Elevator brake force and distance sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023428-B2
Application number	US-201414898770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

Elevator brake system and elevator brake pads having embedded a sensor arrangement so as to detect relevant parameters of an elevator brake system and elevator brake pad.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An elevator brake comprising:
a fixed part;
a moving part being movable relative to the fixed part;
a first element having a first friction surface; a second element having a second friction surface;
a controlling and evaluation unit;
wherein a fixed part element, being one of the first element and the second element, is movably mounted to the fixed part and a moving part element, being another of the first element and the second element, is mounted to the moving part, wherein the fixed part element is configured to move the first friction surface toward and into contact with the second friction surface;
wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises:
a wearing layer having an associated one of the first and second friction surfaces,
a magnetic field generating arrangement,
a magnetic field sensing arrangement,
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to drive the magnetic field generating arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the wearing layer, and the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine a mechanical force applied between the wearing layer and the other of the first and second friction surfaces based on a signal received from the magnetic field sensing arrangement, and
wherein at least one of a driving wire of the magnetic field generating arrangement and a signal wire of the magnetic field sensing arrangement is arranged within the wearing layer, such that when arriving at a maximum abrasion of the wearing layer, the at least one of a driving wire of the magnetic field generating arrangement and a signal wire of the magnetic field sensing arrangement is interrupted by abrasion.

2. The elevator brake according to claim 1 wherein at least a part of the flux concentrator is arranged within the wearing layer, wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is distant to a friction surface of the wearing layer at least until arriving at a maximum wear of the wearing layer.

3. The elevator brake according to claim 1 wherein the at least one of the first element and the second element includes a flux concentrator and the magnetic field generating arrangement includes a magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator, and wherein the controlling and evaluation unit is adapted to drive the magnetic field generating coil arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the flux concentrator.

4. The elevator brake according to claim 3 wherein the magnetic field sensing arrangement includes a sensing coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator.

5. The elevator brake according to claim 3 wherein the flux concentrator is a yoke having a first leg and a second leg, wherein the sensing coil arrangement includes a first feedback coil wound around the first leg of the flux concentrator and a second feedback coil wound around the second leg of the flux concentrator.

6. The elevator brake according to claim 3 wherein the flux concentrator is made of a material having an abrasion property, so that the flux concentrator and a material of the wearing layer abrade correspondingly.

7. The elevator brake according to claim 3 wherein at least a part of the flux concentrator is arranged within the wearing layer, wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is flush with the friction surface of at least one of the first element and the second element, wherein the friction surface of another of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface facing at least one pole face of the flux concentrator.

8. The elevator brake according to claim 7 wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine a mechanical force perpendicularly acting in relation to and between the friction surface of the at least one of the first element and the second element and the friction surface of the other one of the first element and the second element based on a signal strength received from the magnetic field sensing arrangement.

9. The elevator brake according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer,
wherein the magnetic field generating arrangement is a coil wound around the flux concentrator,
wherein the magnetic field sensing arrangement is a coil wound around the flux concentrator,
wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is flush with the respective friction surface of the one of the first element and the second element, and
wherein at least the other of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface as the friction surface facing at least one pole face of the flux concentrator.

10. The elevator brake according to claim 9 wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises:
a second flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer;
a second magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the second flux concentrator;
a second magnetic field sensing coil arrangement wound around the second flux concentrator;
wherein at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator is distant to a respective friction surface of the at least one of the first element and the second element;
wherein the other of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface as the friction surface facing at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator;
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to drive the second magnetic field generating coil arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the second flux concentrator;
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine upon contact of the first friction surface and the second friction surface the distance between the at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator and the friction surface of the other of the first element and the second element based on a signal received from the second magnetic field sensing arrangement.

11. An elevator brake pad for use in an elevator brake according to claim 1 , the brake pad comprising:
the wearing layer with the friction surface;
a flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer;
the magnetic field generating arrangement as a coil wound around the flux concentrator;
wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is flush with the friction surface.

12. The elevator brake pad according to claim 11 wherein the wear layer includes an element being eminent for determining the wear layer condition, wherein the element eminent for determining the wear layer condition is arranged such that when arriving at a maximum abrasion of the wearing layer, the element eminent for determining the wear layer condition is abraded such that end of lifetime of the elevator brake pad can be detected by failure of determining the condition of the wearing layer.

13. An elevator brake pad for use in an elevator brake according to claim 1 , the brake pad comprising:
the wearing layer with the friction surface;
a flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer;
the magnetic field generating arrangement as a coil wound around the flux concentrator;
wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is distant to the friction surface.

14. An elevator brake pad for use in an elevator brake according to claim 1 , the brake pad comprising:
the wearing layer with the friction surface;
a first flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer;
a first magnetic field generating arrangement as a coil wound around the first flu

Assignees

• Inventio Ag

Inventors

• May Lutz

Classifications

• G01L1/125

  by using magnetostrictive means (magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101) · CPC title

• B66B5/0031 Primary

  for safety reasons · CPC title

• F16D66/027

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• F16D63/008

  Brakes acting on a linearly moving member · CPC title

• B66B1/365

  mechanical · CPC title