Inventio Ag

Urs Lindegger

Philippe Henneau

Rudolf Eckenstein

Karl Erny

Florian Dold

Kurt Heinz

Vincent P Robibero

Michel Gielis

Andreas Dorsch

Liberto Gentile

Max Br&uuml;llhardt

An elevator has a drive unit displacing an elevator car in an elevator hoistway, an elevator controller controlling operation of the drive unit, multiple safety switches switchable upon occurrence of safety relevant events, and a safety chain overlay control unit including a safety PLC. The PLC has first connectors connected to first safety switch contacts and second connectors connected to second safety switch contacts. The PLC monitors a current safety status of the elevator and identifies a safety critical status by detecting when at least one of the safety switches changes its switching state and comparing the current switching states of the first and second safety switches. The PLC interrupts a main energy supply to the drive unit in response to the safety critical status of the elevator. Comparing switching states of the safety switches connected to the first and second connectors also enables detecting faulty safety switches.

Elevator with safety chain overlay control unit with a safety PLC separately monitoring various safety switches for increasing a safety integrity level

Methods and devices detect a deterioration state of a load bearing capacity in an elevator suspension member arrangement having several suspension members, such as belts, including electrically conductive cords incorporated into an elastomer material. Deterioration is determined by applying alternating electric voltages to the cords included in legs of a circuitry. Phase shifts between the alternating voltages, for example by determining sum voltages and/or differential voltages, provide valuable information about a condition of the belt. A fixation arrangement of the suspension member arrangement is adapted to enable or simplify the proposed measurements. Furthermore, counting a number of performed bending cycles provides further information to be taken into account for determining the current deterioration state of the belts. Overall, deteriorations in a suspension member such as broken cords, shunts between cords, connections between cords and ground potential and/or deterioration due to corrosion of cords may be easily detected.

Concepts for detecting a deterioration state of a load bearing capacity in a suspension member arrangement for an elevator

An elevator system includes a suspension apparatus that has a plurality of tension members in a common jacket. The tension members of the suspension apparatus are electrically interconnected in an electric circuit which includes a current source or a voltage source and a measuring device. The measuring device is connected between a first group of the tension members and a second group of the tension members.

Elevator system

A method determines a status of at least one component of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes a suspension apparatus having at least one traction member. The at least one traction member is surrounded by a non-metallic cladding, wherein the suspension apparatus is guided via a drive sheave with a metallic traction surface. The method includes the steps of: identifying at least one parameter based on an electrostatic effect which occurs due to friction of the non-metallic cladding on the traction sheave with the metallic traction surface; and determining a status of the at least one component on the basis of the identified parameter.

Method for determining state of elevator system component

A method for monitoring the operating state of an elevator drive having a brake includes the mounting of a sensor on a movable brake part. The sensor generates an output proportional to the extent of relative movement between the brake part upon which it is mounted and a fixed brake part. The sensor output is monitored to provide an indication of the operating state of the drive and may be combined with other data to provide indications of a variety of drive states.

Method for monitoring operating states of an elevator unit by sensing movable brake part

An elevator drive has a brake device with compression springs to actuate brake levers, and brake linings on a brake drum creating a braking force. A sensor is provided to detect the movement of a brake magnet armature tappet. A bracket is attached to the brake magnet tappet on one end and a distance piece carrying the sensor housing is arranged on the other end. A restoring lug is attached to the existing mechanical indicator. A monitor evaluates the sensor signal and turns off the elevator drive in the event of dangerous operational states via a safety circuit. The system allows the state of the brake device to be monitored. The more the brake linings wear off due to abrasion, the smaller the distance between the armature and the brake magnet housing. If the armature is in contact with the brake magnet housing, the braking ability of the brake linings is completely void.

Brake device for an elevator with monitoring capabilities

A device for reducing the energy consumption is used in an elevator installation which can be alternatively brought into an operating mode and a standby mode wherein in the standby mode the elevator installation is separated from a main energy source and connected with an auxiliary energy source, by means of which basic functions of the elevator installation are maintained so as to enable later entry into the operating mode. The device includes a detecting unit in order to detect a use criterion describing the current use status of the elevator installation. Moreover, a power-saving unit with a microprocessor is provided in order to bring the elevator installation from the operating mode to the standby mode in the case of non-fulfillment of the use criterion and fulfillment of standby criteria and to bring it from the standby mode to the operating mode in the case of non-fulfillment of the standby criteria.

Method and device for reducing the energy consumption of an elevator installation

A device for producing information related to a position of an elevator car in an elevator shaft includes a toothed belt having a plurality of teeth spaced along a length of the belt and mounted in an elevator shaft, an encoder mounted on the elevator car and having a toothed wheel for engaging the teeth, and guide rollers mounted on the elevator car and engaging the toothed belt to urge the plurality of teeth into engagement with the toothed wheel.

Device for producing elevator car travel information

An elevator drive has a traction sheave over which ropes are passed to move an elevator car and a counterweight up and down in an elevator hoistway. An elevator control in a control cabinet on a landing is connected with another elevator control in the hoistway and with the elevator car, and controls how the elevator car moves. The control cabinet also has a handle that is part of a Bowden cable acting on a brake of the elevator drive. The handle can be used to manually release the brake which permits the elevator car to move up or down depending on the difference in weight between the elevator car and the counterweight. The position of the elevator car in the hoistway is of significance to the elevator control. A tensioned toothed belt spanning the height of the hoistway is in contact with an encoder that detects the absolute position of the elevator car for the elevator control. For evacuation, a signal device is provided which allows evacuation of the car without looking into the elevator hoistway.

Device for signaling movement of an elevator car during the evacuation of elevator passengers

An apparatus and a method for installing and maintaining elevator system controls includes a storage card (1) having a storage element (2) in which elevator control data is stored. An elevator installation becomes operational upon inserting the storage card (1) into a control point (10) of an elevator control system (11). The storage card (1) can fulfill further functions, such as.sub.1 for example, the monitoring of maintenance utilizing a trip recorder for indicating that maintenance is due after a predetermined number of trips of the associated elevator car.

Growing community of inventors

Ebikon, Switzerland

Urs Lindegger