Method for switching off the operation of an elevator, and elevator controller

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for switching off the operation of an elevator, comprising the following features: - receiving, by an elevator controller, of a signal for shutting down the elevator operation, wherein the received signal contains information on the point in time of an announced power failure, - after the signal for shutting down the elevator operation has been received, bringing the elevator controller into a switch-off mode, - checking in the switch-off mode by the elevator controller whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in an inoperative state, - if the elevator is in the inoperative state, outputting a command by the elevator controller to switch off the elevator operation, - if the elevator is in an active state and a door (7) of an elevator car (6) has not automatically opened within the predetermined time span, a battery-supported emergency operating mode and / or a forced evacuation operating mode of the elevator controller (1) are or is initiated. The invention also relates to an elevator controller.

Description

[0001] Method for shutting down the operation of an elevator and elevator control

[0002] The invention relates to a method for switching off the operation of an elevator and an elevator control.

[0003] In view of the possibility of a power supply shutdown, it is necessary to ensure that when an elevator is shut down, no passengers are trapped in an elevator car with the elevator door closed and cannot leave the elevator car.

[0004] To avoid such a situation, it is already known to equip an elevator with a battery-assisted emergency operation mode which, in the event of a sudden power failure, allows the elevator to continue operating for a limited period of time so that passengers in an elevator car can reach a floor at which the elevator door opens automatically, allowing the passengers to disembark and, for example, leave the building in which the elevator is located on foot via the stairwell without difficulty.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of specifying a method for switching off the operation of an elevator and an elevator control system in which the time of switching off the power supply or the like is known at least approximately in advance.

[0006] This object is achieved by a method having the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are specified in the dependent claims. The subject matter of claim 12 is an elevator control system.

[0007] The method for switching off the operation of an elevator specified in claim 1 provides the following features:

[0008] - Receiving, by an elevator control, a signal to shut down the elevator operation,

[0009] - after receiving the signal to shut down the elevator operation, putting the elevator control into a shutdown mode,

[0010] - Checking in shutdown mode by the elevator control whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a rest state,

[0011] - if the elevator is in idle mode, the elevator control system issues a command to switch off the elevator operation.

[0012] In the method according to the invention, after receiving a signal to shut down elevator operation, the elevator control system is first placed into a shutdown mode. In this shutdown mode, a check is performed to determine whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a standby state. If the elevator is in a standby state, the elevator control system issues a command to shut down elevator operation.

[0013] By checking whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a rest state, it is possible, if the elevator is not in a rest state, to continue elevator operation until the elevator car, which may contain passengers, reaches a floor and, upon reaching the floor, the car door opens automatically so that the passengers can disembark. The elevator is in a rest state if the elevator car is currently on one of the floors of the building, there are no passengers in the elevator car, and there is currently no travel order.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the elevator control system comprises a local operating unit and a central control unit located remotely from the elevator and connected to the elevator control system via a network. This makes it possible to use the central control unit to notify the elevator control system from a remote location that a power failure is imminent and that the elevator control system must be shut down.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the signal sent by the central control unit and received by the elevator control contains information about the time of an announced power outage. This enables the elevator control to initiate measures for an orderly shutdown of elevator operation, if necessary. In one embodiment of the invention, a time period is specified which lies before the time of the announced power outage. In this embodiment, the elevator control can, for example, check whether the available time period is merely sufficient for the moving elevator car to reach the nearest floor, or whether the available time period is even sufficient for the moving elevator car to reach the ground floor of the respective building.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, a predetermined time period is stored in a work program of the elevator control and can be retrieved from there when required.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the predetermined time period is transmitted from the central control unit to the elevator control unit along with the signal received by the elevator control unit. This allows the central control unit to select the specified time period differently depending on the specific case. For example, if an announced power outage is imminent, the specified time period can or must be selected to be short. However, if the announced power outage occurs at a later time, the specified time period can be selected to be longer.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, the elevator control system is switched to shutdown mode only after the specified time period has begun. In many cases, this allows for longer operation of the elevator, allowing existing travel orders to be fully processed.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, if the elevator is in the active operating state after receiving the signal to shut down the elevator operation, new travel orders are blocked by the elevator control, i.e. they are not accepted.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, when the elevator is in the active operating state after receiving the signal to shut down the elevator operation, the elevator operation continues until an elevator car has reached a predetermined floor and a door of the elevator car has automatically opened.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, if the elevator is in an active state after receiving the signal to shut down the elevator operation and the door of the elevator car has not opened automatically within the predetermined period of time, a battery-assisted emergency operation mode and / or a forced evacuation operation mode of the elevator control is initiated.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the elevator operation is switched off by means of a switch controlled by the elevator control system, which is arranged in a power supply line of the elevator.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, an elevator control is designed to control a method for switching off the operation of an elevator.

[0024] The above-mentioned embodiments can be used individually or jointly, provided they are not mutually exclusive.

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below. Figure 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a device for shutting down the operation of an elevator,

[0026] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a device for switching off the operation of an elevator,

[0027] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for shutting down the operation of an elevator and

[0028] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another method for shutting down the operation of an elevator.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a device for shutting down the operation of an elevator. This embodiment can be used, for example, when an electricity company intends to interrupt the power supply to a large number of electricity consumers at a predetermined time. In this case, in a multi-story building in which the individual floors are accessible by elevator, it is necessary to ensure that no people are trapped in an elevator car at the time of a power outage and cannot leave the elevator car.

[0030] The following components are shown in Figure 1: an elevator control 1, a local operating unit 2 of the elevator control, a central control unit 3, a network 4, a memory 5 in which an operating program of the elevator control is stored, an elevator car 6, a door 7 of the elevator car, the ground floor 8 of the multi-story building, further floors 9 of the multi-story building, a power supply line 10 of the elevator, a switch 11 for switching off the operation of the elevator, call buttons 12 for calling the elevator car, the stairwell 13 of the multi-story building, the machine room 14 of the elevator connected to the elevator control 1 and ropes 15 on which the elevator car 6 is suspended.

[0031] In this first embodiment, a signal to shut down elevator operation is transmitted from a central control unit 3 via a network 4. This signal is received by a local elevator controller 1, which is located within the multi-story building and is configured to control elevator operation. The central control unit 3 can be located far away from the local elevator controller 1, for example, in a cloud, and is connected to the local elevator controller 1 via the network 4.

[0032] The signal received by the local elevator controller 1 contains—as already explained—a signal to shut down elevator operation. After receiving this signal to shut down elevator operation, the elevator controller 1 is placed into a shutdown mode. In this shutdown mode, the elevator controller 1 checks whether the elevator is currently in an active operating state or in a rest state. The elevator is in the rest state if the elevator car 6 is currently located on one of the floors of the building, there are no passengers in the elevator car 6, and there is currently no travel order. If the elevator is in such a rest state, the elevator controller 1 issues a command to shut down elevator operation.This command to switch off the elevator operation is transmitted from the elevator control 1 to a switch 11 arranged in the power supply line 10 of the elevator, which switch is opened to switch off the elevator operation.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, the signal transmitted by the central control unit 3 contains information about the time of an announced power outage. This information about the time of the announced power outage is received by the local elevator control unit 1.

[0034] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the invention, the signal transmitted by the central control unit 3 contains information about a time period prior to the time of the announced power outage. This time period is, for example, 10 minutes, but can also be selected to be longer or shorter if necessary. This signal, which contains information about the specified time period, is also received by the local elevator control unit 1 and stored together with a work program in a memory 5 of the local elevator control unit.

[0035] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the information about the said time period can also be permanently stored in a work program of the elevator control system stored in the memory 5 of the local elevator control system 1. Transmission of this information about the said time period from the central control unit 3 to the local elevator control system 1 is not required in this further embodiment.

[0036] In the two above embodiments, the elevator control 1 can initially continue to operate in normal mode and only be switched to the shutdown mode after the start of the said period of time.

[0037] In this case - as already explained above - after the elevator control is put into shutdown mode, a check is carried out to determine whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a standby state.

[0038] If the elevator is in a rest state, then - as already explained above - the elevator operation is switched off by means of switch 11 controlled by the elevator control system.

[0039] If, however, the elevator is in an active operating state, the elevator operation continues until the elevator car 6 has reached a predetermined floor and the door 7 of the elevator car 6 has opened automatically so that all passengers in the elevator car 6 can get out.

[0040] The specified floor may be the nearest floor. From there, passengers who have exited elevator car 6 can exit the multi-story building via the building's stairwell 13.

[0041] If a comparison of the specified time period of, for example, 10 minutes with the time required for the elevator car 6 to reach the ground floor 8 of the building shows that the elevator car can reach the ground floor, then the specified floor at which the passengers can disembark can also be the ground floor of the building.

[0042] If a comparison of the specified time period of, for example, 10 minutes with the time the elevator car still needs to reach ground floor 8 of the building reveals that the elevator car can no longer reach the ground floor within the specified time period, a battery-supported emergency operating mode is initiated to transport the passengers in elevator car 6 either to the nearest floor or to the ground floor of the building, allowing them to disembark there and not remain trapped in the elevator car. In addition or alternatively, a forced evacuation operating mode of the elevator control system can also be initiated.

[0043] If the elevator is in the active operating state within the specified time period, new travel orders are blocked by the elevator control 1, i.e. they are no longer accepted.

[0044] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a device for switching off the operation of an elevator. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that the central control unit is contained in the local elevator control 1. This second embodiment can be used when a power cut is to be carried out only locally within a multi-story building. In this case, there is no need to transmit a signal for switching off the elevator operation from a remotely arranged central control unit via a network to the local elevator control 1. In this second embodiment, the signal for the desired switching off of the elevator operation can, for example, be input locally using an operating unit 2 of the local elevator control 1.

[0045] If this locally generated signal was input to switch off the elevator operation, it is used by the local elevator control 1 to control the method according to the invention.

[0046] The following components are shown in Figure 2: an elevator control 1, a local operating unit 2 of the elevator control, a memory 5 in which an operating program of the elevator control is stored, an elevator car 6, a door 7 of the elevator car, the ground floor 8 of the multi-story building, further floors 9 of the multi-story building, a power supply line 10 of the elevator, a switch 11 for switching off the operation of the elevator, call buttons 12 for calling the elevator car, the stairwell 13 of the multi-story building, the machine room 14 of the elevator connected to the elevator control 1 and ropes 15 on which the elevator car 6 is suspended.

[0047] Figure 2 illustrates that this second embodiment also provides a device for shutting down the operation of an elevator located in a multi-story building. In this second embodiment, the elevator's power supply is also intended to be interrupted at a predetermined time. In this case, too, it is necessary to ensure that, in a multi-story building in which the individual floors are accessible by an elevator, no persons are trapped in an elevator car at the time of the power failure and cannot leave the elevator car.

[0048] After the local elevator control 1 receives the signal to shut down elevator operation, the elevator control 1 is placed into a shutdown mode. In this shutdown mode, the elevator control 1 checks whether the elevator is currently in an active operating state or in a rest state. The elevator is in the rest state if the elevator car 6 is currently located on one of the floors of the building, there are no passengers in the elevator car 6, and there is currently no travel order. If the elevator is in such a rest state, the elevator control 1 issues a command to shut down elevator operation.

[0049] This command to switch off the elevator operation is transmitted from the elevator control 1 to a switch 11 arranged in the power supply line 10 of the elevator, which switch is opened to switch off the elevator operation.

[0050] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, information about a time period prior to the time of the announced power outage is stored in a memory 5 of the local elevator control unit 1. This time period is, for example, 10 minutes, but can also be selected or specified to be longer or shorter if necessary using the local control unit 2. This information about the specified time period is stored together with the elevator control unit's operating program in the elevator control unit's memory 5 and can be retrieved from there as needed.

[0051] In this second embodiment, the elevator control 1 can also initially continue to operate in normal mode and only be switched to the shutdown mode after the start of the said period of time.

[0052] After the elevator control system is put into shutdown mode, a check is carried out to determine whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a standby state.

[0053] If the elevator is in a rest state, then - as already explained above - the elevator operation is switched off by means of the switch 11 controlled by the elevator control 1.

[0054] If, however, the elevator is in an active operating state, the elevator operation continues until the elevator car 6 has reached a predetermined floor and the door 7 of the elevator car 6 has opened automatically so that all passengers in the elevator car 6 can get out.

[0055] The specified floor may be the nearest floor. From there, passengers who have exited elevator car 6 can exit the multi-story building via the building's stairwell 13.

[0056] If a comparison of the specified time period of, for example, 10 minutes with the time required for the elevator car 6 to reach the ground floor 8 of the building shows that the elevator car can reach the ground floor within the specified time period, then the specified floor at which the passengers can disembark can also be the ground floor 8 of the building.

[0057] If a comparison of the specified time period of, for example, 10 minutes with the time the elevator car still needs to reach ground floor 8 of the building reveals that the elevator car can no longer reach the ground floor within the specified time period, a battery-supported emergency operating mode is initiated to transport the passengers in elevator car 6 either to the nearest floor or to the ground floor of the building, allowing them to disembark there and not remain trapped in the elevator car. In addition or alternatively, a forced evacuation operating mode of the elevator control system can also be initiated.

[0058] If the elevator is in the active operating state within the specified time period, new travel orders are blocked by the elevator control 1, i.e. they are no longer accepted.

[0059] Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a method for shutting down an elevator. This method works as follows:

[0060] In a step S1, a central control unit 3 generates a signal to shut down the elevator operation and transmits it via a network 4 to a local elevator controller 1. In a subsequent step S2, the signal transmitted via the network 4 is received by the local elevator controller 1.

[0061] Thereafter, in a step S3, the elevator control 1 is put into a shutdown mode.

[0062] In a subsequent step S4, in the shutdown mode, the elevator control 1 checks whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a rest state.

[0063] If it is detected in step S4 that the elevator is in the idle state, then the system proceeds to step S8, in which the elevator control 1 issues a command to switch off the elevator operation.

[0064] If, however, it is detected in step S4 that the elevator is in an active operating state, then the system proceeds to step S5, in which the active operating state of the elevator is maintained.

[0065] The system then proceeds to step S6, in which the elevator control 1 blocks new travel orders, ie does not accept them.

[0066] Subsequently, a transition is made to a step S7 in which it is checked whether the elevator car 6 has reached a predetermined floor and the door of the elevator has opened or whether this is not the case.

[0067] If the check in step S7 shows that the elevator car 6 has reached a predetermined floor and the door 7 of the elevator has opened, then the system proceeds to step S8, in which the elevator control system issues a command to switch off the elevator operation.

[0068] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating another method for shutting down the operation of an elevator, wherein the shutdown of the elevator operation is to occur at a time known in advance. This method works as follows: In a step S11, a local control unit 2 generates a signal to shut down the elevator operation and provides it to the local elevator control unit 1.

[0069] In a subsequent step S12, the signal generated by the local control unit 2 is received by the local elevator control 1, and the local elevator control 1 generates a signal to shut down the elevator operation.

[0070] Thereafter, in a step S 13, the elevator control 1 is put into a shutdown mode.

[0071] In a subsequent step S14, during a predetermined period of time prior to the announced power outage, the elevator control system 1 checks whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a standby state. The predetermined period of time can be permanently stored in the memory 5 of the elevator control system 1 together with the elevator control system's operating program and retrieved from there, or it can be individually specified using the control unit 2.

[0072] If it is detected in step S14 that the elevator is in the idle state, then the system proceeds to step S15, in which the elevator control 1 issues a command to switch off the elevator operation.

[0073] If, however, it is detected in step S14 that the elevator is in an active operating state, then the system proceeds to step S16, in which the active operating state of the elevator is maintained.

[0074] The system then proceeds to step S17, in which new travel orders are blocked by the elevator control 1, ie they are not accepted.

[0075] Subsequently, the system proceeds to a step S18, in which it is checked whether the elevator car 6 can reach a specified floor within the specified time period and whether the door 7 of the elevator car 6 can open there or whether this cannot happen within the specified time period. If the check in step S18 shows that the elevator car 6 can reach the specified floor within the specified time period and the door 7 of the elevator car 6 can open there, the system proceeds to a step S19, in which elevator operation continues until the door 7 of the elevator car 6 has opened at the specified floor and the passengers can disembark there.

[0076] Thereafter, in a step S20, the elevator control 1 issues a command to switch off the elevator operation, and the elevator operation is switched off by opening the switch 11 arranged in the power supply line 10 of the elevator.

[0077] If, however, the check in step S 18 shows that the elevator car 6 cannot reach the specified floor within the specified time period and the door 7 of the elevator car cannot be opened within the specified time period, then in a step S21 the elevator control 1 switches off the elevator operation by opening the switch 11 arranged in the power supply line of the elevator and a battery-supported emergency operation mode is initiated in order to enable the elevator car 6 to travel further with battery support to the nearest floor or to the ground floor 8 of the multi-story building and the passengers can leave the elevator car 6 there.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for shutting down the operation of an elevator having the following features: - receiving, by a lift control (1), a signal to shut down the lift operation, the received signal containing information about the time of an announced power failure, - after receiving the signal to shut down the elevator operation, putting the elevator control (1) into a shutdown mode, - Check in shutdown mode by the elevator control (1) whether the elevator is in an active operating state or in a rest state, - if the lift is in the idle state, issuing a command by the lift control (1) to switch off the lift operation, and - when the elevator is in an active state and a door (7) of a lift car (6) has not opened automatically within the specified time period, a battery-supported emergency operation mode and / or a forced evacuation operation mode of the lift control (1) is initiated.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control (1) comprises a local operating unit (2) and a central control unit (3) arranged remotely from the elevator and connected to the elevator control via a network (4).

3. Method according to claim 1, in which a time period is specified which lies before the time of the announced power failure.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined time period is stored in a work program of the elevator control.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined time period is transmitted to the elevator control together with the signal received by the elevator control (1).

6. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, in which the elevator control (1) is switched to the switch-off mode after the start of the predetermined period of time becomes.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which, if the elevator is in the active operating state, new travel orders are blocked by the elevator control (1).

8. Method according to one of claims 3 to 7, in which, if the elevator is in the active operating state, the elevator operation is continued until an elevator car (6) has reached a predetermined floor and a door (7) of the elevator car (6) has opened automatically.

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the elevator operation is switched off by means of a switch (11) controlled by the elevator control (1) which is arranged in a power supply line (10) of the elevator.

10. Elevator control (1) which is arranged to control a method according to one of the preceding claims.

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