Monitoring systems for passenger conveyors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214466-B2
Application number	US-202016953223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 9, 2020
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A monitoring system for a passenger conveyor including: at least one acceleration sensor provided on a movable component of the passenger conveyor, wherein the moveable component moves in a closed loop path (P) when the passenger conveyor is in use; a fault detection sensor associated with the or each acceleration sensor and configured to provide data indicative of a fault in the moveable component. The monitoring system includes a controller configured to: receive data from the or each acceleration sensor; monitor a gravity vector (V) of the or each acceleration sensor; determine a direction of travel of the or each acceleration sensor; determine a current location of the or each acceleration sensor based on the monitored gravity vector (V) and the determined direction of travel; detect a fault from the data received from the or each fault detection sensor; identify a location of the detected fault.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monitoring system ( 40 ) for a passenger conveyor ( 10 ) comprising
at least one acceleration sensor ( 42 ) provided on a movable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 ) of the passenger conveyor ( 10 ), wherein the moveable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 ) moves in a closed loop path (P) when the passenger conveyor ( 10 ) is in use;
a fault detection sensor ( 44 ) associated with the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 ) and configured to provide data indicative of a fault in the moveable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 ); and
a controller ( 50 ) configured to:
receive data from the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 );
monitor a gravity vector (V) of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 );
determine a direction of travel of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 );
determine a current location of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 ) based on the monitored gravity vector (V) and the determined direction of travel;
detect a fault from the data received from the or each fault detection sensor ( 44 );
identify a location of the detected fault based on the determined current location of the associated acceleration sensor ( 42 );
wherein the controller ( 50 ) is further configured to determine an orientation of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 ) after power up of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ).

2. The monitoring system ( 40 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the controller ( 50 ) is configured to determine the current location of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ) in relation to a plurality of predefined regions of the closed loop path (P).

3. The monitoring system ( 40 ) of claim 1 , wherein at least one acceleration sensor ( 42 ) acts as the associated fault detection sensor ( 44 ).

4. The monitoring system ( 40 ) of claim 1 , wherein at least one fault detection sensor ( 44 ) is provided adjacent to the associated acceleration sensor ( 42 ).

5. The monitoring system ( 40 ) of claim 1 , wherein the controller ( 50 ) is further configured to
monitor a start-up acceleration (A) of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 )
and determine the direction of travel of the or each acceleration sensor ( 42 ) based on the monitored start-up acceleration (A) and the monitored gravity vector (V).

6. The monitoring system ( 40 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a control station ( 52 ) located remotely from the passenger conveyor ( 10 ).

7. A passenger conveyor ( 10 ) comprising a monitoring system ( 40 ) according to claim 1 .

8. The passenger conveyor ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the passenger conveyor ( 10 ) is an escalator and the moveable component is an escalator step ( 26 ).

9. A method ( 100 ) of monitoring a passenger conveyor ( 10 ), comprising:
receiving data from an acceleration sensor ( 42 ) provided on a moveable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 ) of the passenger conveyor ( 10 );
monitoring a gravity vector (V) of the acceleration sensor ( 42 );
determining a direction of travel of the acceleration sensor ( 42 );
determining a current location of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ) based on the monitored gravity vector (V) and the determined direction of travel;
receiving data indicative of a fault in the moveable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 );
detecting a fault from the data received from the fault detection sensor ( 44 );
identifying a location of the detected fault based on the determined current location of the acceleration sensor ( 42 );
the method further including determining an orientation of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ) after power up of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ).

10. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the step of identifying a location of the detected fault includes determining the current location in relation to a plurality of predefined regions of the closed loop path (P).

11. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the step of receiving data indicative of a fault in the moveable component ( 22 , 26 , 30 ) includes receiving data from the acceleration sensor ( 42 ).

12. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the step of determining a direction of travel of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ) includes:
monitoring a start-up acceleration (A) of the acceleration sensor ( 42 ); and
determining the direction of travel based on the determined monitored start-up acceleration (A) and the monitored gravity vector (V).

13. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 9 , further comprising transmitting data to a control station ( 52 ) located remotely from the passenger conveyor ( 10 ).

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Bogli Craig Drew
• Witczak Tadeusz Pawel
• Trcka Nikola
• Schedl Philipp
• Takacs Robert

Classifications

• B66B25/00

  Control of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26; of general application G05) · CPC title

• B66B23/04

  for handrails · CPC title

• B66B23/02

  Driving gear · CPC title

• B66B29/00

  Safety devices of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26) · CPC title

• B66B27/00 Primary

  Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways (of general application G08) · CPC title