Otis Elevator Company

Robert B Leach

Chester J Slabinski

Peter L Herkel

James Leo Hubbard

Pascal Rebillard

Gerard Sirigu

Nicolas Fonteneau

Jean Youla

Guillaume Georges Bonatre

Fabrice Boniface

Gregor Stricker

Stephane Gourjeande

An exemplary method is useful for controlling movement of an elevator car in an elevator system that includes a machine that selectively moves the elevator car and a machine brake that selectively resists movement of the elevator car. The method includes determining whether the elevator car is near a landing and determining whether a door of the elevator car is open. A desired operation includes desired movement of the elevator car while the elevator car is near the landing and the door is open. A determination is made whether the elevator car moves other than according to the desired movement. The machine brake is applied for stopping movement of the elevator car responsive to elevator car movement other than the desired movement while the elevator car is near the landing and the door is open.

Elevator car control in a landing zone using a machine brake in response to undesired car movement

A piezoresistive elevator button assembly comprises a polymer film piezoresistive element sandwiched between a button and a button pressure plate, and circuitry for sensing a change in the resistance of the piezoresistive element. The piezoresistive element is held in place by a high temperature potting compound to create a button less sensitive to fire or heat. A compensating spring is placed between the piezoresistive element and the buttom pressure plate to eliminate the effect on that element due to temperature cycling of the button assembly elements. A frustoconical housing of the button employing catch teeth allows for little movement; the use of the polymer film piezoresistive element allows a signal to be generated though buttom movement is nearly imperceptible.

Piezoresistive elevator button

A solid state touch or control button assembly (10), with no moving button parts and operated by capacitive sensing by monitoring the phase shift of a signal applied to the face of the button, including in a first embodiment (FIGS. 2A & 2B) a auto balancing button and in a second embodiment (FIGS. 3A & 3B) a constant pressure button. If skin or other material comes into contact with the touch surface, the capacitance is changed and sensed, causing the electrical or electronic function controlled by the touch button to be activated (or deactivated, depending on the design, or otherwise altered). LEDs then are activated, providing visual feedback to the button pusher through a light ring (2A) surrounding the button surface (1). False activation of the button by residual impedance and external influences, such as temperature change, cleaner residue build-up and other deposits, are avoided by compensating for them by slowly auto balancing to all such phase shifts, with the rate of auto balance being set to be faster than the rate of change of the steady state phase shift; and, additionally, false activations by noise transients, including those due to EMI, FRI and other environmental fluctuations, are avoided by delaying the activation of the button by an appropriate amount of time, such as, for example, of the order of about one hundred (100 msec.) milliseconds.

Capacitive sensing, solid state touch button system

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New Britain, CT, United States of America

Robert B Leach