Elevator safety actuator systems
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorThomas Masayda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Elevator systems include a traveling component and a guide rail within an elevator shaft. An overspeed safety system is operably connected to the traveling component and includes a brake assembly and an actuator assembly. A trigger element is configured to release stored energy of a stored energy device to cause engagement of a safety brake element with the guide rail to travel of the traveling component. When the safety brake element is engaged with the guide rail, upward motion of the traveling component causes the safety brake element to disengage from the guide rail and return the stored energy device to a state of stored energy.
Claims20
An elevator system comprising:
- a traveling component movable along a guide rail within an elevator shaft;
- and
- an overspeed safety system operably connected to the traveling component, the overspeed safety system comprising:
- a brake assembly comprising a safety brake element configured to selectively and releasably engage with the guide rail;
- and
- an actuator assembly comprising:
- a linkage operably connected to the safety brake element at one end and configured to apply a force on the safety brake element during a braking event;
- a reset assembly operably connected to the linkage at an opposite end from the safety brake element;
- a stored energy device arranged to apply a biasing force to the linkage to cause the linkage to apply the force to the safety brake element;
- and
- a trigger element arranged to selectively secure the stored energy device in a state of stored energy;
- wherein the trigger element is configured to release the stored energy of the stored energy device to cause the linkage to apply the force to the safety brake element and cause engagement of the safety brake element with the guide rail to stop downward travel of the traveling component along the guide rail in response to an overspeed event,
- wherein, when the safety brake element is engaged with the guide rail, upward motion of the traveling component causes the safety brake element to disengage from the guide rail and return the stored energy device to the state of stored energy.
A method of operating an elevator system, the method comprising:
- storing energy within a stored energy device of an overspeed safety system by retaining the stored energy device in a state of stored energy between a reset assembly of the overspeed safety system and a part of a traveling component, wherein the overspeed safety system comprises:
- a brake assembly comprising a safety brake element configured to selectively and releasably engage with a guide rail and an actuator assembly comprising a linkage operably connected to the safety brake element at one end and configured to apply a force on the safety brake element during a braking event and a reset assembly operably connected to the linkage at an opposite end from the safety brake element, wherein the stored energy device is arranged to apply a biasing force to the linkage to cause the linkage to apply the force to the safety brake element, and a trigger element is arranged to selectively secure the stored energy device in a state of stored energy;
- detecting an overspeed event of the traveling component;
- operating the trigger element to release the reset assembly and the stored energy of the stored energy device to cause the linkage to apply the force to the safety brake element and cause engagement of the safety brake elements with the guide rail to stop downward motion of the traveling component;
- engaging the guide rail with a part of the reset assembly to selectively and fixedly connect the reset assembly to the guide rail;
- moving the traveling component upward along the guide rail toward the reset assembly to return the stored energy device to a state of stored energy and to release engagement of the safety brake elements from the guide rail;
- and
- disengaging the part of the reset assembly that engaged with the guide rail to allow movement of the traveling component along the guide rail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.