ELEVATOR SYSTEM

• US 20200130985A1
• Filed: 10/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Ruhnke, Jan
• Application Number:
  US16/663,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20200130985A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/32 effective on braking devices , e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3492 Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0025 for maintenance or repair
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0093 Testing of safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/18 and applying frictional retarding forces
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/22 by means of linearly-movable wedges B66B5/24 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of detecting whether an elevator safety device (20) of an elevator system (2) mounted to a moving object (6, 21), such as an elevator car (6) or a counterweight (21), has entered a fully activated state in which at least one engagement member (26a, 26b) of the elevator safety device (20) engages with a guide member (14).

Claims

1. Elevator system (2) comprising

at least one moving object (6, 21) configured for traveling along at least one guide member (14) extending between a plurality of landings (8);

a position sensor (18) configured for determining the current position of the moving object (6, 21) along the guide member (14);

at least one elevator safety device (20) mounted to the moving object (6, 21) comprising;

a safety controller (42);

a memory (40);

at least one engagement member (26a, 26b) movable between

a non-actuated state in which it does not contact the guide member (14); and

an engaged state in which it engages with the guide member (14); and

at least one actuation member (30) mechanically coupled with the at least one engagement member (26a, 26b) and movable between

a non-actuated state in which it does not contact the guide member (14); and

an actuated state in which it contacts the guide member (14);

wherein the safety controller (42) is configured for;

causing the at least one actuation member (30) to move from the non-actuated state into the actuated state and storing within the memory (40) a position of the moving object (6, 21) detected by the position sensor (18) at a point of time within a given time frame around the moment in which the at least one actuation member (30) is caused to move from the non-actuated state into the actuated state as a starting position;

detecting the position of the moving object (6, 21) along the guide member (14) after the actuation member (30) has been moved from a non-actuated state into the actuated state;

calculating the distance (d) between the detected position and the starting position; and

determining that the elevator safety device (20) has entered a fully activated state, in which the at least one engagement member (26a, 26b) engages with the guide member (14), when the calculated distance (d) between the detected position and the starting position reaches or exceeds a predefined limit.

2. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one moving object (6, 21) includes an elevator car (6) and/or a counterweight (21).

3. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the predefined limit is set to a value in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, in particular to a value between 15 mm and 25 mm, more particularly to a value of 15 mm, 20 mm, or 25 mm.

4. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the given time frame starts at the moment in which the actuation member is caused to move and/or has a length of up to 100 ms, in particular a length in the range of 25 ms to 50 ms.

5. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the elevator safety device (20) comprises an electric coil (34) configured for moving the at least one actuation member (30) between the non-actuated state and the actuated state.

6. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor (18) is an absolute position sensor (18) configured for detecting an absolute position of the at least one moving object (6, 21) along the at least one guide member (14).

7. Elevator system (2) according to claim 6, wherein the position sensor (18) is configured for interacting with at least one coded tape (19) extending parallel to the at least one guide member (14).

8. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor (18) includes a relative position sensor (18) configured for detecting a change of the position of the moving object (6, 21), wherein the position sensor (18) in particular includes a velocity sensor and/or an acceleration sensor.

9. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the elevator safety device (20) includes at least two engagement members (26a, 26b).

10. Elevator system (2) according to claim 9, wherein the at least two engagement members (26a, 26b) are configured for moving simultaneously, wherein at least two engagement members (26a, 26b) in particular are mechanically coupled with a common actuation member (30).

11. Elevator system (2) according to claim 9, wherein the at least two engagement members (26a, 26b) are formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to the at least one guide member (14).

12. Elevator system (2) according to claim 1, wherein the memory (40) is formed integrally with the safety controller (42).

13. Method of detecting whether an elevator safety device (20) mounted to a moving object (6, 21), which is configured for moving along a hoistway (4) of an elevator system (2), has entered a fully activated state in which at least one engagement member (26a, 26b) of the elevator safety device (20) engages with a guide member (14) extending along the hoistway (4), the method comprising:

causing an actuation member (30) to move from a non-actuated state, in which it does not contact the guide member (14), into an actuated state, in which it contacts the guide member (14);

detecting and storing the position of the moving object (6, 21) along the guide member (14) at a point of time within a given time frame around the moment in which the actuation member (30) is caused to move from the non-actuated state into the actuated state as a starting position;

detecting the position of the moving object (6, 21) along the guide member (14) after the actuation member (30) has been caused to move from the non-actuated state into the actuated state;

calculating the distance (d) between said detected position and the starting position; and

determining that the elevator safety device (20) has entered the fully activated state when the calculated distance (d) between the detected position and the starting position reaches or exceeds a predefined limit.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the predefined limit is set to a value in the range of 10 mm to 30 mm, in particular to a value between 15 mm and 25 mm, more particularly to a value of 15 mm, 20 mm, or 25 mm.

15. Method according to claim 13, wherein moving the actuation member (30) from the non-actuated state into the actuated state includes interrupting an electric current flowing through an electric coil (34).