Mobile operating unit, elevator and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420847-B2
Application number	US-202016834091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile operating unit for an elevator, comprising an operating interface manually operable by a user to control movement of an elevator car; and an orientation sensor for sensing orientation of the operating unit. The invention also relates to an elevator comprising said mobile operating unit and a method for monitoring elevator wherein said mobile operating unit is used.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile operating terminal configured to control movement of an elevator car of an elevator, the mobile operating terminal comprising:
an operating interface manually operable by a user to control the movement of the elevator car; and
an orientation sensor configured to sense an orientation of the mobile operating terminal, wherein
the movement of the elevator car is controlled based on the orientation of the mobile operating terminal.

2. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is configured to connect to an elevator controller.

3. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is elongated in shape.

4. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is tiltable around one or more horizontal axes.

5. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 4 , wherein the orientation sensor is changeable between a first state and a second state by tilting the mobile operating terminal around the one or more horizontal axes.

6. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the orientation sensor has the first state when the mobile operating terminal is in a first attitude and the second state when the mobile operating terminal is in a second attitude.

7. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is elongated in shape such that the first attitude is an upright attitude, and the second attitude is a tilted attitude.

8. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the orientation sensor comprises:
a movable electrically conductive contact configured to position to electrically connect two conductors, when the mobile operating terminal is in the first attitude, and to position to electrically disconnect the two conductors, when the mobile operating terminal is in the second attitude.

9. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the first state is an electrically conducting state and the second state is electrically non-conducting state.

10. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal comprises:
a first button pressable by the user to signal an elevator controller to move the elevator car upwards, and
a second button pressable by the user to signal the elevator controller to move the elevator car downwards.

11. The mobile operating terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal comprises:
a selection switch to signal an elevator controller to switch between a normal operation mode and a service operation mode.

12. An elevator comprising:
the mobile operating terminal of claim 1 ; and
the elevator car, wherein
the elevator is configured to prevent a normal elevator operation if orientation of the mobile operating terminal sensed by aid of the orientation sensor does not fulfil one or more criteria.

13. The elevator according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an elevator controller configured to control the movement of the elevator car.

14. The elevator according to claim 13 , wherein the elevator controller is configured to automatically control movement the elevator car between vertically displaced landings, when the elevator is operating in the normal elevator operation.

15. The elevator according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a holder configured to hold the mobile operating terminal oriented such that the one or more criteria are fulfilled.

16. The elevator according to claim 12 , wherein the elevator is configured to,
move the elevator car in response to press of a button by the user, and
stop movement of the elevator car when the user releases the button.

17. The elevator according to claim 12 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is elongated in shape, and the one or more criteria include at least that the mobile operating terminal is in upright position where a longitudinal axis thereof points is substantially vertical direction.

18. The mobile operating terminal of claim 1 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is configured to instruct an elevator controller to prevent the movement of the elevator during a normal elevator operation, in response to the orientation sensor sensing that the mobile operating terminal does not fulfill one or more criteria.

19. The mobile operating terminal of claim 18 , wherein the mobile operating terminal is shaped such that the mobile operating terminal is configured to dock in a holder such that the orientation of the mobile operating terminal fulfils the one or more criteria.

20. A method of monitoring an elevator, the method comprising:
sensing an orientation of a mobile operating terminal via an orientation sensor configured to sense the orientation of the mobile operating terminal, the mobile operating terminal including an operating interface manually operable by a user to control movement of an elevator car; and
preventing a normal elevator operation, in response to the orientation sensor sensing that the orientation of the mobile operating terminal does not fulfill one or more criteria.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Kalliomaki Jaakko
• Aitamurto Juha-Matti
• Kantola Jari
• Lindberg Jukka
• Laukkanen Pekka

Classifications

• B66B11/0415

  actuated manually, e.g. additional safety system · CPC title

• B66B1/3492

  Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector (B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P) · CPC title

• B66B5/0087 Primary

  Devices facilitating maintenance, repair or inspection tasks (devices incorporated in the buffer B66B5/288; railings on top of the car B66B11/0226) · CPC title

• B66B5/005

  Safety of maintenance personnel · CPC title

• B66B1/462

  Mechanical or piezoelectric input devices · CPC title