Patents by Inventor Josef A. Muff

Josef A. Muff 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: 9981827
    Abstract: A safety brake for an elevator includes a brake element or a brake wedge, a guide element, and a setting device. The brake element or the brake wedge is borne movably on the guide element. The safety brake has an activating element, which, upon activation of the safety brake, can be brought into mechanical engagement with the brake element or the brake wedge to act on a guiderail to stop an associated elevator car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Faruk Osmanbasic, Josef A. Muff, Nicolas Gremaud
  • Patent number: 9828213
    Abstract: In an elevator installation an elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. An elevator braking device includes a brake element, a force store, which is constructed to press the brake element against the brake surface, and an actuator, which can act on the brake element. A method of operating the braking device includes the actuator pressing, in a first operational setting, the brake element against the force of the force store away from the brake surface or to hold it at a spacing therefrom, and the actuator freeing, in a second operational setting, the brake element and allowing the force store to press the brake element against the brake surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshüsler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Publication number: 20160289045
    Abstract: A safety brake for an elevator includes a brake element or a brake wedge, a guide element, and a setting device. The brake element or the brake wedge is borne movably on the guide element. The safety brake has an activating element, which, upon activation of the safety brake, can be brought into mechanical engagement with the brake element or the brake wedge to act on a guiderail to stop an associated elevator car.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Faruk Osmanbasic, Josef A. Muff, Nicolas Gremaud
  • Patent number: 9457989
    Abstract: An elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. The elevator braking device has a brake housing and a force store. The brake housing is mounted to be displaceable between a first position and a second position. The force store acts on the brake housing and pushes the brake housing in the direction of a second position. In addition, the elevator braking device includes an actuator which can act on the brake housing and keep the brake housing in a first position. The actuator in its first setting can hold the brake housing in the first position against the force of the force store. In a second setting the actuator enables pushing of the brake housing into the second position. A brake element is thereby brought into contact with the brake rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshusler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Publication number: 20150329324
    Abstract: In an elevator installation an elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. An elevator braking device includes a brake element, a force store, which is constructed to press the brake element against the brake surface, and an actuator, which can act on the brake element. A method of operating the braking device includes the actuator pressing, in a first operational setting, the brake element against the force of the force store away from the brake surface or to hold it at a spacing therefrom, and the actuator freeing, in a second operational setting, the brake element and allowing the force store to press the brake element against the brake surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshüsler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Patent number: 9120643
    Abstract: In an elevator installation an elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. An elevator braking device includes a brake element, a force store, which is constructed to press the brake element against the brake surface, and an actuator, which can act on the brake element and which is constructed in order to press, in a first operational setting, the brake element against the force of the force store away from the brake surface or to hold it at a spacing therefrom and in order to free, in a second operational setting, pressing of the brake element against the brake surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshusler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Publication number: 20130081908
    Abstract: An elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. The elevator braking device has a brake housing and a force store. The brake housing is mounted to be displaceable between a first position and a second position. The force store acts on the brake housing and pushes the brake housing in the direction of a second position. In addition, the elevator braking device includes an actuator which can act on the brake housing and keep the brake housing in a first position. The actuator in its first setting can hold the brake housing in the first position against the force of the force store. In a second setting the actuator enables pushing of the brake housing into the second position. A brake element is thereby brought into contact with the brake rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshusler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Publication number: 20130081907
    Abstract: In an elevator installation an elevator cage is movable along at least two guide rails and the elevator cage is equipped with a braking system. An elevator braking device includes a brake element, a force store, which is constructed to press the brake element against the brake surface, and an actuator, which can act on the brake element and which is constructed in order to press, in a first operational setting, the brake element against the force of the force store away from the brake surface or to hold it at a spacing therefrom and in order to free, in a second operational setting, pressing of the brake element against the brake surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Daniel Meierhans, Faruk Osmanbasic, Marcus Junig, Michael Geisshusler, Nicolas Gremaud, Josef A. Muff
  • Patent number: 8157060
    Abstract: An elevator installation has an elevator car that moves in a vertical direction along guide tracks and is braked or held at standstill by a braking equipment. The braking equipment includes at least two brake units, at least one of the brake units, but preferably each of the brake units, is provided with a wear-compensating device which, when the brake unit is opened or released, sets a clearance distance between a brake lining and an associated brake surface, which clearance arises on opening of the brake unit, in correspondence with a substantially constant value. Thereby, use may be made of customary and thus economic brake materials which may wear during braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Nicolas Gremaud, Hans Kocher, Josef A. Muff
  • Patent number: 8020671
    Abstract: An elevator installation includes a guide rail and brake equipment for guiding, holding and braking the elevator installation. The brake equipment has a brake lining which co-operates with a brake surface, advantageously with the brake surface of the guide rail, for the purpose of the braking and holding. The brake surface has at least one longitudinal wedge groove or wedge elevation which is oriented in the braking direction and on which the brake lining acts in case of need. An amplification of the braking force is achieved by the longitudinal wedge groove or wedge elevation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Hans Kocher, Josef A. Muff
  • Publication number: 20080135345
    Abstract: An elevator installation includes a guide rail and brake equipment for guiding, holding and braking the elevator installation. The brake equipment has a brake lining which co-operates with a brake surface, advantageously with the brake surface of the guide rail, for the purpose of the braking and holding. The brake surface has at least one longitudinal wedge groove or wedge elevation which is oriented in the braking direction and on which the brake lining acts in case of need. An amplification of the braking force is achieved by the longitudinal wedge groove or wedge elevation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Hans Kocher, Josef A. Muff
  • Patent number: 7232012
    Abstract: An elevator shaft door having a door panel composed of a front wall and rear wall, which walls are connected together by a thermally releasable material, wherein at least a part of the closing edge of the respective door panels consists of a profile member that is formed by the back wall or thermally non-detachably fastened to the back wall. In the case of a fire, the back wall separates from the front wall through release of the thermally releasable material, wherein the front wall curves by heat effect while the back wall with the closing edge retains the original shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Josef A. Muff, Peter A. Spiess, Jules Christen
  • Publication number: 20040173416
    Abstract: An elevator shaft door having a door panel composed of a front wall and rear wall, which walls are connected together by a thermally releasable material, wherein at least a part of the closing edge of the respective door panels consists of a profile member that is formed by the back wall or thermally non-detachably fastened to the back wall. In the case of a fire, the back wall separates from the front wall through release of the thermally releasable material, wherein the front wall curves by heat effect whilst the back wall with the closing edge retains the original shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Josef A. Muff, Peter A. Spiess, Jules Christen
  • Patent number: 6758310
    Abstract: A safety brake for the load receiving portion of an elevator includes a fixing device that is displaceable relative to the load receiving portion in the direction of the guide rail between two abutments fastened to the load receiving portion. The unlocking of the safety brake after a braking process is achieved by moving the load receiving portion with the assistance of the elevator drive unit oppositely to the direction of movement before the braking process, so that one of the abutments fastened to the load receiving portion strikes the fixing device to unlock it from the guide rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2004
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Josef A. Muff, Karsten Gensicke, Reinhard Wöbcke
  • Publication number: 20020070082
    Abstract: A safety brake for the load receiving portion of an elevator includes a fixing device that is displaceable relative to the load receiving portion in the direction of the guide rail between two abutments fastened to the load receiving portion. The unlocking of the safety brake after a braking process is achieved by moving the load receiving portion with the assistance of the elevator drive unit oppositely to the direction of movement before the braking process, so that one of the abutments fastened to the load receiving portion strikes the fixing device to unlock it from the guide rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventors: Josef A. Muff, Karsten Gensicke, Reinhard Wobcke