Elevator brake force and distance sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016137455-A1
Application number	US-201414898770-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Elevator brake system and elevator brake pads having embedded a sensor arrangement so as to detect relevant parameters of an elevator brake system and elevator brake pad.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An elevator brake comprising:
a fixed part; a moving part being movable relative to the fixed part; a first element having a first friction surface; a second element having a second friction surface; a controlling and evaluation unit; wherein a fixed part element, being one of the first element and the second element, is movably mounted to the fixed part and a moving part element, being another of the first element and the second element, is mounted to the moving part, wherein the fixed part element is configured to move the first friction surface toward the second friction surface; wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises:
a wearing layer having an associated one of the first and second friction surfaces,
a magnetic field generating arrangement,
a magnetic field sensing arrangement,
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to drive the magnetic field generating arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the wearing layer, and the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine a condition of the wearing layer based on a signal received from the magnetic field sensing arrangement, wherein the condition of a wearing layer is selected from a group, the group consisting of the distance from the wearing layer to an opposing one of the first and second friction surfaces, a mechanical force applied between the wearing layer and the opposing one of the first and second friction surfaces, and an abrasion of the wearing layer.

17 . The elevator brake according to claim 16 wherein at least one of a driving wire of the magnetic field generating arrangement and a signal wire of the magnetic field sensing arrangement is arranged within the wearing layer, such that when arriving at a maximum abrasion of the wearing layer, the at least one of a driving wire of the magnetic field generating arrangement and a signal wire of the magnetic field sensing arrangement is interrupted by abrasion.

18 . The elevator brake according to claim 16 wherein at least a part of the flux concentrator is arranged within the wearing layer, wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is distant to a friction surface of the wearing layer at least until arriving at a maximum wear of the wearing layer.

19 . The elevator brake according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the first element and the second element includes a flux concentrator and the magnetic field generating arrangement includes a magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator, and wherein the controlling and evaluation unit is adapted to drive the magnetic field generating coil arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the flux concentrator.

20 . The elevator brake according to claim 19 wherein the magnetic field sensing arrangement includes a sensing coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator.

21 . The elevator brake according to claim 19 wherein the flux concentrator is a yoke having a first leg and a second leg, wherein the sensing coil arrangement includes a first feedback coil wound around the first leg of the flux concentrator and a second feedback coil wound around the second leg of the flux concentrator.

22 . The elevator brake according to claim 19 wherein the flux concentrator is made of a material having an abrasion property, so that the flux concentrator and a material of the wearing layer abrade correspondingly.

23 . The elevator brake according to claim 19 wherein at least a part of the flux concentrator is arranged within the wearing layer, wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is flush with the friction surface of at least one of the first element and the second element, wherein the friction surface of another of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface facing at least one pole face of the flux concentrator.

24 . The elevator brake according to claim 23 wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine a mechanical force perpendicularly acting in relation to and between the friction surface of the at least one of the first element and the second element and the friction surface of the other one of the first element and the second element based on a signal strength received from the magnetic field sensing arrangement.

25 . An elevator brake comprising:
a fixed part; a moving part being movable over the fixed part; a first element having a first friction surface; a second element having a second friction surface; a controlling and evaluation unit; wherein one of the first element and the second element is movably mounted to the fixed part and another of the first element and the second element is mounted to the moving part, wherein the element movably mounted to the fixed part is configured to be forced toward the other element mounted to the moving structure for moving the first friction surface toward the second friction surface; wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises:
a wearing layer having the friction surface,
a flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer,
a magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator,
a magnetic field sensing coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator,
wherein at least one pole face of the flux concentrator is flush with the respective friction surface of the one of the first element and the second element, wherein at least the other of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface as the friction surface facing at least one pole face of the flux concentrator, wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to drive the magnetic field generating coil so as to generate a magnetic flux in the flux concentrator, wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine a mechanical force between the wearing layer and the friction surface of the other of the first element and the second element based on a signal received from the magnetic field sensing arrangement.

26 . The elevator brake according to claim 25 wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises:
a second flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer;
a second magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the second flux concentrator;
a second magnetic field sensing coil arrangement wound around the second flux concentrator;
wherein at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator is distant to a respective friction surface of the at least one of the first element and the second element;
wherein the other of the first element and the second element includes a ferromagnetic surface as the friction surface facing at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator;
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to drive the second magnetic field generating coil arrangement to generate a magnetic flux in the second flux concentrator;
wherein the controlling and evaluating unit is adapted to determine upon contact of the first friction surface and the second friction surface the distance between the at least one pole face of the second flux concentrator and the friction surface of the other of the first element and the second element based on a signal received from the second magnetic field sensing arrangement.

27 . An elevator brake pad comprising:
a wearing layer with a friction surface; a flux concentrator at least partially arranged within the wearing layer; a magnetic field generating coil arrangement wound around the flux concentrator; wherein a

Assignees

• Inventio Ag

Inventors

• May Lutz

Classifications

• B66B5/0031 Primary

  for safety reasons · CPC title

• F16D66/027

  Sensors therefor · CPC title

• B66B1/365

  mechanical · CPC title

• F16D63/008

  Brakes acting on a linearly moving member · CPC title

• G01L1/125

  by using magnetostrictive means (magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101) · CPC title