Elevator car for double deck elevator

Abstract

The present invention relates to an elevator car (100) for a double-deck elevator (400), which has two cabins (200, 402) arranged one above the other in an operational state, and the cabins (200, 402) can travel between different floors at the stops of the elevator car (100). The elevator car (100) comprises an elevator car frame (102) having at least one longitudinal support (108) extending in a longitudinal direction (107) thereof, a first support structure (104) arranged on the elevator car frame (102) for supporting a first one of the cabins (200), a second support structure (106) arranged on the elevator car frame (102) for supporting a second one of the cabins (402), and linear guide means (112) designed to movably connect at least the first support structure (104) to the longitudinal support (108), such that the first support structure (104) can be moved along the longitudinal support (108) relative to the second support structure (106). The linear guide means (112) further comprises at least one rail element (116) fastened to the longitudinal support (108) and at least one connecting element (118), one of which is slidably mounted on the rail element (116) and the other of which is fastened to the first support structure (104). The connecting element (118) further comprises a first mounting portion (300) and a second mounting portion (302) for mounting the connecting element (118) on the rail element (116), and a fastening portion (304) disposed between the first mounting portion (300) and the second mounting portion (302) for fastening the connecting element (118) to the first support structure (104). In this case, when the elevator car (100) is in operation, the first mounting portion (300) is positioned above the first support structure (104) and / or the second mounting portion (302) is positioned below the first support structure (104).Finally, the elevator car (100) also comprises drive means (114) designed to move at least the first support structure (104) relative to the second support structure (106).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator car for a double-deck elevator, to a double-deck elevator equipped with such an elevator car, and to a method for controlling such a double-deck elevator. [Background technology]

[0002] Double-deck elevators (sometimes called double-decker elevators), usually intended for transporting people and cargo between different floors or elevation levels, can be used in addition to regular single-cabin elevators. Double-deck elevators are characterized by an elevator car with two cabins, one above the other and usually rigidly connected to each other. This characteristic means that two floors can be accessed simultaneously.

[0003] To allow the use of a double-deck elevator in buildings with different floor heights, the two cabins can be connected to each other, for example via a threaded spindle drive or a scissors-like connecting link, in which case the inter-cabin distance can be adjusted during travel to the floor distance between the two floors that is approached by the control system. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One of the challenges in designing such a double deck elevator is to make the components for guiding and driving the moved cabin as lightweight, space saving and cost effective as possible.

[0005] Here, in particular, there may be a need for an elevator car for a double-deck elevator, which uses smaller and lighter guide and drive means, as well as a large number of standard parts that are inexpensive to install, and which allows the distance between the upper and lower cabins to be adjusted. In addition, there may be a need for a corresponding double-deck elevator and a corresponding method for controlling a double-deck elevator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Needs of this kind can be met by the subject matter of one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and in the following detailed description.

[0007] A first aspect of the invention relates to an elevator car for a double-deck elevator. In an operating state, the elevator car can have two cabins arranged one above the other. Furthermore, when the elevator car is in a stop position, the cabins can be accessed via different floors respectively. The elevator car comprises an elevator car frame having at least one longitudinal support extending in its longitudinal direction, a first support structure arranged on the elevator car frame for supporting a first one of the cabins, a second support structure arranged on the elevator car frame for supporting a second one of the cabins, linear guide means designed to movably connect at least the first support structure to the longitudinal support, such that the first support structure can be moved along the longitudinal support relative to the second support structure, and drive means designed to move at least the first support structure relative to the second support structure.

[0008] The linear guide means further comprises at least one rail element fastened to the longitudinal support and at least one connecting element, one of which is slidably mounted on the rail element and the other of which is fastened to the first support structure. The connecting element further comprises a first mounting part and a second mounting part for mounting the connecting element on the rail element and a fastening part arranged between the first mounting part and the second mounting part for fastening the connecting element to the first support structure, where in an operating state of the elevator car the first mounting part is arranged above the first support structure and / or the second mounting part is arranged below the first support structure.

[0009] A second aspect of the invention relates to a double-deck elevator comprising an elevator car according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention and a control device designed to control the drive means of the elevator car depending on the floor distance between two floors that are simultaneously approached. In other words, the drive means can be controlled in such a way that the vertical distance between the first support structure and the second support structure is adapted to the floor distance.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a double-deck elevator according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, comprising receiving floor information relating to two floors that are simultaneously approached, evaluating the floor information to determine a floor distance between the two floors that are simultaneously approached, and issuing a control command for controlling a drive means of the elevator car based on the floor distance.

[0011] Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention may be considered based on the ideas and insights described below, among others, without limiting the invention.

[0012] As indicated at the beginning, it may be necessary to adjust the vertical cabin distance between two cabins of a double-deck elevator, since the floor distances between different floors of a building are not the same. In order to move the cabins to be adjusted in a corresponding manner, guides are usually required in the elevator car, in which the two cabins are arranged one above the other. Depending on the type of drive selected, it is desirable if the guide is as rigid as possible. In particular, the guide must ensure that no horizontal forces act on the drive shaft, e.g. the screw spindle, or at least only very low horizontal forces act on it, in order not to reduce the service life of the bearings and to keep the energy consumption as low as possible.

[0013] On the one hand, the size of the elevator shaft, especially its cross-sectional area (footprint), plays a key role in the design of the elevator system. The guide must minimize its space requirements as much as possible, especially in the horizontal direction, so that the elevator shaft does not have to be enlarged further. Therefore, the individual components of the guide must remain as small as possible.

[0014] Another possible requirement is the speed at which the cabin distance between two stopping positions can be adjusted: this speed must be high enough so that the cabin can be brought to the correct position in time, especially before stopping, such that the cabin door frames are at the same height as the corresponding door frames of the two approached floors.

[0015] To take these requirements into account, the approach presented here proposes the use of elements of the elevator car frame, such as the lateral supports of the central frame, for linearly guiding the cabin to be moved. On the one hand, the number of additional components can therefore be reduced. On the other hand, the high stiffness of the elevator car frame allows smaller components to be used for the guide, which in turn reduces the space requirements in the horizontal direction. Despite the smaller components, the guide can be designed with a sufficiently high stiffness, due to their attachment to load-bearing elements of the elevator car frame. This makes it possible to protect the drive and reduce friction losses.

[0016] An elevator car can generally be understood as a frame that has at least one cabin for transporting people or cargo and can be moved between several levels or floors of an elevator shaft, for example. In the case of a double-deck elevator, the elevator car can be equipped with two double-deck cabins for simultaneously accessing two different floors.

[0017] An elevator car frame can be understood as a frame-like construction for supporting the cabin, also called catch frame. The elevator car frame can be designed for example to guide the elevator car along at least one guide rail extending in the elevator shaft. Such a guide rail can be arranged on one side of the elevator shaft or on two opposite sides. If the guide rail is arranged on one side, for example, the elevator car frame can be designed as an L-shaped backpack frame. If the guide rail is arranged on both sides, the elevator car frame can be designed as a central frame, for example. The cabin is located in the elevator car frame. This means in other words that the cabin is at least largely surrounded by the elevator car frame. Safety gear can also be integrated into the elevator car frame and is used to brake the elevator car in case of excessive speed.

[0018] The longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame may be understood to mean the direction of the longest extension of the elevator car frame. In the operating state of the elevator car, the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame may be vertical. In this sense, the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame may be considered to be in the direction of movement of the elevator car.

[0019] A longitudinal support can be understood to mean in particular a component for carrying vertical loads. Also, the extension of this support in the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame is significantly greater than its extension in the transverse direction of the elevator car frame. In the operating state of the elevator car, the longitudinal support extends substantially vertically. The longitudinal support can also be used, for example, to guide the elevator car on one or more guide rails of the elevator shaft. Depending on the design, the longitudinal support can extend over the entire height of the elevator car frame or along only a part of the elevator car frame. In particular, the longitudinal support can be designed to connect the first support structure and the second support structure to each other. The longitudinal support can be designed, for example, as a steel beam with a closed (hollow) profile or an open profile.

[0020] For example, the elevator car frame may also have a number of longitudinal supports which may be arranged two adjacent to each other and / or two opposite each other, and / or which extend substantially parallel to each other.

[0021] The support structure can generally be understood as a platform or deck for receiving the cabin, for example in the form of a support frame. For example, the cabin can be located on the support structure in the operating state of the elevator car. It is also conceivable that the cabin is suspended from the support structure when the elevator car is in the operating state. The cabin can be connected to the support structure in a vibration-damped manner. In the simplest case, the support structure can comprise four supports that are connected to each other to form a rectangle or a square. The first support structure and the second support structure can be arranged one above the other on the elevator car frame. Depending on the space required by the linear guide means, for a given size of the elevator shaft, the first support structure can have a smaller surface area than the second support structure. The first cabin can therefore have a smaller surface area than the second cabin. However, it is also possible that the first support structure and the second support structure or the first cabin and the second cabin are structurally identical. Furthermore, the elevator car frame can have, for example, a lower (floor) frame and an upper (ceiling) frame. These can be connected to each other via one or more longitudinal supports. The first and second support structures can be disposed between the upper and lower frames, and at least one intermediate structure, such as an intermediate frame, can be disposed between the first and second support structures to provide additional reinforcement to the elevator car frame.

[0022] The second support structure can be rigidly connected to the elevator car frame, e.g. to one or more longitudinal supports. In this case, only the first support structure can be moved relative to the elevator car frame, thereby changing the vertical distance between the two support structures, while the second support structure is fixed relative to the elevator car frame. However, it is also possible that in addition to the first support structure, the second support structure is movably connected to at least one longitudinal support by linear guide means. In this case, the vertical distance between the two support structures can be adjusted, e.g. by moving these support structures simultaneously.

[0023] Linear guide means may generally be understood to mean straight-line guides, such as profile rail guides or roller guides. For example, the linear guide means may comprise sliding guides, rolling guides and / or magnetic guides. The first support structure may be guided vertically during its movement by the linear guide means.

[0024] The drive means may generally be understood to mean a linear drive by means of which the first support structure or additionally the second support structure can be raised and / or lowered. For example, the drive means may comprise a spindle drive and / or a hydraulic linear drive and / or a pneumatic linear drive.

[0025] Depending on the design, a rail element can be fastened to a single longitudinal support or to multiple longitudinal supports simultaneously. The rail element can conveniently extend in the longitudinal direction of the associated longitudinal support in order to guide the first support structure linearly (i.e. vertically) along the longitudinal support. For example, it is also possible for more than one rail element to be fastened to a longitudinal support.

[0026] The connecting element can be, for example, a guide shoe, a guide carriage or a guide slide. For example, the connecting element can be slidably mounted on at least two rail elements that are parallel to one another. The longitudinal support can thus advantageously be used to increase the stiffness of the linear guide means, in particular transversely to the direction of movement of the first support structure.

[0027] The attachment part can be understood to mean a part of the connecting element, where at least one guide element, e.g. a sliding guide shoe, is arranged for connecting to at least one rail element. In the fastening part, the connecting element can be, e.g. screwed and / or welded to the first support structure. For example, the vertical distance between the first and second mounting parts can be at least 50 cm. The vertical distance can be understood as, e.g., the support distance between the two mounting parts. This allows for a relatively stiff attachment, which is well suited to provide support against tilting moments.

[0028] The linear guide means can be especially designed as a sliding guide, which can be for example a hydrodynamic sliding guide of metal-metal or metal-plastic combination, or a hydrostatic sliding guide, so that a high load-bearing capacity and a high stiffness of the linear guide means can be achieved, together with a very good damping behavior and a high operational reliability.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the connecting element can be designed as a frame. Additionally or alternatively, the connecting element can have at least one U-shaped and / or C-shaped profile. In the simplest case, the connecting element can be a simple profile, for example a longitudinal profile, to which a first support structure and suitable guide elements for guiding on one or more rail elements are fastened. It is also possible for the connecting element to be composed of several support elements, for example two longitudinal profiles and two transverse profiles, which are combined to form a frame. This embodiment allows the connecting element to be constructed inexpensively from standard parts with high rigidity and low weight.

[0030] According to one embodiment, at least one of the two attachment parts or, additionally or alternatively, the fastening part can be integrated into the U-shaped and / or C-shaped profile. In other words, a guide element, such as a sliding guide shoe, arranged on the first or second attachment part, or a fastening element, such as a screw, arranged on the fastening part, can be fully inserted into the U-shaped and / or C-shaped profile. As a result, the connecting element can be designed with the lowest possible construction height.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the connecting element can have at least two U-shaped and / or C-shaped longitudinal profiles, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame. At least one of the two attachments or, additionally or alternatively, a fastening can be integrated into the longitudinal profiles. The longitudinal profiles can be connected to one another, for example directly, for example by means of a screw, rivet or welded connection. It is also possible for the longitudinal profiles to be connected to one another via at least one intermediate element, for example one or more transverse profiles.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the connecting element has at least two transverse profiles. The longitudinal profiles can be connected to the transverse profiles to form a frame. This can increase the torsional stiffness of the connecting element.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the longitudinal profile can have at least one upper sliding guide shoe arranged on the first mounting part and at least one lower sliding guide shoe arranged on the second mounting part, respectively, for the purpose of being guided on the rail element. A sliding guide shoe can be understood to mean a guide element that slides on the rail element and is guided along the rail element. For example, the sliding guide shoe can be provided as a U- or C-profile with an insert made of a friction-reducing material. This embodiment makes it possible to achieve a particularly stable mounting of the first support structure on the elevator car frame.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the elevator car frame can have at least two longitudinal supports, which extend in the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame. The first support structure can be arranged between the longitudinal supports. The linear guide means can thus have at least two rail elements, which are fastened to different longitudinal supports respectively, and at least two connecting elements, which are fastened to opposite sides of the first support structure and are respectively movably connected to the rail elements. The rail elements can be arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal supports. This ensures that the first support structure is guided on both sides, which in turn ensures, inter alia, stability.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the elevator car frame can have at least four longitudinal supports extending in the longitudinal direction of the elevator car frame. The longitudinal supports can be arranged in at least two opposing pairs of the longitudinal supports. The first support structure can be arranged between the pairs of longitudinal supports. For example, at least one pair of longitudinal supports can be designed to be guided on one or more guide rails positioned in the elevator shaft. For example, in the operating state of the elevator car, the guide rail can pass between two appropriately spaced longitudinal supports of a pair of longitudinal supports to guide the elevator car along the elevator shaft. Thus, the linear guide means can have at least four rail elements fastened to different longitudinal supports respectively and at least two connecting elements fastened to opposite sides of the first support structure and movably connected to two rail elements respectively. As with the longitudinal supports, the rail elements can be arranged two by two opposite each other. The first support structure is therefore arranged between two pairs of rail elements and can be movably connected on both sides via connecting elements, for example in each case with two parallel rail elements. By using at least four longitudinal supports, the load on the individual longitudinal supports can be reduced compared to embodiments with less than four longitudinal supports. As a result, the longitudinal supports can be relatively small.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the linear guide means can comprise at least one cabin guide element. In the operating state of the elevator car, the cabin guide element can movably connect the first cabin to the at least one longitudinal support such that the first cabin is guided along the longitudinal support when the first support structure is moved. The cabin guide element can be, for example, a sliding guide shoe. The cabin guide element can be, for example, slidably mounted on at least one of the rail elements. In particular, the cabin guide element can be arranged in a ceiling area of ​​the first cabin, for example in a laterally outer part of the first cabin. This has the advantage that a tilting movement of the first cabin can be prevented when the first support structure is moved.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the first support structure can be arranged to support the lower cabin. Additionally or alternatively, the second support structure can be arranged to support the upper cabin. In other words, the vertical distance between the lower cabin and the upper cabin can be adjusted by moving the lower support structure. This has the advantage that the linear guide means and the drive means can be integrated into the elevator car in a space-saving manner with relatively little constructional effort.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the drive means can be designed to apply a lifting force to two diametrically opposite corners of the first support structure. Two diametrically opposite corners can be understood to mean two corners of the first support structure, each of which is diagonally opposite the first support structure. The lifting force can be understood to mean the force for the first support structure to rise and / or fall. This embodiment makes it possible to minimize the twisting of the first support structure due to the load during movement. In addition, this embodiment allows a space-saving arrangement of the drive means on the elevator car frame.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the drive means can comprise at least one threaded spindle, at least one threaded nut slidably attached to the threaded spindle and fastened to the first support structure, and at least one drive unit for driving the threaded spindle. Optionally, the threaded spindle can be rotatably attached to a longitudinal support of the elevator car frame. For example, the drive means can comprise two threaded spindles, each of which has a threaded nut. The threaded nuts can be attached to different parts of the first support structure, for example diametrically opposite corner parts of the first support structure. The threaded spindles can be driven, for example, via separate drive units. This embodiment allows the drive means to be realised with relatively small space requirements and relatively low weight.

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, neither the drawings nor the description are intended to be construed as limiting the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a portion of an elevator car, according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 shows the elevator car of FIG. 1 with the lower cabin installed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the connecting element of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a double-deck elevator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 shows a flowchart of a method for controlling the double-deck elevator of FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] The drawings are only schematic and are not to scale. Like reference symbols indicate similar or equivalent features in the various drawings.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a part of an elevator car 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The elevator car 100 comprises a double-deck elevator car frame 102 having a first support structure 104 for supporting a first cabin and a second support structure 106 for supporting a second cabin. For the purpose of better visualization, only the lower part of the elevator car 100 or the elevator car frame 102 is shown in FIG. 1. The two support structures 104, 106 are connected to each other, for example, via all four longitudinal supports 108 extending in the longitudinal direction 107 of the elevator car frame 102, to form a closed frame, also called a central frame. In this case, the two longitudinal supports 108 are combined to form a pair of longitudinal supports 110. The two pairs of longitudinal supports 110 are arranged opposite each other on the two support structures 104, 106. That is to say, the two support structures 104, 106 are respectively positioned between two pairs of longitudinal supports 110. The second support structure 106, in this case an upper support structure, is rigidly connected, for example by screwing, to the longitudinal supports 108. Meanwhile, the first support structure 104, in this case a lower support structure, is movably connected to the four longitudinal supports 108 via linear guide means 112. The linear guide means 112 are designed to guide the first support structure 104 along the longitudinal supports 108, i.e. in the vertical direction. In this way, the first support structure 104 can slide relative to the second support structure 106.

[0044] Furthermore, the elevator car 100 comprises drive means 114 designed to apply a lifting force to the first support structure 104 relative to the second support structure 106. The first support structure 104 can thus be vertically raised or lowered relative to the second support structure 106, for example depending on the specific floor distance between the two floors to be approached.

[0045] Corresponding to the arrangement of the longitudinal supports 108, the linear guide means 112 according to this embodiment comprises a sliding guide with all four rail elements 116, for example profile rails, which are respectively fastened to one of the four longitudinal supports 108 and extend respectively along the four longitudinal supports 108. The rail elements 116 are therefore arranged in pairs, like the longitudinal supports 108, and extend parallel to one another.

[0046] Furthermore, the linear guide means 112 comprises two connecting elements 118 designed to movably connect the rail elements 116 to the first support structure 104. The two connecting elements 118 are arranged on opposite sides of the first support structure 104 and are, for example, screwed thereto. In addition, the two connecting elements 118 are slidably mounted respectively on two rail elements 116 which are arranged two by two adjacent to each other. The first support structure 104 is thus movably connected on both sides to the elevator car frame 102, more precisely to the longitudinal supports 108.

[0047] 1, the two connecting elements 118 are much smaller in width than the first support structure 104. It can also be seen that the two connecting elements 118 are disposed between the longitudinal supports 108 and are very flat, such that the first support structure 104 does not have to significantly reduce the size of the first support structure 104 and / or does not significantly increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the elevator shaft in which the elevator car 100 will be installed.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 1, the drive means 114 comprises, for example, two threaded spindles 120, on each of which a threaded nut 122 is arranged so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal support 108. The threaded nuts 122 are respectively fastened, for example by screwing, to the first support structure 104. Furthermore, the drive means 114 comprises two separate drive units 124, each designed to set one of the two threaded spindles 120 in a rotational movement and thus move the threaded nut 122 in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal support 108. In addition, the drive means 114 has two mounting units 126, each designed to rotatably mount one of the threaded spindles 120 to one of the longitudinal supports 108.

[0049] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the threaded nuts 122 can be attached to diametrically opposed corners of the first support structure 104, such that lift forces are introduced at these corners.

[0050] The drive means 114 is located, for example, on a floor frame 128 which is rigidly connected, for example by screwing, to the four longitudinal supports 108. The first support structure 104 is arranged between the floor frame 128 and the second support structure 106. In addition to the floor frame 128, the elevator car 100 can have a ceiling frame for further stabilization which is rigidly connected to the four longitudinal supports 108, allowing the second support structure 106 to be arranged between the first support structure 104 and the ceiling frame. In addition to the mounting unit 126, the floor frame 128 is used to absorb reaction forces when a lift force is applied to the first support structure 104.

[0051] Drive means 114 comprising pneumatic and / or hydraulic drive units are also possible.

[0052] Alternatively, the elevator car frame 102 can also be designed with only two instead of four longitudinal supports 108. In this case, the two longitudinal supports 108 can be dimensioned to be correspondingly larger to ensure sufficient stability of the elevator car frame 102. The linear guide of the first support structure 104 in the elevator car frame 102 can be implemented in a manner similar to the above-described embodiment using four longitudinal supports 108.

[0053] Depending on the load on the elevator car 100, the longitudinal support 108 may be located on one side, thereby guiding the first support structure 104 of the elevator car frame 102 on one side.

[0054] Figure 2 shows the elevator car 100 of Figure 1 with a lower cabin 200 installed. The lower cabin 200 rests on a first support structure 104. For purposes of better visibility, the upper support structure 106, which forms the upper deck of the elevator car 100, is shown without the upper cabin.

[0055] In this example, the two pairs of longitudinal supports 110 are arranged to respectively receive guide rails 202 for guiding the elevator car 100 in the elevator shaft. The guide rails 202 can be guided centrally between the two longitudinal supports 108 of a pair of longitudinal supports 110.

[0056] In addition, the elevator car 100 comprises, for example, four cabin guide elements 204 arranged two by two opposite each other and guided on the rail element 116 at the upper end of the lower cabin 200 facing the second support structure 106. The cabin guide elements 204 are designed, for example, as sliding guide shoes.

[0057] Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the connecting element 118 of figures 1 and 2. According to this embodiment, the connecting element 118 is designed as a rectangular frame with an upper mounting part 300 with two upper sliding guide shoes 301, which is positioned on the first support structure 104, and a lower mounting part 302 with two lower sliding guide shoes 303, which is positioned below the first support structure 104. Between the two mounting parts 300, 302, the connecting element 118 has a fastening part 304, in which the connecting element 118 is screwed to a transverse support 306 of the first support structure 104. The upper sliding guide shoe 301 and the lower sliding guide shoe 303 are used to guide the connecting element 118 on the two parallel rail elements 116.

[0058] 3, the connecting element 118 can consist very simply, for example, of two vertical U-shaped profiles 308 and two horizontal U-shaped profiles 310. The sliding guide shoes 301, 303 can be arranged in the vertical U-shaped profiles 310 in order to save space. Likewise, the connecting element 118 can be fastened, for example screwed, to the first support structure 104 via the vertical U-shaped profiles 308.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows a double-deck elevator 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The double-deck elevator 400 comprises an elevator car 100, for example as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in the operating state of the elevator car 100, an upper cabin 402 is incorporated in addition to the lower cabin 200. The upper cabin 402 is located on the second support structure 106. Furthermore, the double-deck elevator 400 comprises a control device 404, designed to control the drive means 114 in such a way that the vertical distance between the two cabins 200, 402 is adjusted to the floor distance between the two floors to be approached simultaneously. For this purpose, the control device 404 receives floor information 406, which specifies at which two floors the elevator must next stop simultaneously, following a stop request from the elevator user. Using the floor information 406, the control device 404 determines the floor distance between the two floors to be approached, for example by retrieving a corresponding value from a table stored in the control device 404. Finally, based on the floor distance, the controller 404 generates a control command 408 for a corresponding control of the drive means 114 .

[0060] Figure 5 shows a flow chart of a method 500 for controlling the double deck elevator 400 of figure 4. In this case, in a first step 510, floor information 406 is received by the control unit 404. In a second step 520, the floor information 406 is evaluated by the control unit 404 to determine the floor distance between two floors to be approached. For example, it is checked whether the determined floor distance is greater or smaller than a predetermined floor distance. If the determined floor distance is greater than the predetermined floor distance, in a step 530, a control command 408 is issued to lower the lower cabin 200 relative to the upper cabin 402 according to the difference between the determined floor distance and the predetermined floor distance. If the determined floor distance is less than the predetermined floor distance, in a step 540, a control command 408 is issued to raise the lower cabin 200 relative to the upper cabin 402 according to the difference between the determined floor distance and the predetermined floor distance.

[0061] The arrangement of four longitudinal supports 108 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is particularly suitable for heavy duty elevators for transporting loads of more than 10 metric tons. By using four longitudinal supports 108 instead of two, the individual loads on the longitudinal supports 108 are reduced. Thus, the size of the longitudinal supports 108 can be reduced.

[0062] The rail element 116 can advantageously be used to reinforce the longitudinal support 108. For this purpose, the rail element 116 is directly connected to the longitudinal support 108. In addition, the rail element 116 can, for example, be designed with a particularly stiff profile shape. Conversely, the longitudinal support 108 can advantageously be used to reinforce the rail element 116.

[0063] The horizontal space requirements for the connecting element 118 can be reduced to a minimum by inserting sliding guide shoes 301, 303, in particular of U-shaped or C-shaped profile, respectively, as shown in FIG. 3. Such sliding guide shoes 301, 303 can be load-bearing components of the connecting element 118.

[0064] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprise", "have" and the like do not exclude other elements or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. It should further be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of the other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims should not be considered as limiting.

Claims

1. An elevator car (100) for a double-deck elevator (400), the elevator car (100) having two cabins (200, 402) arranged one above the other in an operational state, the cabins (200, 402) being respectively accessible via different floors at the stops of the elevator car (100), the elevator car (100) comprising: an elevator car frame (102) having at least one longitudinal support (108) extending in a longitudinal direction (107) of the elevator car frame (102); a first support structure (104) disposed on the elevator car frame (102) for supporting a first of the cabins (200); a second support structure (106) disposed on the elevator car frame (102) for supporting a second one of the cabins (402); linear guide means (112) designed to movably connect at least the first support structure (104) to the longitudinal support (108), such that the first support structure (104) can be moved along the longitudinal support (108) relative to the second support structure (106); having The linear guide means (112) comprises at least one rail element (116) fastened to the longitudinal support (108) and at least one coupling element (118), one of which is slidably mounted on the rail element (116) and the other of which is fastened to the first support structure (104); the connecting element (118) has a first mounting portion (300) and a second mounting portion (302) for mounting the connecting element (118) on the rail element (116) and a fastening portion (304) arranged between the first mounting portion (300) and the second mounting portion (302) for fastening the connecting element (118) to the first support structure (104), wherein in an operating state of the elevator car (100), the first mounting portion (300) is arranged on the first support structure (104) and / or the second mounting portion (302) is arranged below the first support structure (104); The drive means (114) is designed to move at least the first support structure (104) relative to the second support structure (106); the connecting element (118) has at least two U-shaped and / or C-shaped longitudinal profiles (308) extending in the longitudinal direction (107) of the elevator car frame (102), the first mounting portion (300) and / or the second mounting portion (302) and / or the fastening portion (304) being integrated into the longitudinal profiles (308); The connecting element (118) has at least two transverse profiles (310), and the longitudinal profiles (308) are connected to the transverse profiles (310) to form a frame. An elevator car (100) for a double deck elevator (400).

2. 2. The elevator car (100) according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element (118) is designed as a frame and / or the connecting element (118) has at least one U-shaped profile and / or a C-shaped profile (308, 310).

3. 3. The elevator car (100) of claim 2, wherein the first mounting portion (300) and / or the second mounting portion (302) and / or the fastening portion (304) are incorporated into a U-shaped profile and / or a C-shaped profile (308, 310).

4. The elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the longitudinal profile (308) has at least one upper sliding guide shoe (301) arranged on the first mounting part (300) and at least one lower sliding guide shoe (308) arranged on the second mounting part (302) for guiding on the rail element (116), respectively.

5. The elevator car frame (102) has at least two longitudinal supports (108) extending in a longitudinal direction (107) of the elevator car frame (102), the first support structure (104) being disposed between the longitudinal supports (108); The elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the linear guide means (112) comprises at least two rail elements (116) fastened respectively to different longitudinal supports (108) and at least two connecting elements (118) fastened to opposite sides of the first support structure (104) and respectively movably connected to the rail elements (116).

6. The elevator car frame (102) has at least four longitudinal supports (108) extending in a longitudinal direction (107) of the elevator car frame (102), the longitudinal supports (108) being arranged in at least two opposing pairs of longitudinal supports (110), and the first support structure (104) being arranged between the pairs of longitudinal supports (110); The elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the linear guide means (112) comprises at least four rail elements (116) fastened respectively to different longitudinal supports (108) and at least two connecting elements (118) fastened to opposite sides of the first support structure (104) and movably connected respectively to two rail elements (116).

7. The elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the linear guide means (112) comprises at least one cabin guide element (204), which, in an operating state of the elevator car (100), movably connects the first cabin (200) to the at least one longitudinal support (108), whereby the first cabin (200) is guided along the longitudinal support (108) when the first support structure (104) is moved.

8. The elevator car (100) of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first support structure (104) is arranged to support the lower cabin (200) and / or the second support structure (106) is arranged to support the upper cabin (402).

9. An elevator car (100) as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first support structure (104) is rectangular in a plan view, and the drive means (114) is designed to apply lifting force to two diagonally opposite corner portions of the first support structure (104).

10. The elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the drive means (114) comprises at least one threaded spindle (120), at least one threaded nut (122) slidably mounted on the threaded spindle (120) and fastened to the first support structure (104), and at least one drive unit (124) for driving the threaded spindle (120).

11. A double deck elevator (400), An elevator car (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, a control device (404) designed to control a drive means (114) of the elevator car (100) based on the floor distance between two floors that are simultaneously approached; A double deck elevator (400).

12. 12. A method (500) for controlling a double deck elevator (400) according to claim 11, comprising: receiving (510) floor information (406) relating to two floors that are simultaneously accessed; Evaluating (520) the floor information (406) and determining (520) a floor distance between two floors that are approached simultaneously; issuing (530, 540) a control command (408) for controlling a drive means (114) of the elevator car (100) based on the floor distance; The method (500).

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