The present invention relates generally to control panels for loading dock equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a simplified and unified control panel for operating loading dock equipment.
This invention is a master control panel which simplifies the operation of loading dock equipment. In addition to having a dock leveler and overhead door, a loading dock may also have a vehicle restraint, loading light, barrier gate and inflatable shelter. If the various devices are power operated rather than manually operated, the wall beside the doorway may be cluttered with various control panels. Not only is the space between doors often very restricted, but the cost of the electrical installation can be significant. This situation can be improved with the installation of a combination control panel which includes all of the controls in a single enclosure. The combination panel not only saves space but may also reduce the cost of electrical installation. One criticism of existing combination panels has been that the operator may be confused by the various number of switches and push buttons, and the proper sequence of operation.
FIG. 1 illustrates a loading dock with a driveway 1, dock wall 2, dock floor 3. A pit 4 is recessed in the floor 3. A dock leveler assembly 10 has a deck assembly 11, and a frame assembly 12 which is mounted in the pit 4. Lip keepers 14 are mounted to the front of the frame. The rear of a deck assembly 11 pivots on the frame assembly 12 and has a lip hinge 13 at the front. A lip assembly 15 is supported at one end by the lip hinge 13 and has the other end resting on the lip keepers 14.
The doorway of the loading dock can be closed by a movable door 18, shown partially open. A vehicle restraint assembly 20 is mounted to the wall 2 and has a hook 21, which moves vertically to engage the ICC bar of a truck or tractor trailer (not shown). A light assembly 23 is mounted beside the doorway and has a red light 24 and a green light 25 to signal the truck driver. Two signs 26 and 27 instruct the driver to move only when the green light is illuminated. The sign 26 has reversed lettering to be legible when viewed in the truck mirror. A loading light 28 is mounted beside the doorway to illuminate the interior of the trailer during loading. A barrier gate assembly 30 has a barrier arm 31 which moves from a horizontal position where it prevents access to the doorway to a vertical position where it allows access to the doorway.
An inflatable shelter assembly 35 has two side bags 36 and a head bag 37 which are inflated by a motor and blower (not shown). When a truck or trailer is at the dock, the bags inflate to form a seal between the truck or trailer and the dock wall.
FIG. 2 demonstrates a typical loading dock area with control panels for a hydraulic dock leveler, electric vehicle restraint and power operated door. The dock leveler control panel 40 has three buttons, button 41 raises the dock leveler deck assembly 11, button 42 extends the hinged lip plate 15, and button 43 is an Emergency Stop which stops all of the dock leveler functions. The vehicle restraint control panel 50 has a selector switch 51, an engage button 52 and a release button 53. Three lights 55, 56 and 57 which are red, amber and green respectively, indicate to the dock operator the status of the vehicle restraint. The selector switch 51 has three positions, Off, On, and Lights Only, which allows the operator to bypass the vehicle restraint if the truck or trailer cannot be captured by the vehicle restraint and must be restrained by wheel chocks. The door control panel 60 has three buttons, an Open button 61, a Close button 63 and a Stop button 62.
The normal operating sequence of the equipment is as follows:
When the dock is not in use, the exterior green light 25 is illuminated to indicate that the truck driver may approach or leave the dock. The interior red light 55 is illuminated to indicate that the dock is not in a condition for use. The operator selects the vehicle restraint control panel 50 and presses the engage button 52. The vehicle restraint hook 21, of FIG. 1, rises to engage the truck or trailer. When the hook 21 starts to rise, the exterior red light 24 is illuminated to indicate that the truck driver cannot leave. When the truck or trailer has been effectively restrained, the interior green light 57 is illuminated to indicate that the dock is ready to use. If the vehicle restraint 20 cannot restrain the trailer, the dock operator must manually chock the truck or trailer wheels. The operator may then turn the selector switch 51 from On to Lights Only. Both the interior green light 55 and amber light 56 are now illuminated to indicate that the dock is safe to use, but that the operator should use greater caution because the vehicle restraint 20 has not engaged the truck or trailer.
The operator selects the door control panel 60 and presses the Door Open button 61 to open the door 18.
The operator selects the dock leveler control panel 40 and presses the Raise button 41 to raise the deck assembly 11, extend the lip assembly 15, and releases the button to lower the leveler onto the trailer. Pressing the Lip Extend button 42 allows faster operation by causing the lip 15 to extend before the deck assembly 11 is fully raised. Pressing the Emergency Stop button 43 causes the dock leveler to stop so that it will not descend on top of any misplaced cargo.
If a loading light 28 is installed it may have a manual switch or may be automatically turned on when the door is opened. Similarly, an inflatable shelter 35 may be operated by a manual switch or be automatically turned on when the door is opened.
When the loading operation is finished, the operating sequence is reversed.
The operator presses the dock leveler Raise button 41 to raise the deck assembly 11, fold the lip assembly 15 and then releases the button to lower the dock leveler to the stored position.
The operator presses the Door Close button 63 to close the door 18. Pressing the Stop button 62 causes the door to stop before it closes.
The operator presses the Release button 53 and the vehicle restraint hook 21 lowers to release the trailer. When the hook 21 starts to lower, the interior red light 55 is illuminated to indicate that the dock is not ready for use. When the hook is fully lowered, the exterior green light 25 is illuminated to indicate that the truck driver may leave.
FIG. 3 demonstrates a typical combination control panel with controls for a hydraulic dock leveler, electric vehicle restraint and power operated door. The control buttons and switches have the identical functions of the separate panels in FIG. 2. Often, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is used to allow many different control sequences and interconnect relationships. A PLC accepts input signals from various devices such as limit switches and push buttons and then transmits output signals to various devices such as lights, relays and motors in accordance with the logic defined by the control program. The use of a PLC is well known in the loading dock industry and the specific electrical circuits and program statements are not shown nor discussed herein.
Although the control buttons and switches are arranged in functional groups and are clearly labeled, an untrained operator may find that the number of buttons and their differing locations make the proper sequence of operations seem confusing. Therefore, this invention provides a combination panel with all of the advantages of compact space and economical installation, and with a simplified operating sequence.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a simplified combination panel for controlling loading dock equipment and a method for operating loading dock equipment with a simplified control panel.
It is therefore a feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a combination panel with all of the advantages of compact space and economical installation, but with a simplified operating sequence.
The above mentioned features, and other features and advantages are achieved through the use of a novel master control panel as herein disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a unified controller for controlling a loading dock apparatus comprising a control panel for providing a common area for operator controls and signals; operator signal lights located on the control panel and operatively connected to the loading dock apparatus for signaling an operator that a loading dock is at least one of ready for loading, not ready for loading, and operator be cautioned; a selector switch located on the control panel, and operatively connected to the loading dock apparatus to permit selective operation of a vehicle restraint, a dock door, and a leveler apparatus; a first operation control attached to the control panel wherein the first operation control engages the vehicle restraint when the selector switch is selected to operate the vehicle restraint, the first operation control opens the dock door when the dock door is selected by the selector switch, and the first operation control controls the raising and lowering of the dock leveler to an operative and a stored position, and extends and retracts a lip portion of the dock leveler when the dock leveler is selected by the selector switch; a second operation control attached to the control panel, wherein the second operation control extends a lip portion of the dock leveler when the dock leveler is selected by the selector switch, the second operation control closes the dock door when the dock door is selected by the selector switch, the second operation control disengages the vehicle restraint when the selector switch is selected to operate the vehicle restraint; and a third operation control attached to the control panel, wherein the third operation control is an emergency stop control configured to stop operation of the loading dock apparatus; operator indicator lights located on the control panel, wherein the indicator lights indicate which of the vehicle restraint, door, and dock lever the operation controls will activate; and a vehicle restraint bypass switch located on the controller, wherein the vehicle restraint bypass switch may selectively bypass the dock loading apparatus causing the first operation control to not engage the vehicle restraint, but activate the operator control signal light to indicate at least one of ready for loading, and operator be cautioned, and the second operation control to not disengage the dock loading apparatus.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a controller for controlling a loading dock apparatus, the apparatus including a vehicle restraint, a door, a loading light, a dock leveler, the controller comprising a control panel for providing a common area for operator controls and signals; operator signal lights located on the control panel and operatively connected to the loading dock apparatus for signaling an operator that a loading dock is at least one of ready for loading, not ready for loading, and operator be cautioned; selector switch located on the control panel, and operatively connected to the loading dock apparatus to permit selective operation of a vehicle restraint, a dock door, and a leveler apparatus; a means for controlling the loading dock apparatus, the means attached to the control panel, wherein the means controls the vehicle restraint when the selector switch is selected to operate a vehicle restraint, the means controls a dock door when the dock door is selected by the selector switch, and the means controls a dock leveler when the dock leveler is selected by the selector switch; an emergency stop control attached to the control panel, configured to stop operation of the loading dock apparatus; operator indicator lights located on the control panel, wherein the indicator lights indicate which of the vehicle restraint, door, and dock lever the operation controls will activate; and a vehicle restraint bypass switch located on the controller, wherein the vehicle restraint bypass switch may selectively bypass the dock loading apparatus causing the means to not control the vehicle restraint, but activate the operator control signal light to indicate at least one of ready for loading, and operator be cautioned, when the vehicle constraint is engaged or bypassed and control signal light to indicate that the dock is not ready for loading when the vehicle restraint is not engaged and not bypassed.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a method of controlling a loading dock apparatus with a single unified controller comprising configuring a first and second operation control to control a dock door by selecting a dock door option with a selecting switch; operating a dock door by operating the first operation control to open the dock door and operating the second operation control to close the dock door; configuring the first and second operation control to operate a dock leveler by selecting a dock leveler option with the selecting switch; operating a dock leveler by raising and lowering a dock leveler by operating the first operation control and extending and contracting a lip portion of the dock leveler and extending a lip portion of the dock leveler by operating the second operation control.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a control panel for a loading dock apparatus comprising; an operator means located on the control panel for operating a loading dock apparatus, a controller means associated with the control panel for causing the operator means to operate at least two of a vehicle restraint, a loading dock door, a loading dock door seal, and a dock leveler and lip in a predetermined sequence, wherein the operator means, when activated, activates the loading dock apparatus to be operated next in a predetermined sequence.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a control panel for a loading dock apparatus comprising; an operator means located on the control panel for operating a loading dock apparatus, a selector means located on the control panel for selection between at least two of a vehicle restraint, a loading dock door, a loading dock door seal, and a dock leveler and lip, wherein the selector means causes the operator means, when activated, to operate the loading dock apparatus that is selected by the selector means.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.