Elevator rail healthy monitoring method
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsDavid L. Lincoln, Michael J. Birnkrant, Wayde R. Schmidt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of monitoring component health is provided. The method includes moving a health monitor over a scattering surface of the component, emitting light of various wavelengths toward the scattering surface from a light source of the health monitor, observing one or more responses of the scattering surface to the light of the various wavelengths at a detector of the health monitor and identifying a condition of the scattering surface from the observed one or more responses of the scattering surface to the light of the various wavelengths.
Claims20
A method of monitoring component health, the method comprising:
- disposing a health monitor on an elevator which is movable relative to a structure in which a component is fixed:
- moving the elevator relative to the structure and the component such that the health monitor is moved over a scattering surface of the component;
- emitting light of various wavelengths toward the scattering surface from a light source of the health monitor;
- observing one or more responses of the scattering surface to the light of the various wavelengths at a detector of the health monitor;
- and
- identifying a condition of the scattering surface from the observed one or more responses of the scattering surface to the light of the various wavelengths.
A method of monitoring elevator rail, rope or belt health, comprising:
- disposing a health monitor on an elevator which is movable relative to a structure in which a component is disposed;
- moving the elevator relative to the structure such that the health monitor moves over a scattering surface of the component;
- illuminating the scattering surface with light emitted from a light source of the health monitor;
- recording an intensity of scattered light scattered off the scattering surface and received by a detector of the health monitor;
- determining, from the recorded intensity of scattered light, a ratio of forward scattered light to backward scattered light of the scattered light that is received by the detector;
- and
- identifying that the scattering surface exhibits a predefined condition in an event the determined ratio indicates an enhancement of the backward scattered light relative to the forward scattered light to a predefined degree.
A method of monitoring elevator rail, rope or belt health, comprising:
- disposing a health monitor on an elevator which is movable relative to a structure in which a component is disposed:
- moving the elevator relative to the structure such that the health monitor moves over a scattering surface of the component:
- irradiating the scattering surface with radiation emitted from an emitter of the health monitor at a wavelength selected for detecting wax, oil, debris or lubricant on the scattering surface;
- detecting a response of the wax, oil, debris or lubricant on the scattering surface to the radiation at a detector of the health monitor;
- determining from the detected response an amount of the wax, oil, debris or lubricant on the scattering surface;
- and
- identifying that the scattering surface exhibits a predefined condition in an event the determined amount exceeds a predefined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.