Elevator Support Monitoring via Bridge Resistance Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for monitoring belt-like support means in elevator installations fail to accurately assess the state of tensile carriers due to insufficient consideration of environmental influences such as temperature, humidity, and magnetic fields, leading to unreliable statements about the support means' condition.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring device that connects tensile carriers or groups of tensile carriers in an alternating configuration within a measuring bridge to compare their electrical resistances, allowing for qualitative assessment of the support means' state by accounting for identical environmental influences, thereby providing a robust and economic monitoring solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electrical resistance measurement methods are used to monitor tensile carriers, then the monitoring process is simple, but environmental influences such as temperature, humidity, and magnetic fields cause measurement errors and reduce reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary comparison mechanism where a first tensile carrier serves as a reference against which a second tensile carrier is compared. This intermediary approach allows environmental influences to affect both carriers equally, canceling out the effects and providing reliable defect detection without requiring absolute measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a reference copy (first tensile carrier) that replicates the environmental exposure conditions of the monitored tensile carrier (second tensile carrier). By comparing the electrical resistance of the monitored carrier against this reference copy, the system eliminates the need to account for environmental factors separately, as both carriers experience identical conditions
2Loss of information
If absolute electrical resistance values are measured to assess tensile carrier state, then quantitative data is obtained, but environmental factors falsify the measurement results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a first tensile carrier as an intermediary reference element that experiences the same environmental conditions as the second tensile carrier. By comparing the electrical resistance of both carriers relative to each other rather than to a fixed absolute value, the system eliminates the distorting effect of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and magnetic fields on the measurement accuracy
3Measurement precision
If detailed environmental monitoring is implemented to account for temperature, humidity, and magnetic fields, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing complex environmental monitoring equipment, the patent uses a simple intermediary reference tensile carrier that passively experiences the same environmental conditions as the monitored carrier. This approach achieves high measurement precision through the comparison mechanism itself, avoiding the need for separate temperature, humidity, or magnetic field sensors and processing systems
Solution Approach 2:
The first tensile carrier serves itself as a reference standard, automatically compensating for environmental influences without requiring external calibration or adjustment. The system uses the inherent properties of the reference carrier and the comparison mechanism to self-correct for environmental effects, eliminating the need for complex environmental monitoring and compensation systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables reliable and efficient monitoring of the support means by excluding measurement errors and providing a qualitative assessment of the tensile carriers' state, unaffected by environmental factors, thus improving the validity of defect recognition and simplifying the monitoring process.
Implementation Method 1
A current flow or an amperage, a voltage, an electrical resistance or an electrical conductivity is measured in the thus-formed current circuit or in several thus-formed current circuits
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator installation includes a car and at least one support device supporting the car. The support device has a plurality of electrically conductive tensile carriers that are arranged parallel to one another and which are substantially enclosed by a casing. The elevator installation further includes a monitoring device that connects the tensile carriers or groups of the tensile carriers in an alternating configuration as electrical resistances in a measuring bridge so that electrical resistances of different tensile carriers can be compared with one another by sensing a bridge voltage.