Monitoring vehicle restraints over a continuous range of positions

摘要

Example vehicle restraint apparatus and methods of operating the same are disclosed herein. An example vehicle restraint includes a main body proximate a dock, a vehicle restraint drive unit, and a barrier coupled to the vehicle restraint drive unit and the main body. The barrier is movable relative to the main body between an extended position, a retracted position, and a plurality of intermediate positions between the extended position and the retracted position. A sensor provides a plurality of position feedback signals corresponding to a plurality of sensed positions of the barrier when the barrier moves along the plurality of intermediate positions. A controller receives the plurality of position feedback signals, performs a plurality of comparisons of the plurality of position feedback signals with a stored reference, and generates an output signal based on the compared value.

主权项

1. A vehicle restraint to selectively block and release a vehicle at a dock, the vehicle restraint comprising:
a main body proximate the dock; a vehicle restraint drive unit; a barrier coupled to the vehicle restraint drive unit and to the main body, the barrier being movable by the vehicle restraint drive unit relative to the main body between a fully extended position, a fully retracted position, and a plurality of intermediate positions between the fully extended position and the fully retracted position, the barrier providing a more prominent obstruction to the vehicle when the barrier is in the fully extended position than when the barrier is in the fully retracted position; a sensor to provide a plurality of position feedback signals indicating a plurality of sensed positions of the barrier along the plurality of intermediate positions; a controller to:
receive the position feedback signals;store historical data based at least partially on the position feedback signals;perform a plurality of comparisons of the position feedback signals with a stored reference; andgenerate an output signal based the comparisons, the output signal to vary based on the plurality of comparisons, the vehicle restraint drive unit being responsive to the output.