Otis Elevator Company

United Technologies Corporation

Randall Keith Roberts

Richard N Fargo

David Ginsberg

Walter Thomas Schmidt

Tadeusz Pawel Witczak

Amir Lotfi

Harold Terry

Clement A Skalski

Timothy M Remmers

YiSug Kwon

Konda Reddy Chevva

Arthur Hsu

Zbigniew Piech

Leandre Adifon

Theresa M Christy

James W Fuller

Richard L Hollowell

Edward D Piedra

Ronnie E Thebeau

George Scott Copeland

Michael Garfinkel

Daniel Rush

Dennis Hanvey

Rajesh Rajamani

Alan Matthew Finn

Mark R Gurvich

Daryl J Marvin

Richard J Ericson

Ismail Agirman

Enrico Manes

Bruce P Swaybill

John K Salmon

Roy Stephen Colby

Richard C McCarthy

Richard E Peruggi

Randall S Dube

Bryan Robert Siewert

Wojciech Szelag

Xiaodong Luo

Cezary Jedryczka

Hansoo Shim

Steven D Coste

Richard J Mangini

Richard K Pulling

Adam Marian Myszkowski

Gilbert W Wierschke

Greg A Schienda

Mauro Jorge Atalla

Mark Olthuis

Yehia F Khalil

David Wayne Mckee

Peter DePaola, Jr

Soumitra Borthakur

CheongSik Shin

Gary L Nuschler

Daniel S Young

Jason K Romain

Edward Piedra

Richard C Mccarthy

A method and system for managing an elevator system (), includes providing a plurality of elevator cars () to travel in a hoistway (), and selectively introducing and removing at least one of the plurality of elevator cars () to and from the hoistway () via a loading station ().

Configurable multicar elevator system

An evaluation device for an elevator system includes a self-propelled drive unit including a motor secondary to travel along a motor primary in a hoistway, and at least one diagnostic sensor.

Elevator system evaluation device

A method includes determining that an elevator car is arriving at a landing at which re-leveling is anticipated; upon the elevator car arriving at the landing at which re-leveling is anticipated, initiating the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation to reduce elevator car sag at the landing; monitoring transfer of weight to or from the elevator car at the landing over a period of time; terminating the at least one of the brake cycling operation and the power cycling operation upon at least one of (i) the transfer of weight to or from the elevator car at the landing over the period of time being less than a threshold and (ii) the elevator car sag at the landing meeting a sag threshold.

Brake operation management in elevators

An elevator system includes a lane and at least one rail extending along the lane. An elevator car is arranged in the lane and is operatively coupled to the at least one rail. The elevator car has a predetermined alignment relative to the at least one rail. A propulsion system is operatively connected between the elevator car and the at least one rail. A thrust and moment control system is operatively connected to the propulsion system. The thrust and moment control system selectively controls the propulsion system to substantially maintain the predetermined alignment of the elevator car relative to the at least one rail.

Thrust and moment control system for controlling linear motor alignment in an elevator system

A multi-car ropeless elevator system includes at least one lane. An elevator car is arranged in the at least one lane. A linear motor system includes a plurality of stationary motor primary sections extending along the at least one lane and at least one moveable motor secondary section mounted to the elevator car. A plurality of sensors is operatively connected to the linear motor system. Each of the plurality of sensors is operatively associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of stationary motor primary sections. A sensor failure detection and fusion system is operatively connected to each of the plurality of sensors. The sensor failure detection and fusion system operates to identify failures in one or more of the plurality of sensors and fuse data received from remaining ones of the plurality of sensors.

Sensor failure detection and fusion system for a multi-car ropeless elevator system

An elevator component separation assurance system includes a controller, and a brake controller. The controller includes an electronic processor, a computer readable storage medium, a safety motion state estimator, and a safety assurance module. The safety motion state estimator is configured to identify velocity and position of each one of a plurality of elevator components. The safety assurance module is configured to select a separation map from a plurality of pre-pre-programmed separation maps for each one of an adjacent component pair of the plurality of elevator components for initiating a Ustop that maintains elevator component separation. The brake controller is carried by each one of the plurality of elevator components, and is configured to actuate a secondary brake upon detection of a loss of communication with at least a portion of the controller.

Elevator component separation assurance system and method of operation

A sensor system for a passenger conveyance system includes a multiple of 3D sensors mounted to a movable structure within a vertical shaft and/or a horizontal shaft and a processing module in communication with the multiple of 3D sensors, the processing module operable to identify an obstruction within the horizontal or vertical shaft.

Detection and control system for elevator operations

A system for determining stiffness of an elevator system tension member includes a landing floor indicator to transmit a landing floor signal of an elevator car to a stiffness estimator, and a car position encoder to transmit a car position signal of the elevator car in a hoistway to the stiffness estimator. A machine position encoder transmits a machine position signal to the stiffness estimator. The tension member is operably connected to the machine to move the elevator car along the hoistway. A load weight sensor is located at the elevator car to transmit a load weight signal of the elevator car to the stiffness estimator. The stiffness estimator utilizes at least the landing floor signal, the car position signal, the machine position signal and the load weight signal to calculate an estimated stiffness of the tension member.

Elevator tension member stiffness estimation and monitoring

An elevator system () includes an elevator drive system () including a tension member () supporting an elevator car () under tension and a monitoring system (). The monitoring system includes a vibration sensor () for detecting vibration of at least one of the tension member and the elevator car and an analysis unit () for determining a level of wear and life of the tension member based on the vibration of the tension member detected by the vibration sensor.

Vibration-based elevator tension member wear and life monitoring system

A method and system for managing an elevator system, includes providing a recovery car to travel in the hoistway via a motor, and engaging the car via an attachment device of the recovery car.

Elevator recovery car

Embodiments are directed to determining that an elevator car of an elevator system is approaching a landing, obtaining, by a controller, a value for at least one parameter associated with the elevator system based on the determination that the elevator car is approaching the landing, determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within a threshold distance, determining, by the controller, when to engage in at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation based on the value for the at least one parameter and based on determining that the elevator car arrives at the landing within the threshold distance, and initiating the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation at a time corresponding to the determination of when to engage in the at least one of a brake cycling operation and a power cycling operation.

A structural health monitoring system is provided. The system includes a drive system having a first drive member a second drive memberoperationally connected to the first drive member, and a tension memberoperationally connecting the first drive member to the second drive member. At least one sensoris configured to monitor a characteristic of at least one of the first drive member and the second drive member. A processor, in communication with the at least one sensor, is configured to determine if the structural health of the tension member is compromised based on the monitored characteristic. The processor is further configured to perform a safety response action when the structural health of the tension member is determined to be compromised.

Structural health monitoring of an escalator drive system

A system and a method are provided for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing. The system includes a sensor, a controller and an elevator machine connected to a traction sheave. The sensor is adapted to provide a sensor signal indicative of rotation of the traction sheave, wherein the rotation of the traction sheave corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car. The controller is adapted to provide a control signal based on the sensor signal. The elevator machine is adapted to reduce the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car by controlling the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal.

Active damping of a hovering elevator car based on vertical oscillation of the hovering elevator car

An elevator car separation assurance system and method of operation includes determining a position and velocity of each one of a plurality of cars by a safety motion state estimator. A safety assurance module of the system is configured to determine a separation map associated with a first car and an adjacent second car of the plurality of cars. The system is further configured to initiate a first separation assurance-induced event associated with at least one of the first and the second cars and based on the separation map. A recovery manager of the system is configured to detect the first separation assurance-induced event, and upon detection, slow at least a third car of the plurality of cars down.

An elevator car is constructed and arranged to move along a hoistway. The car includes a cab support from below by a platform. A vertical member is connected to the platform via a flex joint and extends upward from platform for further elevator cab support. The flex joint facilitates cab isolation from vibration and noise.

Cab isolation of an elevator car

Growing community of inventors

Hebron, CT, United States of America

Randall Keith Roberts