# US 12,030,743 B2 · Elevator brake release monitoring

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- Number: US 12,030,743 B2
- Document ID: US12030743B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/182,747
- Filed: 2021-02-23
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Granted: 2024-07-09
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-03
- Assignees: Kone Corporation
- Applicants: Kone Corporation
- Inventors: Ari Kattainen; Lauri Stolt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12030743B2

## CPC

- B66B 5/0025: {for maintenance or repair}
- B66B 1/3476: {Load weighing or car passenger counting devices (B66B5/14 takes precedence)}
- B66B 1/3484: {using load cells}
- B66B 5/0031: {for safety reasons}
- B66D 5/14: embodying discs
- B66D 5/30: electrical
- G01G 19/14: for weighing suspended loads (G01G3/00 takes precedence; incorporation of weighing devices in cranes B66C1/40, B66C13/16)
- 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)
- B66D: CAPSTANS; WINCHES; TACKLES, e.g. PULLEY BLOCKS; HOISTS (winding or unwinding ropes or cables for feeding or storage purposes B65H; rope or cable winding or unwinding mechanisms for lifts B66B)
- G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16)

## Abstract

Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An elevator system, comprising:
a measuring device configured to measure a weight of an elevator car of an elevator;
a brake configured to decelerate the elevator car; and
an apparatus configured to detect a failure of a release of the brake of the elevator by,
monitoring, via the measuring device, a reference weight of the elevator car from a traction sheave of the elevator while the elevator car is driven in an unloaded state in different operating directions,
determining whether the reference weight of the elevator car is same while the elevator car is driven in the different operating directions,
storing the reference weight of the elevator car as a reference value, in response to the reference weight of the elevator car being same while the elevator car is driven in the different operating directions,
instructing the brake of the elevator to open,
measuring, via the measuring device, the weight of the elevator car from the traction sheave of the elevator after instructing the brake of the elevator to open,
comparing the weight to the reference value, and
detecting the failure of the release of the brake of the elevator based on a variation between weight of the elevator car and the reference value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, further comprising:
the elevator car configured to move, within a shaft, between floors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a non-volatile memory configured to store the reference value; and
a processor configured to read the reference value from the non-volatile memory.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to transmit an error message in response to the apparatus detecting the failure of the brake of the elevator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the elevator system configured to move the elevator car to a next floor in response to the apparatus detecting the failure of the brake of the elevator.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the elevator system configured to restrict use of the elevator in response to the apparatus detecting the failure of the brake of the elevator.