# US 11,999,594 B2 · Elevator belt monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,594 B2 - Document ID: US11999594B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/445,779 - Filed: 2021-08-24 - Published: 2023-03-02 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-24 - Assignees: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Weidmüller Interface GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Xuefeng Ge - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999594B2 ## CPC - B66B 7/1223: {by analysing electric variables} - G01N 27/02: by investigating impedance - H01R 12/67: insulation penetrating terminals - B66B 7/062: {Belts} - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract An elevator belt monitoring apparatus includes a housing for receiving an elevator belt and a plurality of screws or pins which are operable to pierce the belt and the spaced parallel cords arranged within the belt. One screw or pin engages each cord. A plurality of bridge contacts are connected with adjacent pairs of screws or pins and signal contacts are connected with the screws or pins adjacent to the outer edges of the belts. The signal contacts are connected with a monitoring device which sends and receives signals to the contacts to provide an indication of the condition or deterioration of the belt. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator belt monitoring system, comprising (a) a housing including a bottom portion configured to receive a portion of an elevator belt arranged in a plane and containing an array of parallel cords and a top portion removably connected with said housing bottom portion, said housing bottom portion containing a plurality of openings arranged in an array aligned with the array of parallel cords, respectively, said plurality of openings having parallel axes arranged normal to said plane containing the array of parallel cords; (b) a plurality of parallel belt-piercing devices arranged within said plurality of openings, respectively, each belt-piercing device in the plurality of parallel belt-piercing devices comprising a screw configured for guidance by and displacement within a respective opening of the plurality of openings along a respective opening axis to pierce a respective cord within the elevator belt when said screw is driven by a driving device; and (c) a plurality of contacts connected with said plurality of parallel belt-piercing devices, said plurality of contacts including a pair of signal contacts and a plurality of bridge contact assemblies, said plurality of bridge contact assemblies connecting selected pairs of belt-piercing devices from the plurality of parallel belt-piercing devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bridge contact assemblies each have a planar portion which extends normal to said plurality of parallel belt-piercing devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bridge contact assemblies include first bridge contacts arranged in said housing bottom portion in engagement with each screw and second bridge contacts arranged in said housing top portion, said first and second bridge contacts each including a connection portion which extends normal to a planar portion, respectively, whereby when said housing top and bottom portions are connected, said first and second bridge contacts are also connected to electrically connect a selected pairs of screws. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of bridge contact assemblies include bridge contacts arranged in said housing bottom portion which are connected between a selected pairs of screws. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing top portion contains a plurality of openings arranged in an array corresponding with said array of openings in said housing bottom portion to receive the screwdriver, said bridge contact assemblies being arranged on an upper surface of said housing bottom portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 5, wherein said pair of signal contacts each include a planar portion containing an opening which receives a screw and a connection portion which extends normal to said planar portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 6, wherein each of a respective screw of said pair of signal contacts are configured to engage the array of parallel cords of the elevator belt at opposite edges of the elevator belt. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 7, further comprising a monitoring device connected with said pair of signal contacts for delivering an electrical signal to each of a respective screw of said pair of signal contacts and processing a return signal from each of a respective screw of said pair of signal contacts to indicate a condition of the the array of parallel cords. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of bridge contact assemblies and said pair of signal contacts includes a planar portion containing an opening which receives a screw and a connection portion which extends normal to said planar portion, said connection portion including a resilient spring clip for connection with a wire. ### Claim 10 An elevator belt monitoring system, comprising (a) a housing for receiving a portion of an elevator belt containing an array of parallel cords; (b) a belt holding plate arranged in said housing, said belt holding plate retaining the array of parallel cords in a plane and containing an array of openings aligned with the array of parallel cords, respectively, said array of openings having parallel axes arranged normal to said plane containing the array of parallel cords; (c) a plurality of parallel pins arranged within said housing, each pin in the plurality of parallel pins being configured for guidance through a respective opening of the array of openings in said belt holding plate along said opening axis to pierce a respective cord of the parallel cords within the elevator belt; and (d) a plurality of contacts connected with said plurality of parallel pins, said plurality of contacts including a pair of signal contacts and a plurality of bridge contacts, wherein said plurality of bridge and pair of signal contacts each contain an opening for receiving a pin from the plurality of parallel pins and each of said plurality of bridge contacts connects selected pairs of pins from the plurality of parallel pins. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 10, and further comprising a pin holding plate arranged in said housing above said belt holding plate, said pin holding plate containing a plurality of spaced parallel through slots each of which contains said selected pairs of pins from the plurality of parallel pins. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 11, wherein said pin holding plate further contains a pair of through openings in opposite ends of said plate for receiving end pins from the plurality of parallel pins configured to pierce the cords from the array of parallel cords at opposite ends of the elevator belt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 12, wherein said signal contacts are connected with said end pins from the plurality of parallel pins. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 13, and further comprising a monitoring device connected with said signal contacts for delivering an electrical signal to said pins from the plurality of parallel pins and processing a return signal from said pins from the plurality of parallel pins to indicate a condition of the elevator cords from the array of parallel cords. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 11, and further comprising an actuator mechanism arranged within said housing above said pin holding plate, said actuator mechanism being operable to displace said pin holding plate and said pins from the plurality of parallel pins against said elevator belt and to drive said pins into engagement with the cords from the array of parallel cords, respectively. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 15, wherein said actuator mechanism comprises at least one screw connected with said housing, an end of said screw engaging said pin holding plate, whereby as said screw is rotated relative to said housing, said screw presses said pin holding plate toward the elevator belt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 15, wherein said belt holding plate openings have a diameter corresponding with an outer diameter of said pins, whereby said pins from the plurality of parallel pins pass through said belt holding plate and into the elevator belt to pierce said cords from the array of parallel cords upon operation of said actuator mechanism. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 17, wherein said belt holding plate includes a pair of side walls extending normal to said belt holding plate to define a channel for receiving the elevator belt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The elevator belt monitoring system as defined in claim 18, wherein said belt holding plate side walls include inwardly extending resilient members which press against edge portions of the elevator belt to position the elevator belt within said housing with each of said pins from the plurality of parallel pins in alignment with one of the cords from the array of parallel cords, respectively, within the elevator belt. ### Claim 20 A contact assembly for an elevator belt monitoring system, comprising (a) a belt-piercing device configured to penetrate a cord within a portion of an elevator belt arranged in a plane; (b) a guide assembly containing a through-opening for receiving and guiding a belt-piercing device along an axis of said through-opening arranged normal to the plane through the elevator belt into contact with the cord; and (c) a contact connected with said belt-piercing device, said contact having one of a planar and L-shaped configuration. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The contact assembly as defined in claim 20, wherein said contact contains an opening aligned with said axis of said through-opening for receiving said belt-piercing device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The contact assembly as defined in claim 21, wherein said belt-piercing device comprises one of a screw and a pin. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The contact assembly as defined in claim 22, wherein said contact is configured to connect a selected pair of belt-piercing devices. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The contact assembly as defined in claim 23, wherein said L-shaped contact comprises a signal contact and includes a first planar portion containing said opening for said belt-piercing device and a contact second portion for connection with an elevator belt monitoring device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The contact assembly as defined in claim 24, wherein said contact second portion includes a resilient spring clip for connection with a wire.