Patents Examined by Lawrence E. Colbert
  • Patent number: 5081366
    Abstract: A starter motor comprises an oil seal of resilient sheet material disposed between a bearing supporting a pinion slider and a front frame portion having an opening in which the bearing is supported and in resilient contact with the slidable support surface and an annular metal holder having an angled U shape cross section and fixedly secured to the slidable support surface with a valley portion thereof facing to the bearing and an annular lip extending forwardly from a peripheral edge of the opening so that it enters into the valley portion of the holder when the pinion slider is in a rest position. At least one drain is formed in an outer wall of the front frame portion and extends along the oil seal. The oil seal of resilent material may have a generally T shape cross section with a lateral bar portion thereof being used as the oil seal and a vertical bar portion thereof being used as the annular lip. A drain hole may be formed in the vertical bar portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzou Isozumi
  • Patent number: 5078236
    Abstract: A hydraulic elevator power unit has an oiltight type detector for detecting the number of revolutions of an electric motor. A leak oil hole formed in a lower end portion of the detector is connected to a leak oil tank. The operating oil entering the detector is discharged through the leak oil hole, thereby preventing the detecting portion from being immersed in the operating oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoo Shimoaki, Yoshio Kamiya, Yukihiro Takigawa, Hiroshi Usida, Tatsuro Miyake
  • Patent number: 5076399
    Abstract: Start jerk and acceleration overshoot on elevator starting are reduced by bypassing and delaying application of an elevator closed loop velocity control system. A bypassing starting torque increases the torque of the motor before the onset of motion, at which time the starting torque is leveled off and held constant and the velocity speed reference profile is started. A small creep velocity dictation injected into the closed velocity loop in addition to the starting torque command causes the difference between the speed profile and the sensed speed to be very small during starting. Moreover, by selecting lift brake current in such a way as to promote a smooth brake opening and by selecting an increasing starting torque profile which overcomes the declining brake torque just after the brake begins to open, the torque needed to compensate for the load can be evenly balanced with the release of brake torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Herbert K. Horbruegger, Bernd L. Ackermann, Peter L. Herkel, Mustapha Toutaoui
  • Patent number: 5074385
    Abstract: A call registration apparatus for an elevator system includes a call registration lamp and a car call button disposed in an elevator car and connected by a common signal line to a CPU. When the call button is pressed a first time, the CPU registers a call and turns on the call registration lamp. When the elevator car reaches a floor, the CPU makes the call registration lamp flicker. If the call button is pressed while the lamp is flickering, the CPU performs a door opening or door closing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Tanino, Hideyo Ujihara
  • Patent number: 5065846
    Abstract: A group control for an elevator system assigns immediately destination calls which were entered at a floor lying behind the car in the direction of travel of the car and for a floor which lies ahead of the car. The group control includes a call memory having a first register for storing the calls of like direction of travel entered ahead of the car, a second register for storing the calls of opposite direction of travel and a third register for storing the calls of like direction of travel entered behind the car. A control circuit is activated each time a call is entered such that a call of the same direction of travel is written, according to its position with respect to the car, into the first or third register. The allocated calls of the third register are transferred into the second register on the first change in direction of travel of the car and into the first register on the second change in direction of travel so that they can be detected by a selector addressing the call memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1991
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventor: Joris Schroder
  • Patent number: 5064026
    Abstract: An elevator monitor apparatus comprises an elevator control device for controlling the driving of an elevator, an individual control device for controlling the status of elevators building by building, a central monitor device for centrally monitoring the status of the elevator in a plurality of buildings. There is also provided a job start signal generation device for generating a job starting signal when an elevator maintenance and check-up job is started, a job completion signal generation device for generating a job completion signal when an elevator maintenance and check-up job is finished, and a communication control device for communicating with the elevator control device according to an instruction from the individual control device and for outputting an abnormality signal to the central monitor device when a job completion signal from the job completion signal generation device is not detected before a predetermined time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nagata, Toshiaki Kawahara
  • Patent number: 5062501
    Abstract: The elevator has a linear motor-counterweight assembly which provides the driving power for moving the elevator car. The linear motor is a flat linear motor which runs on a flat strip of steel which is partially coated with a layer of aluminum, copper or the like conductor. The side margins of the steel strip are not coated with the conductor metal, and serve as bearing surfaces for the guide rollers on the counterweight. The counterweight has modular brakes mounted on it which engage the margins of the steel strip to control movement of the counterweight and elevator car. The brakes are electromechanical brakes which are silenced for use in the elevator environment. The counterweight may also have safety gears mounted thereon which also act upon the margins of the steel strip for emergency braking of the counterweight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1991
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Marcel Pavoz, Ernest P. Gagnon
  • Patent number: 5047654
    Abstract: A system for the collection and conversion of solar radiated power into electrical energy. The system improves present solar power conversion systems by locating key elements deep underground, thereby greatly decreasing thermal losses and increasing system efficiency to an estimated 80 percent. In particular, a vertical mine shaft, at least 100 meters deep is used for transmitting collected solar flux from above ground heliostat fields, down to an insulated boiler. The boiler converts injected water into superheated steam which drives a steam turbine connected to an alternator or generator producing 50 to 100 Mw electrical power. Provision is made for an auxiliary drive system, using stored water or stored heat to operate the generator during hours of darkness or high load demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1991
    Inventor: Edwin Newman
  • Patent number: 5040640
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Chester J. Slabinski, Robert B. Leach