Real-time rope/cable/belt sway monitoring system for hoist applications

Abstract

Depth cameras may be placed within the elevator car hoistway to capture depth images of the elevator ropes. 3D sensing software can be used to identify the rope within the depth image and assign tracking points to positions along the rope. Tracking images are saved over time and compared to previous tracking images to determine movement of tracking points between images. The movement of the tracking point can be used to determine the speed, acceleration, frequency of undulating motion, and other characteristics of the rope over a period of time. When a measured characteristic exceeds a specified threshold, the system may take one or more actions to mitigate or provide notification of the undesired behavior.

Description

[0001] priority [0002] This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 109,783, filed January 30, 2015, entitled "Real-time Rope / Cable / Belt SwayMonitoring System for Elevator Application." The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference. technical field [0003] The present disclosure relates to rope sway detection in elevator systems. Background technique [0004] Some elevator systems rely on a system of ropes and pulleys to raise and lower an elevator car within a hoistway. Such a system may have a pulley at the top of the hoistway and one or more ropes looped around the pulley. One end of the rope may be secured to the top of the elevator car and the other end of the rope may be secured to the counterweight. As the pulley rotates, the elevator car can be raised or lowered in the hoistway. The elevator car and counterweight can also be placed on the rails to provide additional stability and emergency stop capabilit...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Such amplification can cause the rope to produce a fluctuating motion of varying frequency, which can cause undesired stress on the rope, objects to which it is secured, and objects within the hoistway struck by the rope

[0006] While various devices, systems and methods for detecting rope sway have been made and used, it is believed that no one has made or used a device, system and method as described herein before the inventor

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