The present invention provides a maintenance safety apparatus for an elevator system and a method for operating the same, and belongs to the technical field of elevators. The maintenance safety apparatus of the present invention comprises a safety switch, a door lock device, a linkage control assembly and a linkage locking assembly. The maintenance safety apparatus of the present invention is very simple to operate and is capable of ensuring the safety of the staff entering a hoistway for performing maintenance operations.

A sensor system for a passenger conveyance system includes a multiple of 3D sensors mounted to a movable structure within a vertical shaft and/or a horizontal shaft and a processing module in communication with the multiple of 3D sensors, the processing module operable to identify an obstruction within the horizontal or vertical shaft.

An elevator system that can check a function of detecting derailment of an elevating body without disconnecting the elevating body from a guide rail. The elevator system includes a conductive wire that is provided along a guide rail, a contact that is attached to the elevating body, and is configured to come into contact with the conductive wire in the case where the elevating body is disconnected from the guide rail, a control panel that is configured to detect electrical conduction between the conductive wire and the contact, and an inspection contact that is attached to a preset position of the conductive wire, and is disposed at a position that allows the inspection contact to come into contact with the contact in the case where the contact moves to the preset position.

A method and a system for determining the position of an elevator car of an elevator system, which car is arranged for travel in an elevator hoistway, includes equipping the elevator car with an acceleration sensor that registers acceleration data in a computing unit, calculation by the computing unit of the current position and/or of the velocity of the elevator car, and equipping the elevator system with an image-recording unit, which unit records recorded images of the elevator hoistway. The computing unit compares the recorded images with current mapping images of the elevator hoistway to determine an image-based current position of the elevator car. Finally, the computing unit undertakes a recalibration of the current position using the image-based current position.

A method for operating a safety system having a control unit, a bus, a plurality of bus nodes connected to the control unit via the bus and a plurality of participants connected to the control unit via the bus nodes, wherein at least one participant is designed as a temporary participant. The method involves the steps that the temporary participant is notified in the safety system by the temporary participant being connected at a bus node to the safety system via the bus, the temporary participants is recognized by the control unit, the temporary participant is integrated into the safety system by the control unit and the temporary participant is activated at least once. A further aspect of the invention relates to a safety system for an elevator system for carrying out the method and to an elevator system having the safety system.

An elevator brake, having a rotatable component mounted to a shaft, is monitored for contamination by projecting electromagnetic radiation onto the rotatable component or onto the shaft, and receiving reflected electromagnetic radiation. If the monitored zone on the rotatable component or the shaft becomes contaminated, for example with oil or grease, the nature of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from the zone will change noticeably.

An elevator system (34) comprises a plurality of elevators (1) each of the elevators (1) comprising: a diagnostic unit (17) which is configured for running at least one diagnostic routine checking components of the elevator (1) and providing elevator operation and diagnosis data; a communication unit (30), which is configured for transmitting the elevator operation and diagnosis data provided by the diagnostic unit (17) to a remote diagnostic system (40); and for receiving control commands from said remote diagnostic system (40); and a control unit (14), which is configured for executing the control commands received by the communication unit (30). The elevator system (34) further comprises a diagnostic system (40) comprising at least one data receiving unit (42), which is configured for receiving the elevator operation and diagnosis data transmitted from the communication unit (30); at least one storage unit (44), which is configured for storing elevator operation and diagnosis data; at least one analyzing unit (46), which is configured for automatically analyzing the elevator operation and diagnosis data received by the at least one receiving unit (42) in order to detect a malfunction of an elevator (1); and at least one instruction unit (48), which is configured for sending instructions to the communication unit (30) of an elevator (1), for which a malfunction has been detected, instructing the control unit (14) of said elevator (1) to perform at least one specific action in order to overcome a detected malfunction.

Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.

A method for controlling car separation in a multi-car elevator system, the method including: initiating, by a controller, a change in a profile of a target elevator car; determining that N elevators cars are affected by the change in the profile of the target elevator car, wherein elevator car N is an elevator car farthest from the target elevator car; calculating for each of the N elevator cars an updated profile; for each of the N elevator cars, beginning with the Nth elevator car and ending with the target elevator car, performing: determining if the updated profile for the elevator car will provide separation between the elevator car and a neighboring elevator car; and when the updated profile for the elevator car will provide separation between the elevator car and the neighboring elevator car, executing an elevator car profile update process for the elevator car.

A method for operating a safety system including a control unit, a bus, a plurality of bus nodes connected to the control unit via the bus, and a plurality of participants connected to the control unit via the bus nodes, wherein at least one participant is designed as a temporary participant. The method includes the step of enabling the safety system for operation by the control unit when either a first temporary participant or a second temporary participant is connected to the bus. An elevator system can be provided with a safety system for carrying out the method.