Elevator – industrial lift truck – or stationary lift for vehicle – Having call button with indicator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-16
2001-05-15
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3652)
Elevator, industrial lift truck, or stationary lift for vehicle
Having call button with indicator
C187S414000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230847
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to “door open” buttons in elevators, and, more particularly, to a flashing “door open” button in an elevator that can be more easily located than the conventional non-flashing “door open” buttons.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Elevator cars in most modern day elevator systems include operating panels therewithin providing command directions for the elevator car. The operating panels are designed to take directions from an occupant of the elevator to execute a desired task.
Elevator car operating panels typically have numerous buttons arranged in a grid pattern with rows and columns of buttons side-by-side and close together. These buttons designate floor numbers. Two additional buttons, a “door open” and a “door close” button, are usually situated in close proximity to each other and within the grid of floor number buttons. These “door open” and “door close” buttons are used to either open or close the elevator doors when the elevator is discharging or loading passengers at a floor landing and when automatic operation of the doors is adjudged insufficient by the occupant.
People often try to enter the elevator car from the landing as the doors of the elevator car are closing. In the event at least one other passenger is already inside the elevator car, such passenger may attempt to accommodate the people trying to enter by pressing the “door open” button to reverse the closing of the doors.
Sometimes, however, a hurried attempt to press the “door open” button results in the inadvertent pressing of the “door close” button or some other button. The elevator door then closes and the elevator begins its ascent or descent before the passenger pushing the button realizes that he pushed the wrong button instead of the “door open” button. The person who tried to enter the elevator is then left standing on the landing and must wait for the next elevator.
One prior art system uses complicated circuitry to open an elevator door while the elevator is discharging or loading passengers even if the “door close” button is pressed. This type of system adds electronic components such as limiting switches and microcomputers to other conventional elevator system equipment and only adds to the cost of the equipment and maintenance of the elevator system.
Furthermore, in the latter stated system, when the “door close” button is pressed by an elevator passenger who really wants the elevator doors to close because he is in a hurry, the elevator doors will open. In such an instance, the elevator passenger will most likely repeatedly press the “door close” button only to have the doors begin to close then reopen. This repeated pressing of the “door close” button and continuous opening of the doors only confuses and frustrates the elevator passenger.
Other prior art elevator systems eliminate the “door close” button altogether. The absence of this button only serves to infuriate the elevator passenger who is in a hurry to have the doors close so he can be under way. The elevator passenger in an elevator that has no “door close” button is left with the less satisfying option of repeatedly pressing his “floor designation” button.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a “door open” button for an elevator car that is illuminated and flashes during a “door-closing” mode of the elevator car. The structure of the button is preferably outwardly conventional in order to avoid a redesigning of the operating panel and maintains aesthetics of existing panels. This also provides for the possibility of retrofit installations of the buttons of the invention.
The button comprises a housing having a translucent cover. An illumination source is positioned inside the housing and under the translucent cover. The illumination source is connected to a power source and operational circuitry. The structure of the power source is well known in the art.
The illumination source for the button alternates between an “on” and “off” position, and the rate of this alternation may be variable. The translucent cover of the housing may have a conventional “door open” symbol printed on it, or it may be colored.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4716992 (1988-01-01), Kunii
patent: 5454448 (1995-10-01), Bittar et al.
patent: 5969306 (1999-10-01), Velauthapillai et al.
patent: 2-188383 (1990-07-01), None
patent: 3-95093 (1991-04-01), None
patent: 4-191250 (1992-07-01), None
patent: 6-271258 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 7-25556 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 8-259128 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 10-120325 (1998-05-01), None
Lillis Eileen D.
Otis Elevator Company
Tran Thuy V.
LandOfFree
Flashing “door open” button for an elevator car does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flashing “door open” button for an elevator car, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flashing “door open” button for an elevator car will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2463021