Patents Examined by Michael Riegelman
  • Patent number: 11498811
    Abstract: Elevator cars are provided herein. The elevator cars include a wall panel defining part of a passenger space of the elevator car, two or more receiving rails arranged on an exterior of the wall panel, and an elevator display system having a viewing panel and an enclosure housing a display screen. The viewing panel is mounted to the wall panel on an interior of the wall panel and the enclosure is engageable with the receiving rails on the exterior of the wall panel such that the display screen is movably positioned relative to the viewing panel to be viewable from within the passenger space in an installed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Romain Durand, Laurie Babot
  • Patent number: 11498810
    Abstract: A position adjusting device and method for elevator frame, an elevator frame, and an elevator. The position adjusting device includes: a connection portion configured to be suitable for being selectively attached to a side surface of a vertical connection member for elevator frame; a matching portion extending on a plane perpendicular to the connection portion, and including one or more threaded through holes; and one or more adjusting mechanisms including a head and a threaded rod, the rod being configured to match the threaded through hole, and a tip of the rod being configured to be suitable for matching with the surface of a horizontal connection member for elevator frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Alberto Senzo Naruke
  • Patent number: 11498803
    Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator car parking brake. An operating fork is configured to move within a housing in a direction perpendicular to an end surface of a guide rail in response to operating an actuator. When the actuator is operated to move the operating fork within the housing towards the guide rail to achieve a braking state, the operating fork is configured to push braking wedges towards side surfaces of the guide rail to contact the side surfaces. When the actuator is operated to move the operating fork within the housing away from the guide rail to achieve a brake release state, detaching means are configured to pull the braking wedges away from the side surfaces of the guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Antti Koskinen, Jani Renvall
  • Patent number: 11492241
    Abstract: A pipe coil lifting device includes a superstructure with a central longitudinal member and at least two supports attached to opposite sides of the central longitudinal member, with two channels at the outside long-edges of the superstructure attached to the supports, with a convex upper surface attached to the supports of the superstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Trinity Bay Equipment Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Max Reedy
  • Patent number: 11485611
    Abstract: An elevator tension member is presented that has one or more steel cords as strength members that are encased in a jacket of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. The thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer is selected on the basis of its thermal properties in that the glass transition temperature of the hard phase (Tg HS) is above 90° C. In preferential embodiments that thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer has a crystallisation temperature (Tg) that is at least 20° C. higher than Tg HS. In other preferential embodiments the sum of Tg HS and Tc is higher than 200° C. Such thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers exhibit an unexpected increase in useful lifetime when compared to conventionally used polyurethanes. Moreover the invention provides a simple method to select an appropriate thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: BEKAERT ADVANCED CORDS AALTER NV
    Inventors: Valérie Kodeck, Vincent Vermeersch
  • Patent number: 11485612
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a hoistway, an elevator car movable along the hoistway, and one or more belts operably connected to the elevator car to propel the elevator car along the hoistway. A belt of the one or more belts includes one or more tension elements extending along a belt length, and a jacket at least partially encapsulating the one or more tension elements. The jacket includes a jacket base formed from a first material and one or more insert layers embedded in the jacket base material. The one or more insert layers have a corrugated shape along the belt length, and are formed from a second material different from the first material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel A. Mosher, Brad Guilani
  • Patent number: 11479442
    Abstract: A method and a device for monitoring characteristics of an elevator door motion procedure use a smart mobile device including multiple sensors. The method includes: (i) determining a time window, within which a door motion is assumed to occur, including a time interval enclosed by a start time limit and an end time limit and wherein at least one of the start time limit and the end time limit is determined based on first measurement values acquired by a first sensor in the smart mobile device; and (ii) detecting characteristics of the procedure based on second measurement values acquired during the time window by a second sensor in the smart mobile device. Using the method, door motion characteristics can be reliably monitored using a passenger's smart mobile phone while substantially limiting sensing and processing capacities required by the smart mobile phone as well as avoiding compromising passenger privacy requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Alberto Chiappa, Martin Kusserow, Zack Zhu
  • Patent number: 11465885
    Abstract: A belt (30) for suspending and/or driving an elevator car (14) includes a plurality of tension elements (32) extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, at least one tension element of the plurality of tension elements having one or more tension element coating layers (46) applied thereto. A plurality of fibers are interlaced with the plurality of tension elements forming a composite belt structure. A belt coating (44) at least partially encapsulates the composite belt structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Scott Alan Eastman, Daniel A. Mosher, Wenping Zhao, John P. Wesson, Brad Guilani
  • Patent number: 11465880
    Abstract: Elevator maintenance space projection systems and elevator systems including a projector located within an elevator shaft and arranged to project a display space within the elevator shaft such that the display space includes one or more projected images identifying at least one of a safety volume, a refuge space, and a maintenance location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Bi Xiong
  • Patent number: 11459210
    Abstract: An elevator car comprises one or more side walls (4a) defining an interior space for accommodating passengers and/or cargo, and a support frame positioned above the interior space. A working platform (12) is suspendably connected to the support frame and moveable between a stowed position, above the interior space, and an operational position, suspended within the interior space. The working platform (12) comprises at least one stabilizing member (14) and the at least one stabilizing member (14) comprises a first engagement portion (22). At least one side wall (4a) comprises a second engagement portion (6) such as a handrail. When the working platform (12) is in the operational position, the first engagement portion (22) is configured to engage with the second engagement portion (6) so as to stabilize the working platform (12) in the operational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Aurelien Fauconnet, Pascal Rebillard
  • Patent number: 11460101
    Abstract: A filling and draining device for filling lubricant into and draining lubricant out of a housing (1), having a lubricant line (2, 21, 22) through which the lubricant passes into the housing (1), during filling, and through which the lubricant passes when the lubricant is drained from the housing (1). The housing (1) has a valve (6) through which the lubricant flows during filling and draining such that, for filling, the valve (6) adopts a first aperture width for the lubricant and, for draining, the valve (6) adopts a second aperture width for the lubricant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Sascha Fiesel
  • Patent number: 11459208
    Abstract: The system comprises a synchronization shaft rotatably supported on an elevator car frame, the synchronization shaft being operatively connected to at least one safety gear, a lever attached to the synchronization shaft, an electromagnet operatively connected to the lever, spring means operatively connected to the synchronization shaft, and resetting means operatively connected to the synchronization shaft. Deactivation of the electromagnet releases the lever allowing the spring means to rotate the synchronization shaft from a first position to a second position in which the safety gear is activated. Activation of the resetting means rotates the synchronization shaft from the second position to the first position in which the safety gear is deactivated and the spring means is brought back to the excited state at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Hallikainen, Antti I Maki, Antti Koskinen, Petri Hartikainen
  • Patent number: 11447369
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of a method provides control over a temperature of a jacket on an elevator tension member that includes at least one electrically conductive cord that is at least partially covered by the jacket. The method includes determining an amount of electrical energy needed to achieve a desired temperature of the jacket and supplying the determined amount of electrical energy to the electrically conductive cord.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Cole Downey Murphy
  • Patent number: 11440772
    Abstract: A mechanism that allows a ladder to be moved to either a use position or a retracted position. The ladder can be moved from the retracted position to the use position with a minimal effort, and the ladder moves by itself from the use position to the retracted position. A pit ladder apparatus for an elevator according to the present invention includes a position change means to be provided in a fixing metal frame fixed to the hoistway and allowing a ladder to be moved to either the use position when the ladder is used or the retracted position for retracting the ladder when it is not used so as not to interfere with operation of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hironobu Kamada
  • Patent number: 11440774
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator rope sway damping assembly includes a plurality of sway dampers having a width and a length. An actuator device selectively causes movement of the sway dampers in a direction transverse to the length between a first position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a first distance and a second, sway-damping position where the sway dampers are spaced apart by a second, shorter distance. The actuator device provides an indication when the sway dampers are in the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Cuauhtemoc Castro Inzunza, Michael J. Tracey, Patricia Derwinski
  • Patent number: 11434876
    Abstract: A method of handling a wind turbine blade comprising: providing a forklift adaptor, the forklift adaptor including a base and an endwall, coupling the base of the forklift adaptor to at least one tine of a forklift placing a root handling apparatus within a root ring of a wind turbine blade, the root handling apparatus including a plurality of struts and at least one tension rod, and actuating the at least one tension rod to engage a surface of the root ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TPI Composites, Inc.
    Inventors: Özer Onurlu, Furkan Ünal
  • Patent number: 11434107
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a hoistway and an elevator car positioned in and movable along the hoistway. The elevator car includes a first sheave and a second sheave spaced apart from the first sheave. The first sheave and second sheave have parallel axes of rotation and each include a traction surface and a gearless prime mover operably connected to the traction surface to drive rotation of the traction surface. A first load bearing member is positioned in the hoistway and a second load bearing member is positioned in the hoistway. The first load bearing member passes laterally under the first sheave, vertically upward between the first sheave and the second sheave, and laterally over the second sheave. The second load bearing member passes laterally under the second sheave, vertically between the second sheave and the first sheave, and laterally over the first sheave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard L. Hollowell, Kiron Bhaskar
  • Patent number: 11421553
    Abstract: A rotating structure provides a first annular array of first radial scoops and a second annular array of second radial scoops arranged axially with respect to the first annular array of first radial scoops. A first component is arranged in an axially forward direction relative to the first annular array of first radial scoops. A second component is arranged in an axially aft direction relative to the second annular array of second radial scoops. A lubrication system includes at least one nozzle aimed at the first and second annular arrays of first and second radial scoops. A first lubrication delivery path fluidly connects the first annular array of first radial scoops to the first component along the axially forward direction. A second lubrication delivery path fluidly connects the second annular array of second radial scoops to the second component along the axially aft direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Todd A. Davis, Gianna E. Sabino
  • Patent number: 11421776
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an auxiliary transmission brake arrangement (100) for a transmission (10) of a vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to an auxiliary transmission brake arrangement comprising a lubrication arrangement for improved lubrication of gear wheels connecting the auxiliary transmission brake arrangement to an output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Anders Hedman
  • Patent number: 11420847
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mobile operating unit for an elevator, comprising an operating interface manually operable by a user to control movement of an elevator car; and an orientation sensor for sensing orientation of the operating unit. The invention also relates to an elevator comprising said mobile operating unit and a method for monitoring elevator wherein said mobile operating unit is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Jaakko Kalliomaki, Juha-Matti Aitamurto, Jari Kantola, Jukka Lindberg, Pekka Laukkanen