Depth Detector System

Abstract

A depth detector assembly for a material handling attachment is disclosed. In some embodiments, the depth detector assembly can include at least one ultrasonic sensor removably attached to the material handling attachment. The depth detector assembly can further include a controller removably attached to the material handling attachment and capable of receiving signals from the at least one ultrasonic sensor. The depth detector assembly can further include a light display selectively illuminated by the controller based on signals received from the at least one ultrasonic sensor to indicate the depth of the load relative to the material handling attachment.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS]

[0002]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 412,998, entitled "Depth Detector Systems," filed October 4, 2022. The complete disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [background]

[0003] Sliding arm clamps, swivel arm clamps, and other similar material handling attachments and / or devices include opposing clamps or arms mounted and / or supported on forklifts and / or other material handling equipment. One or both clamps may be slidably or pivotally connectable to a load carriage. A clamp pad may be attached to and / or supported by the clamp arm. The clamp and clamp pad must be precisely positioned relative to the desired load along the approach direction. For example, when loading a row of items (or other loads), the clamp must be precisely positioned relative to the row of items so that it does not inadvertently clamp or engage the next row of items. One way to check whether the clamp is correctly positioned is for the operator or user of the forklift or material handling equipment to exit the cab and walk around to check whether the clamp is correctly positioned relative to the row of items. However, such visual inspection is tedious and wastes valuable time.

[0004]

[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to enable a user to determine whether a clamp is correctly positioned relative to a desired load without having to exit the cab of the material handling equipment to visually confirm whether the clamp is in the correct position (e.g., whether the load is at the desired depth relative to the front tip of the clamp) or without having to use a strip on the load to indicate the desired position.

[0005] Quick Overview

[0006] Disclosed is a depth detector system or assembly for sliding clamps, pivoting clamps, and other attachments / instruments having movable clamps or arms.

[0007]

[0005] This solution allows the operator to know the position of the load relative to the tip of the arm or clamp and avoids accidentally clamping additional loads, such as adjacent rows of items.

[0008]

[0006] Therefore, in one embodiment, the solution is to use ultrasonic and / or other detection techniques to determine the depth of the luggage and allow the user to determine whether the luggage is positioned at the correct depth.

[0009] In one embodiment, a four-color LED bar is used in conjunction with the detection technology to inform the user of the detected or measured depth.

[0010] In one embodiment, based on a four-color LED bar, luggage can be labeled with a particular color associated with a desired depth.

[0011] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012]

[0010] For a better understanding of the present disclosure, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of one embodiment of the depth detector assembly of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a clamping assembly in which the depth detector assembly of FIG. 1 is installed. [Figure 3] 3 is a front view of the clamp assembly of FIG. 2 with the depth detector assembly of FIG. 1 installed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an example of a detection zone of the depth detector assembly of FIG.

[0013] Detailed Description

[0014]

[0015] 1, a depth detector system or depth detector assembly 10 is used to alert a user as to whether a load is in the correct position for a suitable load. The depth detector assembly includes an ultrasonic sensor assembly 12, a controller assembly 14, a display assembly 16, a power assembly 18, and electrical wiring 20 connecting the above assemblies.

[0015]

[0016] The ultrasonic sensor assembly includes at least one ultrasonic sensor 21, such as a diffuse mode sensor including a piezoelectric ceramic for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. The sensor converts electrical energy into acoustic energy during transmission and then converts the acoustic energy back into electrical energy during reception. In some embodiments, the sensor may include a single transducer that both emits and receives ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic sensor detects, for example, the backside of the package relative to the tip of the clamp arm. The ultrasonic sensor avoids distortion or erroneous readings that may result from transparent films used to wrap the package and / or different background and / or light intensities. An example of a suitable ultrasonic sensor is the UC2000-L2-I-V15 from Pepperl+Fuchs SE.

[0016]

[0017] The controller assembly 14 receives signals from the ultrasonic sensor assembly 12 and analyzes them for timing, distortion, or lack of echo to detect the presence or location of a package and / or measure the distance to the package. The controller assembly then sends signals to the display assembly 16 to alert a user. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the controller assembly 14 includes a programmable loop controller (PLC) 22 and a control box 23, although other embodiments may alternatively or additionally include other components. Based on the input from the ultrasonic sensor assembly 12, the controller assembly 14 can identify multiple package positions, such as multiple different package positions inside the tip of a clamp or arm. Additionally, the controller assembly 14 can detect a package as it transitions from an outermost package position to a final package position and vice versa. Furthermore, the controller assembly can determine whether the transition is sequential (i.e., from an outermost package position to an innermost package position) or non-sequential (e.g., one or more package positions are skipped). Furthermore, the controller assembly 14 can determine the minimum number of package positions a package must transition through to reach the final package position. In some embodiments, the controller assembly may specifically exclude one or more of the detection and / or decision features described above. An example of a suitable controller assembly is TTControl's TTC50 controller.

[0017]

[0018] Display assembly 16 is mounted within or adjacent to the cab (e.g., attached to one or more frame members that comprise the cab), where it is visible to the user. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the display assembly includes four different colored lamps (e.g., light-emitting diodes). Controller assembly 14 sends a signal to display assembly 16 to selectively illuminate one or more lights in the display assembly's light display based on and / or in response to a load location detected by the ultrasonic sensor assembly. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the display assembly includes a light bar or light display 24 having blue LEDs 25, green LEDs 26, amber LEDs 28, and red LEDs 30. However, other colors and / or other light sources may be used. The controller assembly can selectively illuminate one or more LEDs based on the detected location. Furthermore, the illumination may be constant or intermittent based on the detected location. Furthermore, the controller assembly can selectively illuminate one or more lights in the light display based on one or more other determinations, such as those described above, to detect a transition, a minimum transition, etc. Furthermore, other embodiments of the depth detector assembly may alternatively or additionally include other visual indicators (e.g., a display screen, a non-LED light, etc.) and / or audio indicators (e.g., a buzzer, a speaker, etc.).

[0018]

[0019] The power assembly 18 may include any suitable structure configured to provide power to the other assemblies of the depth detector assembly 10. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3, the power assembly 18 includes a power coupler 46 that can be connected to a power source of a forklift and / or other material handling equipment. Other components of the depth detector assembly may include various wires, connectors, tower harnesses, etc.

[0019]

[0020] 2-3, the depth detector assembly 10 is mounted on an exemplary clamp assembly 100. The clamp assembly 100 includes a mounting plate 102, which allows the clamp assembly to be removably coupled to a load-carrying vehicle, such as a lift truck or other type of vehicle. The clamp assembly 100 has a first clamp arm 108A and an opposing second clamp arm 108B that are controllably movable relative to one another, e.g., to engage the sides of a load and, with an appropriately applied force, lift and move the load. In the illustrated embodiment, the clamp arms 108A, 108B are shown in a generally upright orientation; therefore, the first clamp arm 108A is also referred to as the left clamp arm and the second clamp arm 108B is also referred to as the right clamp arm. Further aspects of the clamp assembly are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,630,821 and 7,412,919, the complete disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0020]

[0021] The clamp arms 108A, 108B are moved relative to one another using hydraulic pressure applied via one or more hydraulic cylinders, such as a pair of opposing hydraulic cylinders 110, as shown in FIGS. 2-3. The hydraulic cylinders 110 controllably move the clamp arms 108A, 108B and enable them to apply force to the load after they contact and engage the load. In the illustrated embodiment, each clamp arm 108A, 108B has a pair of slide arms 106 slidably supported on a fixed guide bar 104 extending horizontally from the mounting plate 102. Thus, there are a total of four slide arms 106 and four horizontal guide bars 104. The slide arms 106 and guide bars 104 support the clamp arms 108A, 108B at any position throughout their range of movement and provide smooth, guided movement between positions. Additional supports, such as support rails 112, as shown, may be configured to provide support for the load and prevent the load from shifting backward.

[0021]

[0022] Clamp arm 108B is configured for use with a first clamp pad 114B and a separate second clamp pad 114B positioned adjacent to the first clamp pad 116B. Similarly, clamp arm 108A is similarly configured with a first clamp pad 114A and a second clamp pad 116A. The clamp pads are typically made of a resilient material supported by a relatively rigid substrate, such as a rubber coating on an aluminum plate. Clamp arms 108A, 108B preferably have multiple clamping zones, such as three clamping zones.

[0022]

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2-3 , the depth detector assembly 10 is attached to and / or mounted on the clamp assembly 100. For example, the ultrasonic sensor assembly 12 is attached to the lower guide bar 104 via a bracket 120, with the sensor facing the space between the clamp arms 108A and 108B. The controller assembly 14 is attached to the upper guide bar 104 and includes a control box 50 and a programmable logic controller (PLC) 52. The display assembly 16 is attached to the upper guide bar 104 and faces a user seated in the cab of the material handling equipment. Alternatively, the display assembly may be attached to one or more components of the cab of the material handling equipment (e.g., a lift truck) or any suitable portion of the material handling equipment. The power assembly 18 includes a power coupler 46 that is coupled to a power source of the material handling equipment.

[0023]

[0024] In some embodiments, the depth detector assembly may be coupled with a volume force control (VFC) system that automatically adjusts clamping pressure based on load volume, or an automatic pressure control (APC) system that automatically adjusts clamping pressure based solely on load width. The load pad and / or clamp pad may have a color label or other color indicator associated with a desired detection position or desired depth.

[0024]

[0025] 4 illustrates an embodiment in which the location of a package is indicated by selective illumination of one or more lights of a light display. For example, blue LED 25 is constantly lit (fixed) when a package is located at detection location 32, green LED 26 is constantly lit (fixed) when a package is located at detection location 34, amber LED 28 is constantly lit (fixed) when a package is located at detection location 36, red LED 30 is constantly lit (fixed) when a package is located at detection location 38, the blue LED is intermittently lit (blinks) when a package is located at detection location 40, the green LED is intermittently lit (blinks) when a package is located at detection location 42, the amber LED is intermittently lit (blinks) when a package is located at detection location 44, and the red LED is intermittently lit (blinks) when a package is located at detection location 46. While only a single LED is illuminated per package location as described above, other embodiments of the depth detector assembly may include selective illumination of two or more LEDs based on or in response to the detected package location.

[0025]

[0026] Some embodiments provide methods for detecting the depth of a load relative to a material handling attachment. These methods may include detecting the load's approach via an ultrasonic sensor. In some embodiments, only the current approach of the load is detected and / or when the load stops moving relative to the material handling attachment. In other embodiments, the detection is performed while the load is moving relative to the material handling attachment. Additionally, the method may include indicating the load's approach via a light display, for example, based on or in response to the detected load's approach. The indication may include indicating the load's approach via selective illumination of one or more (or only one) of the lights of the light display. Furthermore, the method may include detecting the load as it moves or transitions through multiple load positions at different depths. Furthermore, the method may include determining a minimum number of such transitions for a particular load and / or determining whether the transitions are consecutive or non-consecutive. In some examples, the method may specifically exclude one or more of the above detecting and / or determining steps. These methods may include installing the components of the depth detector assembly described above, which may include mounting a sensor assembly facing the load, mounting a controller assembly adjacent to the sensor assembly, mounting a display assembly adjacent to a user of the material handling equipment, and / or connecting the controller assembly to a power source for the material handling equipment.

[0026]

[0027] It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described, but that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, as interpreted in accordance with general legal principles, including the doctrine of equivalents or any other doctrine that expands the enforceable scope of claims beyond their literal scope. Unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference in a claim to instances of an element, whether to one instance or to more than one instance, requires instances of at least the recited number of instances of the element, but is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim structures or methods having more instances of that element than recited. When used in the claims, the term "comprises" or its derivatives is used in a non-exclusive sense that does not intend to exclude the presence of other elements or steps in the claimed structure or method.

Claims

1. 1. A depth detector assembly for a material handling attachment, comprising: at least one ultrasonic sensor removably attachable to the material handling attachment; a controller removably attached to the material handling attachment and capable of receiving signals from the at least one ultrasonic sensor; a light display selectively illuminated by the controller based on signals received from the at least one ultrasonic sensor to indicate load depth relative to the material handling attachment; An assembly comprising:

2. 10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light display includes two or more lights selectively illuminated by the controller to indicate the depth of the load.

3. 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light display can be selectively illuminated by the controller based on signals received from the at least one ultrasonic sensor to indicate only the depth of the load relative to the material handling attachment.

4. 1. A clamp assembly comprising: a mounting plate removably connectable to the load-carrying vehicle; a plurality of guide bars extending horizontally from the mounting plate; a plurality of slide arms slidably supported on the plurality of guide bars; first and second opposing clamp arms, each mounted to a corresponding one of the plurality of slide arms, the first and second clamp arms movable toward and away from each other to contact the load and exert a clamping force sufficient to lift and transport the load; an ultrasonic sensor attached to one or more guide bars and directed toward a space defined between a first clamp arm and an opposing second clamp arm; a controller attached to the one or more guide bars and capable of receiving signals from at least one ultrasonic sensor; a light display selectively illuminated by the controller based on signals received from the at least one ultrasonic sensor to indicate load depth relative to the material handling attachment; A clamp assembly comprising:

5. 5. The clamp assembly of claim 4, wherein the light display can be selectively illuminated by the controller based on signals received from the at least one ultrasonic sensor to indicate only the depth of the load relative to the material handling attachment.

6. The clamp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the light display is mounted to one or more of the guide bars facing away from the clamp arm.

7. 1. A method for detecting load depth relative to a material handling attachment, comprising: detecting the proximity of a package via an ultrasonic sensor; indicating the approach of the package via a light display based on the detected approach of the package; A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light display includes two or more lights, and wherein indicating the approach of the package via the light display includes indicating the approach of the package by selectively illuminating one or more of the two or more lights based on the detected approach.

9. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the light display includes two or more lights, and the step of indicating the approach of the package via the light display includes indicating the approach of the package by selectively illuminating only one of the two or more lights based on the detected approach.

10. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting proximity of a package via an ultrasonic sensor excludes detecting the package as it moves across multiple package locations.

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