System for control of inter-car distance within same hoistway

Abstract

The utility model relates to a system for controlling the distance between lift cars in the same hoistway. The system comprises a distance measuring device, a control unit and a car control device. The distance measuring device is electrically connected with the control unit and is configured to detect the distance between two adjacent lift cars and send the detected distance between the lift cars to the control unit, and the control unit is configured to receive the distance between the lift cars from the distance measuring device. The control unit is electrically connected with the lift car control device and is configured to send the distance between the lift cars received from the distance measuring device to the lift car control device. The car control device is configured to receive the inter-car distance from the control unit and control operation of the car based on the inter-car distance. According to the utility model, the distance between the adjacent cars can be accurately measured, and the distance can be adjusted in real time, so that the safe distance between the cars and the operation efficiency are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of elevators, in particular to a system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway. Background Art

[0002] In the traditional elevator system, the elevator has too many stopping floors, which leads to the extension of passenger waiting time and elevator congestion during peak hours. In order to solve this problem, an elevator system with multiple cars in the same vertical shaft is introduced.

[0003] This system allows two or more cars to operate independently in the same shaft. In this system, multiple cars share the guide rails and hall doors, and each car can perform transportation tasks independently. This system improves the transportation capacity of the elevator, reduces passenger waiting time, and improves the efficiency of the elevator. However, in order to ensure the safe operation of multiple cars in the same shaft, the control of the distance between adjacent cars becomes a crucial issue.

[0004] The above statement of background technology is only for facilitating an in-depth understanding of the technical solution of the utility model (such as the technical means used, the technical problems solved and the technical effects produced), and should not be regarded as an admission or any form of implication that the information constitutes prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway, which can accurately measure the distance between adjacent cars and can adjust the distance in real time to ensure a safe distance between the cars.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the utility model, there is provided a system for controlling the distance between cars in the same shaft, which comprises a distance measuring device, a control unit and a car control device; the distance measuring device is electrically connected to the control unit and configured to detect the distance between two adjacent cars and send the detected distance between cars to the control unit, and the control unit is configured to receive the distance between cars from the distance measuring device; the control unit is electrically connected to the car control device and configured to send the distance between cars received from the distance measuring device to the car control device; the car control device is configured to receive the distance between cars from the control unit and control the operation of the car based on the distance between cars.

[0007] The car control device can be configured to compare the distance between the cars with a preset distance threshold, and when it is determined that the distance between the cars is less than the preset distance threshold, send a signal to adjust the running speed or stop position of the first car and / or the second car of the two adjacent cars, or to perform emergency braking on the first car and / or the second car.

[0008] The first car may be located above the second car, and at least one of the distance measuring devices may be arranged outside the car bottom of the first car and / or outside the car top of the second car.

[0009] The distance measuring device may be an image sensor, and the image sensor includes a camera.

[0010] The distance measuring device is a camera, which is configured to: capture images of a first car or a second car as a target from multiple perspectives; perform feature recognition and feature matching on the captured images to extract the target in the image; use three-dimensional reconstruction technology to convert the image into a three-dimensional scene based on external parameters and calibration information of the camera; in the generated three-dimensional scene, based on the known position and posture of the camera and the position of the extracted target, calculate the distance between the camera and the target, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car and the second car.

[0011] The distance measuring device may be a non-image sensor, which includes an infrared sensor, a laser distance measuring device, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0012] The distance measuring device is a non-image sensor, and the non-image sensor is configured to: transmit a corresponding wave, and when the transmitted wave is reflected by the first car or the second car as a target, receive the reflected wave, and calculate the distance between the non-image sensor and the target by the following formula, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car and the second car:

[0013]

[0014] Among them, D 1 is the distance between the non-image sensor and the target, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, t 1 It is the time it takes for a wave to be transmitted from the non-imaging sensor to the target and then reflected from the target back to the non-imaging sensor.

[0015] The first car is located below the second car, and the distance measuring device may include a transmitter of a non-image sensor, a receiver of a non-image sensor and a calculation unit, wherein the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor are respectively arranged on the outside of the bottom of the first car and the outside of the top of the second car; the transmitter of the non-image sensor is configured to transmit a corresponding wave; the receiver of the non-image sensor is configured to receive the wave transmitted by the transmitter of the non-image sensor; the calculation unit is configured to calculate the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor by the following formula, so as to obtain the distance between the first car and the second car:

[0016] D2 =c×t 2

[0017] Among them, D 2 is the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, t 2 is the time it takes for a wave to travel from the transmitter of the non-image sensor to the receiver of the non-image sensor.

[0018] The same hoistway includes only a first car and a second car and the first car is located above the second car. The distance measuring devices are arranged at the top and bottom of the hoistway. The distance measuring device arranged at the bottom of the hoistway is configured to detect the distance between the bottom of the second car and the bottom of the hoistway, and the distance measuring device arranged at the top of the hoistway is configured to detect the distance between the top of the first car and the top of the hoistway; any one of the two distance measuring devices is configured to calculate the distance between the first car and the second car by the following formula:

[0019] D 5 =LD 3 -H 1 -H 2 -D 4

[0020] Among them, D 5 is the distance between the first car and the second car, L is the total length of the shaft, D 3 D is the distance between the bottom of the second car and the bottom of the shaft, 4 is the distance between the top of the first car and the top of the hoistway, H 1 is the height of the first car, H 2 is the height of the second car.

[0021] The distance measuring device can be arranged on the side wall of the first car and / or the second car, the shaft wall, the counterweight or the accompanying cable.

[0022] The utility model adopts the above technical solution, which has the following beneficial effects: the utility model can accurately measure the distance between adjacent cars, and can adjust the distance in real time to ensure a safe distance between the cars and avoid collision between two adjacent cars due to being too close. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The following will describe the exemplary embodiments of the present invention in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clarity, the same components in different drawings are shown with the same reference numerals. It should be noted that the drawings are only for illustration and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In these drawings:

[0024] Figure 1It is a block diagram of a system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the installation position of the distance measuring device on the car according to an exemplary embodiment of the utility model.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The implementation scheme of the utility model is described in detail below. This implementation scheme is implemented on the premise of the technical scheme of the utility model, and a detailed implementation method and specific operation process are given, but the protection scope of the utility model is not limited to the implementation scheme described below.

[0028] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of a system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to the embodiment of the utility model may include a distance measuring device 10, a control unit 20 and a car control device 30. The distance measuring device 10 is electrically connected to the control unit 20, and is configured to detect the distance between two adjacent cars (specifically, the first car 41 and the second car 42), and send the detected distance between cars to the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 is configured to receive the distance between cars from the distance measuring device 10. The control unit 20 is electrically connected to the car control device 30, and is configured to send the distance between cars received from the distance measuring device 10 to the car control device 30. The car control device 30 is configured to receive the distance between cars from the control unit 20, and control the operation of the car based on the distance between cars.

[0029] Specifically, when the car control device 30 controls the operation of the car based on the distance between the cars, the car control device 30 can compare the distance between the cars with a preset distance threshold. When it is determined that the distance between the cars is less than the preset distance threshold, the car control device 30 can adjust the running speed or parking position of the first car 41 and / or the second car 42 (i.e., adjust the scheduling plan of the first car 41 and / or the second car 42), but the utility model is not limited thereto, and the car control device 30 can also adjust other relevant parameters of the first car 41 and / or the second car 42. In addition, the car control device 30 can perform emergency braking on the first car 41 and / or the second car 42.

[0030] Therefore, according to the embodiment of the utility model, the distance measuring device 10 can accurately measure the distance between adjacent cars, and the car control device 30 can adjust the distance in real time to ensure a safe distance between the cars and avoid collision between two adjacent cars due to being too close. Thus, two or more cars can operate independently and safely in the same hoistway, improving the operating efficiency of the elevator system.

[0031] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the installation position of the distance measuring device on the car according to an exemplary embodiment of the utility model. Figure 2 As shown, the first car 41 and the second car 42 are adjacent cars in the same hoistway 50 , and the first car 41 is located above the second car 42 .

[0032] In this case, according to the embodiment of the present invention, at least one distance measuring device 10 is arranged on the outside of the car bottom of the first car 41 and / or on the outside of the car top of the second car 42. Thus, a distance measuring device 10 can be arranged on the outside of the car bottom of the first car 41 and on the outside of the car top of the second car 42. Alternatively, a distance measuring device 10 can be arranged on the outside of the car bottom of the first car 41. Alternatively, a distance measuring device 10 can be arranged on the outside of the car top of the second car 42.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, two distance measuring devices 10 are arranged on the outer side of the bottom of the first car 41, namely the first distance measuring device 11 and the second distance measuring device 12. Two distance measuring devices 10 are arranged on the outer side of the top of the second car 42, namely the third distance measuring device 13 and the fourth distance measuring device 14. The linkage of multiple distance measuring devices 10 can achieve higher distance measurement accuracy. In addition, each of the first distance measuring device 11 to the fourth distance measuring device 14 detects the distance between cars, and the car control device 30 determines whether each received distance between cars is less than a preset distance threshold. This redundant design can reduce the risk of equipment failure.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the control unit 20 can be set corresponding to the number of distance measuring devices 10, and receive the distance between cars from the corresponding distance measuring devices 10. Through such redundant design, the system safety can be improved, the risk of equipment failure can be reduced, and the distance measurement accuracy can be improved.

[0035] In addition, in addition to sending the distance between cars to the car control device 30 through the control unit 20, the distance measuring device 10 can also send the speed information of the first car and / or the second car to the car control device 30 through the control unit 20.

[0036] Specifically, the distance measuring device 10 may be an image sensor or a non-image sensor. The image sensor may include a camera. The non-image sensor may include an infrared sensor, a laser distance measuring device, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0037] In the following, the measuring methods of different types of distance measuring devices 10 are described in detail.

[0038] The distance measuring device 10 may be a camera. When detecting the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42, the camera may use computer vision technology to analyze and process the captured image including the first car 41 or the second car 42, and identify and measure the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42.

[0039] Specifically, the camera can capture images of multiple perspectives of the first car 41 or the second car 42 as the target. The camera extracts the target in the image by performing feature extraction and feature matching on the captured image. The camera can use three-dimensional reconstruction technology to convert the image into a three-dimensional scene based on the external parameters and calibration information of the camera. In the generated three-dimensional scene, based on the known position and posture of the camera and the position of the extracted target, the camera can calculate the distance between the camera and the target, for example, by calculating the distance between the camera and the target through the principle of triangulation. Since the camera is set on the outside of the bottom of the first car and / or the outside of the roof of the second car, the distance between the camera and the target is also the distance between the first car and the second car. This method can improve the accuracy of ranging.

[0040] The distance measuring device 10 may be a non-image sensor. The non-image sensor may include an infrared sensor, a laser distance measuring device, a radar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. The commonality of these non-image sensors is that, in detecting the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42, a corresponding wave may be emitted, and when the emitted wave is reflected by the first car 41 or the second car 42 as a target, the reflected wave may be received. The difference of these non-image sensors is that the emitted waves are different, for example, the wave emitted by the infrared sensor is an infrared beam, the wave emitted by the laser distance measuring device is a laser beam, the wave emitted by the radar sensor is a radio wave, and the wave emitted by the ultrasonic device is an ultrasonic wave.

[0041] Therefore, the non-image sensor can calculate the distance between the non-image sensor and the target by the following formula, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42:

[0042]

[0043] Among them, D 1is the distance between the non-image sensor and the target, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, t 1 It is the time it takes for a wave to be transmitted from the non-imaging sensor to the target and then reflected from the target back to the non-imaging sensor.

[0044] In addition, for the infrared sensor, the infrared sensor can calculate the distance between the infrared sensor and the target by measuring the intensity of the reflected infrared beam.

[0045] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the non-image sensor is used as a transceiver, which can transmit waves and receive waves. In another embodiment, the transmitter for transmitting waves and the receiver for receiving waves of the non-image sensor can be respectively arranged in the first car and the second car, so that the distance between the transmitter and the receiver is the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42.

[0046] Specifically, the distance measuring device 10 may include a transmitter of a non-image sensor, a receiver of a non-image sensor, and a computing unit. Preferably, the computing unit may be integrated with the receiver of the non-image sensor. The transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor are respectively arranged on the outside of the bottom of the first car 41 and the outside of the top of the second car 42. The transmitter of the non-image sensor is configured to transmit a corresponding wave, and the receiver of the non-image sensor is configured to receive the wave transmitted by the transmitter of the non-image sensor.

[0047] The calculation unit may calculate the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor by the following formula, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42:

[0048] D 2 =c×t 2

[0049] Among them, D 2 is the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, t 2 is the time it takes for a wave to travel from the transmitter of the non-image sensor to the receiver of the non-image sensor.

[0050] In a special case, when only the first car 41 and the second car 42 are included in the same hoistway 50 and the first car 41 is located above the second car 42, the distance measuring device 10 can be arranged at the top and the bottom of the hoistway 50. The distance measuring device 10 arranged at the bottom of the hoistway 50 is configured to detect the distance between the bottom of the second car 42 and the bottom of the hoistway 50, and the distance measuring device 10 arranged at the top of the hoistway 50 is configured to detect the distance between the top of the first car 41 and the top of the hoistway 50. Specifically, the distance measuring device 10 can be the above-mentioned image sensor and non-image sensor.

[0051] Any one of the two distance measuring devices 10 can calculate the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42 by the following formula:

[0052] D 5 =LD 3 -H 1 -H 2 -D 4

[0053] Among them, D 5 is the distance between the first cage 41 and the second cage 42, L is the total length of the hoistway 50, and D 3 is the distance between the bottom of the second car 42 and the bottom of the hoistway 50, D 4 is the distance between the top of the first car 41 and the top of the hoistway 50, H 1 is the height of the first cage 41, H 2 is the height of the second cage 42.

[0054] In other embodiments, the distance measuring device 10 can be set on the car side wall, shaft wall, counterweight or accompanying cable of the first car 41 and / or the second car 42, and the distance between the first car 41 and the second car 42 can be obtained by simple position calculation.

[0055] A method for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway utilizes Figure 1 A system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway is shown. Figure 3 Flow chart of a method for controlling the distance between cars in the same shaft. The method for controlling the distance between cars in the same shaft may include the following steps: the distance between the adjacent first car 41 and the second car 42 is detected by the distance measuring device 10, and the detected distance between cars is sent to the control unit 20 (S10). The control unit 20 receives the distance between cars from the distance measuring device 10, and sends the distance between cars received from the distance measuring device 10 to the car control device 30 (S20). The car control device 30 receives the distance between cars from the control unit 20, and controls the operation of the car based on the distance between cars (S30).

[0056] The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to the embodiment of the utility model can accurately measure the distance between adjacent cars and can adjust the distance in real time to ensure the safe distance and operation efficiency between the cars.

[0057] In addition, the system for controlling the distance between cars in the same shaft according to the implementation scheme of the utility model is simple, reliable and economical, and can be easily implemented and used in existing elevator systems with multiple cars in the same shaft (for example, twin elevator systems) to improve the operating safety of the system.

[0058] The various embodiments of the present invention are not an exhaustive list of all possible combinations, but are intended to describe representative aspects of the present invention, and the content described in various embodiments can be applied independently or in combination of two or more.

[0059] The description presented in the above exemplary embodiments is only used to illustrate the technical solution of the utility model, and is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit the utility model to the precise form described. Obviously, it is possible for a person of ordinary skill in the art to make many changes and variations based on the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments are selected and described in order to explain the specific principles of the utility model and its practical application, so that other technicians in the field can easily understand, implement and use the various exemplary embodiments of the utility model and its various selected forms and modified forms. The scope of protection of the utility model is intended to be defined by the attached claims and their equivalent forms.

Claims

1. A system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway, characterized in that: It includes a distance measuring device, a control unit and a car control device; The distance measuring device is electrically connected to the control unit and is configured to detect the distance between two adjacent cars and send the detected distance between the cars to the control unit, and the control unit is configured to receive the distance between the cars from the distance measuring device; The control unit is electrically connected to the car control device and is configured to send the inter-car distance received from the distance measuring device to the car control device; The car control device is configured to receive the inter-car distance from the control unit and control the operation of the cars based on the inter-car distance.

2. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 1, characterized in that: The car control device is configured as follows: The distance between the cars is compared with a preset distance threshold. When it is determined that the distance between the cars is less than the preset distance threshold, a signal is sent to adjust the running speed or stop position of the first car and / or the second car of the two adjacent cars, or to perform emergency braking on the first car and / or the second car.

3. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first car is located above the second car, and at least one of the distance measuring devices is arranged on the outside of the car bottom of the first car and / or on the outside of the car top of the second car.

4. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance measuring device is an image sensor, and the image sensor includes a camera.

5. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 4, characterized in that: The distance measuring device is a camera, and the camera is configured as follows: capturing images of a plurality of perspectives of the first car or the second car as a target; Perform feature recognition and feature matching on the captured images to extract the target in the image; Using 3D reconstruction technology, the image is converted into a 3D scene based on the camera's external parameters and calibration information; In the generated three-dimensional scene, based on the known position and posture of the camera and the position of the extracted target, the distance between the camera and the target is calculated, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car and the second car.

6. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 3, characterized in that: The distance measuring device is a non-image sensor, which includes an infrared sensor, a laser distance measuring device, a radar sensor and an ultrasonic sensor.

7. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 6, characterized in that: The distance measuring device is a non-image sensor, and the non-image sensor is configured as follows: The corresponding wave is emitted, and when the emitted wave is reflected by the first car or the second car as the target, the reflected wave is received, and the distance between the non-image sensor and the target is calculated by the following formula, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car and the second car: Where D1 is the distance between the non-image sensor and the target, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, and t1 is the time it takes for the wave to be emitted from the non-image sensor to the target and then reflected from the target back to the non-image sensor.

8. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first car is located below the second car, and the distance measuring device includes a non-image sensor transmitter, a non-image sensor receiver and a computing unit, and the non-image sensor transmitter and the non-image sensor receiver are respectively arranged on the outside of the car bottom of the first car and the outside of the car top of the second car; The transmitter of the non-image sensor is configured to transmit a corresponding wave; The receiver of the non-image sensor is configured to receive waves transmitted by the transmitter of the non-image sensor; The calculation unit is configured to calculate the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor by the following formula, thereby obtaining the distance between the first car and the second car: D2=c×t2 Wherein, D2 is the distance between the transmitter of the non-image sensor and the receiver of the non-image sensor, c is the propagation speed of the wave in the air, and t2 is the time for the wave to travel from the transmitter of the non-image sensor to the receiver of the non-image sensor.

9. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 2, characterized in that: The same hoistway includes only a first car and a second car and the first car is located above the second car, the distance measuring devices are arranged at the top and the bottom of the hoistway, the distance measuring device arranged at the bottom of the hoistway is configured to detect the distance between the bottom of the second car and the bottom of the hoistway, and the distance measuring device arranged at the top of the hoistway is configured to detect the distance between the top of the first car and the top of the hoistway; Either of the two distance measuring devices is configured to calculate the distance between the first car and the second car by the following formula: D5=L-D3-H1-H2-D4 Among them, D5 is the distance between the first car and the second car, L is the total length of the shaft, D3 is the distance between the bottom of the second car and the bottom of the shaft, D4 is the distance between the top of the first car and the top of the shaft, H1 is the height of the first car, and H2 is the height of the second car.

10. The system for controlling the distance between cars in the same hoistway according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance measuring device is arranged on the side wall of the first car and / or the second car, the wall of the shaft, the counterweight or the accompanying cable.

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