A method for detecting a deterioration state in an elevator suspension member including electrically conductive cords uses a multiplexing unit (MU) to apply first and second alternating voltages to proximal ends of first and second groups of the cords respectively and connect the proximal end of a third group of the cords to a voltage measurement arrangement connected to a reference potential. Distal ends of the groups are connected together. A first neutral point voltage between the third proximal end and the reference potential is determined. The MU is switched to apply the first alternating voltage to the second proximal end, apply the second alternating voltage to the third proximal end and determine a second neutral point voltage between the first proximal end and the reference potential. The deterioration state of the suspension member arrangement is determined based on the first and second neutral point voltages.

A method and device detect non-uniform and uniform deterioration states in an elevator suspension member having first and second groups of electrically conductive cords. First ends of the groups are electrically connected to an alternating voltage generator arrangement and second ends are electrically connected to each other through first and second resistors via a neutral point at which electrical resistances of the groups are the same in a non-deteriorated state of the suspension member. The method includes: applying first and second alternating voltages to the first end of the first and second groups, respectively; determining a neutral point voltage between the neutral point and an electrical reference potential; determining difference voltages between first and second difference measurement points located between the second ends of the groups and the respective resistors; and determining the deterioration state based on both the determined neutral point voltage and the determined difference voltage.

A method determines a status of at least one component of an elevator system, wherein the elevator system includes a suspension apparatus having at least one traction member. The at least one traction member is surrounded by a non-metallic cladding, wherein the suspension apparatus is guided via a drive sheave with a metallic traction surface. The method includes the steps of: identifying at least one parameter based on an electrostatic effect which occurs due to friction of the non-metallic cladding on the traction sheave with the metallic traction surface; and determining a status of the at least one component on the basis of the identified parameter.

A method for inspecting a condition of an elongated load bearing member of a rope of a hoisting apparatus, such as an elevator includes ultrasound scanning one or more regions of the load bearing member with an ultrasonic scanner. A method for inspecting a condition of a rope of a hoisting apparatus, such as an elevator, which rope includes at least one load bearing member includes inspecting at least one load bearing member of the rope with an ultrasound scanner.

A method for operating an elevator installation uses an elevator control device, wherein, by at least one sensor allocated to the elevator installation and by a sensor signal obtainable therefrom, a state of the elevator installation is automatically detected by the elevator control device. In dependence on the detected state, the elevator control device automatically generates an activation signal to automatically activate a remote signaling element.

Provided is a wire rope flaw detector including a magnetizer configured to form a main magnetic flux in a part of a wire rope in a longitudinal direction thereof. A plurality of search coils are configured to detect a leakage flux that occurs from a damaged part of the wire rope in a segment in which the main magnetic flux is formed. A control unit is configured to detect induced voltages generated in the plurality of search coils. Further, the control unit is configured to superimpose voltage waveforms of the plurality of search coils on one another while shifting the voltage waveforms by a time calculated based on an interval between the plurality of search coils adjacent to each other and on a relative moving speed of the wire rope with respect to the magnetizer, to thereby amplify a peak of the induced voltage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sway amount estimation system that can suppress a reduction in user convenience that would occur if the operation method is switched more than necessary. A sway amount estimation system (300) includes a sensing unit (78), a judgment unit (80), and an estimation unit (79). The estimation unit (79) calculates an estimated value of the amount of sway of an elevator rope due to vibration caused by building sway based on the sway sensed by the sensing unit (78) and an estimation model incorporating the effect of the displacement amplification of the displacement amplifier (7). The judgment unit (80) judges if the estimated value calculated by the estimation unit (79) is greater than a threshold for switching the operation method for the elevator apparatus (11).

An object of the present invention is to provide a vibration damping device including an instability preventing means, for efficiently suppressing amplification of vibration of a long structure, which is mechanically flexible, due to a resonance phenomenon. A vibration damping device (100) for reducing vibration of a long structure (1) includes a displacement amplifier (7) and limiting members (8). The displacement amplifier (7) is arranged along a given position in the longitudinal direction of the structure (1). The displacement amplifier (7) amplifies a displacement of the structure (1). The limiting members (8) control displacement amplification performed by the displacement amplifier (7) such that the displacement of the structure (1) amplified by the displacement amplifier (7) does not become greater than a first displacement, the first displacement being a displacement of the structure (1) by which the structure (1) is not allowed to return to the equilibrium position of the vibration.

An elevator system includes a travelling cable connected to an elevator car and to a hoistway wall. The travelling cable includes an electric conductor and/or a data carrier operatively connected at a first end to a feed source and at a second end to service appliances of the elevator car. A protective layer includes an outer diameter and surrounds the electric conductor and/or data carrier. A duct is connected at a first open end to a fluid source and at a second openable end to the elevator car. A sensor system is configured for detecting swaying amplitude of the travelling cable. A microprocessor is associated to the sensor system and to the fluid source. The microprocessor is configured for receiving swaying amplitude data from the sensor system and for operating the fluid source when the swaying amplitude exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A break detection device includes an extraction unit (22), an extraction unit (23), a detection unit (24), and a determination unit (26). The extraction unit (22) extracts, from an output signal from a sensor, a vibration component in a specific frequency band. The extraction unit (23) attenuates, from the vibration component extracted by the extraction unit (22), a steady vibration component and a progressively increasing vibration component to extract a determination signal. The detection unit (24) detects, on the basis of the determination signal, occurrence of an abnormal variation in the output signal from the sensor. The determination unit (26) determines whether or not a rope has a broken portion.