Safety device for controlling safety-related UCM and UDM functions in an elevator installation

Abstract

A safety device (13) for controlling a safety-related function in an elevator installation (1) and an elevator installation (1) equipped with such a safety device are introduced. The safety device (13) is configured to prevent an accidental travel movement of a car (3) of the elevator installation (1) by manipulating at least one second component (21) of the elevator installation (1), such as a brake (23), based on an input signal from at least one first component (15) of the elevator installation (1) representing information about the current conditions within the elevator installation (1), such as the current position and speed of the car (3), and to prevent an accidental movement of a car door (43) by manipulating at least one third component (25) of the elevator installation (1), such as a door drive (27). Thereby, both the UCM function and the UDM function are implemented in the safety device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device for controlling safety - relevant functions in an elevator installation and an elevator installation equipped therewith. Background Art

[0002] With the aid of an elevator installation, persons can be transported vertically in a car between different floors of a building. Here, very high safety requirements must be met. For example, it must be ensured that the car, sometimes also referred to as the elevator cage, does not move accidentally when its door is not properly closed. In addition, it should be ensured that the door of the car does not open or close accidentally.

[0003] EP2583928A1, EP2477925A1 and CN109650210A disclose devices and methods by means of which accidental movement of the car in an elevator installation can be avoided. Summary of the Invention

[0004] There is mainly a need for a safety device and an elevator installation equipped with such a safety device, by means of which, on the one hand, the safe operation of the elevator installation can be ensured, and on the other hand, it can be installed simply, reliably and / or inexpensively.

[0005] This need can be met by a safety device and an elevator installation according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a safety device for controlling safety - relevant functions in an elevator installation. Here, the safety device is configured to control at least one second component of the elevator installation based on an input signal from at least one first component of the elevator installation (which represents information about the current conditions within the elevator installation) in such a way that accidental movement of the car of the elevator installation is prevented, and at least one third component of the elevator installation is controlled in such a way that accidental movement of the car door is prevented.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator installation, which at least comprises the following components:

[0008] At least one first component, which is configured to provide an input signal representing information about the current conditions within the elevator installation,

[0009] At least one second component, which is configured to prevent accidental movement of the car of the elevator installation in response to the reception of a first control signal,

[0010] at least one third component, which is configured to prevent an accidental movement of a car door of a car of an elevator installation in response to receipt of a second control signal, and

[0011] a safety device according to a first aspect of the invention, which is configured to control at least one second component and at least one third component respectively based on input signals from at least one first component.

[0012] Feasible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention can be considered to be based on the concepts and cognitions introduced below, but do not constitute a limitation to the invention.

[0013] In an elevator installation, a car door is used to selectively open or lock an entrance to a car by opening or closing one or more door leaves of the car door. For this purpose, the car door usually has an actuator, for example an electric motor, in order to be able to move the door leaves. This actuator is usually controlled by a very simple "dumm" actuator controller. For example, when receiving an activation signal indicating that the car door should be opened or closed, the actuator controller controls the current supplied to the actuator in such a way that the door leaves move into the open configuration or into the closed configuration with a suitable force and / or speed. Here, the activation signal is usually generated by an elevator controller, which monitors the operation of the entire elevator installation and controls the individual components of the elevator installation accordingly by means of the activation signal. For example, the elevator controller can use the information it has to identify that the car has moved to a desired floor and stopped there, and can then emit an activation signal according to which the car door can be opened so that passengers can enter the car.

[0014] In order to maximize the safety during operation of an elevator installation, additional monitoring entities are provided in many elevator installations to avoid an accidental movement of the car door. Such an accidental movement is usually referred to as UDM (English: unintended door movement). For example, if an activation signal is generated in the elevator controller due to a functional failure or due to incorrect information about the current state of the elevator, this may lead to an accidental movement of the car door, although for the actual current state of the elevator installation, for example, the car door should not be allowed to be opened because the car is currently moving.

[0015] A device for preventing an accidental movement of the car door (hereinafter referred to as UDM function) can, for example, analyze the activation signal transmitted to the actuator controller of the car door with regard to its credibility. Here, for example, based on other available information, it can be monitored whether it is allowed to open or close the car door in the current operating situation and whether the activation signal to be transmitted to the car door actuator controller should actually be forwarded to this actuator controller, or whether this activation signal should be filtered out due to lack of credibility.

[0016] Typically, a device that performs the UDM function (hereinafter referred to as the UDM device) is generally connected as a separate structural component to a device that generates an activation signal (i.e., an elevator controller on the one hand) and an actuator controller that ultimately receives the activation signal on the other hand. Thus, if necessary, the UDM device can block the forwarding of the activation signal, i.e., especially when the activation signal has been recognized as not being sufficiently reliable.

[0017] For the reliability check, the UDM device can receive signals or information from sensors or other components of the elevator equipment, for example, which enables the derivation of the current feasibility of the door movement of the traveling basket. For example, the UDM device can identify the situation where the traveling basket is at the height of a floor and remains there by means of switches or other sensors appropriately arranged along the travel path of the traveling basket. If necessary, the UDM device can also identify the situation where the traveling basket is located in the so-called door zone by means of additional switches or other sensors, i.e., it is already very close to the desired target height where it meets the floor within an acceptable height tolerance range. As part of the reliability check, it can then be checked whether the traveling basket is currently stopped on a floor so that the traveling basket door can be opened, or at least approaches such a target position within the height tolerance range so that the traveling basket door is allowed to start opening when approaching the target position.

[0018] Although it is desirable to perform the UDM function in elevator equipment in most applications, it has been recognized that the implementation of UDM devices used for this purpose to date may lead to disadvantages. For example, providing a separate UDM device generally results in an increase in the cost and effort of providing and installing the device. Connecting the UDM device between, for example, an elevator controller and an actuator controller and, if necessary, arranging the UDM device away from other components may also lead to an increase in signal transmission time, i.e., the duration between generating an activation signal in the elevator controller and receiving this activation signal in the actuator controller may increase. This may, for example, result in the traveling basket door opening too late when the traveling basket approaches the target position, or the traveling basket door closing too late when the traveling basket leaves the target position. In addition, additional cable costs and installation costs for laying may result from connecting the UDM device. Furthermore, it has been observed that the operator or customer of the elevator equipment may misunderstand the existence of a separate UDM device, they may not understand its exact function, and may be concerned that the elevator equipment itself may not be safe, thus requiring additional safety devices.

[0019] The safety device proposed herein addresses at least some of these disadvantages. For this purpose, it is proposed that the UDM function should not be implemented in a separate device, but should be integrated into a device provided for other purposes in each elevator equipment.

[0020] In particular, it is proposed to integrate the UDM function into a device that is used in an elevator installation to reliably prevent the car from making an unintended movement. For example, during the operation of an elevator installation, it must always be ensured that the car moves only when it is allowed to move without risk. For example, as long as the car door or the landing door has not been properly closed and latched, the car should never move, especially to ensure that people passing through such a door are not injured by the moving car. Preventing the unintended movement of the car is also referred to as the UCM function (English: unintended car movement). Regulations such as the European standard EN81:20 or the American standard A17 stipulate that elevator installations must implement the UCM function to avoid serious accidents caused by the unintended movement of the car. Therefore, each elevator installation has a UCM device.

[0021] Such a UCM device is configured to receive appropriate input signals, for example, from sensors, switches or other components of the elevator installation, where the input signal represents information about the current conditions within the elevator installation. For example, the input signal can represent the current position of the car, whether the car is currently moving or stopped at a floor, the speed and direction of the car's movement, whether the car door and / or the landing door is open, closed, about to open or about to close, and so on. In particular, the input signal can represent all the information that must be monitored according to applicable regulations in order to reliably prevent the car from making an unintended movement.

[0022] The UCM device is also configured to control one or more other components of the elevator installation, taking into account the input signals it has already received, so as to ultimately prevent the unintended movement of the car. For example, the UCM device can control the brake to brake the car in order to prevent the car from making an unintended movement in this way. In addition, the UCM device can control the drive unit, which is designed to move the car along the travel path, where the UCM device can, for example, interrupt the power supply to the drive unit when an unintended movement is detected.

[0023] The UCM device is generally designed as a very safe structural component. For example, the UCM device is generally designed such that it meets high safety requirements such as the safety integrity level (SIL) 3. To this end, monitoring measures and / or redundancy can be provided in the UCM device, by means of which functional failures can be identified or prevented, and accidents can also be avoided.

[0024] Now it is proposed to integrate the device that performs the UDM function into the UCM device that is originally to be provided in the elevator installation. In other words, a single safety device should be configured to perform the UCM function and the UDM function.

[0025] Here, it is advantageous that the signals and data that are normally required by the UCM device and received from sensors or other components of the elevator installation can be used to perform the UCM function and generally need to sufficiently contain information about the conditions currently present in the elevator installation so that the UDM function can also be implemented with the aid of this information. In other words, the kinematic information about the current position and current speed of the car received as an input signal from the UCM device can also be used to perform the UDM function because this information can be used to determine, for example, whether the car is currently in a parked position or in a door zone near the parked position. In addition, based on the information mentioned, in particular based on the current speed and acceleration of the car, it can be used to determine whether the car is stopped at a nearby floor position or is passing by that floor position. The information mentioned is generally necessary and sufficient for determining whether the car door can be safely opened and can thus be used to perform the UDM function, for example, to check the credibility of the activation signal to be transmitted to the car door actuator controller and, if the credibility is lacking, to filter out the activation information if necessary.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the safety device has at least the following structural components:

[0027] A signal input interface for receiving input signals from at least one first component of the elevator installation,

[0028] A signal processing unit for processing the input signals and generating first and second control signals respectively based on the input signals, and

[0029] A control unit for controlling at least one second component of the elevator installation based on the generated first control signal and for controlling at least one third component of the elevator installation based on the generated second control signal.

[0030] The signal input interface can receive an input signal from the first component. To this end, the signal input interface can, for example, have an electrical connection section through which the signal input interface can be connected to the first component. Alternatively, the signal input interface can communicate wirelessly with the first component, and for this purpose, for example, send radio signals to the first component and / or receive radio signals from the first component. The signal processing unit can process the input signal received via the signal input interface in order to generate a first control signal and a second control signal based on this input signal. The control unit can then use these control signals to perform the UDM function and the UCM function. Here, the control unit can transmit the first control signal to the second component, and the second component performs the UCM function by means of this. If necessary, the control unit or the safety device can have a first signal output interface for this purpose. As a supplement, the control unit can transmit the second control signal to the third component for performing the UDM function by means of the second control signal. For this purpose, the control unit or the safety device can have a second signal output interface.

[0031] According to one embodiment, at least one first component provides an input signal representing the current position and current speed of the traveling basket of the elevator installation.

[0032] To this end, the elevator installation can, for example, have one or more sensors as at least one first component, by means of which the current position of the traveling basket within the elevator installation can be determined. For this purpose, a plurality of markers can be provided in the elevator installation, for example, which encode the position of the markers and can be read, for example, by sensors fixed to the traveling basket. For example, magnetizable tapes can be arranged along the travel path of the traveling basket and the position information can be stored magnetically on the tapes. However, the position of the traveling basket can also be determined in various other ways, for example, by presence sensors, gratings, local or global positioning systems (GPS), barometric pressure sensors for measuring altitude-related air pressure, etc. installed along the travel path.

[0033] By analyzing the change in the current position of the traveling basket, conclusions can also be drawn about its current speed. Alternatively or additionally, the elevator installation can have means by which the speed of the traveling basket, in particular overspeeding, can be detected.

[0034] According to a specific embodiment, at least one first component can provide an input signal that represents the current position and current speed of the corresponding traveling basket of the elevator installation at each feasible position along the travel path of the traveling basket and at each time point during the operation of the corresponding elevator installation.

[0035] In other words, at least one first component can provide information about the current position and current speed of the car, rather than just for specific operating conditions of the car, such as in the floor position or in the door area near the floor position. Instead, the first component should preferably be able to determine the current position and speed of the car for each possible operating condition assumed by the elevator installation, i.e., for each possible position of the car along the permitted travel path. Here, it should preferably be possible to represent this information at any point in time during the operation of the elevator installation based on an input signal from the first component.

[0036] According to one embodiment, at least one second component includes a brake that is configured to brake or prevent the travel movement of the car.

[0037] For example, the second component can be a brake, in particular an emergency brake, which is mounted on the car or can interact with the suspension that moves the car, and can brake the car or prevent the travel movement quickly and effectively during the displacement movement by means of this device. By enabling such a brake to be activated by sending a first control signal from the safety device, the safety device can perform the UCM function and prevent accidental travel movement of the car.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the at least one third component includes a door drive that is configured to move the door leaves of the car door between an open and a closed configuration.

[0039] Here, the door drive can include the actuator already mentioned at the beginning and an actuator controller for the car door. By enabling the door drive to be activated or deactivated by sending a second control signal from the safety device, the safety device can perform the UDM function and prevent accidental movement of the car door.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the safety device can be configured to act as a filter entity to transmit the door control signal transmitted by the elevator controller of the elevator installation to the door drive in relation to the input signal or to filter it out, the door drive being configured to move the door leaves of the car door between an open and a closed configuration.

[0041] In other words, the safety device introduced here can be connected between the elevator controller and the door drive of the running basket door in a similar way to a traditional UDM device, such that the door control signal generated by the elevator controller must first pass through the safety device as an activation signal. After that, the door control signal is finally forwarded from the safety device to the door drive or its actuator controller. Therefore, the safety device can be used as a filter entity. For this purpose, the safety device can check the credibility of the door control signal to be transmitted by analyzing these door control signals in consideration of the information available to it in the input signals transmitted to it. Only when the door control signal appears credible in terms of the information derived from the input signal about the current conditions within the elevator equipment, the door control signal is transmitted as a second control signal to the third component of the elevator equipment for the UDM function. However, if the credibility is lacking, the door control signal is filtered out, thus preventing accidental movement of the running basket door.

[0042] According to one embodiment, all the components constituting the safety device are integrated in a common housing in a way that forms a single unit.

[0043] In other words, for generating and transmitting the first control signal to perform the UCM function, and for generating and transmitting the second control signal to perform the UDM function, the signal input interface, the signal processing unit, and the control unit, as well as the possibly existing signal output interface, are all housed in a common housing, thus forming a unified structural component. This safety device designed as a unit can be easily installed in the elevator equipment and wired when necessary.

[0044] It should be noted that some feasible features and advantages of the present invention are introduced herein with reference to different embodiments of the safety device on the one hand and to the elevator equipment equipped with this safety device on the other hand. Those skilled in the art recognize that these features can be combined, modified, or exchanged in a suitable manner to achieve further embodiments of the present invention. Description of the Drawings

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the drawings and the description should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0046] Figure 1 An elevator equipment with a safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0047] This figure is merely schematic and not to scale. The same reference numerals denote the same features or features with the same effects. Detailed Embodiments

[0048] Figure 1 An elevator equipment 1 with a safety device 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0049] The elevator installation 1 includes a traveling cage 3 which is movable along a vertical traveling path 7 in an elevator shaft 5. Here, the traveling cage 3 is moved by a traveling cage drive 9, the operation of which is controlled by an elevator controller 11.

[0050] The traveling movement of the traveling cage 3 can be braked or blocked by means of a brake 23 mounted on the traveling cage 3. For this purpose, the brake 23 can, for example, have brake shoes which are fixed to the traveling cage 3 and thus move with the traveling cage. The brake shoes can cooperate with a braking surface fixedly provided in the elevator shaft 5, for example the surface of a guide rail, and thus brake the traveling cage 3 in a controlled and effective manner by means of friction.

[0051] The traveling cage 3 has a traveling cage door 43 in order to be able to selectively open or block the access to the interior of the traveling cage 3. In the example shown, the traveling cage door 43 has two door leaves 45 here, which can be opened and closed by means of a door drive 27. For this purpose, the door drive 27 has an actuator 29, for example an electric motor, the operation of which can be controlled by an actuator controller 31.

[0052] In order to be able to ensure the safe operation of the elevator installation 1, a UCM function for preventing an accidental traveling movement of the traveling cage 3 and a UDM function for preventing an accidental movement of the traveling cage door 43 are implemented therein. Here, the UCM function and the UDM function are both carried out together in a safety device 13, that is to say the safety device 13 is designed as a unit in which all the components for carrying out the UCM function and the UDM function are accommodated in a common housing 47. Here, the safety device 13 is preferably designed such that it meets the statutory or regulatory safety requirements for carrying out the UCM function. In particular, the safety device 13 is preferably designed such that it corresponds to a high safety level, for example a safety integrity level SIL3.

[0053] For this purpose, the safety device 13 can correspond to at least one first component 15 from which the safety device can receive an input signal. The input signal can represent information about the current conditions within the elevator installation 1.

[0054] In the example shown, one of the first components 15 is implemented by means of a magnetic tape 17 and a magnetic tape reader 19. Here, the magnetic tape 17 runs vertically through the elevator shaft 5 along the entire travel path 7. Information is stored on the magnetic tape 17, which encodes the position within the elevator shaft 5 for each of a large number of segments of the magnetic tape 17. The magnetic tape reader 19 can read this information. Since the magnetic tape reader 19 is mounted on the travel basket 3, the current position of the travel basket 3 can be determined in this way. In addition, the current speed of the travel basket 3 can be inferred by analyzing the time-related changes of these positions. Thus, information about the current position and the current speed of the travel basket 3 can be transmitted as an input signal to the safety device 13. Here, the input signal can be received from the signal input interface 33 of the safety device 13. For this purpose, the first component 15, which is the magnetic tape reader 19 in the example shown, can be connected to the signal input interface 33 of the safety device 13 by wire or transmit its signal wirelessly to the signal input interface 33.

[0055] Another component in the first component 15 can be implemented, for example, in the form of a door sensor 47. The door sensor 49 can detect whether the travel basket door 43 is fully closed and latched. Then, information about the closed state of the travel basket door 43 can also be transmitted to the signal input interface 33 of the safety device 13.

[0056] As a supplement to or as an alternative to the first component 15 introduced as an example, other sensors, etc. can be used as the first component 15 to collect information about the current conditions in the elevator installation 1, in particular information about the position, speed, travel direction, occupancy rate, etc. of the travel basket 3 and information about the current situation of the travel basket door 3, such as its closed state, the movement direction of the door leaf 45, etc.

[0057] Then, the received input signal can be processed in the safety device 13 by the signal processing unit 35. Here, the signal processing unit 35 can generate a first control signal and a second control signal based on these input signals.

[0058] Then, the first and second control signals thus generated can be used by the control unit 37 of the safety device 13 to control the second component 21 and the third component 25 in the elevator installation 1. For this purpose, the control unit 37 can transmit the first control signal to the second component 21, for example, via the first signal output interface 39 in order to perform the UCM function in this way, that is, to prevent the travel basket 3 from moving accidentally. As a supplement, the control unit 37 can transmit the second control signal to the third component 25, for example, via the second signal output interface 41 to perform the UDM function, that is, to prevent the travel basket door 43 from moving accidentally.

[0059] In the example shown, the second component 21 includes, for this purpose, a brake 23 on the travel basket 3. As long as the safety device 13, for example based on input signals received from the door sensor 47, on the one hand recognizes that the travel basket door 43 is not fully closed and, on the other hand, based on input signals received from the tape reader 19 detects that the travel basket 3 is moving along the travel path 7, the safety device 13 can activate the brake 23 and in this way stop the accidental travel movement of the travel basket 33.

[0060] In the example shown, the third component 25 includes a door drive 27 on the travel basket door 43. If, for example, a door control signal should be sent by the elevator controller 11 to the travel basket door 43 (based on which the travel basket door 43 should be opened or closed), this door control signal is not transmitted directly to the door drive 27. Instead, the safety device 13 is connected as a filter entity between the elevator control device 11 and the door drive 27. First, the credibility of the door control signal is checked in the safety device 13. For this purpose, the safety device 13 can, for example, use the input signals received at the signal input interface 33 to identify the current position of the travel basket 3 and whether the travel basket is moving or at what speed it is moving. Only if it can be seen from this position information and speed information that, for example, the travel basket 3 is either directly at a floor position or in a door zone near a floor position and the current speed is appropriately reduced so that the travel basket stops at the floor position, is a door control signal indicating, for example, that the travel basket door 43 is to be opened considered to be credible or reasonable. Only when such credibility is recognized is the door control signal not filtered out by the safety device 13 but forwarded to the door drive 27. Then, the actuator controller 31 of the door drive 27 can supply power to the actuator 29 appropriately to open the door leaf 45 of the travel basket door 43.

[0061] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprising", "including" do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "one" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that features or steps introduced with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of the other above exemplary embodiments. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. A safety device (13) for controlling safety - relevant functions in an elevator installation (1), wherein, the safety device (13) is configured to, based on an input signal from at least one first component (15) of the elevator installation (1) representing information about the current conditions within the elevator installation (1), be used for: manipulating at least one second component (21) of the elevator installation (1) such that an unexpected travel movement of the travel car (3) of the elevator installation (1) is prevented, and manipulating at least one third component (25) of the elevator installation (1) such that an unexpected movement of the car door (43) is prevented, wherein all components forming the safety device (13) are integrated in a common housing (47) in a way that forms a unit.

2. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein, the safety device (13) has: a signal input interface (33) for receiving an input signal from at least one first component (15) of the elevator installation (1), a signal processing unit (35) for processing the input signal and generating a first control signal and a second control signal respectively based on the input signal, and a control unit (37) for controlling at least one second component (21) of the elevator installation (1) based on the generated first control signal and for controlling at least one third component (25) of the elevator installation (1) based on the generated second control signal.

3. The safety device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the at least one first component (15) provides an input signal representing the current position and current speed of the travel car (3) of the elevator installation (1).

4. The safety device according to claim 3, wherein, the at least one first component (15) provides an input signal representing: the current position and current speed of the travel car (3) of the elevator installation (1) corresponding to each feasible position of the travel car (3) along the travel path (7) of the travel car (3) and corresponding to each point in time during the operation of the elevator installation (1).

5. The safety device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the at least one second component (21) includes a brake (23), which is configured to brake or prevent the travel movement of the travel car (3).

6. The safety device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the at least one third component (25) includes a door drive (27), which is configured to shift the door leaves (45) of the car door (43) between an open configuration and a closed configuration.

7. The safety device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the safety device (13) is configured as a filter entity for: transmitting the door control signal transmitted by the elevator controller (11) of the elevator installation (1) to the door drive (27) configured to shift the door leaves (45) of the car door (43) between an open configuration and a closed configuration in association with the input signal or filtering it out.

8. An elevator installation (1), comprising: At least one first component (15), the first component being configured to provide an input signal representing information about current conditions within the elevator installation (1). At least one second component (21), the second component being configured to prevent an accidental travel movement of the car (3) of the elevator installation (1) in response to the receipt of a first control signal. At least one third component (25), the third component being configured to prevent an accidental movement of the car door (43) of the car (3) of the elevator installation (1) in response to the receipt of a second control signal, and A safety device (13) according to any one of the preceding claims, for controlling at least one second component (21) and at least one third component (25) respectively based on an input signal from at least one first component (15).

Images