Elevator Sensor Assembly Alignment Guide for Pit Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Elevator systems lack effective safety measures to prevent unintended operation when maintenance personnel enter the pit, necessitating additional safety measures to ensure safety.

Innovation Solution

A sensor assembly with a mounting bracket and connecting member, including tooling for precise positioning, is integrated into the elevator system to detect personnel in the pit, which can lock the safety chain to prevent elevator car movement upon detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If sensor assembly is installed in elevator system to detect personnel in pit, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor assembly is divided into separate functional modules: a sensor component for detection, a mounting bracket for positioning, and a connecting member for attachment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies installation while maintaining safety functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting member acts as an intermediary element between the sensor assembly and the mounting bracket, providing a standardized interface that simplifies integration into the elevator system. This intermediary component enables easy installation and positioning without increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If tooling is provided for positioning sensor assembly, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning tooling features are integrated directly into the mounting bracket structure, merging the positioning function with the mounting function. This consolidation provides precise positioning capabilities without adding separate complex positioning devices, as the tooling features are built-in to the bracket itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4477597A1Alignment guide of sensor assembly for person detection
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 OTIS ELEVATOR CO
  • EP4477597A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4477597A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4477597A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A sensor assembly for detecting the presence of a human within an elevator system includes a sensor and a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes a connecting member affixed to the sensor and a mounting bracket movably coupled to the connecting member via an interface. The interface includes a tooling identifying relative positions of the sensor to the mounting bracket.