Patents by Inventor Erich Butler

Erich Butler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11912535
    Abstract: A brake device for a traveling body of an elevator installation brakes on a rail having first and second braking profiles. The brake device includes a forcing element and a counter-support. The forcing element has first and second forcing working faces for acting on the first and second profiles respectively. The counter-support has a first counter-support working face for acting on the first profile, and a second counter-support working face for acting on the second profile. The first forcing working face and the first counter-support working face are arranged opposite one another at the first profile and the second forcing working face and the second counter-support working face are arranged opposite one another at the second profile. The forcing element is spread to bring the first forcing working face into contact with the first profile and the second forcing working face into contact with the second profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono, Mischa Salvenmoser
  • Patent number: 11814263
    Abstract: A counterweight for an elevator system has an asymmetrical cross section in a horizontal sectional plane. The asymmetrical cross section results in an improved connection of the counterweight to a guide rail, a reduction in a number of components, in particular guide rails, for the elevator system, and a reduction in an installation space for the elevator system thereby simplifying installation of the elevator system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Peter Möri, Romeo Lo Jacono
  • Publication number: 20230356978
    Abstract: A safety brake for a traveling body in an elevator system brakes against a brake rail oriented in a traveling direction. The safety brake includes a housing with a catch element and a brake pad attached to the housing opposite one another. The catch element is mounted on the housing such that an application movement of the catch element relative to the housing is possible, and the application movement reduces an opening width between the brake pad and the catch element. At least the catch element or the brake pad has a notch for fitting around a protrusion of a brake rail during braking. The opening width corresponds to at least twice the depth of the notch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Erich Butler, Alessandro D'Apice, Romeo Lo Jacono
  • Publication number: 20230322525
    Abstract: A method for forming and smoothing a hollow-profile guide rail of an elevator system uses a smoothing apparatus to smooth mutually opposing surfaces on a hollow-profile guide rail. The smoothing apparatus includes a guide device, a removal device and a pressing device. The guide device has rollers for moving in a low-friction manner in a longitudinal direction along a first of the opposing surfaces and to thus guide the smoothing apparatus along the first surface. The pressing device has spring elements to press the removal device away from the guide device and toward a second of the opposing surfaces. The removal device has a rasp element to remove material from the second surface during a movement in the longitudinal direction along the second surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: ERICH BÜTLER, ROMEO LO JACONO, MISCHA SALVENMOSER
  • Patent number: 11772933
    Abstract: A braking apparatus, that brakes and measures load changes in an elevator car, includes a brake, a brake holding arrangement holding the brake on the car, a load measuring device measuring a force acting on a force transmission element and a load measuring device holding arrangement holding the load measuring device on the car. The brake can be displaced relative to the car in a force direction generated by the brake and the load measuring device is held on the car fixed relative to the car in the force direction. The force transmission element is operatively connected to the brake to measure a force acting between the brake and the load measuring device due to a relative displacement of the brake relative to the load measuring device. A connecting piece arrangement connects the load measuring device holding arrangement and the brake holding arrangement in an elastically deformable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono, Antonio Perfetto, Gilles Trottmann
  • Publication number: 20230286780
    Abstract: An elevator rail guides moving bodies of an elevator system. The moving bodies serve in particular as a car for the transport of people or goods or as a counterweight. The elevator rail has more than one guide contour including a guide contour 6 that interacts with a guide shoe such that in a first horizontal direction, a relative horizontal movement between the guide contour and the guide shoe is delimited at least on one side, and such that in a second horizontal direction, perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, a relative horizontal movement between guide contour and the guide shoe is delimited on both sides. The elevator rail has a hollow cross section bordered in a closed manner. The elevator rail has at least three of the guide contours that are formed on the outer surface of the elevator rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Paolo Ferrario, Peter Möri, Romeo Lo Jacono
  • Patent number: 11703823
    Abstract: A method and an assembly device for automated determination of a drilling position of a drill hole for a fastener for fastening a component to a possible wall area of a wall, wherein the method steps include: determining a surface contour of the wall area; examining the surface contour and detecting first irregularities in the surface contour using a first detection rule; determining a primary possible support surface area and a primary possible drilling position area that do not have any of the detected first irregularities; examining the surface contour of the primary possible drilling position area and detecting second irregularities in the surface contour using a second detection rule; and determining the drilling position inside the primary possible drilling position area such that the surface contour at the drilling position does not have any of the detected second irregularities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Eliza Olczyk, Erich Butler, Oliver Simmonds, Philipp Zimmerli, Raphael Bitzi
  • Publication number: 20230174345
    Abstract: A universal bracket for a rail system includes a positionable and alignable main support and at least one mounting point for at least one rail of the rail system. The main support has two guides that are inseparably connected to the main support in order to guide one plumb bob in each case, the mounting point and the guides being arranged in fixed positions relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: ERICH BÜTLER, ROMEO LO JACONO, PETER MÖRI
  • Patent number: 11655123
    Abstract: An installation device used in an elevator shaft has a first carrier with first and second carrier ends, a support element pivotably arranged on the first carrier end, and a holding apparatus holding a displacement apparatus by which installation material can be displaced in the elevator shaft. When the installation device is in an installation position, the first carrier end is supported against a threshold of an elevator shaft door opening by the support element and the second carrier end is supported at least indirectly against a shaft wall that is opposite the door opening. The holding apparatus is arranged on an upper side of the installation device in the installation position such that the displacement apparatus is supported from above on the holding apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Eliza Olczyk, Erich Bütler, Raphael Bitzi, Philipp Zimmerli
  • Patent number: 11572256
    Abstract: A mounting system has a mounting device with a carrier component and a mechatronic installation component, a displacement component arranged above the mounting device in an elevator shaft and a support member connected between the carrier component and the displacement component. The displacement component displaces the mounting device in the shaft using the support member, wherein the carrier component is supported by an upper support roller on a support wall of the shaft during the displacement in the shaft. The support member generates a diagonal pull perpendicular to the support wall surface. The mounting system also has a compensating element that counteracts a tilting of the carrier component about the upper supporting roller perpendicular to the support wall during the displacement in the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Erich Bütler, Philipp Zimmerli, Raphael Bitzi
  • Patent number: 11559904
    Abstract: A screwing device includes a screwdriver and a connection element for coupling the screwdriver to a robot arm. The connection element has a first robot-side transmission element, a second tool-side transmission element, a restoring element arranged between the first and second transmission elements, and a distance measuring element. The two transmission elements can be moved towards each other against a restoring force of the restoring element in an actuation direction. The distance measuring element measures a distance that represents the spacing between the transmission elements in the actuation direction and is used to control the actuating force acting on the screwdriver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Philipp Zimmerli, Raphael Bitzi, Erich Butler
  • Publication number: 20220380180
    Abstract: An elevator system has an elevator shaft, an elevator car and a drive device for displacing the elevator car within the elevator shaft. The drive device is a linear motor that has a stationary part secured to a shaft wall of the elevator shaft and a movable part secured to the elevator car. The drive device has an air bearing between the stationary part and the movable part that keeps the stationary part spaced apart from the movable part via an air gap therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Josef Husmann, Christian Studer
  • Publication number: 20220371857
    Abstract: A fastening system has two fastening elements for mounting a bracket of a rail system of an elevator installation. The fastening elements each have a clamping plate having a through-hole and a receiving sleeve receiving an anchor bolt. The receiving sleeves each have a through-opening for the anchor bolt and an angularly movable ball joint is formed between the clamping plate and the receiving sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono
  • Publication number: 20220363515
    Abstract: A braking apparatus, that brakes and measures load changes in an elevator car, includes a brake, a brake holding arrangement holding the brake on the car, a load measuring device measuring a force acting on a force transmission element and a load measuring device holding arrangement holding the load measuring device on the car. The brake can be displaced relative to the car in a force direction generated by the brake and the load measuring device is held on the car fixed relative to the car in the force direction. The force transmission element is operatively connected to the brake to measure a force acting between the brake and the load measuring device due to a relative displacement of the brake relative to the load measuring device. A connecting piece arrangement connects the load measuring device holding arrangement and the brake holding arrangement in an elastically deformable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono, Antonio Perfetto, Gilles Trottmann
  • Publication number: 20220363516
    Abstract: An elevator system has a rail system and a shaft door assembly on each of a plurality of floors of a building. The rail system has an electrically conductive guide rail that extends along the plurality of floors and guides a vertically movable component of the elevator system, and an electrically conductive bracket on each of the floors anchoring the guide rail to a wall of the building. The guide rail is electrically conductively connected to each of the brackets. Each shaft door assembly has a movable shaft door for openable closing of a shaft opening of the floor and an associated control device and/or drive device for moving the shaft door; wherein the control device and/or drive device is supplied with electrical energy via two electrically conductive paths with a first of the electrically conductive paths being formed over at least parts of the rail system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Christoph Liebetrau, Romeo Lo Jacono, Valerio Villa
  • Publication number: 20220348439
    Abstract: A brake device for a traveling body of an elevator installation brakes on a rail having first and second braking profiles. The brake device includes a forcing element and a counter-support. The forcing element has first and second forcing working faces for acting on the first and second profiles respectively. The counter-support has a first counter-support working face for acting on the first profile, and a second counter-support working face for acting on the second profile. The first forcing working face and the first counter-support working face are arranged opposite one another at the first profile and the second forcing working face and the second counter-support working face are arranged opposite one another at the second profile. The forcing element is spread to bring the first forcing working face into contact with the first profile and the second forcing working face into contact with the second profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono, Mischa Salvenmoser
  • Patent number: 11480424
    Abstract: A locating system for determining a current position in an elevator shaft of an elevator system extending in a main extension direction includes a first distance sensor by which a first distance and a second distance, which second distance is perpendicular to the first distance, from a first reference element can be measured, as well as a tilt sensor by which a rotation about a horizontal first axis and a horizontal second axis perpendicular to the first axis can be measured, and a measuring system by which a position of the locating system can be determined in the main extension direction of the elevator shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Erich Bütler, Philipp Zimmerli, Raphael Bitzi
  • Publication number: 20220041406
    Abstract: An elevator system, suitable both for normal operating situations and for emergency situations, includes an elevator car that can be displaced directly or indirectly within an elevator shaft, a guide means that is connected to the elevator car, a derailment protection device that is connected to the elevator car, and a guide rail that has a first subregion which works together with the guide means and is used to guide the elevator car along the guide rail, and that has a second subregion which works together with the derailment protection device. A clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail is large enough that the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail remain spaced apart from each other during the normal operating situations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Romeo Lo Jacono, Paolo Ferrario, Peter Möri
  • Publication number: 20220041407
    Abstract: A counterweight for an elevator system has an asymmetrical cross section in a horizontal sectional plane. The asymmetrical cross section results in an improved connection of the counterweight to a guide rail, a reduction in a number of components, in particular guide rails, for the elevator system, and a reduction in an installation space for the elevator system thereby simplifying installation of the elevator system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Erich Bütler, Peter Möri, Romeo Lo Jacono
  • Patent number: 11242227
    Abstract: In a method for carrying out an installation process in an elevator shaft of an elevator system, an assembly device is inserted into the elevator shaft. The assembly device includes a support component, a mechatronic installation component retained by the support component and a control apparatus. At least one assembly apparatus (tool, sensor or component) is arranged on the support component. The support component is fixed in a fixing position in the elevator shaft. After the support component has been fixed, an actual position of the at least one assembly apparatus is determined relative to the installation component. Using the determined actual position relative to the support component, the at least one assembly apparatus is received by the installation component and an assembly step is carried out using the received at least one assembly apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Andrea Cambruzzi, Erich Butler, Philipp Zimmerli, Raphael Bitzi