preferably all electrical consumers, are placed at least into a standby state and particularly preferably completely switched off after a specified time interval, and / or preferably a main control valve arranged between the operating fluid supply line and the generator is also closed. The main control valve can also be designed in such a way that it closes automatically when the operating fluid pressure drops or is not applied, for which purpose the main control valve is particularly preferably spring-loaded.The specified time interval can in principle be freely selected, preferably between one hour and one week, more preferably between six hours and two days, most preferably between 12 hours and 36 hours, and especially preferably approximately 24 hours. Alternatively, the specified time interval can be very short, so that switching off occurs after a few minutes, after a few seconds, or even immediately. However, by opening the main switching valve, power is supplied immediately or with only a slight time delay as soon as operating fluid pressure is applied, whereby at least one consumer, more preferably all consumers, are reactivated. In addition, such a slight time delay can be taken into account and, if necessary, recorded operating parameters can be interpolated back to the actual start time, for example.

[0039] An exemplary embodiment of a pneumatic hoist and a method for operating such a hoist are described in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The figure shows: Fig. 1a diagram of a pneumatic hoist with a motor and a generator for generating electricity.

[0040] A pneumatically operated hoist 1 is mounted on a hall ceiling for lifting and lowering loads using a hook on a chain. The hoist 1 has a pneumatic vane motor 7 as its drive. Accordingly, the hoist 1 is connected to at least one compressed air line on the hall ceiling, with the compressed air line being connected to a compressed air supply line 2 of the hoist 1. There is no electrical connection, since a pneumatically operated hoist 1 usually does not require a power supply.

[0041] For operation by a user, the hoist 1 has a manual control 5, by means of which the lowering and lifting of a load on the hook of the chain can be controlled. For this purpose, the manual control 5 has at least one actuation button 13. Furthermore, the control functions preferably also include moving the hoist 1 in at least one, preferably two spatial directions. The pneumatic manual control 5 is connected, on the one hand, to the compressed air supply line 2 via a fluid control line 8 and, on the other hand, via a control line 11, 12 to a switching valve 9, 10, wherein one switching valve 9 is provided for lifting a load by means of the hoist 1 and the other switching valve 10 is provided for lowering the load. Each switching valve 9, 10 can be operated using an actuation button 13 on the pneumatic manual control 5. The pneumatic manual control 5, on the other hand, has no electrical connection to the hoist 1 or any other electrical consumer 4.why.

[0042] Furthermore, the hoist 1 has an electronic control unit as an electrical consumer 4, which is supplied with power by a compressed air generator 3, which is arranged on the compressed air supply line 2 in the region of the hoist 1 and generates power as long as compressed air flows through the compressed air generator 3. Furthermore, an electronic evaluation unit and / or an operating hour counter can also be provided as an electrical consumer 4, additionally or alternatively.

[0043] To prevent continuous operation of the compressed air flow generator 3, a main switching valve 6 is arranged between the compressed air supply line 2 and the compressed air flow generator 3. When open, this valve connects the compressed air flow generator 3 to the compressed air supply line 2 and, when closed, disconnects it. The pneumatic vane motor 7 of the hoist 1 is connected in parallel to the compressed air flow generator 3 and can also be disconnected from the compressed air supply line 2 using the main switching valve 6.

[0044] To operate the hoist 1, compressed air is first applied to the compressed air supply line 2, but this does not yet reach the hoist 1 because the main control valve 6 is closed. However, the compressed air already reaches the pneumatic manual control 5 via a fluid control line 8 located upstream of the main control valve 6, so that compressed air is also present there.

[0045] If one of the actuating buttons 13 is now actuated, compressed air is introduced into one of the control lines 11, 12 for lifting or lowering the hoist 1, whereby the compressed air first reaches a shuttle valve 15, which opens the main switching valve 6.

[0046] Subsequently, a portion of the compressed air inside the hoist 1 flows into an air supply line 14 to the compressed air generator 3, which immediately begins generating electricity. At the same time, pressure builds up inside the hoist 1 upstream of the switching valves 9, 10, which, however, cannot yet open during the pressure buildup. During this time, the compressed air generator 3 already supplies the connected electrical consumers 4, for example, a control and evaluation unit, with power so that they can start up.

[0047] As soon as a sufficiently high pressure is applied to the switching valves 9, 10, they can be opened, and the vane motor 7 of the hoist 1 moves in the desired direction. The pressure increase and the start-up process of the electrical loads 4 typically last between 50 ms and 150 ms. The start-up process can also take longer, although a duration of less than 500 ms is clearly preferred.

[0048] During operation of the hoist 1, all electrical loads 4 are supplied by the compressed air generator 3, with a power buffer, such as a capacitor, preferably provided to bridge fluctuations and short interruptions. In addition, a long-life battery can be provided on an electrical load 4, for example, to enable the operation of a real-time clock as part of an operating hours counter. List of reference symbols

[0049] 1 Hoist 2 Fluid supply line 3 Compressed air generator 4 Consumer 5 Pneumatic manual control 6 Main control valve 7 Motor 8 Fluid control line 9 Lifting control valve 10 Lowering control valve 11 Lifting control line 12 Lowering control line 13 Actuation button 14 Air supply line to the generator 15 Changeover valve

Claims

1. Compressed air hoist (1), with - a fluid supply line (2) supplying compressed air to the compressed air hoist (1) for operating the hoist (1), - a compressed air generator (3) connected to the fluid supply line (2) for generating electricity using the compressed air, and - at least one electrical consumer (4) on the hoist (1), which is operated by means of the electricity generated by the compressed air generator (3).

2. Compressed air hoist according to claim 1, characterized in that an electrical consumer (4) is a receiver unit of a radio remote control of the hoist (1), an electronic control unit, an operating hours counter and / or an evaluation unit for determining operating states of the hoist (1).

3. Compressed air hoist according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a rechargeable battery for storing the electricity generated by means of the compressed air generator (3) and / or for operating at least one electrical consumer (4) while the compressed air generator (3) is not generating electricity.

4. Compressed air hoist according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a cable-connected handheld controller for operating at least one electro-pneumatic valve of the hoist (1), which is supplied with electricity by the compressed air generator (3).

5. Compressed air hoist according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by a pneumatic handheld controller (5), at which a fluid pressure is preferably always present when the hoist(1) is ready for operation, wherein a main control valve (6) of the fluid supply line (2) can be opened particularly preferably by means of the handheld controller (5), so that the compressed air is supplied to the compressed air generator (3) for generating electricity and / or to a motor (7), in particular a vane motor, of the hoist(1).

6. Compressed air hoist according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main control valve (6) and / or a fluid pressure sensor are arranged between the fluid supply line (2) supplying the compressed air to the hoist (1) and the compressed air generator (3) connected to the fluid supply line (2).

7. Compressed air hoist according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compressed air generator (3) and the motor (7) of the hoist(1) are connected to the fluid supply line (2) in parallel and / or inseparably from one another, the main control valve (6) preferably being arranged between a fluid control line (8) for the handheld controller (5) and the compressed air generator (3) and / or the motor (7) of the hoist(1).

8. Method of operating a compressed air hoist, comprising the steps of: - supplying compressed air as operating fluid via a fluid supply line (2) to the hoist (1), - supplying the operating fluid to a compressed air generator (3) of the hoist (1) and generating electricity using the compressed air, and - supplying the generated electricity to at least one electrical consumer (4) of the hoist (1).

9. Method of operating a compressed air hoist according to claim 8, characterized in that when a main control valve (6) arranged between the fluid supply line (2) and the motor (7) of the hoist (1) is opened, the compressed air generator (3) is automatically supplied with compressed air, so that electricity is generated for electrical consumers (4).

10. Method for operating a compressed air hoist according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that when an actuation button (13), in particular any actuation button (13), on a pneumatic handheld controller (5) is pressed, the main control valve (6) is opened and / or the compressed air generator (3) is supplied with compressed air.

11. Method for operating a compressed air hoist according to one of claims 8 - 10, characterized in that, after the main valve (6) is opened, a fluid pressure builds up continuously upstream of a motor control valve (9, 10) for lifting or lowering by means of the hoist(1), while the compressed air generator (3) is already supplied with compressed air, an electrical consumer (4), in particular a control unit, preferably being fully started until the fluid pressure is sufficiently high to open the motor control valve.

12. Method for operating a compressed air hoist according to one of claims 8 - 11, characterized in that a control unit and / or an operating hours counter interpolates the starting time on the basis of the current speed of the starting motor (7) of the hoist(1) when the motor (7) has started before an electrical consumer (4), in particular the control unit and / or the operating hours counter, is fully started or ready for operation.

13. Method for operating a compressed air hoist according to one of claims 8 - 12, characterized in that at least one electrical consumer (4), in particular an electronic control unit and / or an operating hours counter and / or an evaluation unit for determining operating states of the hoist(1), is started as soon as the compressed air generator (3) generates electricity, wherein preferably a control unit, in particular a voltage limiter, is provided which starts the respective electrical consumer (4) only when the power required for this is available.

14. Method for operating a compressed air hoist according to one of claims 8 - 13, characterized in that, if no operating fluid pressure is present, all electrical consumers (4) are completely switched off after a fixed time interval and / or a main control valve (6) arranged between the fluid supply line (2) and the compressed air generator (3) is automatically closed.