Otis Elevator Company

Paul A Stucky

William A Veronesi

Joseph Zacchio

Alberto Vecchiotti

Bruce E Zepke

Christian Maria Netter

Luiz Bacellar

Adriana Bacellar

Deborah C Haas

Neil R Baldwin

John P Wesson

Michael A Kryzman

Terry M Robar

Dennis Bellamy

Jack F Gieras

Richard J Ericson

Changsheng Guo

John M Milton-Benoit

Dilip Prasad

Andreas Stuffel

Justin R Hawkes

Mark Steven Thompson

Fabio Paolo Bertolotti

Pedro S Baranda

John T Pitts

Ary O Mello

Bryan Robert Siewert

Bernward Engelke

Douglas E Logan

Leroy H Favrow

Fred J Lussier

Klaus Seehausen

David Crenella

Detlev Lindemeier

William C Perron

Anton I Lavrentyev

Robert J Haas

Michael P Gozzo

Pankaj Kothari

William S Weiss

Brice N Cassenti

Jr Ary O Mello

Bruce Zepke

An elevator sheave () includes a belt guiding surface () having a surface profile along at least a portion of the belt guiding surface. The surface profile preferably is defined by an norder polynomial equation where n is a number greater than 2. In one example, the reference point () is a central point along the width of the belt guiding surface (). In one example, a central portion () of the surface profile preferably is aligned to be generally parallel with the central axis () of the sheave body. Some examples have curvilinear side portions () between the central portion () and the edges () of the sheave. Other examples also include second side portions () that have linear profiles.

Sheave for use in an elevator system

An elevator load bearing member () monitoring device includes a controller () that applies a selected electrical signal to tension members () of the load bearing member (). In one example, connectors () are associated with ends of the load bearing member () to establish an electrical interface between the controller () and the tension members (). The connectors () facilitate establishing electrical circuit loops along the tension members () such that only non-adjacent tension members are energized at a selected time. A variety of circuit configurations are disclosed. The applied electrical signal in one example has a potential that is negative compared to a ground potential of a hoistway in which the elevator belt is used. In another example, the electrical signal comprises a plurality of pulses and has a duty cycle that is on the order of about one percent.

Electrical signal application strategies for monitoring a condition of an elevator load bearing member

Fixtures () at a doorway () of a landing () are formed integrally with a door frame (). The fixtures include electronic modules () and energy storage devices (). Power may be supplied by a generator () rotated by a pinion () in response to a rack () on a hoistway door (), or by electrical contacts () disposed on the hoistway side of the door frame which touch contacts () on an elevator car door () when the door is open, thereby receiving power over a line () from the elevator car; or power may be provided by an inductive coupler (). The fixtures () may be within the profile of the door frame (), or extend outwardly from the profile of the door frame ().

Wireless elevator hall fixtures integral with hall door frame

A system and method monitoring the health of a support structure for an elevator based on an electrical characteristic, such as resistance, of the support structure and not the temperature of the structure. The resistance of a virgin support structure under the same temperature conditions as the support structure being monitored is calculated and subtracted from the measured resistance of the monitored support structure. The resistance value of the virgin support structure and the monitored support structure may be translated to a reference temperature to simplify calculations and monitoring of the support structure.

Tensile support strength monitoring system and method

A passenger conveyor handrail () includes a plurality of teeth () that interact with a toothed driving member (). In a disclosed example, a low friction material () is placed near an end of the teeth () on the handrail (). The low friction material () facilitates the teeth sliding along a guidance () but does not interfere with a desired engagement between the teeth() and corresponding teeth () on the driving member ().

Passenger conveyor handrail with sliding material on toothed driven surface

An electrical connector device () for use with an elevator load bearing member () assembly includes at least one electrical connector member () for making electrically conductive contact with at least one tension member (). A clamping member () supports the electrical connector member and facilitates manipulating the connector member to pierce through a coating () over the tension members (). The clamping member () in one example has first () and second () portions received on opposite sides of the load bearing member (). An adjuster () facilitates adjusting the relative positions of the clamping member portions to urge the electrical connector member through the coating and into electrically conductive contact with the tension member.

Electrical connector device for use with elevator load bearing members

A connector device () for making electrically conductive connections with at least one tension member () in an elevator load bearing member () includes a spacer member () that establishes physical spacing between portions () of the load bearing member (). In one example, each portion () includes one tension member (). A holding member () secures the portions () in a selected position relative to the connector device. At least one electrically conductive connector member () makes electrically conductive contact with at least one of the tension members () to facilitate a selected electricity-based monitoring technique for accessing the condition of the load bearing member.

Fixtures () at a doorway of a landing are formed integrally with a frame (). Power is provided by an inductive coupler () having a core () and primary (). The core is thin ferrite and extend significantly beyond the coils in the plane the coils are wound, to provide en extremely low resistance path for the efficient transfer of AC power.

Inductively coupled power, useful for wireless elevator hall fixtures

An elevator system has on each floor hall call buttons that are inter-connected with piconet modules (), such as modules conforming to BLUETOOTH&#x2122; specifications; similar piconet modules () may be associated with hall fixtures such as lanterns and gongs; similar piconet modules () may be associated with hoistway doors, on each floor, so as to form a wireless communication system with a similar piconet module () at the controller (); and a piconet module () may be associated with the car operating panel. A module () may be interconnected with the car door lock switch; a module () may be interconnected with a safety switch; modules () and () may be interconnected with lower and upper limit switches; and a module () may be interconnected with an overspeed detector, so as to form a safety chain. A prospective passenger () may carry a portable device with a piconet module () to request elevator service and receive acknowledgment, and maintenance personnel () may use a personal ditigal assistant having a piconet module () therein to acquire current and historical information about the elevator and to issue executable commands to the elevator system.

Elevator wireless communication infrastructure using piconet modules

A device () for making electrically conductive contact with at least one tension member in an elevator belt () also provides a restraining feature to support loads on the belt. A connector portion () is secured to the belt. In one example, the connector portion () includes clamping members () that are received on opposite sides of the belt. One of the clamping members supports a plurality of electrically conductive connector members () that establish electrical contact with selected tension members () within the belt (). A plurality of load transferring members () are supported by the other clamping member in one example. A restraining portion () is adapted to be secured in a fixed position relative to a selected structure () within the elevator system. An opening () through the restraining portion () allows the belt () to pass but prevents the connector portion () from moving beyond the restraining portion () as the outside dimension of the connector portion () is larger than the size of the opening (). In one example, high temperature resistant materials such as steel or ceramics are used for the restraining portion () and the clamping members ().

Electrical connector and restraining device for use with elevator belts

An elevator load bearing member () monitoring device () has a controller () that applies a first signal () and a second signal () to at least one tension member () in the belt. The first signal () in one example has a plurality of () of a selected amplitude and duration. The second signal () includes a series of pulses () having a second, shorter duration and lower amplitude. The first signal is useful for providing information regarding a wear condition of the load bearing member. The controller utilizes a response to the second signal to determine a failure condition such as a broken load bearing member.

Elevator load bearing member wear and failure detection

An elevator safety chain includes a plurality of passive radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) (--and), which are associated, respectively, with hoistway door locks, upper hoistway limits, lower hoistway limits, overspeed detection, car door lock, emergency stop switch, and inspection switch. RFlDs may be associated with car the call buttons () and/or hall call buttons (). The RFIDs may have a switch () in the frequency-determining circuitry () which defeats the RFID's ability to respond, or a switch () which alters the responding frequency. The RFIDs may sense safe or unsafe conditions, or call requests, by either the presence of absence, or vice versa, of adjacent magnetic reluctance ().

Elevator employing radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs)

A method and system for detecting or measuring defects in an elevator rope having electrically conductive tension members, whereby measured electrical resistance in the tension members is indicative of defects.

Method and apparatus for detecting elevator rope degradation using electrical resistance

A load bearing assembly in an elevator system includes a plurality of discernable markings on an external surface of the assembly. A monitoring device includes at least one detector that detects locations of the markings along the length of the assembly. Changes in spacing between markings provides an indication of belt loading conditions and provides an ability to determine a condition of the belt relative to whether a replacement of the belt may be necessary. A variety of markings and a variety of detecting arrangements are disclosed.

Load bearing member for use in an elevator system having external markings for indicating a condition of the assembly

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Stockton, CA, United States of America

Paul A Stucky