Fall control system and method of controlling a movement during fall
A fall control system is described. The fall control system comprises an elongate guide rail extending along an axis, one or more than one trolley for moving along the elongate guide rail, a tether attached to the trolley at a first end, a second end of the tether for attaching to a user, and a speed control system for controlling a speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail. The speed control system comprises one or more than one speed control track attached to the elongate guide rail and extending along the axis, a background speed controller coupled to the trolley and engaged with the one or more speed control track when the speed control system or the trolley is in a travelling orientation and controlling the speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail to not exceeded a maximum walking speed.
1 . A fall control system comprising,
an elongate guide rail extending along a longitudinal axis, the elongate guide rail comprising one or more than one raceway and a lateral mounting portion extending along the longitudinal axis of the elongate guide rail, the lateral mounting portion for mounting the elongate guide rail laterally to a vertical weight bearing surface, such that the longitudinal axis of the elongate guide rail is substantially parallel to the vertical weight bearing surface,
a trolley adjacent to and engaged with a first portion of the elongate guide rail, the trolley configured to move along the one or more than one raceway of the elongate guide rail, the trolley comprising a trolley body and a braking arm,
the braking arm attached to the trolley body and moveable from a first position to a second position, the braking arm comprising an attachment end and a braking end, the attachment end of the braking arm extending outwards from the trolley body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongate guide rail and substantially perpendicular to the vertical weight bearing surface;
a tether attached at a first end of the attachment end of the braking arm, a second end of the tether for attaching to a user, and
a speed control system for controlling a speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail, the speed control system comprising:
one or more than one speed control track extending along the longitudinal axis of the elongate guide rail, the one or more than one speed control track comprising a first surface; and
a speed controller coupled to the trolley,
the speed controller comprising a surface of the braking arm for frictionally engaging with the first surface of the one or more than one speed control track for controlling the speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail in the falling orientation,
wherein the braking arm is movable from the first position when the trolley is in a travelling orientation and the speed controller does not reduce speed, or temporarily stop movement, of the trolley along the elongate guide rail when the user is attached to the tether, to the second position when the trolley is in the falling orientation, so that the surface of the braking arm frictionally engages the first surface of the one or more than one speed control track, and the speed controller reduces speed, or temporarily stops movement, of the trolley along the elongate guide rail thereby decreasing the user's ground impact speed during a fall event to prevent or minimize injury from a fall,
wherein the first surface of the speed control track is a sinusoidal wave surface and the surface of the braking arm is a flat surface or a sinusoidal wave surface, or the first surface of the speed control track is a flat surface and the surface of the braking arm is a sinusoidal wave surface or a flat surface.
2 . The fall control system of claim 1 , the trolley comprising one or more than one roller for moving the trolley along the one or more than one raceway of the elongate guide rail.
3 . The fall control system of claim 2 , the fall control system further comprising a background speed controller comprising a gear wheel coupled to the one or more than one roller of the trolley, the gear wheel comprising a plurality of teeth, and the trolley comprising a moveable arm with a single point or multiple points of contact configured to interact with the teeth of the gear wheel.
4 . The fall control system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more than one raceway of the elongate guide rail comprises one or more than one pair of raceways, and the one or more than one roller of the trolley comprises one or more than one pair of rollers,
wherein the one or more than one pair of rollers are attached to each end of a swivel arm that rotates around a pivot on the trolley body having a first axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the trolley, and
wherein each roller in each or more than one pair of rollers is pivotable about a second axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the trolley,
wherein the movement of the swivel arm about the first axis of rotation and movement of each roller about the second axis of rotation allow the trolley to move along a guide rail curving in any direction.
5 . The fall control system of claim 1 , the speed control system further comprising a background speed controller coupled to the trolley and engaged with the elongate guide rail, the background speed controller for controlling the speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail in a traveling orientation while the user is walking, ascending stairs, or descending stairs.
6 . The fall control system of claim 5 , wherein the background speed controller comprises one or more than one magnet, and the elongate guide rail comprises a conductive portion extending along the elongate guide rail.
7 . The fall control system of claim 1 , the trolley further comprising a braking plate moveable in a compartment formed by the body of the trolley and a guide plate, the braking plate slidable in a plane parallel to the elongate guide rail when the braking arm moves from the first position to the second position.
8 . The fall control system of claim 7 , wherein the compartment comprises one or more rolling elements in the compartment, the rolling elements sandwiched between the braking plate and the guide plate and between the braking plate and the body of the trolley.
9 . The fall control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more raceways of the elongate guide rail comprise one or more than one rod, and the trolley comprises one or more than one roller for engaging with the one or more than one rod.
10 . The fall control system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more than one rod has a convex surface and the one or more than one roller of the trolley has a corresponding concave surface.
11 . The fall control system of claim 1 , further comprising a pad configured to hang from the trolley between the user and a portion of the vertical weight bearing surface below the trolley, when the trolley is mounted on the elongate guide rail and the elongate guide rail is mounted laterally on the vertical weight bearing surface, the pad is moveable with the trolley along the elongate guide rail, wherein the pad prevents or reduces injury to the user should the user fall against the portion of the vertical weight bearing surface below the trolley.
12 . The fall control system of claim 11 , wherein the pad comprises one or more than one hole to allow the user to hold a handrail mounted on the vertical weight bearing surface, or the pad comprises the handrail attached to or built-in to the pad.
13 . The fall control system of claim 11 , wherein the pad is positioned to cover the trolley, a second portion of the elongate guide rail, or a combination thereof.
14 . The fall control system of claim 11 , wherein the pad is removably attached to the trolley, the pad is foldable, the pad comprises one or more than one pad wheel at a lower edge of the pad, or a combination thereof.
15 . The fall control system of claim 11 , wherein the pad is an impact-attenuating pad.
16 . The fall control system of claim 11 , wherein the pad is a fitness pad or a crash pad.
17 . The fall control system of claim 1 , wherein the tether comprises two or more attachment points for attaching the trolley to the user.
18 . A fall control system comprising:
an elongate guide rail extending along a longitudinal axis, the elongate guide rail comprising one or more than one speed control track and a lateral mounting portion for mounting the elongate guide rail laterally to a vertical weight bearing surface, such that the longitudinal axis of the elongate guide rail is substantially parallel to the vertical weight bearing surface;
a trolley configured to move along the elongate guide rail, the trolley comprising an attachment end;
a tether attached to the attachment end of the trolley at a first end, a second end of the tether for attaching to a user;
a first speed control system for controlling a speed of the trolley along the elongate guide rail, wherein the first speed control system reduces speed, or temporarily stops movement of the trolley along the elongate guide rail, by engaging with a first surface of the one or more than one speed control track; and
a pad coupled to the trolley and configured to be positioned between the user and a portion of the vertical weight bearing surface below the trolley when the trolley is mounted on the elongate guide rail and the elongate guide rail is laterally mounted to the vertical weight bearing surface, the pad moveable with the trolley along the elongate guide rail, wherein the pad prevents or reduces injury to the user should the user fall against the vertical weight bearing surface below the trolley.