Hoistway intrusion detection

• US 20020117358A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Gerwing, Axel, Schoppa, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 6,550,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/391
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 13/24 Safety devices in passenger lifts, not otherwise provided for, for preventing trapping of passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/005 Safety of maintenance personnel

Abstract

Elevator, exhibiting an elevator shaft (34) and a car (32) which is movably provided inside the elevator shaft (34), and a safety installation (2), which is designed in such a way that it can take the elevator out of service in a dangerous situation, characterized by the fact that the safety installation (2) is equipped with a shaft monitoring device.

Claims

1. An elevator system including an elevator shaft and a car, which is movable inside the elevator shaft, and a safety installation, which is designed in such a way that it can take the elevator out of service in a dangerous situation, said safety installation comprising:

a shaft monitoring device.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 wherein said shaft monitoring device further comprises at least one motion sensor.

3. The elevator system of claim 2 wherein said shaft monitoring device monitors the shaft in the vicinity of the shaft pit.

4. The elevator system of claim 2 wherein said shaft monitoring device monitors the shaft in the vicinity of the top of the car.

5. The elevator system of claim 4 wherein the motion sensor is arranged in such a way that the movement of the hatch doors will not be detected by the motion sensor.

6. The elevator system of claim 2 wherein said shaft monitoring device is connected to a safety control system wherein the safety control system is designed in such a way that after the elevator has been taken out of service due to a dangerous situation, it will automatically reset the elevator to its normal operating state if the shaft monitoring device was unable to detect anything inside the shaft for a predetermined extended period of time.

7. The elevator system of claim 6, wherein the safety control system, uses the signals of the shaft monitoring device for the detection of a dangerous situation when the car is at a halt.

8. Elevator, in accordance with claim 7 wherein the signals of the shaft monitoring device are used for a functional check of the shaft monitoring device while the car is in motion.

9. The elevator system of claim 1 wherein said shaft monitoring device further comprises at least one load sensitive mat.

10. The elevator system of claim 9 wherein said shaft monitoring device monitors the shaft in the vicinity of the shaft pit.

11. The elevator system of claim 9 wherein said shaft monitoring device monitors the shaft in the vicinity of the top of the car.

12. The elevator system of claim 9 wherein said shaft monitoring device is connected to a safety control system wherein the safety control system is designed in such a way that after the elevator has been taken out of service due to a dangerous situation, it will automatically reset the elevator to its normal operating state if the shaft monitoring device was unable to detect anything inside the shaft for a predetermined extended period of time.

13. The elevator system of claim 12, wherein the safety control system, uses the signals of the shaft monitoring device for the detection of a dangerous situation when the car is at a halt.

14. Elevator, in accordance with claim 13 wherein the signals of the shaft monitoring device are used for a functional check of the shaft monitoring device while the car is in motion.

15. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the shaft monitoring device is connected to a safety control system, which only uses the signals of the shaft monitoring device for the detection of a dangerous situation when the car is at a halt.

16. Elevator, in accordance with claim 15 wherein the signals of the shaft monitoring device are used for a functional check of the shaft monitoring device while the car is in motion.

17. The elevator system of claim 1 wherein said shaft monitoring device is connected to a safety control system wherein the safety control system is designed in such a way that after the elevator has been taken out of service due to a dangerous situation, it will automatically reset the elevator to its normal operating state if the shaft monitoring device was unable to detect anything inside the shaft for a predetermined extended period of time.

18. The elevator system of claim 17, wherein the shaft monitoring device is connected to a safety control system, which only uses the signals of the shaft monitoring device for the detection of a dangerous situation when the car is at a halt.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of mounting the shaft monitoring device further comprises the step of mounting of the shaft monitoring device to the extent that it will survey the shaft pit.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of mounting the shaft monitoring device further comprises the step of mounting of the shaft monitoring device to the extent that it will survey the top of the car.

19. Method for retrofitting a shaft monitoring device in an existing elevator with a safety installation which is designed in such a way that it can take the elevator out of service in a dangerous situation which is recognized as such by the safety installation comprising the steps of:

providing a shaft monitoring device;

mounting the shaft monitoring device in the elevator shaft;

connecting the shaft monitoring device to the safety installation;

, and

performing a function check of the safety installation.