Monitoring condition of safety system for elevator

• US 10,118,798 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Kattainen, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/876,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20160107862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187391, 187316, 187317, 187343, 187344, 187351, 187357, 187393, 187394
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/005 Safety of maintenance personnel
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0056 by preventing crushing

Abstract

According to few examples a safety system, a method and a computer program for an elevator safety system is provided. A first switch configured to detect a first position of a safety device of an elevator. A second switch configured to detect a second position of the safety device. A controller configured to monitor a change of a state of the first switch and a change of a state of the second switch.

Claims

1. A safety system of an elevator, comprising:

a safety device provided in an elevator shaft of the elevator and configured to establish a temporary safety space during a maintenance mode of the elevator by limiting travel of an elevator car when in a fully extended position, the safety device including;

a first switch that is configured to detect a first end position of the safety device, wherein in the first end position, the safety device is in a fully retracted position; and

a second switch, different from the first switch, wherein the second switch is configured to detect a second end position of the safety device, wherein in the second end position, the safety device is in the fully extended position; and

a controller configured to;

monitor a change of a state of the first switch and a change of a state of the second switch,

monitor a sequence or an order of the changes of the states, wherein the sequence or the order is desired or non-desired, and

block a drive of the elevator if the sequence or the order is non-desired.

2. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1, wherein the states comprise an on state and an off state, and wherein the first and second switches are configured to conduct electricity at the on state.

3. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1, wherein the first and second switches are configured not to conduct electricity at the off state.

4. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1, wherein the first switch is configured to verify that the safety device is retracted.

5. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1, wherein the second switch is configured to verify that the safety device is extended.

6. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1,

wherein if the controller determines that a circuit of either of the first and second switches is interrupted or the safety device is neither fully retracted or fully extended, the controller is configured to enter or maintain the elevator within the maintenance

mode or to block a drive of the elevator.

9. The safety system of the elevator of claim 1, wherein the first and second switches do not to conduct electricity in their respective off states.

7. A method of a safety system of an elevator, comprising the steps of:

providing a safety device in an elevator shaft of the elevator, wherein the safety device establishes a temporary safety space during a maintenance mode of the elevator by limiting travel of an elevator car when in a fully extended position, the safety device including;

a first switch that detects a first end position of the safety device, wherein in the first end position, the safety device is in a fully retracted position; and

a second switch, different from the first switch, that detects a second end position of the safety device, wherein in the second end position, the safety device is in the fully extended position;

monitoring, by a controller, a change of a state of the first switch and a change of a state of the second switch;

monitoring, by the controller, a sequence or an order of the changes of the states, wherein the sequence or the order is desired or non-desired; and

blocking, by the controller, a drive of the elevator if the sequence or the order is non-desired.

8. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising programmable means configured to cause a computer to perform the steps of the method of claim 7.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second switches do not to conduct electricity in their respective off states.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein if the controller determines that a circuit of either of the first and second switches is interrupted or the safety device is neither fully retracted or fully extended, the controller enters or maintains the elevator within the maintenance mode or blocks a drive of the elevator.