US 11,851,306 B2
Zero-gravity hoist control
Matthew Post, Milwaukee, WI (US); Isabel M. Lloyd, West Allis, WI (US); Gareth Mueckl, Milwaukee, WI (US); John S. Scott, Brookfield, WI (US); Matthew N. Thurin, Wauwatosa, WI (US); and Timothy J. Campbell, Brookfield, WI (US)
Assigned to Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed by MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION, Brookfield, WI (US)
Filed on Jan. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/155,797.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/092,715, filed on Oct. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/044,783, filed on Jun. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/009,635, filed on Apr. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/965,574, filed on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0229963 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. B66C 13/00 (2006.01); B66C 13/24 (2006.01); B66C 13/16 (2006.01)
CPC B66C 13/24 (2013.01) [B66C 13/16 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A zero-gravity hoist system, comprising:
a chain fall;
a motor coupled to the chain fall, and configured to drive the chain fall in one or more directions;
a power supply configured to provide power to the motor;
a load sensing assembly configured to determine a force of a load attached to the chain fall, wherein the load sensing assembly includes:
a spring plate configured to deflect in response to a variation in the force of the load, wherein the spring plate includes a conductive surface configured to receive a first signal; and
an antenna configured to receive a second electrical signal from the first conductive surface; wherein the second electrical signal is associated with a distance between the antenna and the conductive surface, the antenna configured to generate an output based on the received second electrical signal; and
a controller having one or more electronic processors, wherein the one or more electronic processors are configured to:
receive an input from a user indicating that the load coupled to the chain fall is at a desired height;
receive a first output from the antenna;
measure a first force of the load in response to receiving the input and based on the received first output;
store the measured force in a memory of the controller;
receive a second output from the antenna;
measure a second force of the load based on the received second output;
determine a difference between the second measured force and the first measured force; and
adjust the height of the load based on determining that the second force differs from the first force by a predetermined threshold.