Method of operating an elevator and elevator

Abstract

A method of operating (e.g., debugging) an elevator (100) and an elevator (100) are described herein. The elevator (100) includes a linear motor (50) for moving a movable unit (10). The method includes moving (510) a first movable unit (10) along a linear stator (72) of the linear motor (50) in an elevator shaft (13), and during the movement, determining (520) at least one characteristic, such as a floor position or an air gap width of the linear motor (50), by the first movable unit (10), such as by windings, coils, or sensors, at a plurality of elevator shaft positions. The method also includes storing (530) the determined at least one characteristic, and controlling (540) the movement of at least a second movable unit (10), such as the other of the elevator car or the second motor unit, by utilizing the stored at least one characteristic.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to elevators. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to operating an elevator, in particular commissioning an elevator for use. Background Art

[0002] Elevators with linear motors are known. In such elevators, bending or potential unevenness in the linear portion of the motor can pose a problem for ride comfort. Compared to conventional elevators with rotating motors centered around mechanical bearings, the mounting of the motor's linear components requires significantly higher tolerances. Furthermore, the joints between the linear components can also affect ride comfort, particularly at turning stations, where there can be relatively long gaps.

[0003] On the other hand, shaft setup is part of the elevator commissioning process. The elevator car is slowly driven through the entire shaft, reading all installed position indicators, measuring the distance traveled using typical car and / or motor encoders and in some cases absolute position sensors, and then saving the information in memory.

[0004] In elevators with multiple elevator cars, the conventional shaft setup process is very time-consuming due to the large number of cars in the elevator shaft. Furthermore, the possibility of horizontal movement makes the shaft setup process even more challenging. If an elevator includes, for example, 40 elevator cars, three vertical shafts, and six horizontal paths, driving all the elevator cars through all the shaft sections could even take several days. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of operating an elevator and an elevator.It is a further object of the present invention that the method and the elevator at least alleviate some of the disadvantages of known elevators, for example those relating to ride comfort and / or commissioning.

[0006] The objects of the invention are achieved by a method and an elevator as defined in the respective independent claims.

[0007] According to a first aspect, a method for operating (e.g. commissioning) an elevator is provided, wherein the elevator comprises a linear motor for moving a movable unit, e.g. an elevator car or a motor unit, in an elevator shaft. The method comprises:

[0008] - moving a first movable unit, for example comprising one of an elevator car or a motor unit, along a linear stator of a linear motor in an elevator shaft,

[0009] - determining at least one characteristic, such as a floor position or an air gap width of a linear motor, by means of the first movable unit at a plurality of elevator shaft positions during the movement, for example by means of windings, coils or sensors;

[0010] - storing the determined at least one characteristic; and

[0011] - controlling the movement of at least a second movable unit, such as comprising the other of the elevator car or the second motor unit, by utilizing the stored at least one characteristic.

[0012] The movable unit according to the present invention, such as the first movable unit and / or the second movable unit, can, for example, be an elevator car, which is arranged to be moved in the elevator shaft by one or more movers of a linear motor of the elevator. However, alternatively, the movable unit can be a motor unit. In some embodiments, the motor unit can be a mover of a linear motor, which can thus be moved in the elevator shaft. The motor unit can preferably also include a power supply device for supplying power to the mover, for example from an electrical energy storage device, such as one or more batteries. In addition, the motor unit can include a controller for controlling the movement. The elevator car, or in particular the "cage" into which the passengers enter, can be removably connected to the motor unit in order to move the elevator car. However, in various embodiments, the motor unit can be arranged to move in the elevator shaft and along the stator beam independently of the elevator car.

[0013] In various embodiments, the method may include storing the determined at least one characteristic to a memory device of the second removable unit.

[0014] In various embodiments, the method may include storing the determined at least one characteristic to an elevator control unit, for example with a non-volatile memory device.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least one characteristic may include position or distance data based on a position indicator, such as a light or magnetic code strip, such as the location of final limits, floors and / or door zones, and / or associated with a change of direction location.

[0016] In some embodiments, the linear stator may include markings, such as magnetic teeth or auxiliary markings, that indicate position.

[0017] In various embodiments, the method may include updating the stored at least one characteristic by any one of the movable units while moving along the linear stator of the linear motor in the elevator hoistway.

[0018] In some embodiments, the at least one characteristic may be the width of an air gap of the linear motor. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one characteristic may be related to an electric force of the linear motor. Furthermore, the method may include controlling movement of the at least second movable unit by controlling a current supplied to the linear motor based on the air gap and the electric force determined at a plurality of locations in the elevator shaft.

[0019] In various embodiments, the mover of the linear motor includes a plurality of independently controllable elementary motors or motor subunits, wherein the method may include controlling movement of the mover along the linear stator via at least one of the plurality of independently controllable elementary motors or motor subunits, and determining at least one characteristic via at least another of the plurality of independently controllable elementary motors or motor subunits. Furthermore, the linear motor may include at least three or four independently controllable elementary motors or motor subunits, wherein the method may include controlling movement of the mover along the linear stator via at least an outermost elementary motor or motor subunit.

[0020] According to a second aspect, an elevator is provided. The elevator includes a linear motor for moving a movable unit, such as an elevator car or a motor unit, in an elevator shaft, wherein the linear motor includes a linear stator extending in the elevator shaft. The elevator also includes a first movable unit, such as one of the elevator car or the motor unit, arranged to move along the linear stator and configured to determine at least one characteristic, such as a floor position or an air gap width of the linear motor, at multiple elevator shaft positions during movement by the first movable unit. Furthermore, the elevator includes a second movable unit, such as the other of the elevator car or the second motor unit, utilizing at least one stored characteristic. The first movable unit is configured to determine and store the at least one characteristic during movement along the linear stator, and the second movable unit is configured to control its movement along the linear stator using the at least one characteristic stored, for example, in a memory device.

[0021] In various embodiments, the at least one characteristic can be position or distance data based on a position indicator, such as a terminal, floor, and / or door zone location, and / or can be related to a change of direction location. The position indicator can be, for example, an optical or magnetic code tape. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one characteristic can be the air gap width and / or electric force of the linear motor.

[0022] In some embodiments, at least the first movable unit may include a mover of a linear motor, the mover including a plurality of independently controllable base motors or motor subunits. Furthermore, the first movable unit may be configured to control movement of the mover along the linear stator via at least one of the plurality of independently controllable base motors or motor subunits, and to determine at least one characteristic via another of the plurality of independently controllable base motors or electronic units.

[0023] The present invention provides a method for operating an elevator and an elevator. Compared to known solutions, the present invention offers the advantage of utilizing shaft setting information to control the propulsion force and, optionally, the normal force generated by the motor. This improves ride comfort issues caused by inaccuracies and also saves significant time in shaft setting in multi-car elevators. This is particularly critical if the shaft setting of an operating elevator is lost for some reason. The advantages increase with the number of cars.

[0024] Various embodiments of the present invention make it easier to install an absolute positioning system for an elevator based on a position code. Typically, such systems have a continuous incremental position code throughout the entire shaft. In a multi-car elevator, the elevator travel is not in a single straight line, which presents a challenge for code tape installation. If the travel path changes from vertical to horizontal, discontinuities in the position code are inevitable. This can be solved by preparing special dedicated code tapes for certain shaft sections, which will present a challenge for installation. Using the method proposed by the present invention, the code tape information is saved during shaft setup (and the information is shared between cars), and dedicated code tapes are no longer needed.

[0025] Various other advantages will become apparent to skilled artisans based on the following detailed description.

[0026] The expression "plurality" may refer to a positive integer starting from two (2), ie, at least two.

[0027] If not explicitly stated otherwise, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used herein to distinguish one element from another, not to impose any particular priority or ordering thereto.

[0028] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention presented herein should not be interpreted as limiting the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "comprise" is used herein as an open limitation that does not exclude the presence of unlisted features. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the features recited in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other.

[0029] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Some embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 An elevator according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown.

[0032] Figure 2 A linear motor according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0033] Figure 3 A linear motor according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0034] Figure 4 A linear motor according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0035] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Figure 1 An elevator 100 according to an embodiment of the invention is schematically shown. The elevator 100 may comprise one or more movable units 10, such as elevator cars or motor units, which move in an elevator shaft 13 or elevator car path 13.

[0037] The movable unit 10 according to the invention may for example refer to an elevator car, which may preferably be arranged to be moved in the elevator shaft 13 by means of one or more movers 60 of a linear motor of the elevator. Figure 1 Only one mover 60 is shown in the figure. However, alternatively, the movable unit 10 may refer to one or several motor units. In some embodiments, the motor unit may essentially be a mover of a linear motor, which can therefore be moved in the elevator shaft. The motor unit may preferably also include a power supply device for supplying power to the mover, for example from an electrical energy storage, such as one or more batteries. In addition, the motor unit may include a controller for controlling the movement, for example including an electrical converter, such as an inverter. The elevator car, or in particular the "cage" into which the passengers enter, may be removably connected to the motor unit in order to move the elevator car. However, in various embodiments, the motor unit may be arranged to move independently of the elevator car in the elevator shaft and along the stator beam.

[0038] Preferably, the elevator 100 includes at least two landing levels with landing doors 19 or openings 19. Doors may also be included in the movable unit 10 (e.g., the elevator car). Figure 1 As shown, there are two horizontally separated sets (or "columns") of vertically aligned landing floors, but there may also be only one column, i.e., vertical shaft, as in conventional elevators, or more than two, such as three or even more. The number of horizontal paths from one vertical shaft to another can be fewer, the same, or greater than the number of vertical shafts.

[0039] Regarding the elevator shaft 13, for example, a substantially enclosed volume can be defined within which the movable unit 10 is adapted and configured to move. The walls can be, for example, concrete, metal, or at least partially glass, or any combination thereof. The elevator shaft 13 herein generally refers to any structure or passageway along which the movable unit 10 is configured to move.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, with respect to the elevator 100, the movable unit 10 or car 10, i.e. a multi-car elevator, can be moved vertically and / or horizontally along the elevator shaft 13 depending on the direction of the stator beam 70. Figure 1In one embodiment, the movable unit 10 may be configured to move along at least one of the vertical stator beams 70 and / or the horizontal stator beams 70, e.g. Figure 1 The stator beam 70 is part of the linear motor of the elevator 100 and is used to move one or more movable units 10 in the elevator shaft 13. The stator beam 70 can preferably be arranged in a fixed manner, i.e. fixed relative to the elevator shaft 13, for example fixed to the shaft wall by a fastening portion, which can be arranged to be rotatable in the direction change position 20 of the movable unit 10.

[0041] The elevator 100 may include an elevator control unit 1100 for controlling the operation of the elevator 100, such as one or more devices. The elevator control unit 1100 may be a separate device or may be included in other components of the elevator 100. The elevator control unit 1100 may also be implemented in a distributed manner, such that, for example, part of the elevator control unit 1100 may be included in the electrical converter unit, while another part is in the movable unit 10 and / or the elevator shaft 13. The elevator control unit 1100 may also be arranged in a distributed manner in more than two locations or in more than two devices. Advantageously, the elevator control unit 1100 is arranged to be connected to one or more devices and, optionally, one or more movable units 10, such as for electrical and / or data communication.

[0042] The elevator control unit 1100 may include one or more processors, one or more volatile or non-volatile memories for storing some parts of the computer program code and any data values, and possibly one or more user interface units. Said elements may be communicatively coupled to each other, for example, via an internal bus.

[0043] The processor of the elevator control unit 1100 can be configured to perform at least various tasks related to the operation of the elevator 100. These tasks can be achieved by arranging the processor to execute at least some portion of the computer program code stored in the memory, so that the processor (and thus the elevator control unit 1100) performs one or more tasks. Therefore, the processor can be arranged to access the memory and retrieve and store any information from and to the memory. For the sake of clarity, the processor in this document refers to any unit suitable for processing information and controlling the operation and other tasks of the elevator control unit 1100. Operations can also be achieved by a microcontroller solution with embedded software. Similarly, the memory is not limited to a certain type of memory, but any memory type suitable for storing the described information can be applied in the context of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 2A linear motor 50 or at least a portion thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The linear motor 50 may include a mover 60, preferably a C-shaped or U-shaped mover 60 (not shown). The mover 60 may include at least one or several permanent magnets and / or core elements or ferromagnetic materials, and optionally, one or more units of an electromagnetic component 61, which includes at least one coil or winding. The one or more units of the electromagnetic component 61 may preferably be included in the mover 60 and adapted to face one or more stators 72 of a stator beam 70, for example. Figure 2 As shown. There may also be a support portion 63A, by which the mover 60 can be attached or coupled to the movable unit 10, for example, to the rear wall of the car 10. It can be seen that the mover 60 can be shaped and designed so that the mover 60 can be moved along the stator beam 70 without interfering with the fastening portion 63A and the support portion 63B. In addition, there may be an additional support portion 63B for attaching the mover 60 to the movable unit 10. The additional support portion 63B can be rotatable, for example.

[0045] In some embodiments, one or more movers 60 may be part of a motor unit. The motor unit may also preferably include a power supply for supplying power to the movers, for example, from an electrical energy storage device such as one or more batteries. Furthermore, the motor unit may include a controller for controlling movement. The elevator car, or more specifically, the "cage" into which passengers can enter, may be removably connected to the motor unit to enable movement of the elevator car. However, in various embodiments, the motor unit may be arranged to move independently of the elevator car or any elevator car in the elevator shaft and along the stator beam.

[0046] The movement of the mover 60 along the stator beam 70 can be achieved using known control methods, such as field-oriented or vector control. The basic concept is to generate an alternating magnetic field, for example, by injecting current into the cells of the electromagnetic component 61 of the mover 60, such as into its windings or coils, for example, via an electrical converter 12, such as an inverter, for example a three-phase inverter. The cells of the electromagnetic component 61 facing the stator 72 then interact with the stator 72 through electromagnetic engagement and generate a force that moves the mover 60, and thus the optional movable unit 10, along the stator beam 70.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2As shown, stator beam 70 may include at least one stator 72; however, preferably, two or four stators 72 are arranged on opposite sides or each side of stator beam 70. Stator beam 70 also includes a beam portion 76. In some embodiments, beam portion 76 may be primarily made of a non-magnetic material, i.e., a material that cannot be magnetized. "Magnetizable" herein refers to a degree of magnetization that can be considered suitable for typical use in a magnetic circuit and, therefore, relates to a material that is substantially affected by a magnetic field or magnetic flux. A non-magnetic material may be a material that is unaffected or only slightly affected by a magnetic field or magnetic flux. A non-magnetic material may be, for example, a paramagnetic, diamagnetic, or weakly ferromagnetic material having a relative magnetic permeability less than or equal to 2.0, or advantageously less than or equal to 1.5, or a combination thereof. Typically, beam portion 76 may comprise a non-metallic material, preferably a non-magnetic material. Such materials may include, for example, but not limited to, polymers or polymer composites, wood, and / or glass. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the material of beam portion 76 may include fiberglass or carbon fiber. According to some embodiments, a portion made of a fiber material (e.g., aramid fiber) may be coated with a heat-resistant material to improve the fiber material's heat resistance, for example, in the event of a building fire. The use of aramid fiber may be advantageous due to its ability to withstand mechanical impact better than glass or carbon fibers.

[0048] Due to its negative coefficient of thermal expansion, the use of carbon fiber material in beam portion 76 provides surprising advantages, in addition to other factors such as light weight. For example, if the temperature of stator 72 increases, and stator 72 expands, beam portion 76 can be used to provide compensation by contracting because stator beam 70 is fixedly attached to the surrounding structure due to its negative coefficient of thermal expansion, i.e., giving stator 72 more room to expand and relieving mechanical stress caused by expansion of stator 72 to stator beam 70.

[0049] According to various embodiments of the present invention, the stator beam 70 may further include a hole 77, a recess 77, or a through-hole 77 substantially in the stator beam 70, i.e., the stator beam 70 is hollow. The hole 77 may lock and / or align consecutive stator beam sections together, for example, via a pin or dowel. The dowel may be inserted into the hole 77 of two consecutive stator beam sections, or only one stator beam section may include a hole, while the other includes a dowel as a counterpart to align and preferably lock the stator beam sections relative to each other. The through-hole 77 further reduces the mass of the stator beam 70.

[0050] Fabricating the stator beam 70 from a non-magnetic material, such as a composite material, such as a glass fiber composite, allows for more precise manufacturing of the stator beam 70 compared to conventional stator beams fabricated from ferromagnetic materials (e.g., steel, which has a high magnetic permeability and, therefore, significant magnetic properties). Furthermore, the stator beam 70 described herein, fabricated from a non-magnetic material, also facilitates installation and operation of the linear motor because the composite stator beam 70 (e.g., comprising glass or carbon fiber) exhibits less thermal expansion than conventional stator beams 70. Another benefit of using a composite stator beam 70 is that, unlike some metals, composite materials are non-magnetic and, therefore, have less impact on the operation of the linear motor's magnetic circuit. Arranging the stator 72 from a stator beam 70 made of a non-magnetic material (e.g., a composite material) facilitates motor design based on the magnetic coupling between the mover 60 and the stator 72.

[0051] Figure 3 A portion of a stator beam 70, or a stator beam portion, according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown in a perspective view. This portion of the stator beam 70 comprises at least one stator 72, which extends substantially along the entire stator beam 70. Advantageously, four stators 72 may be arranged on all four sides of the stator beam 70, for example on each side. Figure 3 There may also be one or more fastening portions 75, by means of which the portion 70 can be attached in a fixed manner to a structure of the elevator shaft 13, such as a wall. The fastening portion 75 can also be a separate fastening portion, which can then be attached to the stator beam 70 to arrange the stator beam 70 in the elevator shaft 13, or the fastening portion 75 can be an integral part of the stator beam 70 or a part thereof. The stator 72 can preferably be made of a ferromagnetic material and include teeth on its outer surface to provide a suitable magnetic circuit for cooperating with the mover 60. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stator beam 70 or beam 70 are passive in that they do not include controlled elements or components, such as coils, for controlling the movement of the mover 60 along the stator beam 70.

[0052] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the stator 72 or each of the plurality of stators 72 can be attached to the stator beam 70 by having a suitable shape or recess into which the stator 72 can be arranged, that is, by interlocking the stator 72 to the stator beam 70. This can be achieved by having a protrusion in the stator beam 70 for holding the stator 72 in place. The stator or stators 72 can be slid into place, for example, from one end of the stator beam 72, or slid into a recess arranged in the stator beam 70. Alternatively or additionally, the stator 72 can be attached to the stator beam 70 using an adhesive, for example, by applying a lead-in glue on the back of the stator 72 before arranging the stator 72 into the recess in the stator beam 70.

[0053] In some embodiments, the mover 60 according to the present invention (whether coupled to the elevator car or part of the motor unit) can include at least one, preferably at least two or three, parts from which at least one characteristic, such as the floor position or the air gap width of the linear motor, or the value of the electromotive force together with the air gap width, and position information, such as absolute or relative incremental position, can be determined, while other parts can be used to generate propulsion force and, optionally, also normal force or levitation force. In some embodiments, each part can include a winding or at least one or more coils that can be operated independently of the other parts. Additionally or alternatively, one or more, or each, part can include one or more sensors, such as proximity sensors, for determining at least one characteristic. Regardless of the embodiment, the part, as part of the movable unit 10, can be configured to determine a characteristic related to the linear motor 50 and / or the elevator shaft 13.

[0054] Figure 4 A linear motor 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The linear motor 50 may include a mover 60 and a stator beam 70. The mover 60 may include one or more units of an electromagnetic component 61. One or more units 61 may be divided, at least functionally (if not mechanically), into a plurality of units, i.e., at least two, three, or four units, such as basic motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D.

[0055] exist Figure 4 In FIG. 6 , unit 61 defines four base motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D. The base motors 62A-62D can preferably be independently controllable or operable. In an embodiment, three of the base motors 62A-62D, including the outermost motors 62A, 62D, are arranged to generate propulsion force. Optionally, the three base motors can additionally be used to generate a normal force or a levitation force. In some embodiments, particularly if normal force generation is insufficient or absent, guides and / or bearings can be provided to control the position of the unit 61 and / or mover 60 relative to the normal direction. However, one of the middle base motors 62A-62D, designated 62B or 62C, can be used to determine at least one characteristic, such as floor position or the air gap width of the linear motor 50, at multiple elevator shaft locations via sensors of the first movable unit 10 during movement of the unit 10. This may entail stopping modulation of the selected base motor in the middle 62B, 62C and then recording at least one characteristic, such as electromotive force and air gap width, and position information, such as absolute or relative position, as the mover 60 moves along the stator beam 70 .

[0056] In various embodiments, as shown in the enlarged view at 200 , the mover 60 may include permanent magnets 64A, 64B, a coil 68 , and a ferromagnetic material 66 or core 66 that define a magnetic circuit in the mover 60 and, for example, also define a yoke between mover teeth 69 .

[0057] In addition, the mover 60 may include mover teeth 69, and the stator 72 may include stator teeth 74. Therefore, the air gap width between the mover 60 and the stator 70 may be determined based on the distance between the mover teeth 69 and the stator teeth 74 when aligned or based on the vertical distance therebetween.

[0058] According to another embodiment, in which the units 61 include individually controllable coils of windings, for example controlled by an H-bridge type converter, a plurality (for example three) of individual intermediate coils of each unit 61 can be used to record at least one characteristic, such as electromotive force as well as air gap width and position information, such as absolute or relative position, while the other coils are used to generate propulsion and levitation forces.

[0059] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0060] Step 500 relates to the start-up phase of the method. Appropriate equipment and components are obtained and the system is assembled and configured for operation.

[0061] This may also require running conventional motor setup routines so that the motors can run along the stator beam, and / or activating well and air gap positioning, and / or initiating levitation of the mover 60 and thereby the movable unit 10 relative to the stator beam 70 .

[0062] Step 510 involves moving a first movable unit 10 , such as comprising one of an elevator car or a motor unit, along a linear stator 72 of a linear motor 50 in an elevator shaft 13 .

[0063] Step 520 involves determining at least one characteristic, such as floor 19 location or air gap width of linear motor 50, by first movable unit 10, such as windings, coils or sensors, at a plurality of hoistway locations during movement.

[0064] In various embodiments, the mover 60 of the linear motor 50 may include a plurality of independently controllable base motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D, preferably arranged serially in the longitudinal direction of the mover 60. The method may include controlling the movement of the mover 60 along the linear stator 72 by at least one of the plurality of independently controllable base motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D, and determining at least one characteristic by at least another of the plurality of independently controllable base motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D.

[0065] Additionally or alternatively, the linear motor 50 may include at least three or four independently controllable base motors 62A-62D or motor subunits 62A-62D, and the method may include controlling the movement of the mover 60 along the linear stator 72 by at least the outermost base motors 62A, 62D or motor subunits 62A, 62D and one of the additional intermediate base motors 62A, 62D or motor subunits 62A, 62D.

[0066] In some embodiments, the at least one characteristic may be the width of the air gap of the linear motor 50 .

[0067] In various embodiments, at least one characteristic can be an electromotive force (EMF) value at multiple locations along the stator 72. The EMF value depends on the air gap between the stator 72 and the mover 60 (specifically, the unit of its electromagnetic component 61). EMF value variations thus correspond to stator surface variations, for example, due to one or more stator joints, i.e., joints between stator beam sections 70, and / or element joints between the stator 72 and an element at the direction change location 20 (e.g., its stator beam section).

[0068] In various embodiments, the direction-changing location 20 can be arranged to rotate or move relative to the adjacent stator beam section 70 of the stator 72 in order to change the direction of movement of the movable unit 10, for example, from vertical to horizontal, or vice versa, or between any two directions defined by the stator beam section 70. Consequently, there may be a gap between the stator beam section 70 and the component to enable movement of the components relative to each other. This can have an impact on the EMF at that location.

[0069] Additionally or alternatively, at least one characteristic may include position or distance data based on a position indicator, such as a location of a terminal, floor, and / or door zone, such as a light or magnetic code strip. Additionally or alternatively, at least one characteristic may include position or distance data associated with one or more direction change locations 20, which is based on a position indicator, such as a light or magnetic code strip, or based on measuring EMF values ​​at gaps / joints therebetween as described herein.

[0070] In various embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the at least one characteristic is based on a width and / or an EMF value of the air gap.

[0071] Step 530 involves storing the at least one determined characteristic. This storage can occur in a memory contained within the first mobile unit 10 and / or associated with the elevator control unit 1100, such as a non-volatile memory device. The stored data can include at least one characteristic, such as one related to air gap width, as a function of the elevator shaft position. Thus, when the position of a mobile unit 10 is known and compared to the stored position information, the stored value can be used in other mobile units 10, or even later in the same unit 10.

[0072] In some embodiments, the method may comprise storing the determined at least one characteristic to a memory device of the second mobile unit 10 .

[0073] Step 540 involves controlling the movement of at least a second movable unit, such as an elevator car or a second motor unit, by utilizing the stored at least one characteristic. Additionally, the method may include controlling the movement of the at least one second movable unit 10 by controlling the current supplied to the linear motor 50 based on the determined air gap and electric forces at a plurality of locations in the elevator shaft 13.

[0074] In various embodiments, at least one stored characteristic can be used to control the movement of the second movable unit 10 by utilizing stored information in the controller of the mover 60. In one embodiment, the information is used to operate one or more current controllers of the electrical converter 12 of the mover 60. This can be achieved by adding a feedforward term to the control loop; the feedforward term is based on the stored characteristic. In one embodiment, the stored information is used as a feedforward term in one or both of the quadrature (q) and direct current (d) axis current controllers s. Thus, because the operation of the mover 60 is controlled based on the stored characteristic, the propulsion and / or suspension force components can be controlled based on the position of the movable unit 10 in the elevator shaft 13. Advantageously, this improves ride comfort, which would otherwise be compromised by inaccuracies in the linear motor 50 (i.e., between the mover 60 and the linear stator 72).

[0075] The method execution ends at step 599. The method can be performed once, intermittently, periodically, continuously, or as needed.

[0076] Thus, the method provides the effect that, when a multi-car elevator is put into service (or the shaft location settings are lost or changed), a single movable unit 10 (e.g., an elevator car or a motor unit) can be used to travel through all shaft sections. During this process, the movable unit 10 determines all position indicators (e.g., end points, floors, door zones, etc.) in the elevator shaft 13 and stores them, for example, in a non-volatile memory, and measures the distances between them using, for example, an encoder, an incremental, or an absolute positioning system, depending on the specific embodiment.

[0077] In some embodiments, the method may include, for example when the method is performed multiple times, updating the stored at least one characteristic by any one of the movable units 10 while moving along the linear stator 72 of the linear motor 50 in the elevator hoistway 13.

[0078] The absolute and / or incremental positioning system may be an additional processing logic relying on encoder signals and other positioning indicators, or it may be a separate system based on, for example, a magnetic or optical decoding tape installed in the well 13 .

[0079] Additionally or alternatively, a positioning system such as an incremental positioning system may include the placement of certain markers in the stator 72 or elsewhere on the stator beam 70; for example, magnetic teeth or auxiliary markers. These markers may be detected by a unit utilizing the electromagnetic component 61 in the mover 60 or by a separate sensor, for example, based on infrared, light, capacitance, or inductance.

[0080] If the absolute positioning system is based on incremental numbers read from, for example, an optical or magnetic code tape, then the associated position code information (e.g., the codes at the beginning and end of each well segment) is also saved. Then, when one mobile unit 10 completes the well setup process, the well information can be copied to all other mobile units 10 so that they know the well information without requiring any additional well setup trips.

[0081] In some embodiments, in addition or alternatively, the shared information about the at least one characteristic can be used to offset inaccuracies in the positioning system due to thermal expansion of the positioning code tape or rails. If, during normal use, one or more mobile units 10 detect that the distance between floors 19 is different from the distance stored by the mobile units 10 during well setup, correction information can be communicated to all other mobile units 10.

Claims

1. A method of operating an elevator (100), wherein the elevator (100) comprises a linear motor (50) for moving a movable unit in an elevator shaft (13), characterized in that The method comprises: - moving (510) a first movable unit in the elevator shaft (13) along a linear stator (72) of the linear motor (50), the first movable unit comprising one of the elevator car or the motor unit; - determining (520) at least one characteristic related to the linear motor (50) by the first movable unit at a plurality of elevator shaft locations during the movement; - storing (530) the determined at least one characteristic; and - controlling (540) movement of at least a second movable unit, the second movable unit comprising the other of the elevator car or the second motor unit, by controlling a current supplied to the linear motor (50) based on at least one characteristic associated with the linear motor (50), wherein the at least one characteristic is the width of an air gap of the linear motor (50), wherein the at least one characteristic is related to the electromotive force of the linear motor (50), The method includes controlling the movement of at least a second movable unit by controlling the current supplied to the linear motor (50) based on the air gap and the electric force determined at a plurality of locations in the elevator shaft (13).

2. The method of claim 1, comprising storing the determined at least one characteristic to a memory device of the second removable unit.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising storing the determined at least one characteristic in an elevator control unit (1100).

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises position or distance data based on a position indicator and / or is related to a direction change position (20).

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the linear stator (72) comprises markings for indicating position.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising updating at least one stored characteristic by any one of the movable units when moving along the linear stator (72) of the linear motor (50) in the elevator shaft (13).

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mover (60) of the linear motor (50) comprises a plurality of independently controllable basic motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D), wherein the method comprises: - controlling the movement of the mover along the linear stator by at least one of the plurality of independently controllable base motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D); as well as - the at least one characteristic is determined by at least one other of the plurality of independently controllable base motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the linear motor comprises at least three or four independently controllable base motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D), the method comprising: - The movement of the mover along the linear stator is controlled by at least the outermost elementary motor (62A, 62D) or motor subunit (62A, 62D).

9. An elevator (100), characterized in that: It includes: A linear motor (50) for moving a movable unit in an elevator shaft (13), wherein the linear motor (50) comprises a linear stator (72) extending in the elevator shaft (13); a first movable unit, comprising one of the elevator car or the motor unit, arranged to move along the linear stator (72), and configured to determine at least one characteristic associated with the linear motor (50) by the first movable unit at a plurality of elevator shaft locations during the movement; a second movable unit, comprising the other of the elevator car or the second motor unit, by utilizing the stored at least one characteristic; wherein the first movable unit is configured to determine and store the at least one characteristic during movement along the linear stator (72); and wherein the second movable unit is configured to control the current supplied to the linear motor (50) based on at least one characteristic related to the linear motor (50) to control its movement along the linear stator (72), wherein the at least one characteristic is an air gap width and / or an electromotive force of the linear motor (50), The second movable unit is configured to control the current supplied to the linear motor (50) based on the air gap and the electric force determined at a plurality of positions in the elevator shaft (13), thereby controlling the movement of at least the second movable unit.

10. Elevator according to claim 9, wherein the at least one characteristic is based on position or distance data of a position indicator and / or is related to a direction change position (20).

11. The elevator according to any one of claims 9-10, wherein at least the first movable unit comprises a mover (60) of the linear motor (50), the mover comprising a plurality of independently controllable base motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D).

12. An elevator as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first movable unit is configured to control the movement of the mover (60) along the linear stator (72) by at least one of the plurality of independently controllable basic motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D), and to determine the at least one characteristic by another of the plurality of independently controllable basic motors (62A-62D) or motor subunits (62A-62D).

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