ELEVATOR SYSTEM AND ELEVATOR DOOR CONTROL METHOD

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an elevator system with a shaft door control unit which can directly control a shaft door locking device for unlocking and / or opening and / or closing this shaft door.

[0002] Elevator systems typically comprise an elevator car with a cabin door that travels within an elevator shaft. A cabin door operator is mounted on the elevator car, which is responsible for opening and closing the cabin door. The elevator shaft also has several door openings arranged one above the other, each with a shaft door. When the elevator car stops at or is positioned at one of these shaft doors, the cabin door is mechanically coupled to the shaft door by means of a coupling device located on the cabin door. Thus, the shaft door is passively unlocked / opened / closed. This means that both the cabin door and the shaft door are unlocked / opened / closed exclusively by means of the cabin door operator.This approach was ostensibly determined by the fact that no control electronics were installed on the shaft doors, thus precluding active unlocking of the shaft doors. Installing control electronics on each shaft door would have unreasonably increased the costs of the elevator system.

[0003] Due to technological advancements in electronics and drives, particularly communication electronics and electric motors, a cost-effective solution is now possible: both the cabin door and the shaft door incorporate a locking device solely for unlocking, opening, and closing their respective doors. This reduces the requirements for a mechanically sensitive coupling that unlocks, opens, or closes the shaft door when the cabin door drive is engaged. Nevertheless, it must be ensured that both the cabin door and the shaft door can only open when the cabin door is located at the shaft door and when the elevator car is accessible from the landing with both the shaft door and the cabin door open.

[0004] EP3398899A1 discloses an elevator system according to the preamble of claim 1, comprising a cabin movable between landing stations, with a cabin door opening and an adjustable cabin door, and a controllable cabin door drive configured to adjust the cabin door. The elevator system further comprises an adjustable landing station door provided at at least one of the landing stations in the installed state of the elevator system, a controllable landing station door drive configured to adjust the landing station door, a control device configured to coordinate an adjustment movement of the cabin door and an adjustment movement of the landing station door, and a cabin-side communication unit and a landing station-side communication unit configured for wireless, bidirectional communication with each other.The control device includes a cabin-side control unit connected or connectable to the cabin-side communication unit, which is configured to control and / or regulate the cabin door drive, and a station-side control unit connected or connectable to the station-side communication unit, which is configured to control and / or regulate the station door drive.

[0005] The object of the invention is to develop an improved elevator system which enables a necessary level of safety when the shaft door can be unlocked, opened, or closed by means of a shaft door locking device specifically arranged on the shaft door.

[0006] The problem is solved by an elevator system with an elevator car movable in an elevator shaft, a car door arranged on the elevator car, at least one shaft door arranged at a door opening of the elevator shaft, a shaft door locking device, in particular comprising a shaft door drive (13) for unlocking / closing / opening the shaft door, a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door and a car door signal transmitter arranged on the car door, and a shaft door control unit operatively connected with the shaft door sensor, by which the shaft door control unit of the shaft door locking device can be directly controlled when a car door signal from the car door signal transmitter is received by the shaft door sensor.

[0007] The task is also solved by means of a method for controlling an elevator system comprising a cabin door and a shaft door, comprising the following process steps: Generating a cabin door signal by means of a cabin door signal transmitter arranged on the cabin door, receiving the cabin door signal by means of a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door, wherein the reception of the cabin door signal confirms the presence of the cabin door at the shaft door, transmitting the cabin door signal to a shaft door control unit for unlocking / opening / closing the shaft door, directly controlling a shaft door locking device, in particular a shaft door drive of the shaft door locking device by the shaft door control unit for unlocking / opening / closing the shaft door when the cabin door signal is present.

[0008] The invention is based on the understanding that, when such a shaft door locking device is arranged on the shaft door without mechanical coupling, it must be ensured that the shaft door can only be opened during normal operation when the cabin door is attached to this shaft door. Normal operation in this context means that the elevator cabin is in an operating state that allows the transport of passengers or goods between different floors.

[0009] The shaft door sensor is positioned on the shaft door in such a way that the cabin door signal generated by the cabin door signal transmitter can be received by the shaft door sensor. The shaft door sensor can also be fixed or positioned on one of the elevator walls that laterally define the elevator shaft. In particular, the shaft door sensor can be positioned or positioned directly on the shaft door or on the elevator wall that defines the elevator shaft, on whichever elevator wall the shaft door is located.

[0010] A cabin door signal can be generated by the cabin door signal transmitter located on the cabin door. This cabin door signal can be received by the shaft door sensor when the elevator cabin is positioned at the shaft door. The cabin door signal is transmitted to, or can be transmitted to, the shaft door control unit. The transmission of the information that the cabin door signal has been received by the shaft door sensor is therefore a prerequisite for unlocking and / or opening the shaft door, so that unlocking and / or opening by the shaft door locking device can be implemented immediately. Accordingly, the safety of persons on the floor is ensured when the shaft door is opened – provided the elevator cabin is thus secured.

[0011] The shaft door locking device as described above and below can consist of a shaft door lock and / or an active shaft door drive.

[0012] In one embodiment, the shaft door locking device consists solely of a shaft door lock, whereby the shaft door can be blocked in a closed position by the shaft lock. Advantageously, the shaft door is designed such that the shaft door lock can block the shaft door in a fail-safe manner when closed. This means that the shaft door lock is designed to block the closed shaft door even in the event of a power failure. This can be implemented, for example, with a bolt that moves downwards due to gravity. This bolt can be actively held in a second, non-blocking state, for example, by energizing an electromagnet against gravity. Furthermore, the bolt and the door can be designed such that, when the door is not closed, the bolt is prevented by the door leaf from assuming the blocking position.The bolt can only assume the locked position when the shaft door is closed. If the two described states (locking / non-locking) are monitored by a sensor and the sensor detects the locking state, it can be reliably concluded that the shaft door is closed and the elevator car can move. In all other states (non-locked or no signal (sensor failure)), the movement of the elevator car is blocked. In this embodiment, the shaft door lock, i.e., the electromagnet and the sensor, can be unlocked by directly activating the shaft door control unit upon receiving a car door signal from the car door signal transmitter via the shaft door sensor. The advantage is that the shaft door can only be unlocked when the elevator car is positioned against the shaft door.Therefore, the shaft door cannot be opened if the elevator car is not positioned at the shaft door. Consequently, the safety of people on the floor is ensured, especially if an attempt is made to manually move at least one door leaf of the shaft door from its closed position towards its open position.

[0013] In another embodiment, the shaft door locking device consists solely of a shaft door drive. In this embodiment, each shaft door has its own drive. The drive blocks the opening of the shaft door and, in a second state, actively opens or closes it. The drive thus acts as a shaft door locking device. The drive can be unlocked by directly activating the shaft door control unit upon receiving a car door signal from the car door signal transmitter via the shaft door sensor; that is, it can be switched from the blocking to the moving state. An advantage here is that the shaft door can only be unlocked when the elevator car is positioned at the shaft door. Consequently, opening the shaft door is not possible when the elevator car is not positioned at the shaft door.Consequently, the safety of persons on the floor is ensured, especially when an attempt is made to manually, i.e. by hand, move at least one door leaf of the shaft door from its closed position towards its open position.

[0014] In another embodiment, the shaft door locking device consists of a combination of the two previously mentioned embodiments with bolts and shaft door drive.

[0015] In one embodiment of the elevator system, the shaft door sensor and the car door signal transmitter are arranged on the shaft door in such a way that the car door signal can be received by the shaft door sensor when the car door is located in a door opening zone of the shaft door.

[0016] The elevator car or car door is considered to be located in such a doorway zone when the elevator car can be accessed from the floor with the shaft and car doors open, such that a fall into the elevator shaft from the floor is impossible according to applicable safety regulations. Accordingly, a certain level difference between the floor of the elevator car and the floor surface of the floor is permitted. In the event of, for example, a power outage and an elevator car that is stuck in the elevator shaft, people can be evacuated from the elevator car through the open shaft and car doors, even if the floor of the elevator car is not flush with the floor surface of the floor.

[0017] In one embodiment of the elevator system, the car door signal transmitter is designed as a magnet, in particular as a permanent magnet. The advantage is that a car door signal generated by the car door signal transmitter can be received by the shaft door sensor regardless of prevailing conditions in the elevator shaft. For example, such a magnet is essentially insensitive to extreme heat or cold, contamination, or high humidity.In this embodiment, the shaft door sensor is designed as a magnetic field detector, so that this arrangement of the elevator car near the shaft door. One embodiment of the elevator system comprises a car door drive for closing / opening / unlocking the car door and a car door sensor, which car door sensor is arranged on the car door, and a shaft door signal transmitter, which shaft door signal transmitter is arranged on the shaft door, and a car door control unit operatively connected to the car door sensor, by which the car door control unit can directly control the car door drive for closing / opening the car door upon receiving a shaft door signal from the shaft door signal transmitter by the car door sensor.

[0018] One embodiment of the method comprises the following process steps: Generating a shaft door signal using a shaft door signal transmitter located on the shaft door, receiving the shaft door signal using a cabin door sensor located on the cabin door, transmitting the shaft door signal to a cabin door control unit to open / close the cabin door when the shaft door signal is present.

[0019] The cabin door sensor is therefore located or fixed on the cabin door, or can be located / fixed in the vicinity of the cabin door on the elevator cabin, so that the shaft door signal generated by the shaft door signal transmitter can be received by the cabin door sensor.

[0020] This arrangement allows for the detection of both the elevator car's position at the shaft door via the car door signal and the shaft door's position at the elevator car. Consequently, it is evident that such an arrangement enables increased safety, as each sensor or signal transmitter is subject to a certain probability of error or failure. Therefore, given a specific failure probability of either the car door or shaft door sensor, it can be determined whether the elevator car is indeed positioned at the shaft door detected by the car door sensor. In other words, increased safety is achieved when both the car door signal and the shaft door signal are simultaneously receivable by the shaft door sensor.Furthermore, the shaft door signal can include an identification feature to further increase security.

[0021] One embodiment of the method comprises the following process steps: Transmission of the shaft door signal from the cabin door sensor to the shaft door control unit, immediate activation of the shaft door locking device by the shaft door control unit to open / close the shaft door when the cabin door signal and the shaft door signal are present.

[0022] Accordingly, the shaft door can only be unlocked / opened / closed by means of the shaft door locking device if the cabin door sensor receives the shaft door signal generated by the shaft door signal transmitter in addition to the cabin door signal. Preferably, the shaft door signal has the aforementioned identification feature, so that the shaft door locking device can only unlock / open / close the shaft door if the cabin door sensor receives the shaft door signal from the same shaft door.

[0023] In one embodiment of the elevator system, the car door control unit is operatively linked to the shaft door control unit, and the shaft door locking device can be directly controlled by the shaft door control unit to unlock / close / open the shaft door upon receiving a shaft door signal triggered by the shaft door signal transmitter at the car door sensor. This operative link ensures that the car door is positioned at the shaft door to be opened. Therefore, the shaft door can only be opened if both the shaft door signal and the car door signal indicate that the car door is positioned at the shaft door. This increases safety, as either the car door signal or the shaft door signal could be faulty.

[0024] In one embodiment of the elevator system, the shaft door control unit and the car door control unit are wirelessly connected or connectable. The car door control unit can be located directly on the car door and thus on the elevator car, and the shaft door control unit directly on the shaft door. Consequently, an additional level of safety can be achieved.

[0025] One embodiment of the elevator system comprises a car control unit, an absolute positioning system by means of which a position signal can be transmitted to the shaft door control unit, and / or a braking system for securing the elevator car in the elevator shaft, by means of which a locking signal can be transmitted to the car control unit. To further enhance safety, the position signal and / or the locking signal can be evaluated in such a way that it can be determined whether and where the elevator car is secured within the elevator shaft. This means that, with the car door present at the shaft door, the position of the elevator car can be determined, in particular by means of a car door signal detected by the shaft door sensor and, if applicable, a shaft door signal also detected by the car door sensor, additionally by means of the position signal or the locking signal.The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to figures. These show: . Figure 1: an elevator system with an elevator car that can move within the elevator system, and Figure 2: a schematic representation of the Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a lift system typically located inside buildings.

[0026] The elevator system 1 comprises an elevator car 5 that travels in a typically vertically oriented elevator shaft 3. A car door 7 is arranged on the elevator car 5. The elevator shaft 3 has several door openings 9 arranged one above the other to allow access to individual floors of the building. A shaft door 11 is arranged at each of these door openings 9. If the elevator car 5, or rather the car door 7 attached to the elevator car 5, is located at one of these shaft doors 11, the elevator car 5 is accessible from the floor corresponding to the shaft door 11 when the car door 7 and the shaft door 11 are open.

[0027] Cabin door 7 has a cabin door drive 35 and a cabin door signal transmitter 17. Each of the shaft doors 11 has a shaft door drive 13. Each of these shaft door drives 13 is assigned a shaft door control unit 19, by which the shaft door control unit 19 can directly control the shaft door drive 13 assigned to it. By controlling the shaft door drive 13, the shaft door 11 assigned to the shaft door drive 13 can be unlocked, opened, and closed.

[0028] A shaft door sensor 15 is arranged at each of the shaft doors 11 such that the cabin door signal generated by the cabin door signal transmitter 17 can be received by the shaft door sensor 15 when the elevator cabin 5 is in the corresponding position. Accordingly, the shaft door sensor 15 of each of the shaft doors 11 is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit 19 of the same shaft door 11.

[0029] The cabin door signal transmitter 17, preferably designed as a magnet, in particular as a permanent magnet, generates a cabin door signal which can therefore be received by the shaft door sensor 15 when the elevator cabin 5 is positioned at the shaft door 11 associated with the shaft door sensor 15. The shaft door sensor 15 is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit 19, so that the cabin door signal can be transmitted to, or is transmitted to, the shaft door control unit 19.

[0030] The elevator system 1 further comprises a cabin door control unit 31, preferably fixed to the elevator car 5, and may include a cabin door sensor 29, which is arranged on the elevator car 5 or on the cabin door 7. The cabin door sensor 29 can receive a shaft door signal generated by a shaft door signal transmitter 33.

[0031] Each shaft door 11 can be equipped with a shaft door signal transmitter 33 assigned to that shaft door 11. Furthermore, the elevator car 5 has an absolute positioning system 37, which is designed, for example, as a laser positioning system, and a braking system 39.

[0032] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of the in Figure 1The elevator system 1 shown in the schematic diagram depicts the shaft door control unit 19 and the car door control unit 31. The shaft door control unit 19 and the car door control unit 31 are operatively connected to each other, preferably wirelessly. The absolute position system 37 and the braking system 39 for securing the elevator car 5 are also shown. The absolute position system 37 generates a position signal at all times or periodically. This position signal contains information about the location of the elevator car 5 in the elevator shaft 3. The braking system 39, which includes a parking brake, generates a locking signal when the elevator car 5 is secured in the elevator shaft 3. Thus, the locking signal is generated when the parking brake is engaged and, consequently, the elevator car 5 can no longer move within the elevator shaft 3.

[0033] The position signal can be transmitted to the shaft door control unit 19. The hold-open signal can be transmitted to the car door control unit 31. The car door signal, the position signal, and the hold-open signal can be received and evaluated by the shaft door control unit 19. If the evaluation shows that the elevator car 5 is both positioned and held in place at the shaft door 11 assigned to the shaft door control unit 19, the shaft door drive 13 assigned to the shaft door control unit 19 can be directly controlled to open the shaft door 11.

[0034] Additionally, the shaft door signal can be transmitted from the cabin door control unit 31 to the shaft door control unit 19 for further evaluation. If the evaluation shows that the shaft door signal can be assigned to the shaft door 11 of the shaft door drive 13 to be controlled, a higher level of safety can be achieved by means of such an evaluation.

Claims

1. An elevator system (1) comprising - a cabin (5) which can travel in an elevator shaft (3), - a cabin door (7) arranged on the cabin (5), - at least one shaft door (11) arranged on a door opening (9) of the elevator shaft (3), - a shaft door locking device, in particular comprising a shaft door drive (13), to unlock and / or close and / or open the shaft door (11), characterized by - a shaft door sensor (15) arranged on the shaft door (11) and a cabin door signal transmitter (17) arranged on the cabin door (7), and - a shaft door control unit (19) operatively connected to the shaft door sensor (15), which shaft door control unit (19) can directly actuate the shaft door locking device (13) when a cabin door signal of the cabin door signal transmitter (17) is received by the shaft door sensor (15).

2. The elevator system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft door sensor (15) is arranged on the shaft door (11) and the cabin door signal transmitter (17) is arranged on the cabin door (7) in such a way that the signal of the cabin door signal transmitter (17) can be received by the shaft door sensor (15) when the cabin door (7) is positioned in a door opening zone (25) of the shaft door (15).

3. The elevator system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cabin door signal transmitter (17) is designed as a magnet (27), in particular as a permanent magnet.

4. The elevator system (1) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a cabin door drive (35) for closing and / or opening and / or unlocking the cabin door (7) and a cabin door sensor (29), which cabin door sensor (29) is arranged on the cabin door (7), and a shaft door signal transmitter (33), which shaft door signal transmitter (33) is arranged on the shaft door (11), and a cabin door control unit (31) operatively connected to the cabin door sensor (29), by means of which cabin door control unit (31) the cabin door drive (35) can be directly actuated to close and / or open and / or unlock the cabin door (7) when the cabin door sensor (29) receives shaft door signal of the shaft door signal transmitter (33).

5. The elevator system (1) according to claim 4, wherein the cabin door control unit (31) is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit (19), and the shaft door locking device (13) can be directly actuated by the shaft door control unit (19) to unlock and / or close and / or open the shaft door (11) when the cabin door sensor (29) receives a shaft door signal triggered by the shaft door signal transmitter (33).

6. The elevator system (1) according to either claim 4 or claim 6, wherein the shaft door control unit (19) and the cabin door control unit (31) can be connected to one another in a wireless manner.

7. The elevator system (1) according to any of claims 4 to 6, comprising a cabin control unit (31), an absolute position system (37), by means of which absolute position system (37) a position signal can be transmitted to the shaft door control unit (19), and a brake system (39) for arresting the cabin (5) in the elevator shaft (3), by means of which brake system (39) an arrest signal can be transmitted to the cabin control unit (31).

8. The elevator system (1) according to claim 7, comprising an evaluation unit (41) designed for the simultaneous evaluation of at least two of the signals from the list of the arrest signal, the position signal, the cabin door signal, and the shaft door signal.

9. A method for controlling a cabin door (7) and a shaft door (11) of an elevator system (1), characterized by the following method steps: - generating a cabin door signal by means of a cabin door signal transmitter (17) arranged on the cabin door (7), - receiving the cabin door signal (17) by means of a shaft door sensor (15) arranged on the shaft door (11), - transmitting the cabin door signal to a shaft door control unit (19) to open and / or close and / or unlock the shaft door (11), - directly actuating a shaft door locking device (13), by the shaft door control unit (19), to unlock and / or open and / or close the shaft door (11) when the cabin door signal is present.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising the following method steps: - generating a shaft door signal by means of a shaft door signal transmitter (33) arranged on the shaft door (11), - receiving the shaft door signal by means of a cabin door sensor (29) arranged on the cabin door (7), - transmitting the shaft door signal to a cabin door control unit (31) to open and / or close and / or unlock the cabin door (7) when the shaft door signal is present.

11. The method according to claim 11, comprising the following method steps: - transmitting the shaft door signal from the cabin door sensor (29) to the shaft door control unit (19), - directly actuating the shaft door lock (13) by the shaft door control unit (19) to unlock and / or open and / or close the shaft door (11) when the cabin door signal and the shaft door signal are present.