Preventative maintenance by detecting number of switching events of components

• US 9,988,239 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Toutaoui, Mustapha
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/779,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20160052747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187277, 187391, 187393
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 29/00 Safety devices of escalators or moving walkways walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0025 for maintenance or repair

Abstract

A system for providing preventative maintenance of switchable components includes a load-moving system including one or more switchable components. The system also includes a microcontroller configured to operate the one or more switchable components of the load-moving system, to determine a number of switching events of the one or more switchable components and to perform a preventative maintenance action based on determining that the number of switching events is greater than a threshold number of switching events.

Claims

1. A system for providing preventative maintenance of switchable components, comprising:

a load-moving structure including one or more switchable components; and

a microcontroller configured to operate the one or more switchable components of the load-moving structure, to determine a usage value including determining a number of switching events of the one or more switchable components and to perform a preventative maintenance action based on determining that the usage value is greater than a threshold value;

wherein the usage value and the threshold value further include, in addition to values corresponding to a number of switching events, algorithms to take into account additional factors that affect life expectancy of the one or more switchable components.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the load-moving structure is one of an elevator and an escalator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a number corresponding to an expected number of switching events over a lifetime of the one or more switchable components.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switchable components includes at least one mechanically-activated switch, and

determining the number of switching events includes determining a number of times that the at least one mechanically-activated switch is switched between a first power state corresponding to a first power level flowing through the at least one mechanically-activated switch and a second power state corresponding to a second power level flowing through the at least one mechanically-activated switch, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one mechanically-driven switch includes at least one of a switch in an elevator safety chain, a door zone detection switch of the elevator and a braking switch for brakes of the elevator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switchable components includes at least one solid-state switch, and

determining the number of switching events includes determining a number of times that the at least one solid-state switch is switched between a first power state corresponding to a first power level flowing through the at least one solid-state switch and a second power state corresponding to a second power level flowing through the at least one solid-state switch, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining the number of switching events includes determining a number of times that a switching command is sent to a solid-state switch.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more switchable components includes a sensor, and

determining the number of switching events includes determining a number of times that the sensor is activated.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching event includes detecting when the switchable component is switched from a first power state associated with a first power level to a second power state corresponding to a second power level different from the first power level.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

memory having stored therein a list of the one or more switchable components and counters corresponding to the number of switching events of the one or more switchable components.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the preventative maintenance action includes generating a notice that the one or more switchable components should be replaced.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is based on a base value corresponding to a type of the switchable component and an adjustment corresponding to environmental conditions in which the switchable component operates.

13. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a microcontroller of a load-moving system, switching events of one or more switchable components of the load-moving structure, the switchable components configured to monitor or control operations of the load-moving structure;

determining, by the microcontroller, whether a usage value including a number of switching events of the one or more switchable components is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

performing, by the microcontroller, a preventative maintenance action based on determining that the usage value is greater than the predetermined threshold;

wherein the usage value and the threshold value further include, in addition to values corresponding to a number of switching events, algorithms to take into account additional factors that affect life expectancy of the one or more switchable components.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the load-moving structure is one of an elevator and an escalator.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to a number of switching events expected over a lifetime of the one or more switchable components.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the preventative maintenance action includes generating a notice that preventative maintenance may be required for the one or more switchable components.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more switchable components includes at least one mechanically-activated switch, and

determining whether the usage value is greater than the predetermined threshold includes determining a number of times that the at least one mechanically-activated switch is switched between a first power state corresponding to a first power level flowing through the at least one mechanically-activated switch and a second power state corresponding to a second power level flowing through the at least one mechanically-activated switch, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one mechanically-driven switch includes at least one of a switch in an elevator safety chain, a door zone detection switch of the elevator and a braking switch for brakes of the elevator.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more switchable components includes at least one solid-state switch, and

determining whether the usage value is greater than the predetermined threshold includes determining a number of times that the at least one solid-state switch is switched between a first power state corresponding to a first power level flowing through the at least one solid-state switch and a second power state corresponding to a second power level flowing through the at least one solid-state switch, the first power level being greater than the second power level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether the usage value is greater than the predetermined threshold includes determining whether a number of switching commands issued to the at least one solid-state switch is greater than the predetermined threshold.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more switchable components includes a sensor, and

determining whether the usage value is greater than the predetermined threshold includes determining a number of times that the sensor is activated.