IP Library Granted Patent US 12,479,698
Granted Patent B2
US 12,479,698 · App. 17/231,496 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Arrangement for detecting bearing failures in elevator

Inventors: Antti Saarelainen (Helsinki, FI); Henri Wenlin (Helsinki, FI); Pasi Lehtimäki (Helsinki, FI); Janne Rossi (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: KONE Corporation
B66B5/0025B66B1/3461G01M13/045B66B9/00B66B11/043B66B15/02F16C2233/00F16C2326/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,479,698
App. No.
17/231,496
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An arrangement for detecting bearing failures in an elevator system, which elevator system includes a hoisting machinery with a traction sheave on a rotary shaft, an elevator car, a counterweight and a hoisting element connected between the car and the counterweight and arranged to be moved by the a rotation of the traction sheave, and which arrangement includes at least a motion sensor for measuring rotation of the hoisting motor. The arrangement includes a signal processing unit connected to the motion sensor and arranged to process vibration signals originated in the bearings of the elevator system.

Claims (24)

1 . An arrangement for detecting bearing failures in an elevator system, the elevator system comprising at least an elevator control unit, a hoisting machinery with a hoisting motor, a traction sheave on a rotary shaft, an elevator car, a counterweight and a hoisting element connected between the car and the counterweight and arranged to be moved by the a rotation of the traction sheave, said arrangement comprising:

at least a motion sensor for detecting rotation of the hoisting motor; and

a signal processing unit connected to the motion sensor and arranged to process vibration signals originated in bearings of the elevator system,

the signal processing unit is configured to perform Fourier transforms on the vibration signals detected by the motion sensor, and

wherein the motion sensor is arranged to receive vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through moving hoisting element.

2 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is arranged to detect vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight.

3 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to perform fast Fourier transforms (FFT) to the vibration signals detected by the motion sensor.

4 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 3 , further comprising a data bus between the signal processing unit and the elevator control unit.

5 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to perform discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) to the vibration signals detected by the motion sensor.

6 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in an elevator according to claim 5 , further comprising a data bus between the signal processing unit and the elevator control unit.

7 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 1 , further comprising a data bus between the signal processing unit and the elevator control unit.

8 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 7 , wherein the signal processing unit is arranged to send an output data of the Fourier transforms as a frequency spectrum to the elevator control unit via the data bus.

9 . An arrangement for detecting bearing failures in an elevator system, the elevator system comprising at least an elevator control unit, a hoisting machinery with a hoisting motor, a traction sheave on a rotary shaft, an elevator car, a counterweight and a hoisting element connected between the car and the counterweight and arranged to be moved by the a rotation of the traction sheave, said arrangement comprising:

at least a motion sensor for detecting rotation of the hoisting motor; and

a signal processing unit connected to the motion sensor,

wherein the motion sensor and the signal processing unit are locally placed in the hoisting machinery and are arranged to identify and process vibration signals originated in bearings of the elevator system,

the signal processing unit is configured to perform Fourier transforms on the vibration signals detected by the motion sensor, and

wherein the motion sensor is arranged to receive vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through moving hoisting element.

10 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor is arranged to receive vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through the moving hoisting element.

11 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor is arranged to detect vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through the moving hoisting element and through a shaft of the hoisting motor.

12 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor is arranged to detect vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through the moving hoisting element and through a rotor of the hoisting motor.

13 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor is arranged to detect vibration signals originated in bearings of diverter pulleys of the elevator car and/or in bearings of diverter pulleys of the counterweight through the moving hoisting element through the traction sheave.

14 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor is connected to the signal processing unit with a data cable.

15 . The arrangement for detecting bearing failures in the elevator system according to claim 9 , wherein the motion sensor and the signal processing unit are integrated into one entity.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2021
From: SAARELAINEN, ANTTI; WENLIN, HENRI; LEHTIMÄKI, PASI; ROSSI, JANNE
To: KONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055993/0471 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTFI2018050800 · Nov 2, 2018
Related Publication 20210229953A1 · Jul 29, 2021
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