# US 10,501,286 B2 · Simultaneous elevator car and counterweight safety actuation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,286 B2 - Document ID: US10501286B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/593,457 - Filed: 2017-05-12 - Published: 2018-11-15 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-12 - Assignees: Otis Elevator Company - Applicants: Otis Elevator Company - Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt; Enrico Manes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501286B2 ## CPC - B66B 5/18: and applying frictional retarding forces - B66B 1/3461: {between the elevator control system and remote or mobile stations} - B66B 5/044: {Mechanical overspeed governors} - B66B 5/16: Braking or catch devices operating between cars, cages, or skips and fixed guide elements or surfaces in hoistway or well - B66B 9/00: Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures (characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12) - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## Abstract An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator system includes an elevator car, a counterweight, roping coupling the elevator car and the counterweight, the roping supporting a load of the elevator car and the counterweight, and a plurality of safeties. The plurality of safeties includes a plurality of elevator car safeties supported for movement with the elevator car that are selectively actuated to engage a stationary surface to prevent movement of the elevator car. The plurality of safeties also includes a plurality of counterweight safeties supported for movement with the counterweight that are selectively actuated to engage a stationary surface to prevent movement of the counterweight. The safeties are configured for wireless communication causing essentially simultaneous actuation of the elevator car safeties and the counterweight safeties. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator system, comprising: an elevator car; a counterweight; roping coupling the elevator car and the counterweight, the roping supporting a load of the elevator car and the counterweight; and a plurality of safeties, wherein: the plurality of safeties includes a plurality of elevator car safeties supported for movement with the elevator car, the elevator car safeties being selectively actuated to engage a stationary surface to prevent movement of the elevator car, the plurality of safeties includes a plurality of counterweight safeties supported for movement with the counterweight, the counterweight safeties being selectively actuated to engage a stationary surface to prevent movement of the counterweight, and the plurality of safeties are configured for wireless communication causing essentially simultaneous actuation of the elevator car safeties and the counterweight safeties. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The elevator system of claim 1, comprising a governor that instigates actuation of at least one of the safeties, and wherein the at least one of the safeties wirelessly communicates with others of the plurality of safeties providing an indication to actuate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The elevator system of claim 1, comprising a governor that instigates actuation of the safeties by wirelessly communicating an indication to all of the plurality of safeties to actuate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The elevator system of claim 3, wherein the governor broadcasts a wireless communication signal within a hoistway including the elevator car and the counterweight, and the wireless communication signal includes the indication to actuate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The elevator system of claim 1, wherein each of the safeties includes a brake member, an actuator that selectively controls movement of the brake member into a position to engage the stationary surface, and a transceiver that at least one of transmits and receives a wireless communication including an indication for safety actuation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The elevator system of claim 5, wherein the transceiver receives the wireless communication including the indication for safety actuation; the transceiver determines whether the received wireless communication was transmitted by another one of the plurality of safeties or another device; and if the received wireless communication was not transmitted by another one of the plurality of safeties, the transceiver transmits a second wireless communication including the indication for safety actuation for reception by others of the plurality of safeties. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication that causes simultaneous actuation of all of the safeties is a wireless communication between at least one of the safeties that is going to be actuated and at least one other of the safeties. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the essentially simultaneous actuation includes all of the safeties being actuated within less than 1 second of actuation of a first one of the safeties. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The elevator system of claim 8, wherein the essentially simultaneous actuation includes all of the safeties being actuated within less than one-half of 1 second of actuation of a first one of the safeties. ### Claim 10 A method of controlling motion of an elevator car and a counterweight associated with the elevator car, the elevator car including at least one elevator car safety that selectively prevents movement of the elevator car, the counterweight including at least one counterweight safety that selectively prevents movement of the counterweight, the method comprising: determining that a condition exists that requires safety actuation of at least one of the elevator car safety or the counterweight safety; wirelessly communicating an indication to cause safety actuation to the safeties; and actuating the at least one elevator car safety and the at least one counterweight safety essentially simultaneously based on the wirelessly communicated indication. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein actuating the safeties essentially simultaneously includes actuating all of the safeties within less than 1 second of actuation of a first one of the safeties. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the essentially simultaneous actuation includes all of the safeties being actuated within less than one-half of 1 second of actuation of a first one of the safeties. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein wirelessly communicating the indication to cause safety actuation includes wirelessly communicating between at least one of the safeties and at least one other of the safeties. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein wirelessly communicating the indication to cause safety actuation includes broadcasting the indication from a governor for reception by all of the safeties. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the condition includes detecting a speed of movement of the elevator car or the counterweight using a governor; and wirelessly communicating the indication includes wirelessly transmitting a signal from the governor to at least one of the safeties. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, comprising receiving the wireless communication including the indication at one of the safeties; determining whether the received wireless communication was transmitted by another one of the safeties or another device; and if the received wireless communication was not transmitted by another one of the safeties, transmitting a second wireless communication including the indication for safety actuation from the one of the safeties for reception by at least one other of the safeties.