Method of automated testing for an elevator safety brake system and elevator brake testing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745244-B2
Application number	US-201715477295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A method of testing of an elevator safety brake system is provided. The method includes initiating an automated test procedure. The method also includes triggering an electronic safety actuator. The method further includes generating braking data about performance of the electronic safety actuator. The method yet further includes analyzing the braking data. The method also includes generating a report to indicate whether the elevator safety brake system performed adequately.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of testing of an elevator safety brake system comprising:
initiating an automated test procedure by initiating elevator car motion according to a predefined motion test profile;
upon meeting an overspeed condition of the predefined motion test profile, triggering an electronic safety actuator mounted to an elevator car and operatively coupled to a brake member that frictionally engages a guide rail during braking operation, wherein the elevator safety brake system includes the electronic safety actuator and a safety brake;
generating braking data about performance of the electronic safety actuator;
analyzing the braking data; and
generating a report to indicate whether the elevator safety brake system performed adequately.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the generated data to an elevator system processing device, wherein the elevator system processing device is at least one of an elevator system controller, a cloud server, and a service tool.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the automated test procedure is initiated by an individual located proximate the elevator system processing device, the processing device comprising at least one of an elevator system controller, a cloud server, and any other computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the individual interacts with the elevator system controller manually with a user interface.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the individual interacts with the controller with a mobile device in wireless communication with the controller.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the braking data comprises at least one of a braking distance and a deceleration of an elevator car that the electronic safety actuator is coupled to.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ensuring that there are no occupants in an elevator car to be tested prior to triggering the electronic safety actuator.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein ensuring that there are no occupants is performed by at least one of visually ensuring with a camera viewing an interior of the elevator car and analyzing data from weight sensors.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein ensuring that there are no occupants is performed automatically by an elevator system processing device with no human interaction.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the automated test procedure is initiated periodically according to a schedule programmed in the elevator system processing device, the processing device comprising at least one of an elevator system controller, a cloud server, and any other computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the automated test procedure is initiated at least one of daily, weekly and monthly.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a remote connection between a remote device and an elevator system controller, the remote device not located at the location that the elevator system controller is located, wherein the automated test procedure is initiated by a remote operator that is remotely located relative to the elevator safety brake system and initiates the automated test procedure with a remote device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the remote operator interacts with the remote device and security personnel at the location of the elevator system controller.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising ensuring that there are no occupants in the elevator car by:
passing an audio and video verification;
passing a load weighing verification; and
passing an idle time verification.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elevator safety brake system includes the electronic safety actuator, the safety brake and a link member coupling the electronic safety actuator to the safety brake.

16. A method of automated testing of an elevator safety brake system comprising:
initiating an automated test procedure with a processing device in operative communication with an electronic safety actuator by initiating elevator car motion according to a predefined motion test profile;
upon meeting an overspeed condition of the predefined motion test profile, triggering an electronic safety actuator, wherein the elevator safety brake system includes the electronic safety actuator and a safety brake;
generating braking data about performance of the electronic safety actuator, the electronic safety actuator mounted to an elevator car and operatively coupled to a brake member that frictionally engages a guide rail during braking operation;
analyzing the braking data; and
generating a report to indicate whether the elevator safety brake system performed adequately.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the automated test is initiated by the processing device based on a periodic test schedule.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the processing device comprises at least one of an elevator controller, a service tool and a cloud server.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the automated test procedure is initiated periodically according to a schedule programmed in a processing device comprising at least one of an elevator controller, a cloud server, and any other computing device.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Sudi Sandeep
• Hu Guohong

Classifications

• B66B5/0037

  Performance analysers · CPC title

• B66B5/0018 Primary

  Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B5/0093 Primary

  Testing of safety devices · CPC title

• B66B5/0031

  for safety reasons · CPC title

• B66B5/0006 Primary

  Monitoring devices or performance analysers (B66B5/02 takes precedence) · CPC title