Patents Examined by Diem M Tran
  • Patent number: 11891289
    Abstract: There is huge demand for automation in manufacturing, logistics, postal, distribution centers, ecommerce, retail. Typical scissor lift designs can carry large payload but are larger in size. There is a need for a compact fork with more payload carrying capacity. The dual side actuated scissor fork type lift unit is provided. The dual side actuated scissor fork type lift unit includes a top plate, a bottom plate, one or more linear motion (LM) blocks mounted on one or more linear guides, one or more mounting blocks mounted on the one or more LM blocks, and slot on a first end of at least one actuation link is connected to the bottom plate through a pin. The one or more LM blocks is free to slide on the one or more linear guides. The one or more mounting blocks moves along with a motion of the one or more LM blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Venkatesh Prasad Bangalore Srinivas, Sreehari Kumar Bhogineni
  • Patent number: 11891275
    Abstract: A brake device for braking a traveling body movable along a guide rail in a movement direction includes a holder mounting a brake element that has a brake surface directed toward the guide rail, the brake element being movable relative to the holder between a free-running position and a braking position. A pretensioning element is activated to exert a force that moves the brake element toward the braking position. A release element holds the pretensioning element in a holding state and is activated into a released state to reconfigure the pretensioning element from a deactivated configuration into the activated configuration. A pressing element in an actuated state generates a force on the brake element in a direction toward the guide rail to enable a reset of the brake device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Michael Geisshüsler, Faruk Osmanbasic, Adrian Steiner, Julian Stähli, Heinz Widmer, Volker Zapf
  • Patent number: 11891277
    Abstract: An elevator system includes at least one car and at least one counterweight. At least two support means having different physical properties are arranged between the at least one car and the at least one counterweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Florian Dold, Andreas Egger, Marcus Junig, Daniel Meierhans, Philipp Müller, Adrian Steiner, Volker Zapf
  • Patent number: 11884515
    Abstract: A clamping device and an elevator system. The clamping device includes: a base having a limiting space and an opening communicating with the limiting space; and a clamping arm assembly, which is arranged at the opening of the base and forms a gap with the opening in a stationary state, the gap being smaller than a size of a clamped part; in which the clamp arm assembly has a first damping force that allows the clamped part to enter the limiting space via the opening, and has a second damping force that allows the clamped part to exit the limiting space via the opening; and the second damping force is greater than the first damping force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Qirui Wang, Zhenyan Tong, Ruili Zhang
  • Patent number: 11884510
    Abstract: A drive system for an elevator installation includes a drive and a drive suspension for fastening the drive to a support element of the elevator installation. The drive suspension includes a rotary joint for tiltably mounting the drive on the support element and an adjustment device for setting a tilt of the drive about the rotary joint. The support element can be a guide rail wherein the drive system is arranged in an upper end region of the elevator installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Alessandro D Apice, Luciano Guarnuto, Romeo Lo Jacono, Urs Polin, Dominik Schmitt, Eric Wang
  • Patent number: 11884514
    Abstract: A method and device for safety braking an elevator having an upright guide rail wherein the device includes a housing having braking elements on both sides of and being movable along the guide rail, a safety restraint on both sides between the housing and the braking elements, and a clampable and lockable actuating device that unlocks and unclamps in response to a triggering event and brings the braking elements into braking engagement with the guide rail. The actuating device, when unclamped, develops a feed force and movement transverse to the guide rail longitudinal axis engaging the braking elements with the guide rail from a laterally distanced initial position, wherein the braking elements are entrained by frictional contact on the guide rail and enter the safety restraint, and wherein the actuating device is moved back into the initial position, clamped and locked by the braking elements located in the safety restraint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Hans Blochle, Adrian Steiner, Daniel Meierhans, Julian Stahli
  • Patent number: 11878898
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vehicle elevator for lifting a vehicle and a method for lifting a vehicle. The vehicle elevator includes a carrier configured for lifting the vehicle. The carrier includes a first and a second carrier part each extending in a longitudinal direction and each having a longitudinal central axis and a lifting mechanism configured for raising and lowering the carrier. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting drive with at least one lifting cylinder configured for raising the first and/or second carrier part. The at least one lifting cylinder is mounted at a mounting distance from the longitudinal central axis of the respective carrier part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Stertil B.V.
    Inventor: Jurjen Jan de Jong
  • Patent number: 11873194
    Abstract: A braking device for an elevator with a rail-guided car, which encompasses a guide rail and holds a braking element in position on one side of the guide rail and holds another braking element in position on the opposite side of the guide rail, wherein at least one of the braking elements is held in its standby position by a switchable retaining magnet against the force of an automatic actuator. The braking element is automatically driven in between the basic body and the guide rail, if the car moves at the point in time at which the braking element abuts against the guide rail. The retaining magnet is equipped with an air gap reducing agent, which reduces or eliminates an air gap between the retaining magnet and the braking element such that the retaining magnet keeps the braking element magnetically trapped again, as soon as it is switched accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Wittur Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Russwurm, Herbert Karner, René Holzer, Karl Kriener
  • Patent number: 11873193
    Abstract: Elevator systems include an elevator car configured to travel along an elevator shaft, the elevator car having a car door and a car sill. One or more landings are arranged along the elevator shaft, the landings each having a landing door and a landing sill. An elevator coupling is provided that includes a car door coupling operably coupled to the car door and a landing door coupling operably coupled to the landing door. The car door coupling and the landing door coupling are selectively operable to drive operation of the car door and the landing door simultaneously and a sill gap between the car sill and the landing sill is less than 25 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Wei Wei
  • Patent number: 11866299
    Abstract: An elevator apparatus provided with a safety gear is disclosed which is adapted to prevent the turn-on of a brake state detection switch during power outage even while being operated by an electric actuator. This elevator apparatus includes: a safety gear 5 disposed at a car 1; and an electric actuator 3 for operating the safety gear. The elevator apparatus further includes a brake state detection switch 6 for detecting a brake state of the safety gear. The brake state detection switch is operated by a mechanism 8 which operates the safety gear with an operation of the electric actuator. The brake state detection switch is in an off state for a displacement of the mechanism during interruption of power supply. The brake state detection switch is turned on for the displacement of the mechanism during the brake of the safety gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Kubo, Tomohisa Hayakawa, Hidetaka Zama
  • Patent number: 11858781
    Abstract: A frictionless electronic safety actuator (100) for use in an elevator system, which includes at least one electromagnet (110), and a magnetic plate (120) attached to a connection arrangement (190). The connection arrangement (190) is configured to connect the magnetic plate (120; 220) to a linkage (80) that is actuatable so as to move a safety brake (24) into frictional engagement with an elevator guide rail (20). The at least one electromagnet (110) is operable to selectively produce a magnetic force which acts upon the magnetic plate (120) to displace the magnetic plate (120) and thereby move the connection arrangement (190) to actuate the linkage (80) without the magnetic plate (120) coming into frictional engagement with the elevator guide rail (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Yu Pu, Yingxin Gao, Ruben Marante-Chasco
  • Patent number: 11858777
    Abstract: An elevator car includes one or more sidewalls defining an interior space for accommodating passengers; and an electrical box (25) mounted to a sidewall by a mount (30). The mount (30) is arranged to allow the electrical box (25) to vertically translate between a first position and a second position relative to the sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Aurelien Fauconnet, Franck Rivoiret, Fabrice Boniface, Morgane Appourchaux
  • Patent number: 11858778
    Abstract: A method and construction site device for vertical transportation during a building construction phase include a climbing formwork platform arranged in a currently uppermost region of the building for concreting at least part of the building core, an elevator car intermittently adjusted to a current building height in a first elevator shaft by hoisting a mechanical platform to a higher level and fixing it there, a construction elevator temporarily installed in a second elevator shaft and attached to the climbing formwork platform with a construction elevator car vertically movable in a construction elevator frame, and wherein people and/or material are transported to a floor associated with an access opening of the construction elevator by the elevator system and then are transported from this floor to a floor situated in the currently uppermost region of the building or to the climbing formwork platform by the construction elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Christian Studer, Gabriele Bizzozero, Oliver Simmonds, Stefan Weber
  • Patent number: 11858780
    Abstract: A governor assembly, an elevator safety device, and an elevator system. The governor assembly includes: a bracket; a rotatable rope sheave mounted on the bracket; and a centrifugal mechanism associated with the rope sheave, a plurality of centrifugal members being capable of unfolding under an inertial force associated with the speed of the rope sheave; the centrifugal mechanism includes: a plurality of centrifugal members pivotally connected to the rope sheave; and a retaining mechanism by which the plurality of centrifugal members are retained in a contraction position; the retaining mechanism is configured to retain the plurality of centrifugal members in the contraction position when the speed of the rope sheave increases to a first threshold with an acceleration smaller than a first acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Wei Wang, Decheng Meng, Yong Zhao
  • Patent number: 11858779
    Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator safety arrangement comprising a hoistway; an elevator car mounted in the hoistway; a working platform on top of the elevator car; at least one movable balustrade, which is movable between a substantially upright position and a substantially horizontal position; and a sensing arrangement for sensing position of the movable balustrade, said sensing arrangement for sensing position of the movable balustrade comprising at least one sensor for sensing position of the balustrade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Juha-Matti Aitamurto, Antti Hovi, Juha Panula, Jari Kantola, Matti Rasanen, Janne Mikkonen, Nithil Karimpanackal Natarajan, Jari Pursiainen, Markku Haapaniemi
  • Patent number: 11851311
    Abstract: Material handling of packed goods on pallets, roller cages within facilities is in huge volumes and consumes lot of operators' time and efforts. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an autonomous payload handling apparatus (APHA) that addresses the above material handling process by automating with an intelligent modular robotic platform. The APHA includes fork assemblies that slides alongside of the pallet for better balance over payload and maintains smooth navigation. The fork assemblies equipped with contact/vision sensors that enable APHA to determine whether there is any offset or any contact between surfaces of APHA and/or pallet. The fork assemblies capture sensor data of surrounding object(s) during navigation, size of payload, and pallet, etc. The captured sensor data enables the APHA to correct its offset and/or compute a mode of approach (e.g., navigating angle, deviating from obstacle(s), sliding through pallet/roller cages, and the like) to handle payload(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Venkat Raju Chintalapallipatta, Venkatesh Prasad Bangalore Srinivas, Pradeep Prabhakar Kamble, Sri Sai Shyam Siddharth Gollu, Sreehari Kumar Bhogineni
  • Patent number: 11851304
    Abstract: A method for installing guide rails of an elevator in a hoistway includes installing one or more guide rails to form a vertical guide rail line; positioning an elevator car at a first position in the hoistway; placing a plurality of guide rails to stand in an upright position on the elevator car such that each of the guide rails rests on the floor structure of the elevator car; supporting the upper half of each of the guide rails laterally on the elevator car for blocking its lateral movement relative to the elevator car; hoisting the elevator car in the hoistway upwards to a second position, along the guide rail line; and installing a guide rail belonging to said plurality into the elevator hoistway on top of the guide rail line for extending the guide rail line vertically, thereby making the guide rail being installed to form the uppermost section of the guide rail line. An installation arrangement of guide rails is provided for implementing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arvind Kinjarapu, Håkan Bärneman, Hector Garcia, Areli Borrego, Martti Juurioksa, Antonio Ibarra
  • Patent number: 11845634
    Abstract: A safety brake device, for use in a conveyance system including a guide rail and a component moveable along the guide rail, comprises a safety brake moveable between a non-braking position where the safety brake is not in engagement with the guide rail and a braking position where the safety brake is engaged with the guide rail. The safety brake device also comprises an actuator for the safety brake, and the actuator comprises a mounting portion for mounting the actuator to the component, a pad arranged to be moveable relative to the mounting portion between a first position spaced from the guide rail and a second position in contact with the guide rail, and at least one biasing member configured to apply a biasing force to move the pad from the first position to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Javier Munoz Sotoca, Ruben Marante-Chasco
  • Patent number: 11845635
    Abstract: An elevator system (2) comprising a hoistway (4), an elevator car (6) and a counterweight (8) arranged to move within the hoistway (4). The system (2) further includes a first counterweight guide rail and a second counterweight guide rail arranged to guide the counterweight within the hoistway (4) and a guide rail bracket (32) which connects the first and second counterweight guide rails together. An elevator machine (10) is arranged to drive a tension member (14), which couples the elevator car (6) and counterweight together (8), to move the elevator car (6) within the hoistway (4). The system (2) further includes a friction reducing element (36) arranged on the guide rail bracket (32) such that if the tension member (14) moves towards the guide rail bracket (32) during operation of the elevator system (2), the tension member (14) contacts the friction reducing element (36).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Bi Xiong, Vincent Lopez
  • Patent number: 11840437
    Abstract: Conventional fork-type autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been suited to handle pallets and are typically designed with two forks. Such AMRs are very bulky in nature and specifically designed for a cart handling application, and usually have large openings and less suitable for lifting roller carts. Present disclosure provides a fork assembly for AMRs/Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for transporting roller cages/carts within warehouses. The fork assembly when integrated with AMR enables performing various tasks. More specifically, the fork assembly includes a first plate and a second plate. The fork assembly further include roller movement enabler blocks that are driven by respective fork motors. Movement of the roller movement enabler blocks enable rolling of rollers on respective roller guides within tapered region thereby enable lowering and rising of the second plate with reference to the first plate for lifting a payload and movement thereof to a desired location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Venkatesh Prasad Bangalore Srinivas, Raghav Ponnath