Dock Vehicle Alignment via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle loading dock systems lack effective alignment solutions, leading to inefficiencies in cargo transfer due to misalignment of vehicles with the dock, which can result in safety hazards and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle alignment system that utilizes sensor systems, controllers, and displays to monitor and guide vehicles into proper alignment with the loading dock, using sensors to detect spatial characteristics such as angular and lateral position, and providing visual feedback to drivers to ensure accurate docking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no vehicle alignment system is installed, then the loading dock operation is simple and low-cost, but vehicle misalignment occurs leading to safety hazards and operational delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where sensors detect the vehicle's spatial characteristics (angular and lateral position) and provide real-time visual feedback to the driver through displays. This closed-loop feedback system enables the driver to adjust the vehicle position based on visual cues, thereby achieving precise alignment without requiring complex automated control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system empowers the driver to perform the alignment task themselves using visual feedback from the sensor system. Instead of requiring automated guidance or external assistance, the driver uses the displayed spatial information to self-correct the vehicle position, making the system easy to operate and deploy without extensive training or infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If manual alignment methods are used, then the system is simple to operate, but alignment precision is insufficient leading to safety hazards and operational delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual estimation and mechanical alignment methods with an optical/electronic sensor system. Sensors mounted on the dock detect the vehicle's angular and lateral position using optical fields, providing precise measurement without mechanical contact. This substitution enables high-precision alignment while maintaining system simplicity through electronic rather than mechanical means.
Data Source
AI summary
Example vehicle alignment systems for use at loading docks are disclosed herein. An example vehicle alignment system includes a sensor system to detect a surface of a vehicle, where the sensor system obtains a feedback signal representative of a spatial orientation of the detected surface relative to a reference as the vehicle approaches a doorway of the loading dock. A controller detects a threshold deviation in the spatial orientation of the detected surface of the vehicle relative to the reference based on the feedback signal. A display varies an output signal in response to the detected deviation in the spatial orientation of the detected surface relative to the reference.