Lighting device for an elevator installation and method for illuminating an elevator shaft

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device (1) and a method for illuminating an elevator shaft (4) of an elevator installation (2), and to an elevator installation (2) illuminated by the lighting device (1) or the method. The lighting device (1) comprises at least one light source (3) and can illuminate the elevator shaft (4) of the elevator installation (2) such that the lighting device (1) can indicate at least two states of the elevator installation (2), wherein the light source (3) can emit a first light signal (3a) when the elevator installation (2) is in a first state and a second light signal (3b) when the elevator installation (2) is in a second state, and wherein a difference between the first light signal (3a) and the second light signal (3b) is visually visible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting device for elevator equipment and a method for illuminating the elevator shaft of elevator equipment, as well as to an elevator equipment having such a lighting device or controlled by said method. Background Technology

[0002] For elevator equipment with an elevator car within an elevator shaft, the elevator car moves between different floors (corridors) of a building to transport passengers. The elevator shaft is illuminated at least during maintenance or inspection work. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or LED light strips are known to be used as shaft lighting. The counterweight, connected to the elevator car via a hoist, travels in the opposite direction to the moving elevator car and typically passes the elevator car at approximately half the height of the elevator shaft. Because technicians often need to work on top of the elevator car or in the pit within the elevator shaft during maintenance or installation work, the counterweight may collide with them. Therefore, collisions must be avoided as much as possible in such situations. Consequently, technicians within the elevator shaft must be continuously informed whether the elevator car is currently set to normal operation mode or maintenance operation mode, or whether the counterweight is approaching the elevator car. Furthermore, to ensure the safety of passengers or maintenance personnel, many safety-critical components within the elevator equipment must be monitored to ensure, for example, that the elevator equipment can be subsequently operated or manipulated in an appropriate and safe manner. Therefore, a large number of sensors or switches are used. With the help of the signals or information from these sensors or switches, technicians in the elevator shaft can monitor the current status of safety-critical components. If one of these components fails, the elevator equipment will immediately stop service or operate with limited functionality.

[0003] For safety-critical components, such as the shaft doors that only open when the elevator car is at that floor, each door has a door contact switch. This switch closes when the door is closed and remains open when the door is open. The elevator car can move when the door contact switch closes again. If the door contact switch is open or not properly closed, the elevator car cannot move. Therefore, the door contact switch must be constantly monitored, and its status must be reported directly to the technicians in the elevator shaft so they can ascertain whether the elevator car can currently move, whether all shaft doors are properly closed, or whether anyone might enter the elevator shaft through the doors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main need is to avoid dangerous situations as much as possible through intuitive warnings, and to monitor safety-critical components, such as elevator shaft doors, in a simple way, especially during installation and maintenance.

[0005] This need can be met by the technical solutions in the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0006] According to the present invention, a lighting device for elevator equipment is provided, the lighting device having at least one light source. The lighting device is capable of illuminating the elevator shaft of the elevator equipment in such a way that it can indicate at least two states of the elevator equipment. Here, the light source can generate a first light signal in a first state of the elevator equipment. For this purpose, the light source can emit a second light signal in a second state of the elevator equipment, wherein the difference between the first light signal and the second light signal is visually visible, i.e., visible to the human eye. The first state is, for example, the normal operation mode of the elevator equipment, while the second state is the inspection operation mode or emergency operation mode of the elevator equipment. Alternatively or additionally, the lighting device can also indicate at least a first and a second switching state of a safety element of the elevator equipment. Such a safety element is, for example, a switch, control device, or sensor of the elevator equipment.

[0007] According to an advantageous design of the invention, the safety element is a shaft door switch of the elevator equipment, wherein a first switch state means or indicates that the shaft door of the elevator equipment is open, and a second switch state indicates that the shaft door of the elevator equipment is closed, so that the status of the shaft door, especially the open and closed status, can be monitored at any time by optical signals.

[0008] According to an advantageous design of the invention, the first and second light signals can be emitted in different colors. Particularly advantageous is that the light source changes the color of its light according to the operating state of the elevator equipment. The light source may include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), particularly designed as a strip of multiple LEDs, wherein the LEDs can emit different colors. For example, the strip may extend along the elevator shaft in a continuous or segmented manner. Because LEDs have low power consumption (e.g., energy efficiency rating A+), heat loss is minimal, and they offer high flexibility in color selection. The light emitted by an LED has a defined wavelength and therefore a defined color. Typically, LEDs emit only monochromatic light signals. Even if some LEDs can change the color of their light, for example, by changing the input voltage, the color of the light is limited to a very narrow wavelength range. Therefore, it is generally preferred to use multiple LEDs emitting different colors of light. By controlling the individual LEDs to turn them on and off at defined times, the light source can emit any color or combination of colors. Different colors and illumination durations allow for flexible representation of different situations or hazard levels based on the different light signals. Besides energy efficiency, LEDs offer other advantages over other types of lighting because their low operating temperature, associated with low power consumption, extends the lifespan of the light source. This reduces the cost of new equipment and associated installation expenses. Furthermore, LEDs have a wide emission angle, which helps provide better illumination of elevator shafts while reducing glare even when viewed directly.

[0009] According to another advantageous design, the lighting device, for example, has an alarm indicator with an optical sensor capable of detecting first and / or second light signals. The alarm indicator can generate an alarm signal corresponding to a first and / or second state of the elevator equipment using the detected first and / or second light signals. The alarm signal can be generated as an audible signal or as a visual signal of one or more defined colors, thus allowing the alarm signal to be immediately perceived in the elevator shaft. If the alarm signal is in the form of a light signal, it can also be generated by the lighting device. In this case, the lighting device is also considered an alarm indicator, or the alarm indicator is considered to be integrated into the lighting device; for example, some LEDs in the lighting device will no longer serve as, or only as, a light source for illuminating the elevator shaft, but can also be used as a light alarm indicator to alert technicians in the elevator shaft. Since the lighting device primarily illuminates the elevator shaft, the color arrangements of the light signals and visual alarm signals of the lighting device are defined differently from each other; for example, the alarm signals are defined according to IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards. The color arrangement of the light signals of the lighting device is explained in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0010] According to another advantageous design, there is another feasible solution to enhance the warning effect of the lighting fixtures: the lighting fixtures can be configured and controlled by the elevator equipment's control unit, allowing the light source to illuminate the elevator shaft according to customer requirements. Such configuration can be controlled by the control unit, for example, automatically according to a time schedule, or it can be executed manually by operating the control unit.

[0011] According to another advantageous design, the lighting fixture can be equipped with two separate power supply circuits. The first power supply circuit is connected to the public power grid, and the second power supply circuit has an energy storage device. The energy storage device can be, for example, a battery cell or a UPS system—an uninterruptible power supply. If the first power supply circuit fails, the second power supply circuit immediately switches on and continues to seamlessly power the lighting fixture. Thus, even in emergencies, such as power outages, the lighting fixture can continue to illuminate the elevator shaft and typically provides dim lighting.

[0012] In addition, a method for illuminating an elevator shaft for an elevator system is provided, wherein the elevator shaft is illuminated by at least one light source in such a way that a first light signal is emitted by the light source when the elevator system is in a first state, and a second light signal is emitted by the light source when the elevator system is in a second state, and the first and second light signals are visually distinguishable from each other.

[0013] In addition, an elevator device is proposed, which has at least one lighting device as described above or can be controlled by the method described above.

[0014] It should be noted that some feasible features and advantages of the present invention are described herein with reference, on the one hand, to different embodiments of the lighting device and on the other hand, to a method for illuminating an elevator shaft for elevator equipment. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these features can be combined, modified, or interchanged in a suitable manner to achieve other embodiments of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0016] in:

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an elevator device according to the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a lighting device according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] exist Figure 1Elevator equipment 2 is shown. In the elevator shaft 4 of elevator equipment 2, the counterweight 12 and the elevator car 11 are supported by a hoist 13. The elevator car 11 moves vertically in the elevator shaft 4 during operation, while the counterweight 12 performs the opposite movement.

[0020] To illuminate the elevator shaft 4, a lighting device 1 for the elevator equipment 2 is provided, wherein the lighting device 1 is equipped with at least one light source. In this embodiment, the lighting device 1 includes, for example, three light sources 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3, which are located in... Figure 1 The light sources are shown in white, gray, and dark gray, respectively. Each light source includes multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The light source 3 or its LEDs form an LED light strip, which extends, for example, along the entire height of the shaft, i.e., from the top of the elevator shaft 4 to the bottom of the shaft pit. However, multiple LED light strips may also be provided, each being, for example, 10 to 20 meters long, and equipped with profile plugs and / or connector plugs at their ends.

[0021] Here, for example, when elevator equipment 2 is set to normal operation mode, the first light source 3.1 illuminates the elevator shaft 4 with a first light signal 3a, while the second light source 3.2, capable of generating a second light signal 3b, illuminates in the inspection mode of elevator equipment 2. Furthermore, by using the two light sources 3.1 and 3.2, and with the aid of another light source 3.3, another state of elevator equipment 2 or the on / off state of safety element 5 of elevator equipment 2 can be indicated. Safety element 5 can be a switch, sensor, or control unit responsible for safety-critical functions of elevator equipment 2. A typical example of safety element 5 is the shaft door switch of elevator equipment 2. By determining the on / off state of the door switch 5, information about whether the shaft door 7 of elevator equipment 2 is open or closed can be obtained in real time.

[0022] Light signals 3a, 3b, and 3c can be emitted in different colors. The color changes when the operating state changes or when the safety element 5 of elevator equipment 2 is activated. The light source 3 or LED strip is equipped with multiple LEDs that can emit different colors. In addition to flexible color selection, the first light source 3.1 can be either turned off or kept on when other light sources 3.2 or 3.3 are activated. Similarly, this also applies to the second light source 3.2 or the third light source 3.3. Therefore, the illumination duration or flashing duration of the light source 3 can be adapted to different hazardous situations to increase the warning effect of the lighting device or expand the warning scope. Specific examples are given in the table below.

[0023] As an example, the lighting device 1 emits light signals alternately in white and orange, such that the first light signal 3.1 and the second light signal 3.2 are switched on and off sequentially. Here, the white light signal 3a and the orange light signal 3b are emitted with the same or different durations and / or quantities, thus the light signals 3a and 3b can be read as optical codes. The alternating flashing white and orange light signals 3a and 3b can indicate danger, specifically, they indicate equal durations: for example, when someone is present in the elevator shaft 4, the counterweight 12 is near the elevator car 11. The presence of a person 15 in the shaft is determined, for example, by the shaft door contact 5 of the shaft door 7 or by a manually operated unlocking key (not shown), which is usually located outside the elevator shaft 4. When the white and orange light signals 3a and 3b are emitted simultaneously but in different quantities, for example, three orange light signals are paired with one white light signal, this indicates, for example, that when the person 15 is on top of the car, the elevator car is moving upwards towards the top floor. The more orange signals given, the more urgent the warning: elevator car 11 is approaching the top floor. When the orange and white light signals 3a and 3b have different durations, the warning indicates, for example, that elevator car 11 is approaching the bottom floor while people are in the shaft pit. The faster the orange signals flash, the more urgent the warning: elevator car 11 is getting closer and closer to the bottom floor. Other combinations of light signals 3a and 3b (e.g., in sequence) can indicate as many other situations as possible. Other possible warnings or messages that can be indicated by LED light strips are shown in detail, but not exhaustively, in the table below as examples.

[0024]

[0025] Furthermore, when personnel 15 are in the elevator shaft 4 and the temporary safety device (not shown) of the elevator equipment 2 is activated, the first light source 3.1 and the third light source 3.2 can generate white flashing light signals 3a and 3c. Such a safety device can be used, for example, as an additional brake or safety retainer, such as a collision stop, to limit the possible movement of the car at the top and bottom of the elevator shaft 4 to maintain sufficient safety space.

[0026] In addition, the lighting device 1 has an alarm indicator 8 with an optical sensor 9. The optical sensor 9 can detect light codes represented by light signals 3a, 3b, and 3c. The alarm indicator 8 can decode the light codes. If the detected light code indicates a dangerous situation, an alarm signal 18 is generated. The alarm signal 18 is generated as an acoustic signal and / or a light signal to directly warn the personnel 15 in the elevator shaft 4 or on the elevator equipment 2 of the corresponding dangerous situation. The acoustic signal can be an audio signal or a voice signal. If the alarm signal is a light signal, the alarm indicator 8 can also use a light source 3 or be formed by a partial LED light strip.

[0027] In this embodiment, the alarm signal 18 is a light signal generated in one or more defined colors. The colors of the alarm signal 18 are determined, for example, by convention according to IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards, and their meanings are given in a table as follows:

[0028]

[0029] Furthermore, the lighting device 1 can be automatically and / or manually configured or controlled by the control unit 6 of the elevator equipment 1. By adapting and freely selecting the on / off state, sequence, and color of the light source 3 to the corresponding usage profile, the lighting device 1 can illuminate the elevator shaft 4 in the customer's preferred color or style.

[0030] Figure 2 The lighting device 1 is shown to be powered by two separate power supply circuits 14a and 14b. The first power supply circuit 14a is connected to the public power grid 17 and can be designed as an independent switching circuit or share the power supply circuit of the elevator equipment 1. Simultaneously, the lighting device 1 provides a second power supply circuit 14b for emergency use. The second power supply circuit 14b incorporates an energy storage device 16, such as a battery cell or UPS system. Even if the first power supply circuit 14a fails, the lighting device 1 continues to be powered by the second power supply circuit 14b. That is, in an emergency, the power supply to the lighting device 1 switches from the first power supply circuit 14a to the second power supply circuit 14b, preventing a power outage. Here, not all LEDs 3 need to be powered, thus reducing the energy consumption of the lighting device. In this case, the elevator shaft 4 remains sufficiently illuminated by emergency lights, even though the emergency lights are weaker than the normal lighting from the lighting device 1, instead of going dark. Therefore, the technicians 15 in the elevator shaft can orient themselves and take steps to escape in the event of a power failure. This provides additional safety for technician 15, whether he is in the pit at the bottom of the shaft or on top of the car.

[0031] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having" and "comprising" do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "one" do not exclude multiple. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of the other embodiments described above. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. A lighting device (1) for an elevator installation (2), which lighting device has at least one light source (3), wherein The lighting device (1) is capable of illuminating the elevator shaft (4) of the elevator installation (2) in such a way that the lighting device (1) is capable of indicating at least two states of the elevator installation (2), wherein, in a first state of the elevator installation (2), the light source (3) is capable of emitting a first light signal (3a) and, in a second state of the elevator installation (2), the light source is capable of emitting a second light signal (3b), and wherein a difference between the first light signal (3a) and the second light signal (3b) is visually visible, wherein the lighting device (1) has an alarm indicator (8) with an optical sensor (9), wherein the optical sensor (9) is capable of detecting the first light signal (3a) and / or the second light signal (3b), and wherein the alarm indicator (8) is capable of generating an alarm signal (18) in a manner corresponding to the first state and / or the second state of the elevator installation (2) by means of the detected first light signal (3a) and / or the second light signal (3b).

2. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first state is a normal operating mode of the elevator installation (2) and the second state is an inspection operating mode or an emergency operating mode of the elevator installation (2).

3. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting device (1) is further capable of indicating at least a first switching state and a second switching state of a safety element (5) of the elevator installation (2).

4. The lighting device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the safety element (5) is a shaft door switch of the elevator installation (2), the first switching state indicating that a shaft door (7) of the elevator installation (2) is open and the second switching state indicating that the shaft door (7) is closed.

5. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first light signal (3a) and the second light signal (3b) are capable of being emitted in different colors.

6. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light source (3) comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) which extend continuously along the elevator shaft (4) and which are capable of forming at least one LED light strip.

7. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting device (1) is capable of being configured and controlled by means of a control unit (6) of the elevator installation (2).

8. The lighting device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting device (1) is capable of being supplied with power by two separate power supply circuits, wherein a first power supply circuit (14a) is connected to a public power grid (17) and a second power supply circuit (14b) has an electrical energy storage (16).

9. A method for illuminating an elevator shaft (4) of an elevator installation (2), wherein The elevator shaft (4) is illuminated by the at least one light source (3) in such a way that, in a first state of the elevator installation (2), a first light signal (3a) is emitted by the light source (3) and, in a second state of the elevator installation (2), a second light signal (3b) is emitted by the light source (3), and the first light signal (3a) and the second light signal (3b) are visually distinguishable from one another, wherein the first light signal (3a) and / or the second light signal (3b) is detected by the optical sensor (9), and, by means of the detected first light signal (3a) and / or second light signal (3b), an alarm signal (18) is generated in a manner corresponding to the first state and / or the second state of the elevator installation (2).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first state is set for a normal operating mode of the elevator installation (2) and the second state is set for an inspection operating mode or an emergency operating mode of the elevator installation (2).

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first light signal (3a) is emitted by the light source (3) in a first switching state of a safety element (5) of the elevator installation (2) and the second light signal (3b) is emitted by the light source (3) in a second switching state of the safety element (5) of the elevator installation (2).

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the first light signal (3a) and the second light signal (3b) are emitted in different colors.

13. An elevator installation (2) having a lighting device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or being controllable by a method according to any one of claims 9 to 12.

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