Electronic safety system for escalators
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsStefan Spannhake, Reinhard Henkel, Jürgen Gewinner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An escalator safety system monitors a variety of sensors, contacts, and switches over an electronic safety bus. A plurality of bus nodes are distributed throughout the escalator system and are in constant communication with the bus master over the safety bus. The bus nodes interface with sensors, switches, contacts, detectors, components, and other safety equipment of the escalator system at each location and provide status information back to the bus master. The bus master preferably includes a microprocessor which upon sensing an unsafe condition, sends control signals to an escalator control and a drive and brake system to arrest the escalator in a safe manner.
Claims15
A passenger conveyer safety system comprising:
- a control unit;
- and
- a safety controller in communication with said control unit, said safety controller in periodic communication over a bus with a plurality of bus nodes, said periodic communication separated by a relatively short interval, each of said bus nodes receiving data from at least one safety sensor, said safety controller operable to send a signal to said control unit in response to said data received from said plurality of bus nodes.
A passenger conveyer safety system comprising:
- a control unit;
- a drive and brake unit in communication with said control unit;
- and
- a safety controller in communication with said drive and brake unit and said control unit, said safety controller in periodic communication over a bus with a plurality of bus nodes, said periodic communication separated by a relatively short interval, each of said bus nodes receiving data from at least two safety sensors connected in parallel, said safety controller including a microprocessor which determines if an unsafe condition exists, and if so, said microprocessor sends an arrest signal to said drive and brake unit in response to said data received from said plurality of bus nodes, and further sends a status signal to said escalator control.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.