An improved home lift having a simplified design and utilizing components that is simple and economical to install and designed for economical, temporary rental or lease installations as well as permanent installations. Complete installations cost far less than any existing home lift of the prior art and most stair climbers. The components include an optional steel tower frame or a support post and beam assembly, a carriage designed to carry a passenger with or without a wheelchair, a counterweight, and a set of pulleys configured to guide two cables. Both cables are attached to the carriage and the counterweight. The load weight and the counterweight are equal and balanced, requiring so little-force that the home lift may easily be operated manually by the passenger or an aide.

A method of controlling access to a building is provided. The method comprising: receiving visitor contact information for a visitor from a resident device, the visitor contact information identifies a visitor device of the visitor; receiving visitor access permissions for the visitor from the resident device, the visitor access permissions include at least one of a selected elevator car, a selected door, and a selected floor; and granting the visitor device access to at least one of the selected elevator car, the selected door, and the selected floor.

An apparatus for monitoring operation of a locking mechanism applied for securing an elevator door to a closed position is provided, where said monitoring is carried out via monitoring operation of a door driving system arranged for driving movement of the elevator door between the closed position and an open position. The apparatus is arranged to: receive one or more parameters that are descriptive of movement of the elevator door from the closed position towards the open position; determine, based on said one or more parameters, a door movement profile that is descriptive of an aspect of movement of the elevator door in relation to the closed position of the elevator door; and detect compromised operation of the locking mechanism based on one or more characteristics of the door movement profile within a portion thereof that represents a predefined traveling distance in relation to the closed position of the elevator door.

An apparatus for monitoring operation of a locking mechanism applied for securing an elevator door to a closed position is provided, where said monitoring is carried out via monitoring operation of a door driving system arranged for driving movement of the elevator door between the closed position and an open position. The apparatus is arranged to: receive one or more parameters that are descriptive of movement of the elevator door from the closed position towards the open position; determine, based on said one or more parameters, a door movement profile that is descriptive of an aspect of movement of the elevator door in relation to the closed position of the elevator door; and detect compromised operation of the locking mechanism based on one or more characteristics of the door movement profile within a portion thereof that represents a predefined traveling distance in relation to the closed position of the elevator door.

An elevator system includes an elevator car that is movable in an elevator shaft. The elevator car has a car door, a car door drive for closing and/or opening the car door, and a car door control unit directly controlling the car door drive. A shaft door is provided on each door opening of the elevator shaft. Each shaft door has a shaft door drive for closing and/or opening the shaft door and a shaft door control unit directly controlling the shaft door drive. The car door control unit and the shaft door control unit are connected, preferably wirelessly, via a communication connection to open and/or close the shaft door and the car door synchronously.

An elevator system includes: a car traveling in an elevator shaft; a car door arranged on the car; at least one shaft door arranged on a door opening of the elevator shaft; a shaft door locking device, in particular comprising a shaft door drive, for unlocking and/or closing and/or opening the shaft door; a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door and a car door signal transmitter arranged on the car door; and a shaft door control unit operatively connected to the shaft door sensor, the shaft door control unit directly actuating the shaft door locking device when a car door signal of the car door signal transmitter is received by the shaft door sensor.

Elevator access systems and methods including a key extension having a first portion arranged to engage with a key and a second portion and an access mechanism. The access mechanism includes an extension engagement element arranged to receive and fixedly engage with the second portion of the key extension and an opening element operably connected to the extension engagement element such that operation of the extension engagement element causes operation of the opening element.

A mechanical hoistway access control device for an elevator landing door includes a first blocking member mounted on a position on a landing door frame above a landing door, and a second blocking member mounted on a position on a car door frame above a car door. The first blocking member is pivotably attached between an upright position and a first horizontal position extending in the door opening direction about a horizontal shaft. The second blocking member is pivotably attached between an upright position and a second horizontal position about a horizontal shaft, the second horizontal position being where the second blocking member protrudes out to the landing door side to block movement of the first blocking member.

A mechanical hoistway access control device for an elevator landing door includes a first blocking member mounted on a position on a landing door frame above a landing door, and a second blocking member mounted on a position on a car door frame above a car door. The first blocking member is pivotably attached between an upright position and a first horizontal position extending in the door opening direction about a horizontal shaft. The second blocking member is pivotably attached between an upright position and a second horizontal position about a horizontal shaft, the second horizontal position being where the second blocking member protrudes out to the landing door side to block movement of the first blocking member.

The disclosure provides for a locking system for an elevator car door that includes a locking apparatus mounted to the elevator car door. The locking apparatus includes an elevator door latch arm, a sensing vane, and a fixed vane. The elevator door latch arm has one end configured to be inserted into a catch to lock the elevator car door. The sensing and fixed vanes are generally parallel to one another. When the elevator car door is aligned with a hoistway door, an outer surface of the sensing vane is configured to engage with a roller on the hoistway door, and an outer surface of the fixed vane is configured to engage with another roller on the hoistway door. When both the first and second rollers are engaged by the sensing and fixed vanes, the locking apparatus is configured to remove the elevator door latch arm from the catch.