Elevator car mover configured with auxiliary vehicle support for force release control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454441-B2
Application number	US-202017112579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2020
Priority date	Dec 4, 2020
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is an elevator system, having: a car mover for moving an elevator car along a drive track in a hoistway, the car mover having: motor controlled wheels, wherein the car mover is configured to control the motor controlled wheels to move along the drive track; and a parking brake, operationally connected to the car mover and/or elevator car and operationally separate from the motor controlled wheels, wherein the car mover is configured to control the parking brake to move between a deployed state and a retracted state, wherein in the deployed state, the parking brake engages the drive track at a location that is spaced apart from the motor controlled wheels to park the car mover and/or elevator car along the hoistway, and in the retracted state, the parking brake is spaced apart from the drive track.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system, comprising:
a car mover for moving an elevator car along a drive track in a hoistway, the car mover comprising:
motor controlled wheels, wherein the car mover is configured to control the motor controlled wheels to move along the drive track; and
a parking brake, operationally connected to the car mover and/or the elevator car and operationally separate from the motor controlled wheels, wherein the car mover is configured to control the parking brake to move between a deployed state and a retracted state,
wherein:
in the deployed state, the parking brake engages the drive track at a location that is spaced apart from the motor controlled wheels to park the car mover and/or the elevator car along the hoistway;
in the retracted state, the parking brake is spaced apart from the drive track;
the parking brake includes a swing arm, the swing arm is configured to pivot between the retracted state and the deployed state, wherein in the deployed state, the swing arm engages an aperture in the drive track to park the car mover and/or the elevator car along the hoistway; and
the swing arm is configured to pivot about an axis that is parallel or perpendicular to a long axis of the drive track.

2. A method of controlling movement of an elevator system, comprising:
controlling a parking brake of a car mover and/or an elevator car,
wherein the parking brake is operationally separate from motor controlled wheels of the car mover, and
wherein the motor controlled wheels are configured to move the car mover along a drive track in a hoistway so that the parking brake moves between a deployed state and a retracted state,
wherein:
in the deployed state, the parking brake engages the drive track at a location that is spaced apart from the motor controlled wheels to park the car mover and/or the elevator car along the hoistway, and
in the retracted state, the parking brake is spaced apart from the drive track
the parking brake includes a swing arm, the swing arm is configured to pivot between the retracted state and the deployed state, wherein in the deployed state, the swing arm engages an aperture in the drive track to park the car mover and/or the elevator car along the hoistway; and
the swing arm is configured to pivot about an axis that is parallel or perpendicular to a long axis of the drive track.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:
controlling the parking brake automatically, under predetermined conditions, wherein a control command is transmitted from an elevator system controller.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Roberts Randy
• Guilani Brad
• Bhaskar Kiron

Classifications

• B66B5/18 Primary

  and applying frictional retarding forces · CPC title

• B66B11/043

  actuated by rotating motor; Details, e.g. ventilation (roping on drum, sheave, winch or pulley B66B11/0065; power supply or control B66B1/28, H02P; motor construction H02K) · CPC title

• B66B9/02 Primary

  actuated mechanically otherwise than by rope or cable · CPC title

• F16D2121/20

  using electromagnets · CPC title

• F16D63/008

  Brakes acting on a linearly moving member · CPC title