Elevator compensation assembly monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524872-B2
Application number	US-202016855230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator compensation assembly includes a tie down mechanism and at least one compensation sheave that has an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member. At least one damper is associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction. At least one detector detects movement of the tie down mechanism along the direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement.

First claim

We claim:

1. An elevator compensation assembly, comprising:
a tie down mechanism including at least one compensation sheave having an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member;
at least one damper associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction; and
at least one detector that detects movement of the tie down mechanism along the at least one direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement,
wherein
the at least one detector comprises an accelerometer that provides an indication of acceleration of the tie down mechanism during the detected movement, and
the output indicates at least an amplitude of the acceleration.

2. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one detector comprises a processor that receives the indication from the accelerometer,
the processor determines if the detected movement satisfies a first criterion, and
the output includes an indication based on the detected movement satisfying the first criterion.

3. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 2 , wherein
the first criterion comprises a threshold amplitude of the detected movement, and
the output corresponds to an alert when the amplitude of the detected movement exceeds the threshold amplitude.

4. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 3 , wherein
the output indicates a frequency of the detected movement,
the first criterion includes a threshold frequency, and
the output corresponds to the alert when the frequency of the detected movement exceeds the threshold frequency.

5. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 2 , wherein
the processor determines if the detected movement satisfies a second criterion, and
the output includes an indication based on the detected movement satisfying the second criterion.

6. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 5 , wherein
the second criterion comprises a trend in the detected movement over time, and
the output includes an indication of a potential future need for maintenance when the detected movement satisfies the second criterion.

7. An elevator compensation assembly, comprising:
a tie down mechanism including at least one compensation sheave having an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member;
at least one damper associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction; and
at least one detector that detects movement of the tie down mechanism along the at least one direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement, wherein
the at least one damper comprises two hydraulic cylinders,
the at least one detector comprises two detectors,
one of the detectors is associated with each of the hydraulic cylinders, and
the outputs of the detectors collectively indicate a symmetry between the hydraulic cylinders.

8. An elevator compensation assembly, comprising:
a tie down mechanism including at least one compensation sheave having an outer surface configured to engage at least one compensation rope member;
at least one damper associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction; and
at least one detector that detects movement of the tie down mechanism along the at least one direction and provides an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement, wherein
the at least one damper comprises a hydraulic fluid within a cylinder, and
the output indicates whether gas is present within the cylinder.

9. The elevator compensation assembly of claim 8 , wherein
the at least one damper is associated with a hydraulic circuit,
the hydraulic circuit includes a reservoir and at least one conduit between the cylinder and the reservoir, and
the output indicates whether gas is present in the hydraulic circuit.

10. A method of monitoring an elevator compensation assembly that includes a tie down mechanism having at least one compensation sheave and at least one damper associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction, the method comprising:
detecting movement of the tie down mechanism along the direction using at least one detector associated with the tie down mechanism,
determining if the detected movement satisfies a first criterion, and
determining if the detected movement satisfies a second criterion that comprises a trend in the detected movement over time; and
generating an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement, wherein the output includes an indication based on the detected movement satisfying the first criterion and an indication of a potential future need for maintenance when the detected movement satisfies the second criterion.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein
the at least one detector comprises an accelerometer,
detecting the movement comprises detecting an acceleration of the tie down mechanism, and
the output indicates at least an amplitude of the acceleration.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein
the first criterion comprises a threshold amplitude of the detected movement, and
the output corresponds to an alert when the amplitude of the detected movement exceeds the threshold amplitude.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein
the output indicates a frequency of the detected movement,
the first criterion includes a threshold frequency, and
the output corresponds to the alert when the frequency of the detected movement exceeds the threshold frequency.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein
the at least one damper comprises two hydraulic cylinders,
the at least one detector comprises two detectors,
one of the detectors is associated with each of the hydraulic cylinders, and
outputs of the detectors collectively indicate a symmetry between the hydraulic cylinders.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one damper comprises a hydraulic fluid within a cylinder, and the method comprises determining whether gas is present within the cylinder based on the detected movement.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the cylinder is associated with a hydraulic circuit,
the hydraulic circuit includes a reservoir and at least one conduit between the cylinder and the reservoir, and
the method comprises determining whether air is present in the hydraulic circuit based on the detected movement.

17. A method of monitoring an elevator compensation assembly that includes a tie down mechanism having at least one compensation sheave and at least one damper associated with the tie down mechanism for resisting movement of the tie down mechanism in at least one direction, the method comprising:
detecting movement of the tie down mechanism along the direction using at least one detector associated with the tie down mechanism;
determining if an amplitude of the detected movement exceeds a threshold amplitude;
determining if a frequency of the detected movement exceeds a threshold frequency; and
generating an output indicating at least one characteristic of the detected movement including an alert when the frequency of the detected movement exceeds the threshold frequency and an alert when the amplitude of the detected movement exceeds the threshold amplitude.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Kwon Yisug
• Roberts Randy

Classifications

• B66B7/068 Primary

  Cable weight compensating devices · CPC title

• B66B7/06

  Arrangements of ropes or cables · 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

• B66B5/0025

  for maintenance or repair · CPC title

• B66B5/06 Primary

  electrical · CPC title