Elevator cars with camera mount

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453574-B2
Application number	US-202016952324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

An elevator car (42; 103) for carrying a load in a vertical direction. The elevator car includes at least one elevator car door (38) carrying a door coupling (20) and a camera mount (40) comprising a mounting location (46) for a camera (44). The camera mount (40) is located at the top of the elevator car (42) with the mounting location (46) positioned for a camera (44) to monitor the door coupling (20). The camera mount is deformable at least in the vertical direction, when acted on by a downwards force, such as to protect the door coupling (20) from being impacted by the camera mount (40).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator car ( 42 ; 103 ) for carrying a load in a vertical direction, comprising:
at least one elevator car door ( 38 ) carrying a door coupling ( 20 );
a camera mount ( 40 ) comprising a mounting location ( 46 ) for a camera ( 44 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is located at the top of the elevator car ( 42 ) with the mounting location ( 46 ) positioned for the camera ( 44 ) to monitor the door coupling 20 ) and is deformable at least in the vertical direction, when acted on by a downwards force, such as to protect the door coupling ( 20 ) from being impacted by the camera mount ( 40 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) comprises a planar member and a contact portion ( 90 ), arranged vertically higher than the mounting location ( 46 ).

2. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , further comprising the camera ( 44 ) mounted on the mounting location ( 46 ) and arranged to monitor the door coupling ( 20 ).

3. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the elevator car ( 42 ) further comprises a car door lintel ( 52 ) above the at least one elevator car door ( 38 ), and wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is positioned on the car door lintel ( 52 ).

4. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is elastically deformable.

5. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is deformable in both a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, wherein the deformation in the horizontal direction is away from the door coupling ( 20 ).

6. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is made of rubber, plastic or spring steel, or any combination thereof.

7. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) comprises a single integral piece.

8. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is deformable through a vertical distance of at least 5 cm.

9. The elevator car ( 42 ) of claim 1 , wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) comprises a planar member, comprising a first bend ( 82 ), about which the camera mount ( 40 ) bends and pivots when acted on by a downwards force.

10. An elevator system, comprising:
a hoistway ( 117 );
a ceiling ( 94 ; 118 ) at a top of the hoistway ( 117 );
an elevator counterweight ( 105 ); and
an elevator car ( 42 ; 103 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in use, when the counterweight ( 105 ) is at its lowest position in the hoistway ( 117 ), the camera mount ( 40 ) is arranged to contact the ceiling ( 94 ; 118 ), and deform in the vertical direction, towards the top of the elevator car ( 42 ; 103 ).

11. An elevator car ( 42 ; 103 ) for carrying a load in a vertical direction, comprising:
at least one elevator car door ( 38 ) carrying a door coupling ( 20 );
a camera mount ( 40 ) comprising a mounting location ( 46 ) for a camera ( 44 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is located at the top of the elevator car ( 42 ) with the mounting location ( 46 ) positioned for the camera ( 44 ) to monitor the door coupling 20 ) and is deformable at least in the vertical direction, when acted on by a downwards force, such as to protect the door coupling ( 20 ) from being impacted by the camera mount ( 40 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) comprises a planar member, comprising a first bend ( 82 ), about which the camera mount ( 40 ) bends and pivots when acted on by a downwards force;
wherein the planar member comprises a second bend ( 84 ), wherein the second bend ( 84 ) is arranged to set the angle of the field of view available from the mounting location ( 46 ).

12. An elevator car ( 42 ; 103 ) for carrying a load in a vertical direction, comprising:
at least one elevator car door ( 38 ) carrying a door coupling ( 20 );
a camera mount ( 40 ) comprising a mounting location ( 46 ) for a camera ( 44 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) is located at the top of the elevator car ( 42 ) with the mounting location ( 46 ) positioned for the camera ( 44 ) to monitor the door coupling 20 ) and is deformable at least in the vertical direction, when acted on by a downwards force, such as to protect the door coupling ( 20 ) from being impacted by the camera mount ( 40 );
wherein the camera mount ( 40 ) comprises a planar member, comprising a first bend ( 82 ), about which the camera mount ( 40 ) bends and pivots when acted on by a downwards force;
wherein the planar member comprises a contact portion ( 90 ), arranged, in use, to contact an object above the elevator car ( 42 ), and angled away from the at least one elevator car door ( 38 ), so as to convert a vertical downwards force on the contact portion ( 90 ) into a force acting on the camera mount ( 40 ) in a direction away from the at least one elevator car door ( 38 ).

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Fauconnet Aurelien
• Montigny Guillaume

Classifications

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• B66B11/02 Primary

  Cages, {i.e. cars}(doors, gates or other apparatus controlling access to, or exit from, cages B66B13/00) · CPC title

• B66B13/301 Primary

  Details of door sills · CPC title

• B66B19/007

  method for modernisation of elevators · CPC title