Patent · US Expired

Differential reflectometery for position reference in an elevator system

US5783784A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
6References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 19, 1996
Grant dateJul 21, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 19, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB66B1/40
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus for determining if an elevator car is level with respect to a landing in a hoistway comprises a transceiver for transmitting a signal, a first reflector having a varying reflectance between a maximum reflectance end and a minimum reflectance end, a second reflector having a varying reflectance between a maximum reflectance end and a minimum reflectance end, and a processor. The first reflector transmits a first reflected signal in response to the signal transmitted by the transceiver and the second reflector transmits a second reflected signal in response to the signal transmitted by the transceiver. The first reflector and the second reflector are adjacently aligned such that the maximum reflectance end of the first reflector is adjacent to the minimum reflectance end of the second reflector, and the minimum reflectance end of the first reflector is adjacent to the maximum reflectance end of the second reflector. The processor determines if the elevator car is level with respect to the landing in response to the first and second reflected signals.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.