IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0862638
(2010-08-24)
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등록번호 |
US-8407842
(2013-04-02)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Story, Michael
- Limbaugh, Jeff
- Hoofard, Richard K.
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출원인 / 주소 |
- 4Front Engineered Solutions, Inc.
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
46 |
초록
▼
Dock levelers, such as mechanical dock levelers, are described herein. In one embodiment, a mechanical dock leveler includes a ramp having a lip pivotally attached to a forward edge. A ramp lifting system is configured to assist upward rotation of the ramp as it is manually raised. In this embodimen
Dock levelers, such as mechanical dock levelers, are described herein. In one embodiment, a mechanical dock leveler includes a ramp having a lip pivotally attached to a forward edge. A ramp lifting system is configured to assist upward rotation of the ramp as it is manually raised. In this embodiment, a lip lifting system is operably coupled to the ramp lifting system so that the ramp is initially “downward biased” prior to being raised, and then becomes at least partially supported in a raised position by the lip lifting mechanism, once the lip lifting mechanism is engaged.
대표청구항
▼
1. A dock leveler comprising: a ramp having an aft deck portion and a forward deck portion;a lip pivotally attached toward the forward deck portion;a ramp lifting system configured to facilitate upward rotation of the ramp about an aft hinge, wherein the ramp lifting system includes an articulating
1. A dock leveler comprising: a ramp having an aft deck portion and a forward deck portion;a lip pivotally attached toward the forward deck portion;a ramp lifting system configured to facilitate upward rotation of the ramp about an aft hinge, wherein the ramp lifting system includes an articulating arm having a first link pivotally coupled to a second link, wherein the first link includes a first end portion operably coupled to a dock leveler support structure and the second link includes a second end portion operably coupled to the ramp; anda lip lifting system that includes a connecting rod having a third end portion operably coupled to the lip and a fourth end portion operably coupled to a pivot link supported by the ramp; anda push bar having a fifth end portion operably coupled to the second link of the articulating arm and a sixth end portion configured to operably engage the pivot link and drive it to an over-center position as the second link drives the push bar, thereby extending the lip as the ramp rotates downwardly about the aft hinge. 2. The dock leveler of claim 1 wherein the ramp lifting system includes a counterbalance system configured to assist manual raising of the ramp. 3. The dock leveler of claim wherein the ramp lifting system includes:one or more biasing members operably coupled to the articulating arm and urging the first end portion away from the second end portion. 4. The dock leveler of claim 1 wherein the connecting rod is a compressible connecting rod. 5. A dock leveler comprising: a support structure configured to be fixedly mounted to a loading dock;a ramp having an aft edge portion and a forward edge portion, wherein the aft edge portion is pivotally attached to the support structure;a counterbalance system operably coupled between the support structure and the ramp, wherein the counterbalance system includes a first pivot link that exerts an upward biasing force against the ramp to offset the weight of the ramp; a lip pivotally attached toward the forward edge portion of the ramp; anda lip lifting system having at least a second pivot link having a proximal end portion supported by the ramp;a connecting rod having a first end portion operably coupled to the lip and a second end portion operably coupled to a distal end portion of the second pivot link; anda push bar having a third end portion pivotally coupled to the first pivot link and a fourth end portion configured to operably engage the second pivot link as the ramp rotates downwardly and drive the second end portion of the connecting rod toward the forward edge portion of the ramp, thereby rotating the lip outwardly from the forward edge portion of the ramp as the ramp rotates downwardly about the aft edge portion. 6. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the first pivot link rotates toward the forward edge portion of the ramp as the ramp descends. 7. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the first pivot link is an upper link, and wherein the counterbalance system further includes a lift arm assembly that includes the upper link operably coupled to the ramp and a lower link operably coupled to the support structure. 8. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the first pivot link is an upper link having a fifth end portion spaced apart from a sixth end portion, wherein the fifth end portion is pivotally attached to the ramp, and wherein the counterbalance system further includes: a lower link having a seventh end portion spaced apart from an eighth end portion, wherein the seventh end portion is pivotally attached to the support structure, and wherein the eighth end portion is pivotally coupled to the sixth end portion of the upper link; anda biasing member operably coupled to at least one of the upper and lower link and urging the fifth end portion of the upper link away from the seventh end portion of the lower link. 9. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the first pivot link is an upper link, and wherein the counterbalance system includes: an articulating arm having the upper link pivotally coupled to a lower link at an articulating joint, wherein the upper link has a first end portion pivotally attached to the ramp and the lower link has a second end portion pivotally attached to the support structure; andone or more biasing members positioned in tension between the articulating joint and the support structure, to thereby exert an upward force on the ramp via the articulating arm that offsets the weight of the ramp. 10. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the lip lifting system further comprises a compressible member configured to be operably coupled between the lip and the push bar. 11. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the connecting rod includes a biasing member operably coupled between the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion is movable relative to the second end portion, and wherein the biasing member urges the first end portion away from the second end portion. 12. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the connecting rod includes a coil spring compressed between the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion is movable relative to the second end portion, and wherein the coil spring urges the first end portion away from the second end portion. 13. The dock leveler of claim 5 wherein the connecting rod includes: a first tube fixedly attached to the first end portion; anda second tube fixedly attached to the second end portion, wherein the first tube is concentrically received by the second tube whereby the first end portion can move axially relative to the second end portion. 14. A dock leveler comprising: a support structure configured to be fixedly mounted to a loading dock;a ramp having an aft edge portion and a forward edge portion, wherein the aft edge portion is pivotally attached to the support structure;a counterbalance system operably coupled between the support structure and the ramp, wherein the counterbalance system exerts an upward biasing force against the ramp to offset the weight of the ramp, and wherein the counterbalance system includes: an upper link having a first end portion spaced apart from a second end portion, wherein the first end portion is pivotally attached to the ramp;a lower link having a third end portion spaced apart from a fourth end portion, wherein the third end portion is pivotally attached to the support structure, and wherein the fourth end portion is pivotally coupled to the second end portion of the upper link; anda biasing member operably coupled to at least one of the upper and lower link and urging the first end portion of the upper link away from the third end portion of the lower link;a lip pivotally attached toward the forward edge portion of the ramp; anda lip lifting system having: a connecting rod having a fourth end portion operably coupled to the lip and a fifth end portion operably coupled to a pivot link supported by the ramp, anda push bar operably coupled to the upper link between the first and second end portions, wherein the push bar has a sixth end portion, and wherein the lip lifting system cooperates with the counterbalance system to operably engage the sixth end portion with the pivot link and drive it to an over-center position, thereby rotating the lip outwardly from the forward edge portion of the ramp as the ramp rotates downwardly about the aft edge portion. 15. A dock leveler comprising: a support structure configured to be fixedly mounted to a loading dock;a ramp having an aft edge portion and a forward edge portion, wherein the aft edge portion is pivotally attached to the support structure;a counterbalance system operably coupled between the support structure and the ramp, wherein the counterbalance system exerts an upward biasing force against the ramp to offset the weight of the ramp, and wherein the counterbalance system includes a lift arm assembly having an upper link operably coupled to the ramp and a lower link operably coupled to the support structure;a lip pivotally attached toward the forward edge portion of the ramp; anda lip lifting system, wherein the lip lifting system includes: a first pivot link spaced apart from a second pivot link, wherein each pivot link includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the proximal end portions are pivotally supported by the ramp;a latch pin carried by the first and second pivot links between the proximal and distal end portions;a connecting rod having a first end portion operably coupled to the lip and a second end portion operably coupled to the distal end portions of the first and second pivot links; anda push bar having a third end portion operably coupled to the upper link of the counterbalance system and a fourth end portion configured to operably engage the latch pin as the ramp rotates downwardly and drive the connecting rod toward the forward edge portion of the ramp, thereby rotating the lip outwardly from the forward edge portion of the ramp as the ramp rotates downwardly about the aft edge portion. 16. A method of operating a dock leveler having a ramp and a lip, the method comprising: manually raising the ramp from a lower position to an upper position, wherein the ramp has a downward bias during the raising; andreducing the downward bias at the upper position by operably engaging a lip lifting mechanism between the lip and a counterbalance system, wherein the counterbalance system assists upward rotation of the ramp by means of an articulating arm having a first link pivotally coupled to a second link, wherein the first link includes a first end portion operably coupled to a dock leveler support structure and the second link includes a second end portion operably coupled to the ramp, and wherein the lip lifting system includes a connecting rod and a push bar, the connecting rod having a third end portion operably coupled to the lip and a fourth end portion operably coupled to a pivot link supported by the ramp, the push bar having a fifth end portion pivotally coupled to the second link of the articulating arm, wherein the second link drives the push bar to rotate the lip outwardly from the ramp as the ramp rotates downwardly. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising walking down the ramp to lower the ramp from the upper position to the lower position and extend the lip outwardly from the ramp.
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