A safety switching for elevator systems includes a safety function and a safety switch dedicated to the safety function. The safety switch opens or closes a safety circuit between one connection point and a second connection point as a function of a safety state of the safety function. A test function tests whether or not the safety switch opens and closes the safety circuit as a function of the safety state of the safety function. A detection device is provided for the test function. An auxiliary energy function is provided wherein an auxiliary voltage can be temporarily applied via at least the safety switch and an input part of the detection device for performing the test function. Locally between the connection points the auxiliary energy function introduces an auxiliary energy for generating the auxiliary voltage. The safety switching can be used for converting or retrofitting an existing elevator system.

A bridge device and a bridging method are used to monitor an elevator. The bridge device includes a jumper for bridging an electric element of the elevator when the elevator works in a first operating mode, a monitoring means monitoring the jumper, and an alarm unit that generates an alarm signal if the monitoring means determines that the element has been bridged by the jumper longer than a predefined time period when the elevator is operated in a second operating mode.

A method monitors at least one suspension apparatus in an elevator system, wherein the suspension apparatus includes at least one electrically conducting tension load carrying member that is surrounded by an electrically insulating jacket. The method includes the steps of: repeated determination of a value of an electrical characteristic of at least one tension load carrying member or of a group of tension load carrying members; establishment of a mean value on the basis of the determined values; and comparison of the mean value established with a reference value.

An elevator system has a drive, a car, a plurality of safety function components for providing safety functions at various positions, and a safety monitoring system with a plurality of safety monitoring units for monitoring all of the safety function components. The monitoring units have an input interface for reading in data or signals and an output interface for outputting control signals to an assigned member of the safety function components, at least some of the monitoring units being connected via data exchange channels. The monitoring units are organized in a master-slave hierarchy, with one unit designed as a master unit, and at least one other unit designed as a slave unit. The decentralized and distributed monitoring units, each having data processing capability, and the master-slave organization result in the elevator system exhibiting a high security level with low cabling complexity and cost expenditure, in particular for high rise elevators.

The disclosure relates to an elevator system consisting of a plurality of elevator carriages, a shaft system, a drive system for separately moving the elevator carriages within the shaft system, as well as a safety system having a plurality of safety nodes designed to bring the elevator system into a safe operating mode if an operating mode of the elevator system, which deviates from the normal operation mode, is detected. The elevator carriages, the shaft system and the drive system form a functional unit. One of the safety nodes is always assigned to one of the functional units, wherein the safety nodes are each connected to at least another safety node through an interface for transmitting data. Each safety node includes at least one sensor, which detects an operating parameter of the corresponding assigned functional unit. A control unit evaluates the operating parameter detected by one of the sensors of the respective safety node and, taking into account the data transmitted by at least another safety node.

A rescue apparatus for an elevator includes a brake control unit having input terminals for connecting to a power supply, output terminals for connecting to a magnetizing coil of an electromagnetic brake, at least one controllable brake opening switch associated with at least one of the input terminals and adapted, in an open state, to prevent supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil and, in a closed state, to allow supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil, a control cable including one or more control signal wires and a remote control panel for operating the at least one brake opening switch, the remote control panel being coupled via the control cable to the brake control unit.

The present invention relates to a machinery brake for an elevator. The machinery brake comprises a frame part comprising an electromagnet and an armature part, wherein the machinery brake further comprising an inductive proximity sensor mounted to one of the following: the frame part, the armature part and a target mounted to the other of the following: the frame part, armature part. The inductive proximity sensor and the target are mounted with respect to each other so that in a normal state of the machinery brake the target resides within an operational area of the inductive proximity sensor and in an abnormal state of the machinery brake the target resides at least partly outside the operational area of the inductive proximity sensor. The invention also relates to a method therein.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting a state of an elevator door, the apparatus configured to: determine, on a basis of a pressure data, at least one indicator value indicative of a change in the pressure; compare the at least one indicator value to a respective reference value; and set, in accordance with a comparison between the at least one indicator value and the respective reference value, a detection result to express one of the following: (i) the elevator door is open, (ii) the elevator door is closed. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method, a computer program product and an elevator system.

A system for transferring elevator cars from a first elevator shaft to a second elevator shaft including: a propulsion system configured to move an elevator car through the first elevator shaft and the second elevator shaft; a transfer carriage configured to move the elevator car from the first elevator shaft to the second elevator shaft through a transfer station, the transfer carriage including: an elevator car containment slot to receive the elevator car; and a car retention mechanism configured to secure the elevator car and the propulsion system within the transfer carriage while the transfer carriage moves from the first elevator shaft to the second elevator shaft, wherein the propulsion system is configured to move the elevator car from an elevator system within the first elevator shaft onto the transfer carriage and off the transfer carriage to an elevator system within the second elevator shaft.

A method of wear detection of a coated belt or rope includes connecting a wear detection unit to one or more monitoring strands and/or cords of a coated belt or rope. The coated belt or rope includes one or more baseline strands and/or cords exhibiting a first change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope and one or more monitoring strands and/or cords exhibiting a second change in electrical resistance as a function of bending cycles of the belt or rope, greater than the first change in electrical resistance. An electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords is measured via the wear detection unit. Using at least the measured electrical resistance of the one or more monitoring strands and/or cords, a wear condition of the belt or rope is determined.