Lift arm attachment safety system

Abstract

A lift arm attachment safety system may include, an adapter plate receivable within an adapter frame of a lift arm attachment; one or more configured to detect a proximity of the adapter plate to the adapter frame; a drive control system configured to control drive capabilities of a vehicle; at least one processor; and at least one memory device storing one or more instructions for: receiving at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame; transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A lift arm attachment safety system comprising:
 an adapter plate receivable within an adapter frame of a lift arm attachment;   one or more sensors disposed on the adapter plate and configured to detect a proximity of the adapter plate to the adapter frame;   a drive control system configured to enable or disable the drive capabilities of a vehicle;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor for:
 receiving at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a locking mechanism configured to control one or more locking pins;   wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from the locking mechanism indicating that the one or more locking pins are in a locked position; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the one or more locking pins are in a locked position. 
   
     
     
         3 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an interface device configured to receive at least one control input from a user;   wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from the interface device indicating a control input from a user; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user. 
   
     
     
         4 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 transmitting one or more control signals to the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move the one or more locking pins to an unlocked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user.   
     
     
         5 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame;   transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame.   
     
     
         6 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a locking mechanism configured to control one or more locking pins;   wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move the one or more locking pins to a locked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame. 
   
     
     
         7 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the drive control system includes at least one of a parking brake or a transmission. 
     
     
         8 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors disposed on the adapter plate and configured to detect a proximity of the adapter plate to the adapter frame includes:
 one or more first sensors configured to detect a proximity of at least one projection portion the adapter plate to a flange portion of the adapter frame; and   one or more second sensors configured to detect a proximity of the adapter plate to a back plate of the adapter frame.   
     
     
         9 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 8 , wherein the adapter plate includes:
 one or more apertures in the adapter plate configured to allow the one or more second sensors to detect the proximity of the adapter plate to the back plate of the adapter frame through the adapter plate.   
     
     
         10 . A lift arm attachment safety system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor for:
 receiving at least one signal from one or more sensors indicating that an adapter plate is within a threshold proximity to an adapter frame; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to a drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of a vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame. 
   
     
     
         11 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from a locking mechanism indicating that one or more locking pins are in a locked position; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the one or more locking pins are in a locked position. 
   
     
     
         12 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from an interface device indicating a control input from a user; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user. 
   
     
     
         13 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 transmitting one or more control signals to a locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move one or more locking pins to an unlocked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user.   
     
     
         14 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame;   transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame.   
     
     
         15 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 wherein the at least one memory device storing one or more instructions executable by the at least one processor further includes instructions for:
 receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame; 
 transmitting one or more control signals to a locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move one or more locking pins to a locked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame. 
   
     
     
         16 . The lift arm attachment safety system of  claim 10 , wherein the transmitting one or more control signals to a drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of a vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame includes:
 transmitting one or more control signals to at least one of a parking brake or a transmission of the vehicle to cause the at least one of a parking brake or a transmission to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame.   
     
     
         17 . A method for secure operation of a lift-arm vehicle comprising:
 receiving at least one signal from one or more sensors indicating that an adapter plate coupled to a lift-arm is within a threshold proximity to an adapter frame of a lift arm attachment;   transmitting one or more control signals to a drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of a vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one signal from a locking mechanism indicating that one or more locking pins are in a locked position;   transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the one or more locking pins are in a locked position.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one signal from an interface device indicating a control input from a user;   transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to disable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 transmitting one or more control signals to a locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move one or more locking pins to an unlocked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the interface device indicating the control input from the user.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within a threshold proximity to the adapter frame;   transmitting one or more control signals to the drive control system to cause the drive control system to enable drive capabilities of the vehicle in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is not within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame;   transmitting one or more control signals to a locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move one or more locking pins to a locked position in response to receiving the at least one signal from the one or more sensors indicating that the adapter plate is within the threshold proximity to the adapter frame.