Elevator load bearing member wear and failure detection
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsPaul A. Stucky, William A. Veronesi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elevator load bearing member (22) monitoring device (20) has a controller (30) that applies a first signal (40) and a second signal (50) to at least one tension member (24) in the belt. The first signal (40) in one example has a plurality of (42) of a selected amplitude and duration. The second signal (50) includes a series of pulses (52) having a second, shorter duration and lower amplitude. The first signal is useful for providing information regarding a wear condition of the load bearing member. The controller utilizes a response to the second signal to determine a failure condition such as a broken load bearing member.
Claims23
A method of monitoring a condition of a load bearing member in an elevator system, comprising the steps of:
- applying a first signal having a first characteristic to at least one tension member in the load bearing member;
- applying a second signal having a second, different characteristic to at least one tension member in the load bearing member;
- determining a wear condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the first signal;
- and
- determining a failure condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the second signal.
A device for monitoring a condition of a load bearing member in an elevator system, comprising:
- a controller that applies a first signal having a first characteristic to at least one tension member in the load bearing member and applies a second signal having a second, different characteristic to at least one tension member in the load bearing member, the controller determines a wear condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the first signal and determines a failure condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the second signal.
An elevator load bearing member assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of electrically conductive tension members;
- a non-conductive coating over the tension members;
- and
- a controller electrically coupled with at least one of the tension members, the controller applying a first signal having a first characteristic to at least one tension member in the load bearing member and applying a second signal having a second, different characteristic to the tension member, the controller determining a wear condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the first signal and determining a failure condition of the load bearing member based upon a response to the second signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.