Patents Assigned to Kone Corporation
  • Publication number: 20250100847
    Abstract: A method for detecting at least one litter object inside an elevator car includes obtaining optical image data of the interior of the elevator car; detecting one or more objects from the optical image data; and classifying the detected one or more objects into predefined object categories based on predefined litter object definition data, the predefined object categories including a litter object category and at least one other object category; detecting at least one litter object, if at least one of the detected one or more objects is classified in the litter object category; and generating a control signal to an elevator processing system for generating a service need request in response to detecting the at least one litter object. An elevator car litter detection system and an elevator system are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Zuhair ul HAQ, Mari ZAKRZEWSKI, Otto PEKANDER
  • Publication number: 20250100848
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for auditing straightness of a car guide rail, the arrangement comprising: a car guide rail mounted in an elevator shaft; an elevator car connected to the car guide rail via a guide member, said guide member, in a straightness auditing mode being adapted so that the horizontal distance between the elevator car and the car guide rail to be audited is constant; a plumb line stabilized in the elevator shaft adjacent to the car guide rail; an indicator detachably attached to the elevator car, in vicinity of the plumb line; at least one visual recording device detachably attached to the elevator car, facing the plumb line and the indicator, for recording a displacement of the indicator relative to the plumb line; and a memory for storing recorded relative displacement. The invention also relates to a method for auditing straightness of a car guide rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Giovanni HAWKINS, Sami JANHUNEN, Petteri DAMMERT
  • Patent number: 12258241
    Abstract: An elevator including an elevator shaft defined by top and bottom end terminals; an elevator car vertically movable in the elevator shaft; an elevator hoisting machinery drives the elevator car; an electromechanical braking apparatus that brakes movement of the elevator car; a first measuring device that provides first position data and first speed data of the elevator car; a second measuring device that provides at least second position data of the elevator car; and a safety monitoring unit communicatively connected to the first and second measuring devices and that determines a synchronized position of the elevator car from the first and second position data, and determines an elevator car slowdown failure in proximity of the top or bottom end terminals from the first speed data and the synchronized position. The safety monitoring unit causes braking of the elevator car with the electromechanical braking apparatus upon determination of slowdown failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Riku Lampinen, Juha-Matti Aitamurto
  • Publication number: 20250091837
    Abstract: A method for constructing an elevator into a destination location from a plurality of prefabricated elevator modules includes fabricating a plurality of elevator modules, in particular at a location apart from said destination location. The fabricating includes providing one or more module frames having a longitudinal axis; positioning one or more of the module frames in horizontally oriented position, wherein in the horizontally oriented position the longitudinal axis is horizontal; and while the one or more module frames are in the horizontal position, performing installation work on said one or more module frames. The method includes arranging the modules into the destination location on top of each other such that said modules are in a vertically oriented position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Aki HAIKONEN, Mika IJÄS, Anssi VENHO, Kai PRUSTI, Vesa TIAINEN
  • Publication number: 20250091839
    Abstract: A method for managing a maintenance of a people conveyor system is provided. The method, performed by a control system, includes receiving data indicative of a state of the people conveyor system; classifying the state of the people conveyor system to correspond to one maintenance operation among a plurality of maintenance operations; and setting, in accordance with a classification of the state of the people conveyor system, a detection result to express one of the following: (i) a mobile robot is required to perform the maintenance operation, (ii) a human operator is required to perform the maintenance operation. Also a control system and a computer program are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Otto Pekander, Mari Zakrzewski
  • Patent number: 12252376
    Abstract: A method for releasing safety gears of an elevator car or a counterweight of an elevator system, the elevator system including a stalling detector coupled to compensation roping associated with the elevator car and the counterweight and configured to detect an increased rope tension, includes preventing a stalling indication from the stalling detector during a rescue operation; and moving the elevator car in order to release the safety gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tapio Siironen, Tapani Talonen, Tarvo Viita-aho
  • Patent number: 12246946
    Abstract: A system for detecting an out-of-operation state of an elevator system includes a monitoring unit and a sensor unit. The sensor unit is configured to: detect at least one event indicating a generation of an elevator call and provide a message indicating the generation of an elevator call to the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit is configured to: initiate a time measuring function in response to receiving the message from the sensor unit, monitor a response of the elevator system to the generated elevator call. A method for detecting an out-of-operation state of an elevator system is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jouko Kinnari
  • Publication number: 20250074741
    Abstract: A method for managing an elevator service to a floor by an elevator system is provided, the method including: generating a first estimation on an aggregate need of an elevator service for a group of individuals in a predefined area, the aggregate need being generated by combining a number of estimations descriptive on a need of the elevator service by each individual at a first instant of time; comparing the first estimation to a first reference value; generating a first control signal to reserve a number of elevators to serve a section the floor belongs to in response to a detection that the first estimation fulfills a condition defined by the first reference value. A control system, an elevator system, and a computer readable medium are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Markku Kakko, Janne Sorsa, Salla Mannerjoki, Harri Länsiö, Pasi Raitola
  • Publication number: 20250074746
    Abstract: Sliding guide shoe for guiding a moving component in an elevator shaft, and an elevator comprising said sliding guide shoe. The sliding guide shoe comprises a frame part, comprising a supporting surface, and a sliding part disposed to be supported by the supporting surface. The supporting surface and the sliding part have contact through contact points where the supporting surface of the frame part is in contact with the outer surface of the sliding part. Said contact points are constituting a minor fraction of the corresponding surface of said outer surface of the sliding part and providing for at least one of the supporting surface and the sliding part capability to bend for absorbing guide rail imperfections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Giovanni HAWKINS, Sami JANHUNEN
  • Publication number: 20250074745
    Abstract: A safety gear arrangement for an elevator includes a gripping mechanism having a gripping position and an inactive position, wherein the gripping mechanism is configured in the gripping position for gripping a rail for providing braking, an electric actuator, a coupling mechanism between the electric actuator and the gripping mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism is adapted to arrange the gripping mechanism into the gripping position by the operation of the electric actuator, and an overspeed governor including at least an electrical energy source arranged to provide electrical power to the electric actuator at least in an over-speed situation of the elevator, wherein the gripping mechanism is arranged to the gripping position in response to determining, based on the operation of the overspeed governor, that there is the over-speed situation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tuukka KORHONEN
  • Publication number: 20250074744
    Abstract: An elevator includes an elevator car inside an elevator shaft, adapted to transfer passengers and/or cargo between landings; an electric drive for operating the elevator car; a manual operating panel disposed inside the elevator shaft for manual drive of the elevator car; and an elevator safety chain including a controller in connection with a plurality of safety devices for monitoring elevator safety. The safety chain includes an electrical safety device configured to provide information about the elevator car approaching a temporary refuge space inside the shaft. The controller is configured to obtain information from the electrical safety device, and to generate a stopping command to stop movement of the elevator car before entering the refuge space. The controller is configured to, in response to a maintenance request of the electrical safety device, exclude the electrical safety device from operation of the elevator safety chain, to enable manual drive of the elevator car with the manual operating panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Jussila, Toni Hirvonen, Matti Leino
  • Publication number: 20250078597
    Abstract: An access control system includes a projector device configured to project at least two access control lanes, each access control lane includes an entry zone and an exit zone; a reader support structure for each access control lane, wherein each reader support structure includes a reader device arrangement; a camera device; and a control unit configured to control access of users along the two access control lanes. The control of the access of the users along each access control lane includes that the control unit is configured to: detect a user within the entry zone based on the detection data provided by the camera device, and control the projector device based on user authorization data relating to the detected user provided by the reader device arrangement of the reader support structure of the access control lane and/or the detection data provided by the camera device. An access control method is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Niklas Löfberg, Jussi Laurila
  • Publication number: 20250077153
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a display method and a display system of video streams. The display method includes: obtaining a plurality of video streams associated with a plurality of video capture devices; determining a first plurality of video streams associated with a first escalator among the plurality of video streams; determining positions of a first plurality of video capture devices associated with the first plurality of video streams among the plurality of video capture devices over the first escalator; determining a first display order of the first plurality of video streams in a first plurality of display windows based on the determined positions of the first plurality of video capture devices over the first escalator; and displaying the first plurality of video streams in the first plurality of display windows according to the first display order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Jinquan FAN, Martti JUURIOKSA
  • Publication number: 20250066159
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a hoistway with marking objects arranged at predetermined positions in the hoistway, an elevator car with a sensor providing an indication when the elevator car has reached the position a marking object, a complementary positioning system providing a complementary indication of the position of the elevator car in the hoistway, and a controller receiving the indication and the complementary indication. In order to minimize a need for manual inspections, the controller includes a memory maintaining for each marking object a setup position, and during elevator runs, the controller is configured to calculate an offset for a marking object for which the sensor provides an indication, by comparing the setup position for the marking object in question with the position indicated by the complementary positioning system at the indication of the marking object, and to trigger an alarm if the calculated offset fulfills a predetermined criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2024
    Publication date: February 27, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Jussila, Toni Hirvonen, Atso Koskinen
  • Patent number: 12236731
    Abstract: A method for diagnosis and/or maintenance of a transportation system that has a transportation device and a remote monitoring unit, the transportation device having a control board for controlling and/or monitoring a function of said transportation device, and a local control unit for controlling said and/or monitoring said control board, may include detecting raw data associated with the function at the control board and/or the local control unit; generating condition information and/or performance information based on the raw data and calculating statistics information based on the generated information at the local control unit; buffering the generated information and/or statistics information at the local control unit; transmitting the buffered information to the remote monitoring unit; processing the transmitted information to determine a service need condition; and selectively transmitting maintenance information associated with the service need condition to the local control unit and/or a mobile servic
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Matti Mustonen, Jouko Kinnari
  • Publication number: 20250062649
    Abstract: An elevator motor includes a stator with stator windings and a rotor including permanent magnets, whereby the magnets of the rotor and windings of the stator are arranged in an axial flux arrangement. The rotor is connected to a traction sheave for driving hoisting ropes of an elevator, whereby the permanent magnets are arranged on a carrier of the rotor in a ring-like arrangement to form a magnet ring with slots in between. The slot width differs between at least some of two successive slots in the magnet ring. This permanent magnet motor has a reduced noise propagation and is particularly adapted for use in residential elevators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Andrej BURAKOV, Min QIU, Fawei WANG, Bingham ZHAO, Arto KORPELA
  • Publication number: 20250059001
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car, a hoisting machine moving the elevator car in a hoistway, and a hoisting machine brake having one or more brake pads moving into a brake position where the one or more brake pads contact a braking surface to reduce speed of the elevator car when activated to brake. To provide a solution ensuring reliable operation of the brake, the elevator system includes a temperature sensor providing a signal indicating a temperature of the braking surface, and a monitoring unit monitoring operation of the hoisting machine brake, the monitoring unit receiving the signal indicating the temperature and is configured to indicate a brake fault when the indicated temperature during an elevator run has reached an upper limit value or increased with more than a limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2024
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Ari KATTAINEN, Tarvo VIITA-AHO, Henri WENLIN
  • Patent number: 12227955
    Abstract: The fastening arrangement for fastening a pole of an access or destination control device to a floor structure comprises a threaded fastening rod attachable to the floor, a fastening sleeve comprising a flange, a sleeve portion, and an internal thread configured to be engaged with the thread of the rod, the sleeve portion comprising coupling means for allowing the sleeve to be engaged in a form-locking manner for rotation of the fastening sleeve, a fastening block at a lower end of the pole comprising a fastening hole extending from a lower surface to an upper surface for receiving part of the fastening rod and at least part of the sleeve portion so that the fastening block is supported by the flange of the fastening sleeve, and clamping means configured to be engaged with the upper surface of the fastening block and the thread of the fastening rod for clamping the fastening block between the flange and the clamping means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Niklas Lofberg, Mika Hautamaki, Tapio Gronros
  • Publication number: 20250051134
    Abstract: A method for monitoring elevator suspension rope condition, the elevator comprising: a car; a hoisting machinery with a motor, a traction sheave and a machine brake; one or more suspension ropes; and a counterweight; the car and the counterweight being suspended by said one or more ropes which are guided over a unitary traction sheave or a group of rotatable individual wheels comprised by the traction sheave for moving the car vertically in an elevator shaft; the method comprising a) performing consecutive first and second measurement steps, wherein in the first measurement step: parking the car to a first position in the shaft, in which position a total rope force on car side is selected different from a total rope force on counterweight side, and locking the car vertically immobile in place relative the shaft; enabling the traction sheave or one of the individual wheels to rotate to the direction of larger rope force; recording a first rotation angle difference (??1) of the traction sheave or said one indiv
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Juha HELENIUS, Otto LANZ
  • Publication number: 20250051139
    Abstract: An arrangement for replacing an elevator suspension rope comprises an elevator shaft; and an elevator with a car, a hoisting machinery, one or more suspension ropes, and a counterweight; the car and the counterweight being suspended by said one or more ropes which are adapted to be guided over a traction sheave comprised by the machinery for moving the car along the elevator shaft; wherein the car and the counterweight are arranged at any vertical height in the shaft when replacing said one or more ropes. A method for replacing an elevator suspension rope in said arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Juha HELENIUS, Hannu ÄIKÄS, Aki LAAKKONEN