Beam climber active brake health monitoring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434943-B2
Application number	US-202016944786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An elevator system including: an elevator car configured to travel through an elevator shaft; a first guide beam extending vertically through the elevator shaft, the first guide beam including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a beam climber system configured to move the elevator car through the elevator shaft, the beam climber system including: a first wheel in contact with the first surface; and a first electric motor configured to rotate the first wheel; a first motor brake mechanically connected to the first electric motor, the first motor brake configured to slow the elevator car; and a brake condition based monitoring system configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator car configured to travel through an elevator shaft;
a first guide beam extending vertically through the elevator shaft, the first guide beam comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a beam climber system configured to move the elevator car through the elevator shaft, the beam climber system comprising:
a first wheel in contact with the first surface; and
a first electric motor configured to rotate the first wheel;
a first motor brake mechanically connected to the first electric motor, the first motor brake configured to slow the elevator car; and
a brake condition based monitoring system configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging;
wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the first electric motor;

the elevator system further comprising a floor pressure sensor configured to determine a center of gravity of the elevator car, wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging based upon at least the torque of the first electric motor and the center of gravity.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the brake condition monitoring system is configured to normalize the torque of the first electric motor based on the center of gravity of the elevator car.

3. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the beam climber system further comprises:
a second wheel in contact with the second surface;
a second electric motor configured to rotate the second wheel; and
a second motor brake mechanically connected to the second electric motor, the second motor brake configured to slow the elevator car,
wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the second motor brake is dragging.

4. The elevator system of claim 3 , wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the second motor brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the second electric motor.

5. The elevator system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a first guide rail extending vertically through the elevator shaft,
wherein the beam climber system further comprises:
a first guide rail brake operably connected to the first guide rail,
wherein the brake condition monitoring system is configured to detect when the first guide rail brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the first electric motor and the torque of the second electric motor.

6. The elevator system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second guide beam extending vertically through the elevator shaft, the second guide beam comprising a first surface of the second guide beam and a second surface of the second guide beam opposite the first surface of the second guide beam,
wherein the beam climber system further comprises:
a second wheel in contact with the second surface of the first guide beam;
a second electric motor configured to rotate the second wheel;
a second motor brake mechanically connected to the second electric motor, the second motor brake configured to slow the elevator car;
a third wheel in contact with the first surface of the second guide beam;
a third electric motor configured to rotate the third wheel;
a third motor brake mechanically connected to the third electric motor, the third motor brake configured to slow the elevator car;
a fourth wheel in contact with the second surface of the second guide beam;
a fourth electric motor configured to rotate the fourth wheel;
a fourth motor brake mechanically connected to the fourth electric motor, the fourth motor brake configured to slow the elevator car,
wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when second motor brake is dragging, detect when the third motor brake is dragging, and detect when the fourth motor brake is dragging.

7. The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the second motor brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the second electric motor.

8. The elevator system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first guide rail extending vertically through the elevator shaft,
wherein the beam climber system further comprises:
a first guide rail brake operably connected to the first guide rail,
wherein the brake condition monitoring system is configured to detect when the first guide rail brake is dragging based upon at least the torque of the first electric motor and the torque of the second electric motor.

9. The elevator system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a second guide rail extending vertically through the elevator shaft,
wherein the beam climber system further comprises:
a second guide rail brake operably connected to the second guide rail,
wherein the brake condition monitoring system is configured to detect when the second guide rail brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the third electric motor and a torque of the fourth electric motor.

10. The elevator system of claim 6 ,
wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect at least one of when the first motor brake is dragging, detect when the second motor brake is dragging, detect when the third motor brake is dragging, or detect when the fourth motor brake is dragging based upon at least the torque of the first electric motor, a torque of the second electric motor, a torque of the third electric motor, a torque of the fourth electric motor, and the center of gravity.

11. The elevator system of claim 10 , wherein the brake condition monitoring system is configured to normalize the torque of the first electric motor, the second electric motor, the third electric motor, and the fourth electric motor based on the center of gravity of the elevator car.

12. A method of detecting brake drag within an elevator system, the method comprising:
rotating, using a first electric motor of a beam climber system, a first wheel, the first wheel being in contact with a first surface of a first guide beam that extends vertically through an elevator shaft;
moving, using the beam climber system, an elevator car through the elevator shaft when the first wheel of the beam climber system rotates along the first surface of the first guide beam;
detecting, using a brake condition based monitoring system, when a first motor brake is dragging;
detecting a torque of the first electric motor, wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the first electric motor;
normalizing the torque of the first electric motor based on the center of gravity of the elevator car.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting a center of gravity of the elevator car, wherein the brake condition based monitoring system is configured to detect when the first motor brake is dragging based upon at least a torque of the first electric motor and the center of gravity.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
rotating, using a second electric motor of the beam climber system, a second wheel, the second wheel being in contact with a second surface of the first guide beam;
moving, using the beam climber system, the elevator car through the elevator shaft when the first wheel of the beam climber system rotates along the first surface of the first guide beam and the second wheel of the beam climber system rotates along the second surface of the first guide beam; and

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Roberts Randy
• Piedra Edward
• Wong Sam Thieu
• Hubbard James L

Classifications

• B66B7/046

  Rollers · CPC title

• B66B5/16

  Braking or catch devices operating between cars, cages, or skips and fixed guide elements or surfaces in hoistway or well · CPC title

• B66B5/0025

  for maintenance or repair · CPC title

• B66B5/18

  and applying frictional retarding forces · CPC title

• B66B1/32

  effective on braking devices {, e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes (brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02)} · CPC title