This application is a U.S. National Stage Entry of International Patent Application Serial Number PCT/EP2019/071806, filed Aug. 14, 2019, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2018 214 040.5, filed Aug. 21, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure generally relates to platform lifts and their configuration.
A platform lift is normally mass produced; therefore, any specific requirements pertaining to a specific country are not taken into account during the production process. For example, very often, a different bandwidth of radio frequency (RF) in combination with an effective radiated power (ERP) is required in order to comply with the applicable standards and directives for RF in different countries. This means that each continent or country (to which a platform lift is shipped) has its own specific frequency/power settings. Consequently, the platform lift needs to be produced with customized hardware and software corresponding to the country requirements of the desired location of sale and/or installation. This requirement obviously results in a more complex process of producing a platform lift since it requires that the manufacturer has access to a huge number of country specific components which are selected and inserted into a platform lift according to the end destination. It also results in a very strict manufacturing process with no room for error and a high potential for waste. For example, if the required number of platform lifts for one country unexpectedly 20 decreases, the already produced platform lifts cannot be used to meet the demand in another country since the country specific components would then be incorrect. Accordingly, there are deficiencies in the current practice, and a need exists for an improved method to avoid the aforementioned problems.
Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. Moreover, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that reciting “a” element or “an” element in the appended claims does not restrict those claims to articles, apparatuses, systems, methods, or the like having only one of that element, even where other elements in the same claim or different claims are preceded by “at least one” or similar language. Similarly, it should be understood that the steps of any method claims need not necessarily be performed in the order in which they are recited, unless so required by the context of the claims. In addition, all references to one skilled in the art shall be understood to refer to one having ordinary skill in the art.
The present disclosure generally relates to a method of configuring a platform lift. A method of the present disclosure involves a platform lift that can be appropriately configured according to the specific frequency setting of a country or continent, with the configuring taking place either during the production process, or during the installation process.
In the inventive method of configuring a platform lift wherein the platform lift comprises
It is further preferred that the communication device is a radio frequency (RF) communication device.
The inventive method advantageously utilizes radio frequency (RF) with a range from about 3 MHz to about 3 GHz, preferably with a range from about 300 MHz to about 1 GHz, more preferably with a range from about 850 MHz to about 950 MHz, most preferably with a range from about 860 MHz to about 930 MHz. The term “about” includes any RF value that lies within ±5 MHz of the given range limit. A selected RF signal range can refer to a selected frequency range (e.g., between 800 MHz and 850 MHz), or a selected frequency (810 MHz). Said RF signal range preferably comprises center frequency channels and/or bandwidth channels which support various types of wireless transmissions, for example, listen-before-talk.
In the inventive method, the country specific setting relates to the selected RF signal range. In other words, the selected radio frequency range is preferably specific to a country, or to a collection of countries who share a common radio frequency/frequency range. This advantageously allows the platform lift to be operable in the country (or countries) whose country specific setting has been selected.
It is also envisaged that, for example, a first country specific setting can relate to a first frequency range which is used in e.g., Brazil; a second country specific setting can relate to a first selected frequency used in e.g, China; a third country specific setting can relate to a second frequency range used in the USA; and a fourth country specific setting can relate to a second selected frequency used in e.g. Germany. A combination of frequency ranges and selected frequencies; or all frequency ranges; or all selected frequencies as country specific settings is possible within the scope of the invention. This advantageously provides for one specific data setting to be selected according to a desired country.
In the inventive method, the drive unit advantageously comprises a data memory wherein the country specific settings are stored. It is preferred that the data memory is a piece of memory hardware comprised within the drive unit, or a portable memory carrier, for example a USB data stick. This advantageously allows the platform lift to be programmed at various stages of production or installation using at least one these various programming methods.
In the inventive method, the communication device is preferably uploaded with exactly one country specific setting from the data memory during production or installation of the platform lift. This advantageously provides a platform lift which is “ready to use” upon purchase, or can be made “ready to use” upon installation. Preferably the country specific setting comprised within the data memory is uploaded to the communication device of the drive unit via a parameter signal. Preferably a parameter signal includes the connection of wires/hardware.
In the inventive method, a remote device is provided on a landing area. It can also be provided as a handheld device. It is also possible to provide a remote device on a landing area and as a handheld device. In particular, the remote device can be adapted to be operated at a distance of at least 3 m from the platform lift.
The remote device is adapted to be in communication with the communication device of the drive unit of the platform lift. This communication includes data signals which are sent between the two devices. The data signals preferably include a first signal and a confirmation signal. Said data signals are preferably transferred via a wireless transmission path. Preferably a first signal is sent from the communication device of the drive unit to the remote device. Preferably, a confirmation signal is sent from the communication device of the drive unit to the remote device.
The remote device can also be adapted to “call” the platform lift, i.e., to control the positioning of the platform lift on the stairway so that if the user is on a first landing area and the platform lift is on a second landing area, the user can use the remote device to send a command signal to the platform lift to travel to the first landing area.
Optionally a second remote device can be provided. This second remote device can be configured to operate at short distances from the platform lift, for example, by someone who is assisting a person using a platform lift who is unable to operate the platform lift themselves. This optional second remote device is preferably adapted to operate in the same way as the remote device in the inventive method.
Optionally a third remote device can be provided. This third remote device is preferably provided when the platform lift is to be operated over multiple floors. In a situation where the platform lift is positioned on a third or fourth floor of a building and the user is on the ground floor, the signal of a handheld remote device of the user, or a remote device positioned on the wall of the ground floor is weaker compared to the signal when a platform lift is positioned on the second floor. It is thus preferable to position the optional third remote device on at least one further floor of the building (e.g., first and/or second and/or third and/or fourth) in order to extend or “boost” the radio frequency signal between the remote device on the ground floor and the communication device of the drive unit of the platform lift on the third/fourth floor. The optional third remote device could be provided on the wall of each floor (except for the wall comprising the remote device) or it could be provided to each floor as a handheld device.
The control unit 23 controls the movement of the platform lift 2. In particular the control unit 23 provides a command which activates the drive motor 21 to move upwards or downwards along the rail 5 at a certain speed.
The platform lift 2 has at least one remote device 30 (shown in
The data memory 10 comprises various country specific settings 01, 02, 03, 04, wherein each setting refers to a different selected frequency or frequency range. The use of four country specific settings (01, 02, 03, 04) is meant by way of example only. The data memory can comprise one or more country specific setting(s). Each stairlift will be dedicated to be delivered to a specific country or region. For this purpose the remote device 30 and the RF communication device 24 needs to paired according to one country/region specific setting.
The main stages of configuring a platform lift according to the invention are shown in
The remote device 30 is also shown. The remote device 30 comprises the same country specific settings 01 to 04 as those contained in the data memory 10 of the drive unit 20. However, at this stage, due to the lack of country specific setting information (01 to 04) contained within the RF communication device 24 of the drive unit 20, communication between the drive unit 20 and the remote device 30 is not possible. Thus, the platform lift remains deactivated and cannot yet be used for travelling from one floor of a building to another.
A first step in the configuration process requires the uploading of a particular country specific setting 01, 02, 03, 04, from the data memory 10 to the first RF communication device 24. This is shown in
The first signal 41 is received by the remote device 30 which recognizes the setting 02. The remote device 30 then selects the corresponding setting 02 already stored in the remote device, but not yet selected. Once the relevant setting 02 has been selected, the remote device 30 emits a confirmation signal 42 back to RF communication device 24 (see
In
It is further envisaged that a remote device 30 can be positioned on each floor in order to extend or boost and/or maintain any data signal between the drive unit 20 and the remote device 30. This is particularly useful in buildings with more than two floors. In such buildings, the data signal between the drive unit 20 of a platform lift positioned on the ground floor and a remote device 30 positioned on the ground floor has a better quality connection and thus pairing, than the drive unit 20 of a platform lift on the second or third floor with a remote device 30 on the ground floor. In view of this it is foreseen that remote devices can be placed on every floor, or every second floor, or positioned according to necessity throughout the staircase of a building in order to ensure a quality working signal and thus a quality working platform lift.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2018 214 040.5 | Aug 2018 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2019/071806 | 8/14/2019 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2020/038794 | 2/27/2020 | WO | A |
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Entry |
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Office Action dated Jun. 27, 2019, in German priority application No. DE 102018214040.5. |
International Search Report in PCT/EP2019/071806 dated Nov. 21, 2019. |
Notice of Allowance, dated Jul. 12, 2022, in Japanese counterpart application No. JP 2021-506254, citing the above identified references not yet listed in an information disclosure statement in this pending US application. |
Office Action, dated Nov. 26, 2021, in Chinese counterpart application No. CN 201980054159.2, citing the above identified references not yet listed in an information disclosure statement in this pending US application. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210323791 A1 | Oct 2021 | US |