Patents Examined by Jonathan Salata
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Patent number: 7823705Abstract: An elevator apparatus is equipped with an elevator component that is operated during operation of an elevator, a detector for measuring a change in a physical quantity other than temperature as to the elevator component, and a control device for controlling the operation of the elevator based on information from the detector. The elevator component is, for example, a hoisting machine for moving a car of the elevator. The hoisting machine has a motor, and a driving sheave that is rotated by the motor. The detector measures a strain of a frame of the motor as the physical quantity other than temperature. The control device determines based on the strain of the frame of the motor whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the elevator, and controls the operation of the elevator. It is therefore possible to determine easily and more reliably whether or not there is an abnormality in the operation of the elevator, without the need to directly measure the temperature of the motor (6).Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2005Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takaharu Ueda, Masaya Sakai, Takashi Yumura
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Patent number: 7823703Abstract: In an image monitoring apparatus for an elevator, an image recording unit records an image in a car photographed by a camera, and monitors based on the image in the car whether or not there is a violent behavior of a passenger in the car. The image recording unit makes a recording density of the image in the car higher than usual when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected. The operation control unit homes the car on a predetermined floor when the violent behavior of the passenger in the car is detected by the image recording unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2009Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7819228Abstract: An elevator system (8) includes a hoistway (9) having a plurality of cars (10, 11) traveling therein, the hoistway includes a steel tape (14), each car having two tape readers (20, 21; 22, 23) which feed corresponding position detectors (29, 30: 31, 32) to provide independent position signals (35, 26: 37, 38). A group controller (52) assigns calls in a fashion to avoid collisions. Controllers (45, 46) for each car communicate with each other and when deemed necessary, either lower the speed, acceleration, deceleration of one or both of the cars, or stop (with or without reversing) one or both of the cars. Independent processors (41, 42) will drop the brake (49, 50) of either or both cars if they come within a first distance of each other, or will engage the safeties (18, 19) of either or both cars if they come within a lesser distance of each other.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2005Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Harold Terry, Greg Schienda, Frank Sansevero
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Patent number: 7798290Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement in an elevator without counterweight, which comprises at least a control unit (5), a hoisting machine (3) and a traction sheave (4) connected to it, and an elevator car (1) suspended on hoisting ropes (2) fixed to an essentially immovable place at their first ends and adjustably at their second ends, which elevator car (1) is fitted to travel backwards and forwards in an essentially vertical direction, and which elevator also comprises a tightening element (15) acting on the second end of the hoisting ropes (2). An actively operating actuator (17, 21, 24, 29) is in connection with the tightening element (15), which is fitted by means of feedback to keep the rope tension essentially at a predetermined level either by lightening or tightening the rope tension according to changes in the loading.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2008Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Jorma Mustalahti, Esko Aulanko
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Patent number: 7793762Abstract: An elevator system (20) uses destination entry dispatching techniques. A passenger interface device (22) operates in a first mode to allow passengers (24) to enter destination requests for elevator service. The passenger interface (22) operates in a second mode to provide at least one additional feature to an authorized individual. The additional feature may be at least one of a service-related function, a security-related function, a monitoring-related function or a communication-related function.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2004Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Vlad Zaharia, Michael P. Flynn, Christopher Pietrzykowski
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Patent number: 7793761Abstract: Lighting equipment of an elevator car and a method for guidance of persons in an elevator provides a floor indication that communicates to the passenger, in a simple and clear manner, reaching of his or her destination floor, even in high buildings with numerous floors. The lighting equipment has a light source and a control of the light source, which produces a color effect relative to the floor indication.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2007Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Inventio AGInventor: Alex Oberer
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Patent number: 7789204Abstract: A remote alarming system for an elevator includes: an elevator control device; a wireless alarming device provided independently of the elevator control device, for transmitting failure information of an elevator from the elevator control device through wireless communication; a management device remotely provided from a building in which the elevator is installed, and which performs wireless communication; and a portable terminal which performs the wireless communication with the wireless alarming device and the management device via a base station.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2006Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Masaaki Amano
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Patent number: 7784587Abstract: A control system for a vehicle lift apparatus is provided, having an infrared wireless controller and a wired controller for operating the lift. The wired controller includes an infrared sensor for receipt of the signals from the wireless controller. The wired controller is removably attached to the vehicle lift apparatus in a position normally capable of receiving the infrared control instructions.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2007Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Pride Mobility Products CorporationInventor: Michael Zablocky
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Patent number: 7784588Abstract: A method of assigning destination calls to cars (A-F) in an elevator system (20) having a plurality of hoistways (21-23) in which there is more than one car in each hoistway includes determining (33) the time for each car to respond to the call Among the cars with an acceptable response time, a determination is made regarding (34) the amount of additional delay in the hoistway that assignment of the call to one car will impose on the either car in the same hoistway. The call is assigned to that car which creates the least additional delay for cars in any hoistway.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2005Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Cheong SikShin, Theresa Christy, Arthur Hsu, Hansoo Shim, Harry Terry
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Patent number: 7784590Abstract: In a control operation performed at time of an earthquake or strong wind, when a running elevator is stopped at a nearest floor, the natural frequency of the transverse vibration of a rope is prevented from resonating with the natural frequency of the building, and thereby an increase in transverse vibration of the rope is restrained. In the control operation, when a shake of the building caused by earthquake or strong wind is detected, a running elevator is stopped at the nearest floor, or an elevator passing through an express zone is stopped emergently and runs at a low speed to the nearest floor, the natural frequency of the transverse vibration of the rope is compared with the natural frequency of the building, and the car stop position is selected at a non-resonance position to prevent the natural frequency of the transverse vibration of the rope from resonating with the natural frequency of the building.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2006Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignees: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Electric Building Techno-Service Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Watanabe, Daiki Fukui, Takashi Yumura, Hideki Nishiyama, Hideki Shiozaki
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Patent number: 7784589Abstract: Load measuring equipment has a small-area load sensor arranged between a support and a first damping body for vibration damping of parts relative to the support. The support may be a bracket and the parts may be a lift drive engine. The force on the sensor, which may be the force emanating from an engine foot of the drive engine made up of cage weight, cage load, weight of the counterweight, weight of the support cables and weight of the drive unit, is a small portion of the force on the support, such as the bracket. The ratio of the area of the first damping body to the load sensor determines the ratio of the force acting on the damping body to the force acting on L, and sensed by Z the load sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: August 31, 2010Assignee: Inventio AGInventor: Daniel Fischer
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Patent number: 7779967Abstract: An elevator installation with at least one upper elevator car and at least one lower elevator car includes a first electromechanical switching mechanism mounted on the upper car and having a weight fastened at a downwardly extending elongate run, the run being held in a travel setting by the weight force, and a second electromechanical switching mechanism mounted on the lower car vertically below the weight. In the case of undesired approach of the two elevator cars, the weight impinges on the second electromechanical switching mechanism and thereby opens a safety circuit of the lower elevator car. The safety circuit of the upper elevator car is also opened by a diminishing of the weight force.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2007Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Inventio AGInventors: Hans Kocher, Georges Gisler
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Patent number: 7775327Abstract: The invention relates to methods for stopping elevators especially when using at least one three-phase motor operated by a static frequency converter. According to the invention, a brake relay controls the brake of the motor such that releasing of the brake relay causes the motor to be decelerated while the brake relay is coupled to a protective circuit in such a way that the control pulses required for generating the driving motor field are safely blocked when the brake relay is released.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2005Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Danfoss A/SInventors: Detlev Abraham, Hans-Josef Mennen
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Patent number: 7775330Abstract: An electronic unintended movement governor is disclosed, which includes an input for car position data, a device for determining the speed of the elevator car, a plurality of limit values for permitted movement of the elevator car, such as the limit value of the maximum permitted speed of the elevator car, and which unintended movement governor also provides overspeed monitoring for controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car when the speed of the elevator car exceeds the limit value of the maximum permitted speed. The unintended movement governor includes at least two separate controls for controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car. Additionally, a method for controlling the aforementioned electronic unintended movement governor is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2009Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Ari Kattainen, Petteri Valjus
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Patent number: 7775328Abstract: An operation device for an elevator system includes terminals connectable to a 3-phase AC power source providing a respective AC power supply voltage and a drive device connected to the terminals for driving a motor of the elevator system. A transformer is connected to at least two of the terminals and provides at least one supply voltage to the remainder of the elevator system. In an emergency operation of the elevator system, an auxiliary power supply having an output providing an auxiliary output voltage is connected to the transformer for generating an auxiliary supply voltage provided to the drive device via the transformer.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2005Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Otis Elevator CompanyInventors: Rodolfo Robledo Barrio, Jürgen Gewinner
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Patent number: 7770698Abstract: In an elevator apparatus, a brake device stops a car from running. The brake device has a power shutoff portion for shutting off a supply of power to a brake opening coil in response to a brake actuation command, and a current adjusting portion for supplying the brake opening coil with power while adjusting an amount of current in response to a deceleration reduction command from a brake control portion. The current adjusting portion can supply the brake opening coil with power even when the supply of power to the brake opening coil is shut off by the power shutoff portion.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2006Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Ken-Ichi Okamoto, Satoru Takahashi, Takaharu Ueda, Masunori Shibata
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Patent number: 7766129Abstract: For entry of calls in an elevator system, a destination call is entered outside the elevator car if the starting floor is a floor with intensive departing traffic. On other floors, a collective-control up or down call is entered traditionally and then a destination call in the elevator car. An identified regular customer may be allowed to select and confirm a destination floor from among one or more preprogrammed alternatives. Destination preprogrammed floors most frequently used are stored, the starting floor being fixed. Preprogrammed floors can be set for several different starting floors separately. For occasional customers system or regular customers going to floors other than preprogrammed floors, a call is entered as a destination call in the elevator lobby on floors with intensive departing traffic and as an up or down call according to collective control in the elevator lobby and on other floors.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2007Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Marjukka Mäkela, Tomi Sipilä
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Patent number: 7748502Abstract: In an elevator apparatus, a single car is raised and lowered by a plurality of hoisting machines. An elevator control device for controlling the hoisting machines generates speed commands separately for the hoisting machines. When a current value of one of the hoisting machines reaches a current set value, which is set in advance during acceleration of the car, the elevator control device applies the speed command for that one of the hoisting machines, whose current value has reached the current set value, to the other hoisting machine as well.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2006Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takaharu Ueda, Masunori Shibata, Masaya Sakai
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Patent number: 7743890Abstract: A method and system determine peak power consumption over time by a bank of elevator for servicing a set of passenger hall calls and delivery requests, and selecting elevator schedules that keep peak power consumption below a predetermined threshold. For each car in response to receiving a hall call, a set of all possible paths to service all hall calls assigned to the car are determined, in which each path includes a set of all possible segments. A peak power consumption for each possible segment is also determined. The peak power consumptions for the set of all possible segments for each time instant are added to determine a total peak power consumption for each time instant, and a particular path is selected as a schedule to operate the bank of elevator cars, if the total peak power consumption for any instant in time while operating according to the selected schedule is below a predetermined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2007Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Daniel N. Nikovski, Matthew E. Brand
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Patent number: 7743891Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, a device, a computer program and a system for detecting the arrival in the elevator car/departure from the elevator car of elevator passengers. In the method the vertical acceleration values of the elevator car are received from the acceleration sensor and the passengers arriving in the elevator car and/or leaving the elevator car are detected on the basis of the vertical acceleration measurements of the acceleration sensor.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2009Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Tapio Tyni, Pekka Perälä