Having Cable Guiding Pulley Wheel Spaced Therefrom Patents (Class 187/266)
  • Patent number: 11945690
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator compensation assembly includes a tie down mechanism and at least one compensation sheave that has an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member. At least one damper is associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting vertical movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction. At least one detector directly detects vertical movement of the tie down mechanism along the direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected vertical movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Yisug Kwon, Randy Roberts
  • Patent number: 11524872
    Abstract: An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator compensation assembly includes a tie down mechanism and at least one compensation sheave that has an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member. At least one damper is associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction. At least one detector detects movement of the tie down mechanism along the direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Yisug Kwon, Randy Roberts
  • Patent number: 11414299
    Abstract: Arrangement in an elevator for stopping uncontrolled movement of an elevator car, which elevator comprises at least an elevator car (1) arranged to move reciprocally in the elevator hoistway along guide rails (1a), and means for stopping uncontrolled movement of the elevator car (1). The arrangement according to the invention comprises an arrester (4, 5) separate from the guide rails (1a) of the elevator car (1) and independent of the suspension of the elevator car (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Ari Kattainen, Matti Rasanen, Markku Haapaniemi
  • Patent number: 11365094
    Abstract: A device for limiting sway in a travelling cable (6) in an elevator system is provided. The device comprises: a channel extending in a first direction for receiving the travelling cable (6) therein, wherein the channel is configured to be mounted in an elevator hoistway (2) such that the first direction corresponds to a direction of motion of an elevator car (4) within the hoistway (2); and an element (20) configured to move in the first direction along an open side of the channel simultaneously with an elevator car (4) and to push the travelling cable (6) into the channel when the element (20) moves along the open side thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jean-Emile Rocher, Frederic Beauchaud, Emmanuel Convard, Guillaume Trouvain
  • Patent number: 11319189
    Abstract: An elevator includes a compensating sheave, a compensating rope, a guide, a holder, a driver, a lateral vibration detector, and driver controller. The compensating rope is looped around the compensating sheave to be bent back upward in a hoistway, and has a first end connected to a car and a second end connected a counterweight, the compensating rope suspended from the car and the counterweight. The guide guides the compensating sheave in a vertically displaceable manner. The holder holds the guide to be displaceable in a horizontal direction. The driver drives the holder in the horizontal direction. The lateral vibration detector detects lateral vibration of the compensating rope. The driver controller controls the driver based on a result of detection by the lateral vibration detector and accordingly drive the holder in the horizontal direction so as to dampen lateral vibration of the compensating rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: FUJITEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Sato, Junichi Nakagawa, Yuji Morooka, Yusuke Ono
  • Patent number: 11104546
    Abstract: An elevator cable management system is described to provide constraints on cable movements at a point between the top and bottom of an elevator track. The system may include a moving retainer bar with a cradle on top of an elevator car, and a fixed retainer bar that retains cables when the elevator car is above the fixed retainer bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Safe Works, LLC
    Inventors: Dirk Miseur, Nicolas Van der Linden
  • Patent number: 10689229
    Abstract: An elevator system includes a hoistway and an elevator car suspended in the hoistway via one or more suspension members. A counterweight is suspended in the hoistway via the one or more suspension members to balance operation of the elevator car. A machine is positioned at the hoistway to drive the one or more suspension members along the hoistway, driving motion of the elevator car and/or counterweight along the hoistway. A suspension member termination is supported at the machine, to secure an end of the one or more suspension members. A drive system for an elevator includes one or more elevator suspension members and a machine interactive with the one or more elevator suspension members to drive motion of an elevator car. A suspension member termination is supported at the machine to secure an end of the one or more suspension members at the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicolas Fonteneau, Frédéric Beauchaud
  • Patent number: 10549953
    Abstract: An elevator belt position tracking system including a magnetic field producer located in operational proximity to an elevator sheave carrying an elevator belt to produce a magnetic field encompassing the elevator belt, a magnetic sensor located in operational proximity to the sheave carrying the elevator belt, the magnetic sensor comprising a plurality of signal channels spaced apart along a width of the magnetic sensor. The respective signal channels are activated by the proximity of the elevator belt to the signal channels as the elevator belt passes through the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field producer to determine a lateral position of the elevator belt on the sheave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventors: Michael Palazzola, Peter Feldhusen
  • Patent number: 10486942
    Abstract: In an elevator installation a belt-like support is guided over a roller. The roller includes at least one restraining element, which is arranged laterally of a roller contact surface. Lateral jumping-off of the belt-like support from the roller is thereby prevented. The restraining element additionally has a guide surface inclined toward the roller contact surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: INVENTIO AG
    Inventors: Lin Han, Liang Deng
  • Patent number: 10392226
    Abstract: A machine room-less elevator includes a car configured to ascend and descend in a hoistway of an architectural structure, a counter weight configured to ascend and descend reversely to the car, a rope configured to suspend the car and the counter weight, and a hoisting machine configured to drive the rope. A support beam assembly, which is configured to bear not a load of the architectural structure but at least loads of the car, the counter weight, the rope, and the hoisting machine, is supported on a top-story floor beam assembly of the architectural structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahiko Hida
  • Patent number: 10329117
    Abstract: An energy-saving traction-type elevator and an energy-saving method therefor are presented. The traction-type elevator includes at least one counterbalance unit, each counterbalance unit comprising a traction machine. The traction-type elevator further includes an automatic transmission, a hoist-type lifting mechanism, a power-generating electric motor, and a controller provided in a machine room, and a car, a fixed counterweight and a balancing counterbalance provided in an elevator shaft. The energy-saving method applies the principle of moment balance, whereby adding a separate elevator balancing counterbalance to achieve intelligent counterbalancing of the elevator so that the elevator achieves relative balance, thereby reducing the traction moment and rate of work of the traction machine. When the potential energy of the elevator balancing counter-balance builds up to a high position, the power-generating electric motor can perform centralized power generation, aiding in energy recovery and use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Hangzhou Simaero Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rongwei Ye, Xiuxiu Wang, Yanbin Lv, Dazhi He
  • Patent number: 10222351
    Abstract: Provided is a wire rope inspection apparatus that is light, small in size and portable. A portable rope tester has a sensor device for sensing magnetic leakage flux leaking from a magnetized wire rope. Provided on the front of sensor device is a sensor face formed to be flat. The sensor face is pressed against the wire rope. By pressing the flat sensor face against the wire rope, magnetic leakage flux is sensed by the sensor device and whether the wire rope is damaged or not is detected. A handle is secured to the back of the sensor device on the side opposite the sensor face. The sensor device is held by grasping the handle by hand, and the sensor face of the device is pressed against the wire rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ROPE MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Johsei Kondoh
  • Patent number: 10221041
    Abstract: A mobile car sheave shield comprises a static shield part 2 sleeved on a car sheave 1, wherein an opening is formed on upper of the static shield part; a dynamic shield part is arranged on the opening; the dynamic shield part comprises a shield bracket 3; an inner side mobile shield 4 and an outer side mobile shield 5 which are synchronously connected are respectively arranged on two sides of a central axis of the shield bracket from inside to outside; the outer side mobile shield and the inner side mobile shield are slidingly connected on the shield bracket. The present invention has the advantages that: by combining the static shield part and the dynamic shield part, the dynamic shield part is moved by the traction rope, to realize mobile protection of the shield, thus offering a clearance constantly meeting safety requirement and guaranteeing safety of a car top worker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Lan Wang, Guohua Zhang, Xing Mao
  • Patent number: 10207894
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car supported by an elevator rope wrapped around a sheave, such that a rotation of the sheave changes a length of the elevator rope between the sheave and the elevator car thereby controlling a movement of the elevator car within an elevator shaft of the elevator system. An elevator cable is connected to the elevator car and the elevator shaft to carry electrical signals to the elevator car. The operation of the elevator system is controlled in response to receiving a call for a movement of the elevator car requesting a change of the length of the elevator rope. A motion profile of the elevator car causing the requested change of the length of the elevator rope that minimizes the sway of the cable is determined according to a model of a cable relating a sway of the cable to a motion profile. Next, the motion of the elevator car is controlled according to the determined motion profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Mouhacine Benosman
  • Patent number: 10175201
    Abstract: Provided is a wire rope inspection apparatus that is light, small in size and portable. A portable rope tester has a sensor device for sensing magnetic leakage flux leaking from a magnetized wire rope. Provided on the front of sensor device is a sensor face formed to be flat. The sensor face is pressed against the wire rope. By pressing the flat sensor face against the wire rope, magnetic leakage flux is sensed by the sensor device and whether the wire rope is damaged or not is detected. A handle is secured to the back of the sensor device on the side opposite the sensor face. The sensor device is held by grasping the handle by hand, and the sensor face of the device is pressed against the wire rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ROPE MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Johsei Kondoh
  • Patent number: 9862572
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring a first wire rope and a second wire rope is provided. The first and second wire ropes each include a contact portion that contacts a sheave, a first end portion, and a monitored portion that extends between the contact portion and the first end portion. The sheave electrically connects the contact portions of the first and second wire ropes. The system includes a controller that is electrically connected to each of the first and second wire ropes to form a circuit with the monitored portions of the first and second wire ropes. The controller selectively applies a signal to the monitored portions of the first and second wire ropes and determines an electrical characteristic thereof. The controller uses the determined electrical characteristic to determine a condition of the first and second wire ropes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventor: Richard N. Fargo
  • Patent number: 9834415
    Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator system (10) for a building under construction, comprising a vertical shaft (12), in which a temporary machine compartment (14) is retained, a driving device (18), which is arranged in the temporary machine compartment (14) and which is coupled by means of a supporting cable (21) to a car (23) that can be moved vertically up and down in the shaft (12), and a speed limiter (30), which interacts with a speed limiter cable (34) arranged in the shaft (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG
    Inventors: Marc Hense, Jürgen Becker, Jörg Müller, Karl-Otto Schöllkopf
  • Patent number: 9783390
    Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator comprising a hoistway; an elevator car vertically movable in the hoistway; at least one rope connected to the car; a rotatable traction member comprising a circumferential traction surface for each of the at least one rope; each of the at least one rope passing around the rotatable traction member and having a front side surface resting against a circumferential traction surface of the traction member, the front side surface and/or the traction surface of the rotatable traction member being made of material comprising polymer; and a drive machinery for controlling rotation of the rotatable traction member; and activatable pressing means for pressing the at least one rope against the circumferential traction surface of the traction member which comprise a pressing shoe mounted on the back side of and out of contact with the rope section of each of said at least one rope, which rope section rests against the rotatable traction member, the pressing shoe being movable towar
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Petteri Valjus
  • Patent number: 9714158
    Abstract: In an elevator counterweight device, a frame body includes a first stile, a second stile, a crosshead provided between upper portions of the stiles, and a plank provided between lower portions of the stiles. On both sides of the frame body in a width direction thereof, a plurality of guide devices are provided. Each of the crosshead and the plank is coupled to the first stile and the second stile so as to be pivotable. Each of the guide devices is displaceable in the width direction of the frame body and a thickness direction of the frame body relative to the frame body, and is pivotable about an axis parallel to a vertical direction of the frame body as a center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Nakamura, Sachiomi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 9586696
    Abstract: The invention relates to an improved system for parking and processing aircraft in relatively efficient manner. The invention also relates to an improved method for parking and processing aircraft in relatively efficient manner, particularly by making use of a system for parking and processing aircraft according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: RAU B. V.
    Inventors: Maarten Soederhuizen, Jonas Van Stekelenburg, Johannes Petrus Cornelis Maria Van Der Linden, Johannes Maria Voeten, Esther Marcella Dekker, Pieter Hendrik Ringersma, Antonius Stallaart, Thomas Martin Rau, Ludovicus Adriaan Peter Klaassen, Dennis Johannes Maurice Grootenboer, Gerardus Maria Manshanden, Hendrikus Albertus Adrianus Maria De Ruijter, Petrus Marinus Hendrikus Van Zijl, Wouterus Johannus Hagen
  • Patent number: 9561937
    Abstract: A counterweight arrangement for an elevator, includes a first vertical guide rail and a second vertical guide rail, the guide rails defining a vertical guide rail plane, a counterweight arranged to travel between the guide rails guided by the guide rails, the counterweight including a frame, which includes a first upright beam and a second upright beam and a cross beam connecting the upper ends of the upright beams, and a diverting pulley mounted between the guide rails on the cross beam of the counterweight frame, the pulley having a vertical plane of rotation, which crosses the guide rail plane. The cross beam is aligned parallel with the plane of rotation of the pulley. An elevator includes the aforementioned counterweight arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Razvan Albu, Erno Lehikoinen, Niko Forsström
  • Patent number: 9487378
    Abstract: A machine roomless elevator comprises a car (5) within a hoistway (14), a counterweight (1) within a space between said car (5) and a wall of said hoistway (14) and on which a plurality of counterweight suspension wheels (2) are arranged, and a traction sheave (13). Hoist ropes (4) can be devided into a plurality of groups corresponding to the number of said counterweight suspension wheels (2) after one ends thereof round said traction sheave (13), each group being fixed on a counterweight side termination after rounding corresponding one of said counterweight suspension wheels (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: TianMing Lin, JianWei Zhang, FeiQun He, Guohua Zhang
  • Patent number: 9446931
    Abstract: An elevator may include: an elevator car; a traction sheave that includes grooves; a hoisting machine configured to drive the traction sheave; and/or hoisting ropes configured to interact with the traction sheave to move the elevator car. An overall contact between the traction sheave and hoisting ropes may exceed a contact angle of 180°. A diameter of the traction sheave may be less than 320 mm. Each hoisting rope may include steel wires twisted together to form strands. The strands of each hoisting rope may be twisted together to form the hoisting rope. A thickness of each hoisting rope may be less than 8 mm. An average of wire thicknesses of the steel wires may be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 0.4 mm. A strength of the steel wires may be greater than 2,300 N/mm2 and less than 3,000 N/mm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Jorma Mustalahti, Esko Aulanko
  • Patent number: 9422136
    Abstract: A method for replacing the elevator ropes in an elevator provided with at least a hoisting machine, a traction sheave and a counterweight, in which the elevator car is supported with elevator ropes and which elevator comprises compensating ropes. In connection with the first rope replacement the compensating ropes are converted into the hoisting ropes of the elevator and at least a part of the hoisting ropes are converted into the compensating ropes of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pentti Alasentie
  • Patent number: 9340395
    Abstract: In a method for reeving an elevator, a hoisting element of a hoisting device is fixed to a first lifting point, and the hoisting element of the hoisting device is fixed to a second lifting point of the hoisting rope. The hoisting rope is lifted in the elevator hoistway with the hoisting device until the first lifting point and the second lifting point are at the top part of the elevator hoistway. The first end of the hoisting rope is guided to a first fixing point, and the second end of the hoisting rope is guided to a second fixing point. The first end is fixed to a first fixing point and the second end is fixed to the second fixing point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Antti Mertala, Marko Lehtonen
  • Patent number: 9327941
    Abstract: An elevator installation includes a cage, a counterweight, a drive and at least one support element. The cage and the counterweight are supported by the support element, which is driven by the drive to move the cage and the counterweight in opposite directions. The support element includes at least one test element, wherein the test element is contacted by at least one contacting device and connected with a measuring device so that an electrical resistance of the test element is determinable by the measuring device, wherein the electrical resistance of the test element changes due to stretching of the test element so that through measurement of the electrical resistance of the test element at least one of the following states of the elevator installation is ascertainable: loading of the cage, a slack support element, a tension difference between at least two support elements and damage of the support element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventor: Florian Dold
  • Patent number: 9327942
    Abstract: An elevator rope sway detection method and a detection device using the same capable of detecting an elevator rope sway, generated by a building shake caused by an earthquake or strong wind, with high accuracy by preventing incorrect detections in detecting the elevator rope sway. A rope detector including a rope sway detector sends detection information detected by the rope detector to a rope determiner. A rope sway determination mechanism includes a detection signal memorization unit, a detection signal calculation unit, and a rope sway determination unit to determine that a rope sway occurs if the detection information sent from the rope detector fulfills a predetermined condition. A result determined by the rope sway determination unit is sent to an elevator controller, which performs an operation corresponding to the determined result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Fukui, Seiji Watanabe, Tsunehiro Higashinaka
  • Patent number: 9321612
    Abstract: An exemplary elevator system includes an elevator car. At least one guiderail guides movement of the elevator car. The guiderail has a length in a direction of movement of the elevator car and a depth generally perpendicular to the length. A plurality of flat belts are situated relative to the elevator car such that movement of the flat belts for causing movement of the elevator car is approximately four times a corresponding movement of the elevator car. A plurality of sheaves is situated for directing the flat belts as the belts at least partially wrap around the sheaves. The plurality of sheaves remains fixed near one end of the guide rail. The plurality of sheaves rotate about coaxially aligned axes and have a collective width along the axes that is no greater than the depth of the guiderail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Richard N. Fargo, Frank J. Sclafani
  • Patent number: 9278829
    Abstract: A method controls an operation of an elevator system using a control law to stabilize a state of the elevator system using a tension of an elevator rope. A derivative of a Lyapunov function along dynamics of the elevator system controlled by the control law is negative definite. The control law is a function of amplitude of a sway of the elevator rope and a velocity of the sway of the elevator rope. The method determines the amplitude of the sway of the elevator rope and the velocity of the sway of the elevator rope during the operation, and determines a magnitude of the tension of the elevator rope based on the control law, and the amplitude and the velocity of the sway of the elevator rope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Mouhacine Benosman
  • Publication number: 20150144433
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for installing one or more ropes of an elevator, wherein a pulley of a pulley arrangement is roped, which pulley arrangement comprises a pulley having a shaft for mounting it rotatably on a support frame, the shaft having a first end and a second end; and a support frame having a first supporting wall and a second supporting wall spaced apart and having a pulley space between them, in which pulley space the pulley is mounted, the first end of the shaft extending into a first opening of the first supporting wall, and the second end of the shaft extending into a second opening of the second supporting wall. In which method one or more ropes is/are guided to pass around said pulley.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes KOIVUKANGAS, Tommi RAUTIO
  • Publication number: 20150129366
    Abstract: A method for constructing an interface between a sheave and a coated belt or rope of an elevator system, includes determining the surface energy of a surface of a coated belt or rope; and selecting a sheave such that the sheave has a work of adhesion between the coated belt or rope and the sheave, the work of adhesion meeting a defined relationship with a work of adhesion threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: John P. Wesson, Xiaomei Yu, David R. Polak
  • Publication number: 20150107940
    Abstract: A car and a counterweight are suspended by a main rope that is wound onto a driving sheave, a car suspending sheave, and a counterweight suspending sheave. A first main rope portion between the driving sheave and the car suspending sheave and a second main rope portion between the car suspending sheave and the car-side rope fastener portion are passed through a common car-side penetrating aperture so as to cross each other when viewed in an axial direction of the driving sheave. A third main rope portion between the driving sheave and the counterweight suspending sheave and a fourth main rope portion the counterweight suspending sheave and the counterweight-side rope fastener portion are passed through a common counterweight-side penetrating aperture that is disposed on the machine room floor so as to cross each other when viewed in the axial direction of the driving sheave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigenobu Kawakami, Takao Nishida
  • Patent number: 9010497
    Abstract: Diverting pulley arrangement of an elevator, which includes an axle, at least one diverting pulley that rotates while supported on the axle, a faceplate structure, in relation to which and supported by which the diverting pulley is arranged to rotate on the first side of the faceplate structure, which axle is locked so that it does not rotate in relation to the faceplate structure by the aid of a locking element, which locking element is on the second side of the faceplate structure and supported so that it does not move in relation to the faceplate structure. The locking element is placed against the locking surface included in the axle so that the contact point of the locking element and the locking surface of the axle is at least partly visible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Antti Saarelainen, Petteri Valjus, Jaakko Kalliomäki, Jukka Norja, Albu Razvan
  • Patent number: 9010495
    Abstract: An elevator sheave (20) includes a belt guiding surface (26) having a surface profile along at least a portion of the belt guiding surface. The surface profile preferably is defined by an nth order polynomial equation where n is a number greater than 2. In one example, the reference point (40) is a central point along the width of the belt guiding surface (26). In one example, a central portion (42) of the surface profile preferably is aligned to be generally parallel with the central axis (34) of the sheave body. Some examples have curvilinear side portions (44,46) between the central portion (42) and the edges (28,30) of the sheave. Other examples also include second side portions (48,50) that have linear profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Dilip Prasad, Brice N. Cassenti, Pedro S. Baranda, William Veronesi, William C. Perron, Ary O. Mello, Jr., Paul A. Stucky, John T. Pitts, John P. Wesson, Mark S. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20150053506
    Abstract: An elevator includes an elevator car; a counterweight; a drive wheel mounted stationary, and having a rotational axis; first diverting wheel(s), mounted on the elevator car, and having a rotational axis parallel with the rotational axis of the drive wheel; a second and a third diverting wheel mounted on the counterweight radially side by side, each having a rotational axis, which is at an angle of 60 to 90 degrees relative to the rotational axis of the drive wheel; a roping suspending the elevator car and counterweight and including a first belt-like rope and a second belt-like rope, each having a first end and a second end fixed to a stationary rope fixing, and each comprising one or more load bearing members made of fiber-reinforced composite material; wherein the first rope and the second rope are arranged to pass side by side from the fixing of the first end downwards to the elevator car; and to turn side by side under said first diverting wheel(s); and to pass upwards to the drive wheel; and to turn side
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventor: Petteri Valjus
  • Publication number: 20150034425
    Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator arrangement, which comprises one or more elevator units to be moved in an elevator hoistway, said unit(s) including at least an elevator car, and possibly also a counterweight, roping connected to an elevator unit, which roping comprises a plurality of ropes, and a moveable supporting structure in the elevator hoistway for supporting the aforementioned one or more elevator units below it via the aforementioned roping, and a rope pulley or rope pulley stack of the supporting structure in connection with the supporting structure, around which rope pulley or rope pulley stack the aforementioned roping travels, and from which the roping travels down to an elevator unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Jouni RATIA, Jussi PERÄLÄ
  • Publication number: 20150021122
    Abstract: In an elevator apparatus, a hoisting machine includes a driving sheave, and a motor portion that rotates the driving sheave, and is disposed in an upper portion inside a hoistway. A suspending unit is wound sequentially around a first car suspending sheave, a second car suspending sheave, the driving sheave, and a counterweight suspending sheave. The second car suspending sheave, the driving sheave, and the counterweight suspending sheave are disposed on a first side of a car guide rail center line that connects first and second car guide rails when viewed from directly above. A portion of the motor portion is disposed between a back surface of the second car guide rail and a hoistway wall. The driving sheave is disposed so as to overlap with the second car guide rail when viewed from a landing side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoyuki Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20150015280
    Abstract: A method of wear detection of a coated belt or rope includes connecting a wear detection unit to one or more monitoring strands and/or cords of a coated belt or rope. The coated belt or rope includes one or more baseline strands and/or cords exhibiting a first change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope and one or more monitoring strands and/or cords exhibiting a second change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope, greater than the first change in electrical resistance. An electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords is measured via the wear detection unit. Using at least the measured electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords, a wear condition of the belt or rope is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Brad Guilani, Hong Yang
  • Patent number: 8925689
    Abstract: An elevator system which utilizes a plurality of independently moving cabs and counterweights in each elevator shaft. Each cab is connected to one or more spatially separated counterweights at different counterweight connection points. The connection points are horizontally shifted on different cabs in order to prevent interference between cabs, cables, pulleys and counterweights. The top cab may have one counterweight cable and may be connected to one or more counterweights by connection points on the roof of the cab. The cabs are mounted on two opposing vertical guide rails, and each guide rail is mounted at the center of one side of the elevator shaft. The system includes a motor attached to each of the cabs by one or more lift cables to facilitate the independent movement of all cabs. Existing buildings can also be retrofit for compatibility with the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Smart Lifts, LLC
    Inventor: Justin Jacobs
  • Publication number: 20140345979
    Abstract: Ground-accessing elevator systems and methods are provided for transporting personnel between the ground level and one or more decks of multi-level vehicle such as a fixed-wing aircraft. The vehicle elevator systems and methods may be implemented using a multi-track guide rail system configured to guide an elevator car between the ground and two or more levels within a vehicle. The multi-track guide rail system may include an intra-vehicle track fixed to the vehicle structure and configured to guide the elevator car between decks of the vehicle, and a separate deployment track may be configured to telescope downward from the intra-vehicle guide rail track to guide the elevator car during deployment to the ground from the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Wayne J. Ehlert, Michael G. Glenn, James R. Grimes, Loyd R. Hamilton, Christopher M. Jackson, Mark A. McCoy, Richard R. Pardun, Paul H. Peterson, Albert W. Ruggles, Scot A. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20140332321
    Abstract: An elevator includes a car, a counterweight, a suspension working together with the car and the counterweight, and a wheel at least partially wound around by the suspension. The suspension includes a tie beam arrangement with two tie beams and an encasing shell wherein a ratio of the width of the suspension to the height thereof is in a range between one and three. The wheel includes a flute having a flat base for guiding the suspension. When the suspension is unloaded, there is an air gap between the suspension and a guide region of the flute. The suspension is ovalized under loading to close the air gap. The shell is coated, at least in areas, on the outer surface thereof, wherein the coating optionally has a friction-reducing, friction-increasing, and/or wear-detecting effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventor: Guntram Begle
  • Patent number: 8863906
    Abstract: A counterweight and an elevator car are suspended on a set of hoisting ropes. The elevator comprises one or more rope pulleys provided with rope grooves, one of said pulleys being a traction sheave driven by a drive machine and moving the set of hoisting ropes. At least one of the rope pulleys has against the hoisting rope a coating adhesively bonded to the rope pulley and containing the rope grooves, said coating having an elasticity that is greater in the edge portions of the rope groove than at the bottom of the rope groove. In a preferred solution, the traction sheave is a rope pulley like this.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Jorma Mustalahti, Esko Aulanko
  • Publication number: 20140305745
    Abstract: An elevator includes an elevator car, a counterweight and suspension roping, which connects the elevator car and counterweight to each other, and which suspension roping includes one or more ropes, which include a load-bearing composite part, which includes reinforcing fibers in a polymer matrix. The elevator car and the counterweight are arranged to be moved by exerting a vertical force on at least the elevator car or on the counterweight. The elevator includes a device separate from the suspension roping for exerting the force on at least the elevator car or on the counterweight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Inventors: Pentti ALASENTIE, Johannes DE JONG
  • Publication number: 20140291076
    Abstract: A belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car includes a plurality of wires arranged into a plurality of cords. The plurality of cords includes one or more inner cords located at an innermost portion of the belt relative to a lateral end of the belt and one or more outer cords located laterally outboard of the one or more inner cords. The one or more outer cords have a construction distinct from the one or more inner cords. A jacket substantially retains the plurality of cords.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Brad Guilani, Mark Steven Thompson, Kyle B. Martin, Hong Yang, Peter Keyo, David Wayne Mckee, Russell Bruce Gottlieb
  • Patent number: 8839912
    Abstract: An exemplary vibration isolation assembly for use with elevators includes a first rigid member having an outer wall at least partially surrounding a central opening. A second rigid member is at least partially received within the central opening of the first rigid member. A resilient layer between the first and second members substantially isolates the first member from vibrations of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Franck Dominguez, Frederic Beauchaud, Nicolas Guillot
  • Patent number: 8820483
    Abstract: An exemplary elevator system comprises a machine support (30) including a first portion (32) situated in a generally horizontal position at least partially within a hoistway (24). A second portion (34) is oriented generally perpendicular to the first portion. The second portion has one end supported by a support surface (52) adjacent the hoistway such that a portion of a load of the machine support is transferred to the support surface. One end of the first portion (32) is supported by the second portion (34) and another end of the first portion is supported by a structural member at least partially in the hoistway such that a remainder of the load of the machine support is transferred to the structural member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Ericson, Harold Terry, Leandre Adifon, Stephen R. Nichols, Robin Mihekun Miller, Daryl J. Marvin, John Ferrisi
  • Publication number: 20140231180
    Abstract: An elevator system includes an elongated suspension member, a load-receiving part suspended on the suspension member, a counterweight suspended on the suspension member for supporting the load-receiving part, an elongated traction member for exerting a pulling force on the load-receiving part and on the counterweight, a drive unit, with which the load-receiving part is driven by pulling the traction member and also one or more guide rails, along the path of movement determined by which the load-receiving part is moved. The drive unit is disposed to the side of the path of movement of the load-receiving part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Antti Kallioniemi, Antti Plathin
  • Publication number: 20140224592
    Abstract: An elevator includes a hoistway, an elevator car and a counterweight vertically movable in the hoistway, a drive machine including a drive sheave, a roping including one or more ropes between the elevator car and the counterweight and passing around the drive sheave and suspending the elevator car and the counterweight. The drive sheave is positioned in the hoistway space between a hoistway wall and the vertical projection of the car, the drive sheave rotation plane being at least substantially parallel to the hoistway wall. The rope(s) is/are belt-like, each including at least one force transmission parts for transmitting force in the longitudinal direction of the rope, which force transmission part is made of composite material including reinforcing fibers in a polymer matrix. The reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers, and the force transmission part has width larger than thickness thereof as measured in width-direction of the rope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Petteri VALJUS, Raimo PELTO-HUIKKO, Riku LAMPINEN
  • Publication number: 20140209414
    Abstract: Diverting pulley arrangement, more particularly a diverting pulley arrangement of an elevator, which arrangement includes an axle, at least one diverting pulley that rotates while supported on the axle, a faceplate structure, in relation to which and supported by which the diverting pulley is arranged to rotate on the first side of the faceplate structure, which axle is locked so that it does not rotate by the aid of a locking element that moves in relation to the faceplate structure, which locking element is on the second side of the faceplate structure. When it starts to rotate, the end of the axle forces the locking element to displace out of its position and to trip a safety switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventors: Jussi PAASISALO, Jani NIEMINEN, Jari ÖSTERMAN, Jukka PENTTILÄ, Joni KIISKI
  • Publication number: 20140174859
    Abstract: A suspension arrangement and guide shoe arrangement of an elevator, which arrangement comprises at least an elevator car and at least two compensating weights, which are for their part connected to support the elevator car by the aid of at least two suspension members, such as by the aid of ropes or belts, and also by the aid of diverting pulleys, and a hoisting machine provided with at least one traction sheave or corresponding, as well as at least two traction members, such as belts, ropes or chains, separate from the suspension members, which traction members are configured to transmit the rotational movement of the traction sheave into movement of the elevator car and of the compensating weights. There are at least four guide rails of the elevator car and they are fitted into an elevator hoistway symmetrically to each other in relation to the elevator car.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Janne MIKKONEN, Martti JUURIOKSA, Matti RÄSÄNEN