Patents by Inventor Richard Thum

Richard Thum 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: 11524870
    Abstract: A method of operating an elevator system, for example operated by linear motors, wherein the elevator system includes a shaft system including at least one vertical elevator shaft, and a multiplicity of elevator cars which respectively have a plurality of functional components for carrying out different functions. The method provides that in a special operating mode of the elevator system, a first elevator car is assigned at least one auxiliary device, the auxiliary device providing a replacement function for at least one function of one of the functional components of the first elevator car, the corresponding function of a functional component of the first elevator car being replaced with the replacement function provided by the auxiliary device, and the elevator system continuing to be operated by using the replacement function provided. The invention furthermore relates to an elevator system configured for carrying out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TK Elevator Innovation and Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Zerelles, Eduard Steinhauer, Marius Matz, Richard Thum
  • Publication number: 20210331893
    Abstract: An elevator system with a fire protection device includes an elevator shaft having at least two adjacent shaft portions, a guide rail in the elevator shaft, a car displaceable on the guide rail, and a fire protection device having a detector, a control unit connected to the detector, and a closing element that is disposed between two mutually adjacent shaft portions of the elevator shaft and which is movable between an open and closed state to separate the two shaft portions while in the closed state. A method of operating a fire protection device for an elevator system includes detecting smoke and/or a fire via a detector, and transferring a closing element disposed in the elevator shaft from an opened state to a closed state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: thyssenkrupp Elevator Innovation and Operations AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Publication number: 20210107766
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a lift system including at least one lift shaft and a plurality of lift cars which can be individually moved. A plurality of the lift cars can be moved in the same lift shaft. The lift system further includes a control system for controlling the lift system. The lift cars of the lift system each have a unique identifier, for example an RFID transponder or a QR code. The disclosure further relates to a method for operating a lift system of this kind.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Patent number: 10968079
    Abstract: A transportation device such as an elevator installation, an escalator, or a moving walkway may comprise a person conveying unit and an electromagnetic linear drive for driving the person conveying unit. The electromagnetic linear drive may include a stator segment and a runner element. The runner element can be driven by the force of an electromagnetic field of the stator segment in a first drive direction or in an opposite second drive direction. The runner element is movably mounted on the person conveying unit such that a magnetic resistance in an air gap between the stator segment and the runner element is adjustable depending on a drive force acting between the stator segment and the runner element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: TK Elevator Innovation and Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Richard Thum, Marius Matz, Eduard Steinhauer
  • Publication number: 20210094798
    Abstract: An elevator system includes first and second intersecting elevator shafts having respective guide devices disposed therein to guide the elevator car. The intersection area of the shafts includes a third guide device that rotates with respect to the shaft walls between alignment with the first and second elevator shafts, to permit an elevator car to transfer from one elevator shaft to the other. A safety device triggers a blocking signal in a control unit to prevent movement of the third guide device if the extent, or footprint/area, of the elevator car spatially overlaps the intersection extent defined by the area over which the third guide device can be rotated in the intersection area. A method for operating the elevator system includes triggering a blocking signal to prevent movement of the third guide device if there is an overlap between the elevator car extent and the intersection extent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Richard Thum, Marius Matz, Eduard Steinhauer
  • Publication number: 20200385233
    Abstract: A method for operating a lift system includes a lift cage movably housed movably inside a lift shaft. A linear drive is configured to drive the lift cage, the linear drive includes a stator arrangement fixedly attached to the lift shaft with a plurality of stators and a rotor attached to the lift cage. The stator arrangement includes electromagnetic coils, each of the coils configured to be operated by one phase of a polyphase alternating current. The method includes providing the polyphase alternating current to operate the stator arrangement and thereby drive the lift cage to generate an upward force for the lift cage, monitoring a deceleration value of the lift system with sensors that are permanently installed in the lift shaft, and switching the linear drive into a safety operating state when the deceleration value above a predefined threshold value is determined by way of said monitoring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: thyssenkrupp Elevator Innovation and Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Eduard STEINHAUER, Marius MATZ
  • Publication number: 20200377332
    Abstract: A method for operating an elevator system, include determining an expected stop extent with respect to the shaft axis of one of the two elevator cars, comparing the determined stop extent and the intersection extent of the shaft intersection with respect to the shaft axis of this elevator car, starting from a current position and in accordance with an expected braking distance of this car, and triggering a signal for one of the elevator cars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Richard Thum, Marius Matz, Eduard Steinhauer
  • Publication number: 20200317467
    Abstract: A shaft changing assembly may be utilized with or in an elevator system. The elevator system may include two vertical elevator shafts, cars that are independently movable in the elevator shafts, a horizontal guide rail connecting the elevator shafts and configured to guide the cars along a movement path during a changing process from a first of the shafts to an end position in a second of the shafts. The shaft changing assembly may comprise an auxiliary brake configured to generate a braking force to brake the car undergoing horizontal travel. Application of the braking force may depend on a velocity profile of the car undergoing horizontal travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, ThyssenKrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Publication number: 20200299102
    Abstract: A method of operating an elevator system, for example operated by linear motors, wherein the elevator system includes a shaft system including at least one vertical elevator shaft, and a multiplicity of elevator cars which respectively have a plurality of functional components for carrying out different functions. The method provides that in a special operating mode of the elevator system, a first elevator car is assigned at least one auxiliary device, the auxiliary device providing a replacement function for at least one function of one of the functional components of the first elevator car, the corresponding function of a functional component of the first elevator car being replaced with the replacement function provided by the auxiliary device, and the elevator system continuing to be operated by using the replacement function provided. The invention furthermore relates to an elevator system configured for carrying out such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Holger ZERELLES, Eduard STEINHAUER, Marius MATZ, Richard THUM
  • Publication number: 20200277160
    Abstract: An elevator system including a cab displaceably received within an elevator shaft and a linear drive embodied to drive the cab. A sensor is disposed in the elevator shaft and a signal generation unit is disposed on the cab. The signal generation unit is embodied to generate a measurement signal in the sensor, the measurement signal depending on a displacement speed of the cab in the elevator shaft. Further, the elevator system has a safety control unit configured to ascertain an acceleration of the cab on the basis of the measurement signal and to bring the linear drive into a safety operating state should the ascertained acceleration exceed a limit value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: thyssenkrupp Elevator Innovation and Operations AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Publication number: 20200172377
    Abstract: A drive arrangement that includes a movable rail segment of a lift system, an electric motor configured to rotate the rail segment through a prescribed maximum movement path, and inverter units for making available electrical power to the electric motor and configured to receive a control command relating to the position of the movable rail segment and to make available electrical drive power based thereon. The drive arrangement may form at least two drive segments each of which includes one of the inverter units and a coil arrangement that is supplied with electrical power by the assigned inverter unit. Each of the drive segments may be configured such that the inverter units operate with equal priority.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard Thum, lgnacio Rodriguez Abad, Daniel Bauer
  • Publication number: 20200102184
    Abstract: A method for operating a multi-car elevator system having a shaft system with at least one lift shaft, a plurality of elevator cars that can be moved individually in the shaft system, and a control system. Data about the cars is provided at time intervals. When the provision of data relating to a first car fails, a shaft position of said first car is determined. A quarantine section of the shaft system is determined, in which the first car is located by means of the determined shaft position, and the determined quarantine section is blocked for the other cars of the system. The invention further relates to a multi-car elevator system configured for the implementation of such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Publication number: 20200079619
    Abstract: A control system, installation, and methods for an elevator installation includes at least two elevator cars moveable in at least two shaft segments. The system has at least two shaft control units and at least two elevator car control units. Each of the shaft control units is configured to be respectively assigned to one of the shaft segments and each of the elevator car control units is configured to be respectively assigned to one of the elevator cars. The control system is configured to provide a mutual first communication link between the shaft control units. The control system is configured, for each of the shaft segments, to respectively provide a second communication link between the elevator car control units which are assignable to the elevator cars and the shaft control unit which is assignable to the respective shaft segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Publication number: 20200017334
    Abstract: A transportation device such as an elevator installation, an escalator, or a moving walkway may comprise a person conveying unit and an electromagnetic linear drive for driving the person conveying unit. The electromagnetic linear drive may include a stator segment and a runner element. The runner element can be driven by the force of an electromagnetic field of the stator segment in a first drive direction or in an opposite second drive direction. The runner element is movably mounted on the person conveying unit such that a magnetic resistance in an air gap between the stator segment and the runner element is adjustable depending on a drive force acting between the stator segment and the runner element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicants: thyssenkrupp Elevator AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Richard THUM, Marius MATZ, Eduard STEINHAUER
  • Patent number: 8166886
    Abstract: A wear monitoring system is provided for monitoring the wear and/or abrasion of at least one system component of a cable operated transportation system, where the system component is subjected to wear and/or abrasion and is mounted in rotating and/or circulating manner. A parameter measuring device is provided for measuring an actual value and/or a time-dependent actual value function of at least one electrical and/or mechanical parameter of the at least one system component and/or the drive unit. An evaluating device is provided for determining a parameter deviation of the actual value from a desired value in dependence on time or a time interval and/or of the actual value function from a time-dependent desired value function of the at least one parameter. The parameter deviation corresponds to the state of abrasion and/or the state of wear of the at least one system component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Richard Thum
  • Publication number: 20110073000
    Abstract: In order to increase the operational reliability of a cable operated transportation system, there is proposed a wear monitoring system for monitoring the wear and/or abrasion of at least one system component of a cable operated transportation system comprising a support cable and/or a traction cable and/or a hoisting cable and also at least one drive unit wherein said system component is subjected to wear and/or abrasion and is mounted in rotating and/or circulating manner, including a parameter measuring device for measuring an actual value and/or a time-dependent actual value function of at least one electrical and/or mechanical parameter of the at least one system component and/or the drive unit and also including an evaluating device for determining a parameter deviation of the actual value from a desired value in dependence on time or a time interval and/or of the actual value function from a time-dependent desired value function of the at least one parameter, which parameter deviation corresponds to the
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Richard Thum
  • Patent number: 7880633
    Abstract: A cable position monitoring device is provided, for monitoring the position of a cable guided in the rollers of a roller assembly of a cable operated transportation system comprising at least one first and at least one second cable roller defining a reference roller, the cable position monitoring device comprising a movement-magnitude detecting device for determining a first movement-magnitude of the at least one first cable roller and a second movement-magnitude of the reference roller, and an evaluating device for comparing the first and second movement-magnitudes and for determining a mutual movement-magnitude deviation between the first and second movement-magnitudes which corresponds to a safe-to-operate status of the transportation system. An improved cable operated transportation system as well as a method for monitoring the position of a cable of a cable operated transportation system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Richard Thum
  • Publication number: 20080208519
    Abstract: In order to improve a cable position monitoring device for monitoring the position of a cable guided in the rollers of a roller assembly in at least one first cable roller that is to be monitored of the roller assembly of a cable operated transportation system comprising at least one first and at least one second cable roller defining a reference roller, such that a threatening cable-dislodgement of the cable from at least one cable roller of the transportation system can be recognized in a simple manner, it is proposed that a movement-magnitude detecting device be provided for determining a first movement-magnitude of the at least one first cable roller and a second movement-magnitude of the reference roller, and that an evaluating device be provided for comparing the first and second movement-magnitudes and for determining a mutual movement-magnitude deviation between the first and second movement-magnitudes which corresponds to a safe-to-operate status of the transportation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: HIMA Paul Hildebrandt GmbH + Co KG
    Inventor: Richard Thum