Beam climber friction monitoring system
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsRandy Roberts, Edward Piedra, Sam Thieu Wong, Brad Guilani, Don Eager
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elevator system including: an elevator car configured to travel through an elevator shaft; a first guide beam extending vertically through the elevator shaft, the first guide beam including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a beam climber system configured to move the elevator car through the elevator shaft, the beam climber system including: a first wheel in contact with the first surface; and a first electric motor configured to rotate the first wheel; and a controller configured to determine wheel slippage in a low friction area along the first guide beam.
Claims17
An elevator system comprising:
- an elevator car configured to travel through an elevator shaft;
- a first guide beam extending vertically through the elevator shaft, the first guide beam comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
- a beam climber system configured to move the elevator car through the elevator shaft, the beam climber system comprising:
- a first wheel in contact with the first surface;
- and
- a first electric motor configured to rotate the first wheel;
- and
- a controller configured to determine wheel slippage in a low friction area along the first guide beam;
- a sensor configured to detect a rotational wheel speed of the first wheel, wherein the controller is configured to determine wheel slippage in response to the rotational wheel speed is outside of a rotational wheel speed tolerance range;
- a position reference system configured to detect a location of the elevator car in response to detection of wheel slippage.
A method of operating an elevator system, the method comprising:
- rotating, using a first electric motor of a beam climber system, a first wheel, the first wheel being in contact with a first surface of a first guide beam that extends vertically through an elevator shaft;
- moving, using the beam climber system, an elevator car through the elevator shaft when the first wheel of the beam climber system rotates along the first surface of the first guide beam;
- and
- determining, using a controller, wheel slippage in a low friction area along the first guide beam;
- detecting, using a sensor, a rotational wheel speed of the first wheel, wherein the controller is configured to determine wheel slippage in response to the rotational wheel speed being outside of a rotational wheel speed tolerance range;
- detecting, using a position reference system, a location of the elevator car in response to detection of wheel slippage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.