Passenger conveyance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11319190-B2
Application number	US-202017117920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A passenger conveyance system ( 2, 102, 202 ) is provided which includes a first component ( 12, 112, 212 ) arranged to rotate about a first rotation axis A 1 and a second component ( 16, 116, 216 ) arranged to rotate about a second rotation axis A 2 ; at least one magnet ( 20,120, 220 ); and at least one sensor ( 24, 124, 224 ). Either the at least one sensor ( 24, 124, 224 ) or the at least one magnet ( 20, 120, 220 ) is fixed to the first component ( 12, 112, 212 ). The sensor ( 24, 124, 224 ) is arranged to measure a displacement to the at least one magnet ( 12, 112, 212 ), and the system ( 2, 102, 202 ) is arranged to use the measured displacement to determine information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12, 112, 212; 16, 116, 216 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) comprising:
a first component ( 12 ) arranged to rotate about a first rotation axis (A 1 ) and a second component ( 16 ) arranged to rotate about a second rotation axis (A 2 );
at least one magnet ( 20 ); and
at least one sensor ( 24 );
wherein either the at least one sensor ( 24 ) or the at least one magnet ( 20 ) is fixed to the first component ( 12 ),
wherein the sensor ( 24 ) is arranged to measure a displacement to the at least one magnet ( 20 ), and the system ( 2 ) is arranged to use the measured displacement to determine information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

2. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of sensors ( 24 ) each arranged to measure a displacement to the at least one magnet ( 20 ).

3. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 2 , comprising at least three sensors ( 24 ) each arranged to determine a displacement to the magnet ( 20 ).

4. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of first component magnets ( 20 ) fixed to the first component ( 12 ), wherein the sensor ( 24 ) is arranged to measure a displacement to each of the plurality of first component magnets ( 20 ), and the passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) is arranged to use the measured displacement to each of the plurality of first component magnets ( 20 ) to determine the information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

5. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet is a first component magnet ( 20 ) fixed to the first component and the passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) further comprises at least one second component magnet ( 22 ) fixed to the second component ( 16 ), wherein the system ( 2 ) is arranged to measure a displacement to the second component magnet ( 22 ) and to use the measured displacements to both the first and second component magnets ( 20 , 22 ) to determine the information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

6. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 5 , comprising a plurality of second component magnets ( 22 ) fixed to the second component ( 16 ), wherein the passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) is arranged to measure a displacement to each of the plurality of second component magnets ( 22 ) and to use the measured displacements to each of the second component magnets ( 22 ) to determine the information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

7. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 5 , wherein the sensor ( 24 ) is arranged to measure a first displacement to the first component magnet ( 20 ) and a second displacement to the second component magnet ( 22 ).

8. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 5 , wherein the at least one sensor ( 24 ) comprises a first component sensor ( 24 ) arranged to measure a displacement to the at least one first component magnet ( 20 ) and a second component sensor ( 26 ) arranged to measure a displacement to the at least one second component magnet ( 22 ).

9. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 8 , comprising a plurality of second component sensors ( 26 ) each arranged to measure a displacement to the second component magnet ( 22 ).

10. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first and second axes of rotation (A 1 , A 2 ) are parallel.

11. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , wherein the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ) are coaxial.

12. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , wherein the sensor ( 24 ) comprises a magneto-inductive sensor.

13. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a processing device ( 32 ) arranged to use the measured displacement(s) to determine the information indicative of the alignment between the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

14. The passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) of claim 1 , comprising a monitoring device ( 34 ) arranged to output the information indicative of the alignment between the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

15. A method of monitoring a passenger conveyance system ( 2 ), the passenger conveyance system ( 2 ) comprising:
a first component ( 12 ) arranged to rotate about a first rotation axis (A 1 ) and a second component ( 16 ) arranged to rotate about a second rotation axis (A 2 );
at least one magnet ( 20 ); and
at least one sensor ( 24 ),
wherein either the at least one sensor ( 24 ) or the at least one magnet ( 2 ) is fixed to the first component ( 12 );
the method comprising:
measuring a displacement to the at least one magnet ( 20 ) using the at least one sensor ( 24 ); and
using the measured displacement to determine information indicative of the alignment of the first and second components ( 12 , 16 ).

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Park Chan-Jong
• Fuchs Wilfrid
• Schedl Philipp

Classifications

• B66B23/02

  Driving gear · CPC title

• B66B21/04 Primary

  linear type · CPC title

• G01B7/31

  for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• B66B25/006 Primary

  Monitoring for maintenance or repair (for security reasons B66B29/005) · CPC title

• B66B27/00

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