How to operate the elevator for maintenance

Abstract

A method for operating an elevator (1) for maintenance, the elevator (1) comprising: a cabin (2) and an elevator shaft (4), the cabin being movable along the elevator shaft (4); a drive (6) for moving the cabin (2); a plurality of shaft doors (8), at least one of the shaft doors (8) being arranged on each of a plurality of floors (10), including at least a lowest floor (10') and a top floor (10''); and an elevator control unit (12), which performs, inter alia: the elevator control unit (12) checks whether there is a person in a predefined danger zone (18), the predefined danger zone (18) preferably being the elevator shaft (4); and if there is no person in the predefined danger zone (18), the elevator control unit (12) switches from a maintenance mode to a normal operation mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating an elevator for maintenance. Further, the present invention relates to an elevator, a computer program product, and a computer-readable medium configured to execute such a method.

Background Art

[0002] An elevator includes at least one cabin that can be moved along an elevator shaft between a plurality of floors in a building using a drive engine. The cabin includes at least one cabin door that can be opened to provide access to the cabin and closed to block access. Each floor is provided with at least one shaft door that can be opened and closed to selectively provide or block access to the elevator shaft. The shaft door is sometimes called a landing door. The shaft door is generally locked in a closed state unless the cabin door is coupled to it.

[0003] During elevator maintenance, technicians need access to the elevator shaft to inspect the integrity of elevator components located within the shaft, for example. Therefore, in conventional elevators, technicians had to call the cabin to approach one of the floors and set the elevator to a state where calls from the landing or cabin operating panel were ignored. Next, the technician had to unlock the shaft door. For such unlocking, the technician had to use a specific tool, such as a triangular key. Then, the technician had to manually open the shaft door and, for example, climb onto the roof of the waiting cabin. A control unit was typically located on the roof. Using the control unit, the technician could control the drive engine during maintenance to move the cabin to the desired location. Security measures had to be taken to ensure that technicians were not injured during such movement. For example, it had to be ensured that the cabin was not driven to locations where technicians on the cabin roof or inside the shaft pit would be at risk during maintenance. Finally, upon completion of maintenance, the technician had to exit the elevator shaft and manually relock the relevant shaft door.

[0004] Approaches for unlocking elevator landing doors are proposed in International Publication Nos. 2017 / 212105 and 2017 / 212106. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 212105 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2017 / 212106 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Alternative methods for operating elevators for maintenance may be required. In particular, methods for operating elevators for maintenance that can increase the safety level for technicians may be necessary. Furthermore, elevators, computer program products, and / or computer-readable media configured to implement such methods may be required.

[0007] These needs can be satisfied by the subject matter of one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims of the following specification. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for operating an elevator for maintenance is proposed. In this method, the elevator comprises a cabin and an elevator shaft. The cabin is movable along the elevator shaft. The elevator further comprises a drive unit for moving the cabin. The elevator comprises a plurality of shaft doors, at least one of which is located on each of the plurality of floors, including at least the lowest floor and the highest floor. The elevator comprises an elevator control unit, which performs the following steps:

[0009] - The elevator control unit receives a maintenance start request sent by a technician, preferably via a mobile electronic device.

[0010] - The step in which the elevator control unit switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode.

[0011] - The elevator control unit receives a maintenance stop request sent by a technician, preferably via a mobile electronic device.

[0012] - The elevator control unit checks whether there are any people in a predefined hazardous area, and the predefined hazardous area is preferably the elevator shaft.

[0013] - If there are no people in the predefined hazard zone, the elevator control unit switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode.

[0014] The method steps are preferably performed in the order shown.

[0015] This method prevents technicians from still being in a hazardous area when the control unit switches back from maintenance mode to normal operation mode. It ensures that the elevator will only resume normal operation if no one is in a hazardous area and therefore there is no risk of injury from the elevator in normal operation. This makes the entire maintenance procedure more secure for both technicians and others compared to the current procedure where the system can be switched back to normal operation mode by someone outside the shaft even if others are still inside the shaft.

[0016] A maintenance initiation request may consist only of information that maintenance is required. In a preferred embodiment, the maintenance initiation request preferably includes information about where the maintenance is intended to be performed and what type of maintenance is planned, so that the elevator control unit knows, depending on the nature of the maintenance initiation request, where to move the cabin and where the technician is expected to enter the shaft.

[0017] A hazardous area, as defined above and below, is any area where a person may be at risk during the normal operation of the elevator. A hazardous area may be the elevator shaft as a whole. A hazardous area may also be a specific part of the elevator shaft, such as the top of the cabin, the top of the elevator shaft also known as the head, or the bottom of the elevator shaft also known as the pit.

[0018] Implementing a method within the elevator control unit to check for people in predefined hazardous areas has the advantage that the check is performed within the same device that performs all functions, particularly the movement of the cabin. By bypassing the remote part of the security system in a way that the control unit does not detect the presence of people in the shaft, manual operation of the elevator into an unsafe state is minimized. In other words, the unit that determines whether a safe state has been given and the unit that switches back to normal operation are implemented in the same unit, i.e., the elevator control unit.

[0019] The mobile electronic device may be a smartphone or any similar device. By using such a device to send maintenance start requests and / or maintenance stop requests, it can be ensured that only authorized technicians who own such a device and can unlock it with a password via a fingerprint reader or any other unlocking function can send those requests.

[0020] The maintenance modes described above and below differ from normal operating modes in that passenger calls entered on the landing operation panel and / or cabin operation panel are ignored. Therefore, during maintenance mode, the elevator may not provide transportation services to passengers. Consequently, there is no risk of the cabin moving in response to passenger calls during maintenance mode.

[0021] During normal operation, the shaft door is only opened exclusively when the elevator cabin is stopped adjacent to the shaft door. In such a situation, the cabin door and each shaft door are aligned. However, in order to enable maintenance, an exception to this rule must be implemented within the maintenance mode. In particular, technicians must be able to access the shaft through the shaft door even when the cabin is not stopped directly adjacent to the shaft.

[0022] For safety reasons, the methods described above and below ensure that there are no people in the danger area where people may have accessed during the maintenance mode when the elevator switches from the maintenance mode back to the normal operation mode.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, the step of checking that there are no people in a predefined danger area is: - After a maintenance start request is received by the elevator control unit (12), the elevator control unit (12) captures the pre-maintenance status of the elevator (1), preferably the danger area (18), before switching from the normal operation mode to the maintenance mode; and / or - After a maintenance stop request is received by the elevator control unit (12), the elevator control unit (12) captures the post-maintenance status of the elevator (1) before switching from the maintenance mode back to the normal operation mode; - Evaluating the difference between at least two of the pre-maintenance status of the elevator (1), the post-maintenance status of the elevator (1), and a group of predefined values for the pre-maintenance status and predefined values for the post-maintenance status, and - When the evaluated difference(s) is / are less than a predefined threshold, preferably within ±5% of each other, particularly preferably within ±2% of each other, concluding that there is no one in the predefined danger area (18) including

[0024] Taking in the pre - maintenance status refers, in the above and below, to using one or several types of sensors or a set of sensors to capture the status of the elevator before entering the maintenance mode. Similarly, taking in the post - maintenance status of the elevator refers, in the above and below, to using one or several types of sensors or a set of sensors of the elevator to evaluate the status of the elevator. Taking in in this context means recording the status of the above - mentioned sensors. Therefore, taking in the pre - maintenance mode means that the control unit records the values of one or several sensors before switching from the normal operation mode to the maintenance mode. Taking in the post - maintenance status means that the control unit records the values of one or several sensors before switching from the normal operation mode to the maintenance mode.

[0025] In one embodiment, the pre - maintenance status of the elevator and the post - maintenance status of the elevator are evaluated, i.e., compared, i.e., the difference between the two statuses is evaluated, in order to conclude that there is no person in the pre - defined danger area. In another embodiment, the pre - maintenance status is compared with a pre - defined value of the pre - maintenance status. In another embodiment, the post - maintenance status is compared with a pre - defined post - maintenance status. In other embodiments, any combination of the above - mentioned embodiments is implemented.

[0026] If the evaluated difference(s) of one and / or more than one is less than a pre - defined threshold, preferably within ±5% of each other, particularly preferably within ±2% of each other, it is concluded that there is no one in the pre - defined danger area. The difference may be, for example, the difference in kilograms when weight is measured, or the difference in the pixel state of the captured snapshot or any representative part thereof, or the amount of difference in the objects identified within the snapshot.

[0027] By doing so, it can be concluded that the compared statuses are similar enough to assume that nothing has changed within the hazard zone to the extent that the safe operation of the elevator is no longer possible. In particular, if the difference falls below a predefined threshold, it can be concluded that the person is not in the hazard zone.

[0028] Embodiments in which pre-maintenance and post-maintenance statuses are captured and compared are based on the assumption that the elevator is in a safe state before switching from normal operation mode to maintenance mode. By capturing the relevant elements of that safe normal operation mode and then comparing them with the captured status of the same part of the elevator before the mode switches back to normal operation, the control unit can assess whether any changes occurred during maintenance that would reduce the likelihood of safe normal operation. Comparing the pre-maintenance and post-maintenance statuses of a predefined hazardous area is an attempt to check only spatially and temporally relevant changes and is therefore an efficient way to ensure that no one is at risk when the elevator is back in normal operation. For example, changes within the elevator such as sensor aging and dirt accumulation, and consequently drift in experienced sensor output values, are irrelevant when assessing whether a person is in a hazardous area. The two statuses are captured within a very short period compared to the elevator's lifespan. During this period, no changes due to wear and tear should occur. Therefore, not only is the effort required to detect people in hazardous areas reduced, but the accuracy of detection is also increased. Minor changes within the elevator, such as updates inside or on the cabin but outside the hazardous area, do not require adaptation. Therefore, this embodiment enables a more efficient and secure method of operating the elevator for maintenance.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, the pre-maintenance and post-maintenance status of the elevator is captured: - Measure the load inside or in the cabin before maintenance and / or after maintenance, and store it in the elevator control unit. Includes.

[0030] For most maintenance work (all maintenance work not performed in a pit), the cabin is driven to a position where its roof is accessible from the shaft door, although its cabin door is not aligned with the shaft door. For example, the cabin may be moved and stopped so that its roof is adjacent to the lower end of the shaft door. Therefore, when a technician enters the elevator shaft, the technician may stand on the roof of the parked cabin. During maintenance, the technician works from the cabin roof. In this state, the elevator's load measuring unit measures the weight of the technician in addition to the normal system weight. Therefore, measuring the cabin load before maintenance mode and after a request is received to switch back to normal operation mode can be used to determine if additional weight has been added to the car and can indicate that a person may still be on the cabin roof. Furthermore, any tools that the technician may have brought onto the cabin roof and left there can also be detected to cause a change in the cabin weight.

[0031] Alternatively, the post-maintenance load and / or pre-maintenance load may be compared to a predefined value. Such a predefined value may be the load measured immediately after the cabin installation or the nominal value of the cabin.

[0032] Measuring cabin loads is a necessary measurement during elevator operation, for example, to determine pre-torque values, so this method increases safety without requiring additional sensors. Therefore, load measurement sensors will be available within the elevator anyway. Utilizing already available sensors to ensure that no technicians are in predefined hazard areas is a simple and efficient way to increase security in the method of operating the elevator for maintenance.

[0033] According to a preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, the steps of capturing the pre-maintenance status and / or post-maintenance status of the elevator are: - Capture snapshots of the elevator shaft using classic cameras, ToF cameras, thermal imaging cameras, and / or lidar systems. Includes.

[0034] In the above and below, a snapshot means one or more recordings from the aforementioned cameras / writers at a specific point in time.

[0035] A time-of-flight (ToF) camera is a distance imaging camera system that uses time-of-flight technology to determine the distance between the camera and the subject for each point in an image by measuring the round-trip time of an artificial light signal provided by a laser or LED. A thermographic camera (also known as an infrared camera or thermal imaging camera) is a device that creates images using infrared light, similar to a general camera that creates images using visible light. A lidar is a method of measuring distance (distance measurement) by shining a laser beam onto a target and measuring its reflection with a sensor. The difference in laser return time and wavelength can then be used to create a digital 3D representation of the target. All of these means are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0036] Comparing a pre-maintenance snapshot with a post-maintenance snapshot means, as described above and below, that the snapshots are compared as a whole, or that a specific object, for example, of a certain size, or having a certain color or reflection pattern, is identified and then compared with an object identified in another snapshot.

[0037] Using snapshots before and after maintenance helps identify changes within predefined hazard zones that occur during maintenance. Therefore, such snapshots can be used alone or in combination with measurements from other sensors, such as load measuring sensors, to assess whether it is safe to switch back to normal operation.

[0038] The camera / lider may be placed on part of the shaft, for example, the pit and / or the head of the shaft, or mounted on the cabin, for example, the bottom and / or top of the cabin, so that areas where people may be at risk can be monitored.

[0039] The advantage of using ToF cameras, thermal imaging cameras, and / or LiDAR systems instead of, and / or in combination with, classic cameras is that these cameras are far less susceptible to contamination. Dust and dirt in elevator shafts can affect the vision of classic cameras over time. Any of these cameras is far less susceptible to such contamination. Therefore, such cameras increase the security of the system and reduce the maintenance / cleaning work required to keep the system running safely.

[0040] A preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance involves the step of verifying that no one is present in a predefined hazardous area: - After the elevator control unit receives a maintenance commencement request from a technician, the step of verifying the presence of a technician inside the cabin and / or on the floor before the elevator control unit switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode, and / or - After the elevator control unit receives a maintenance stop request from a technician, the step of verifying the presence of a technician inside the cabin and / or on the floor before the elevator control unit switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode. Includes.

[0041] To verify presence means, as described above and below, concluding that the technician is near a specific component, i.e., inside the cabin or on the floor, to such an extent that it can be concluded that the technician is outside the elevator shaft. For example, if the presence of the technician is detected inside the cabin by a camera (e.g., as described above) or by any other sensor, such as a near-field communication sensor, which allows it to be concluded that a person is inside the camera, then it is safe to assume that the technician cannot be in a hazardous area, i.e., inside the elevator shaft. Similarly, this also applies if it is possible to identify the presence of the technician on the floor. This may be done by a camera or any other sensor, such as a near-field communication sensor. Such a sensor may be part of the landing operating panel on the floor surface or any other part belonging to the elevator.

[0042] Detecting the presence of an engineer inside the cabin or on the floor is a relatively easy, safe, and reliable way to ensure that the engineer is no longer inside the shaft. In many elevators, the presence of a person inside the cabin or on the floor is information used by other parts of the elevator control system, so such sensors are installed inside the cabin and / or on the floor.

[0043] Switching between normal operation mode and maintenance mode only after verifying the presence of a technician inside the cabin or on the floor can be an additional safety feature to ensure that maintenance does not endanger people. Ensuring the presence of a technician inside the cabin or on the floor before entering maintenance mode is a way to ensure that the elevator will not switch to maintenance mode unless an authorized person approaches the elevator. Assessing the presence of a technician inside the cabin or on the floor before the operating mode switches back from maintenance mode to normal mode is a safe way to ensure that the technician who initiated maintenance mode has left the shaft and returned to one of the two areas mentioned before normal operation resumes.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, verification of the presence of technicians in the cabin and / or on the floor is: - A code must be displayed on screens inside the cabin and / or on the floor, which must be scanned by a technician using a mobile electronic device, and / or - Identifying technicians using cameras and / or short-range wireless communication devices inside the cabin and / or on the floor. This is done by identifying the engineers.

[0045] In the above and below, displaying the code to be scanned by the technician may be done as displaying a changing code, and the pattern of the changing code is known to the application that the technician is to use to scan the code. The application can evaluate whether the scanned code is in the pattern it should be. Using a dynamic code has the advantage that the code cannot be copied and scanned from another phone in another location where an image of a static code is stored, for example, inside a shaft. With a dynamic code, the application can conclude that the person who scanned the code was near the code displayed at the moment of scanning.

[0046] Using a camera combined with facial recognition or any other type of identification, such as a near-field communication device that simply plugs into a specific designated other device, can, alternatively or even further, help conclude that an authorized person is in the immediate vicinity of that camera and / or near-field communication device.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, in a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, the technician's request to initiate maintenance is a request to enter the elevator shaft at a specific shaft door. The method of this embodiment includes the step of moving the cabin to a predefined position near the specific shaft door.

[0048] By requesting maintenance to be performed on a specific floor, the cabin can be moved to a predefined location near that floor. This enables a method of operating the elevator for maintenance in which only a predefined number of locations are used during maintenance. Such a method includes, for example, predefined locations for the cabin for maintenance on each floor. This has the advantage that the cabin does not have to be moved at all during maintenance. If, after the technician has finished maintenance on a particular floor, further maintenance needs to be performed on another floor, the technician exits the shaft, checks out the current maintenance mode by sending a maintenance stop request, and then enters a new maintenance start request for the next maintenance work on the other floor, for example. The cabin is checked to exit the maintenance mode and therefore not be in a hazardous area before being driven to the other floor. This allows the cabin to be moved to the other floor for which the technician has requested maintenance. In this way, a method of operating the elevator for maintenance is implemented in which manual movement of the cabin within the shaft is not required during maintenance mode. Thus, the security of the method of operating the elevator for maintenance is increased, as the movement of the cabin during maintenance mode does not endanger people within the shaft.

[0049] A predefined position near a particular shaft door can be any position that facilitates maintenance on that particular floor of the cabin. This could be, for example, a position where the cabin roof is at the same height as the floor, allowing technicians to conveniently walk on the cabin roof. For the lowest floor, such a predefined position near a particular shaft door could be a position where the cabin does not obstruct the entrance to the pit. In another similar maintenance request, for example, to perform maintenance work on the bottom of the cabin, the cabin may be moved to a position that only partially obstructs the entrance to the lowest floor, so that technicians can enter the pit but also comfortably reach the bottom of the cabin. In another exemplary maintenance commencement request, a technician may request maintenance to be performed at the head of the elevator shaft. In this case, the cabin may be moved to a position where the cabin roof is at a particular height above the entrance to the top floor, allowing technicians to stand on the cabin roof and reach the components of the elevator shaft head.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment of a method for operating an elevator for maintenance, the method involves stopping the movement of the cabin after a maintenance stop request has been received by the elevator control unit. - Upward when maintenance mode is requested on the lowest floor, and / or - Downward when maintenance mode is requested on the top floor This further includes a step to restrict it to only those cases.

[0051] In this embodiment, the security of the method for operating the elevator for maintenance is further enhanced. If maintenance is required on the lowest floor, the technician will perform the maintenance work in a pit. The risk of crushing the technician by moving the elevator cabin is avoided by initially restricting movement to upwards only. As a next step, the technician may need to identify himself in the cabin on the next floor above, i.e., the ground floor. In such a case, the method for operating the elevator for maintenance may be as follows:

[0052] - A maintenance commencement request is sent along with information that a technician wants to perform maintenance in the pit.

[0053] - The elevator control unit moves the cabin to a position where the entrance to the lowest floor is at least partially open, allowing technicians to comfortably enter the pit.

[0054] - Technicians enter the pit and perform necessary maintenance work.

[0055] - After maintenance work is performed, the technicians will leave the pit in the same way they entered it.

[0056] - Outside the elevator shaft, a technician requests a halt to maintenance, and the maintenance halt request is sent to the elevator control unit.

[0057] -The presence of people in a predefined hazardous area is checked by either of the above or below means: and / or -By moving the elevator cabin upwards to the first floor so that engineers can enter the cabin on the first floor. - The technician enters the cabin, and the elevator control unit detects the technician's presence inside the cabin by one of the means described above.

[0058] -When the elevator control unit learns that the technician who initially requested maintenance is now in a cabin on the floor above the pit, it concludes that the technician is no longer in the hazardous area, i.e., the pit.

[0059] - The elevator control unit switches from normal operation mode back to maintenance mode.

[0060] If maintenance is requested on the top floor, a similar method may be used to exit maintenance mode. In this case, the cabin is restricted to moving only downwards from the maintenance position. The cabin can then be stopped on the floor below the top floor. In this way, the technician who requested maintenance mode and sent the maintenance stop request after leaving the head can identify himself within the cabin. After the elevator control unit identifies the presence of the technician within the elevator cabin, the control unit can conclude that the technician is no longer at the head of the elevator shaft, and therefore, a safe normal operating mode can be resumed.

[0061] In another embodiment of this method, the movement of the cabin is restricted to downward movement for any maintenance commencement request, except for requests to perform maintenance within the pit.

[0062] For any other maintenance work in the elevator shaft, excluding maintenance work in the pit, it can be assumed that moving the cabin downwards is the safest option, as technicians will be working on the cabin roof for all of these maintenance requests.

[0063] In preferred embodiments of the methods for operating the elevator for maintenance as described above and below, at least one, preferably all, shaft doors have associated active door drives for opening and closing the shaft doors, and / or active door locks for locking and unlocking the shaft doors. This method: - After entering maintenance mode, the following steps are taken to unlock and / or open specific shaft doors by the active door lock and / or active door drive, respectively, so that technicians can access the elevator shaft: - Before exiting maintenance mode, the step of closing and / or locking specific shaft doors by the active door drive and / or active door lock so that technicians can no longer access the elevator shaft. It also includes.

[0064] The use of an active door drive / active door lock allows the elevator shaft door to be used as an additional security element. When the elevator control unit knows that the cabin has arrived at a predefined position and is therefore safe to enter the elevator shaft on a particular floor, the elevator control unit can then unlock / open the shaft door via the active door lock / active door drive, allowing the shaft door to be opened by the elevator control unit. Simultaneously or additionally, the active door drive / active door lock also allows the elevator control unit to close a particular elevator shaft door when it receives a request to stop maintenance. This ensures that the elevator system can no longer change any conditions present inside the elevator shaft at this point from outside the elevator shaft. The elevator control unit can then perform a safety check and verify that there are no people in the predefined hazard zone. If there are no people in the predefined hazard zone, the elevator control unit switches back to normal operation mode.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, the cabin door is also equipped with an active door drive and / or lock.

[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the methods described above and below may further include the step of ensuring that the cabin is empty after the elevator control unit receives a maintenance commencement request sent by a technician, but before the elevator control unit switches from normal operating mode to maintenance mode.

[0067] This ensures that passengers are not trapped inside the elevator cabin during maintenance mode. Methods for verifying the presence of persons inside the cabin are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment of a method for operating the elevator for maintenance, an elevator control unit prevents the cabin from moving and / or the elevator brake, preferably the cabin brake, is engaged before the technician is permitted access to the shaft.

[0069] In this embodiment, the method is made more secure by preventing any movement of the cabin during maintenance mode by disabling the activation of the drive unit via the control unit and / or by engaging the brakes before the technician enters the shaft. Either of the above can ensure that the elevator cabin does not move in any direction once the technician enters the shaft for maintenance.

[0070] In preferred embodiments of the methods described above and below, the method is: - A step to begin verifying braking performance after exiting maintenance mode and / or before entering maintenance mode by performing a static brake test. It also includes.

[0071] Proper function of the elevator brake is required for both safe normal operation mode and safe maintenance mode. In normal operation mode, the brake is required to stop the car at any floor. During maintenance mode, the brake may be required to ensure that the cabin remains safely at a predefined position. Therefore, the function of the brake should be checked each time the elevator switches between the two modes.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment, a method for operating an elevator for maintenance on any floor other than the lowest floor includes the following steps:

[0073] - The step in which technicians reach the level where they want to perform maintenance on floors other than the lowest floor.

[0074] - A technician sends a maintenance initiation request for a specific maintenance procedure on that floor to the elevator control unit via a mobile electronic device.

[0075] - The elevator control unit controls the elevator so that the cabin moves to that level.

[0076] - The elevator control unit controls the active door drive unit of the shaft door and the active door drive unit of the cabin door, thereby opening the shaft door and the cabin door.

[0077] - A technician enters the cabin and verifies that it is empty.

[0078] - A step where the elevator control unit confirms the technician's presence while he is inside the cabin.

[0079] - The technician exits the cabin, and the elevator control unit closes the shaft door via the active door drive unit for the shaft door and closes the cabin door via the active door drive unit for the cabin door.

[0080] - The elevator control unit controls the elevator so that the cabin is moved to a predefined maintenance location near that level.

[0081] - The elevator control unit activates the brake, preferably the car brake.

[0082] - A step in which an elevator control unit measures and stores the pre-maintenance load, preferably the pre-maintenance load measured by a cabin load measuring cell.

[0083] - The control unit opens the landing door via the active door drive unit of the shaft door.

[0084] - A technician enters the shaft and performs maintenance.

[0085] - Once maintenance is complete, the technician leaves the shaft and, upon exiting the shaft, sends a maintenance stop request to the elevator control unit via a mobile electronic device.

[0086] - The elevator control unit closes the shaft door by controlling the active door drive unit of the shaft door.

[0087] - The elevator control unit measures the load after maintenance and compares that value with the stored load before maintenance.

[0088] - If the value is within a predefined range, the elevator control unit controls the elevator to move to the next lower floor.

[0089] - The elevator control unit controls the active door drive unit of the shaft door and the active door drive unit of the cabin door, thereby opening the shaft door and the cabin door, respectively.

[0090] - The technician enters the cabin and confirms his presence inside.

[0091] - The technician exits the cabin, and the elevator control unit closes the shaft door via the active door drive unit for the shaft door and closes the cabin door via the active door drive unit for the cabin door.

[0092] - A step in which the elevator control unit performs a static brake test.

[0093] - If the brake test is passed, the elevator control unit switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the shaft and / or cabin door is further provided with an active door lock, which unlocks each door before it is opened by its respective active door drive and locks each door after it has been closed by its respective door drive.

[0095] In a preferred embodiment, a method for operating the elevator for maintenance purposes on the lowest floor includes the following steps:

[0096] - The step by which the technician reaches the lowest floor where maintenance is to be performed.

[0097] - A technician sends a maintenance initiation request for a specific maintenance procedure on that floor to the elevator control unit via a mobile electronic device.

[0098] - The elevator control unit controls the elevator so that the cabin moves to that level.

[0099] - The elevator control unit controls the active door drive unit of the shaft door and the active door drive unit of the cabin door to open the shaft door and the cabin door.

[0100] - A technician enters the cabin and verifies that it is empty.

[0101] - A step where the elevator control unit confirms the technician's presence while he is inside the cabin.

[0102] - The technician exits the cabin, and the elevator control unit closes the shaft door via the active door drive unit for the shaft door and closes the cabin door via the active door drive unit for the cabin door.

[0103] - The elevator control unit controls the elevator so that the cabin is moved to a predefined maintenance location near that level.

[0104] - The elevator control unit activates the brake, preferably the car brake.

[0105] - A step in which an elevator control unit measures and stores the pre-maintenance load, preferably the pre-maintenance load measured by a cabin load measuring cell.

[0106] - The control unit opens the landing door via the active door drive unit of the shaft door.

[0107] - A technician enters the shaft to perform maintenance.

[0108] - Once maintenance is complete, the technician leaves the shaft and, upon exiting the shaft, sends a maintenance stop request to the elevator control unit via a mobile electronic device.

[0109] - The elevator control unit closes the shaft door by controlling the active door drive unit of the shaft door.

[0110] - Preferably, the elevator control unit measures the load after maintenance and compares the value with the stored load before maintenance.

[0111] - If the value is within a predefined range, the elevator control unit controls the elevator cabin to move to the next upper floor, i.e., the first floor.

[0112] - The elevator control unit controls the active door drive unit of the shaft door and the active door drive unit of the cabin door, thereby opening the shaft door and the cabin door, respectively.

[0113] - The technician enters the cabin and confirms his presence inside.

[0114] - The technician exits the cabin, and the elevator control unit closes the shaft door via the active door drive unit for the shaft door and closes the cabin door via the active door drive unit for the cabin door.

[0115] - A step in which the elevator control unit performs a static brake test.

[0116] - If the brake test is passed, the elevator control unit switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode.

[0117] In a preferred embodiment, the shaft and / or cabin door is further provided with an active door lock, which unlocks each door before it is opened by its respective active door drive and locks each door after it has been closed by its respective door drive.

[0118] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an elevator is proposed that is configured to perform one of the following: carry out a method according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, and control a method according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0119] In a preferred embodiment, the elevator comprises a cabin movable along an elevator shaft, a drive unit for moving the cabin, an elevator control unit, and a plurality of shaft doors, with at least one shaft door located on each of the plurality of floors, and preferably, each shaft door has an associated active door drive unit for opening and closing the shaft door, and / or an active door lock, which can be enabled / disabled by the elevator control unit. The elevator is configured to perform the methods described above and below.

[0120] An active door lock is preferably a door lock having a rod and an actuator, preferably an electromagnetic actuator, for moving the rod from a locked position to an unlocked position. An active door lock in a preferred embodiment includes sensors for detecting the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0121] In a preferred embodiment, the elevator control unit of the elevator, as described above and below, or at least a part thereof, is configured to satisfy the SIL3 requirement.

[0122] In elevators, all components involved in controlling the movement of the cabins and / or opening the shaft doors may have to meet high safety requirements as defined by the SIL3 (Safety Integrity Level 3) standard. Therefore, it can be ensured that any failure of one of the components will not result in creating a potentially dangerous situation, such as moving a cabin while a technician is inside the elevator shaft, or opening the shaft doors while no cabin is driven to a predefined position close to the shaft doors.

[0123] The elevator control unit or any part thereof may be programmable. They may have, for example, a processor for executing computer-readable instructions and / or processing data, and memory for storing instructions and / or data. Optionally, the door controller may be located within the elevator control unit or separate from it. In the latter case, the two control units are connected by a data communication link.

[0124] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the computer program product comprises a computer-readable instruction that, when performed by a processor in an elevator according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, instructs the elevator to perform one of the following: perform the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, or control the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. Alternatively, the computer program product comprises a computer-readable instruction that, when performed by a processor in a mobile data communication device, instructs the mobile data communication device to transmit one of a request signal and a finalizing signal to trigger the elevator according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention in order to perform one of the following: perform the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, or control the method according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0125] In a preferred embodiment, the computer program product includes computer-readable instructions, when performed by a processor in the elevator as described above and below, for instructing the elevator to perform one of the methods described above and below, or to control the methods described above and below. Alternatively, the computer program product includes computer-readable instructions, when performed by a processor in a data communication device, for instructing a data communication device to send a maintenance request to trigger the elevator as described above and below in order to perform the methods described above and below.

[0126] The computer program product may be in the form of an application ("App") and may be used to instruct a mobile data communication device, such as a smartphone, to transmit one of a request signal and a finalizing signal to trigger an elevator, so that the elevator performs or controls the elevator in the manner proposed herein.

[0127] A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions may be in any computer-readable language. When a computer-readable instruction is executed, the elevator control unit performs or controls the steps of the method proposed herein.

[0128] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable medium is proposed. The computer-readable medium stores a computer program product thereon according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention.

[0129] The computer-readable medium, which contains the above-mentioned computer program product stored thereon, may be any portable computer-readable medium such as a CD, CVD, or flash memory for temporary or non-temporary data storage. Alternatively, the computer-readable medium may be part of a computer or a computer network such as the cloud or the internet, and the computer program product may be downloaded from there.

[0130] It should be noted that the possible features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention are described herein in part with respect to methods for operating an elevator for maintenance and in part with respect to elevators configured to carry out such methods. Those skilled in the art will recognize that features can be appropriately moved from one embodiment to another, and that features can be modified, adapted, combined, and / or replaced to arrive at further embodiments of the present invention.

[0131] Advantageous embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. However, neither the drawings nor the description should be construed as limiting the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0132] [Figure 1] This figure shows an elevator configured to perform a method for operating the elevator for maintenance according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0133] The diagram is a schematic representation only and is not to scale. The same reference numerals indicate the same or similar features.

[0134] Figure 1 shows elevator 1. Elevator 1 is shown in a side view. Furthermore, a portion of elevator 1 is shown in a front view, as visualized in the partial view inside the dashed frame.

[0135] Elevator 1 comprises a cabin 2 that is movable along the elevator shaft 4. The elevator cabin 2 is held and moved by a suspension traction means such as a rope or belt. At the opposite end, the suspension traction means is coupled to a counterweight. The suspension traction means is driven by a drive unit 6. The drive unit 6 is controlled by an elevator control unit 12.

[0136] The elevator cabin 2 is equipped with a cabin door 9 for opening and closing access to the elevator cabin 2. The cabin door 9 may be actively opened and closed by a cabin door drive unit 29. The cabin door drive unit 29 is controlled by an elevator control unit 12.

[0137] Each of the multiple floors 10', 10'', 10'''' is provided with at least one shaft door 8. The shaft doors 8 may be opened and closed to allow or deny access to the elevator shaft 4. The elevator 1 presented herein is provided with an active door drive unit 28 on each shaft door 8 to actively open and close each shaft door 8 by moving a shaft door blade laterally. Each door drive unit 28 is controlled by an elevator control unit 12. Note that, for the sake of simplification of the design, the term door drive unit 28 in this specification refers only to the shaft doors 8 and not to the cabin doors 9 (equipped with cabin door drive units 29).

[0138] Furthermore, each of the multiple floors 10 is provided with a landing operation panel near the shaft door 8. For example, such a landing operation panel may include one or more push buttons that can be activated by passengers to call a cabin 2 to come to their floor 10.

[0139] During normal operation of elevator 1, the elevator control unit 12 controls the drive unit 6 to move cabin 2 to one of the floors 10 in response to a passenger call provided by activating one of the landing operation panels. The drive unit is controlled so that cabin 2 stops at a landing position where the bottom of the cabin is at substantially the same height as the bottom of the floor 10 from which cabin 2 will receive or send off passengers.

[0140] For maintenance purposes, the normal operation of elevator 1 must be temporarily interrupted. For such purposes, according to the method proposed herein, a technician may approach elevator 1 on one of the floors 10, such as the top floor. Approaching the shaft door 8 on this floor 10, the technician may send a maintenance request. Such a request is then received by the elevator control unit 12.

[0141] When the elevator control unit 12 receives a maintenance request sent by the technician 14, the drive unit 6 controls the movement of the cabin 2 to a position where the roof of the cabin 2 is adjacent to the shaft door 8 of the floor 10 (e.g., the top floor as shown in Figure 1) where the maintenance work requested in the maintenance request must be performed. In this maintenance request, the head 19 is equal to a predefined hazard zone 18. Subsequently, the elevator control unit 12 controls the door drive unit 28 of each floor 10'' to actively open the associated shaft door 8. The technician 14 may enter the elevator shaft 4 by standing on top of the roof of the waiting cabin 2. In such a location, the technician 14 may inspect, modify, repair or replace various components of the elevator 1, such as the cabin guide shoe, parts of the elevator control unit, front bracket fixings, suspension traction means, load measuring system, counterweight side and cabin side connectors, counterweight guide shoe, shaft information, deflection pulley, and / or other components.

[0142] Once maintenance is complete, the technician 14 may exit the elevator shaft 4 through the open shaft door 8. The technician 14 may then send a maintenance stop request, which may be received by the elevator control unit 12, using his mobile electronic device 16. Upon receiving the maintenance stop request, the elevator control unit 12 may control the door drive unit 28 of the open shaft door 8 to close it. After the elevator control unit 12 closes the shaft door 8, the elevator control unit 12 moves the elevator cabin downward. As the next step, the technician 14, who should now be outside the shaft 4, must identify himself in the cabin located on one floor 10'' below the top floor 10''''. Thus, the elevator control unit 12 opens the respective shaft doors and cabin doors, thereby allowing the technician 14 to enter the cabin 2 and identify himself on the car operation panel 22, which may include, for example, a camera 24. After this identification, the elevator control unit 12 learns that the technician 14 who requested maintenance is no longer inside the shaft and therefore not inside the predefined hazard zone, i.e., the head 19, and safely switches back to normal operation mode.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment, a load measuring cell provided in the cable brake 26 may be used to capture the pre-maintenance status, i.e., the pre-maintenance load measurement before entering maintenance mode, and the post-maintenance status, i.e., the post-maintenance load measurement before exiting maintenance mode. Before moving the cabin to the next lower floor 10''' (see paragraph above), the elevator control unit 12 compares the two load measurements and concludes that they are within a predefined range, for example, within 5% of each other. Only if this conclusion is reached is the cabin 2 moved to the lower floor 10''10'', where the method continues as described above, i.e., by the identification of the technician 14 inside the cabin 2.

[0144] When a maintenance request requires maintenance on the lowest floor 10 (not shown), the drive unit 6, based on the control of the elevator control unit 12, moves the cabin 2 to a position above the lowest floor 10, i.e., the bottom of the cabin is well above the pit 17 of the elevator shaft 4, allowing a technician 14 to enter such a pit 17. In this maintenance request, the pit 17 is equivalent to a predefined hazardous area 18. Subsequently, the elevator control unit 12 controls the door drive unit 28 on the lowest floor 10 to actively open the associated shaft door 8. The technician 14 may then enter the pit 17. In the pit 17, the technician may inspect, modify, repair, or replace various components of the elevator 1.

[0145] Upon receiving a maintenance request (maintenance start request), the elevator control unit 12 switches to maintenance mode. In such maintenance mode, calls entered by passengers on either the landing operation panel or the cabin operation panel on any other floor are ignored. Furthermore, as long as the elevator control unit 12 is in maintenance mode, any movement of the cabin 2 is prevented.

[0146] In one example, the technician 14 may use a mobile electronic device 16, such as a smartphone, to generate and transmit data forming a maintenance request. For such purposes, a specific application may be programmed and uploaded to the mobile electronic device 16. The electronic mobile device 16 may send electromagnetic waves that encrypt the maintenance request. The electromagnetic waves may be part of the elevator control unit 12 or received by an appropriate sensor connected to the elevator control unit. Alternatively, a communication link between the mobile electronic device 16 and the elevator control unit 12 may be established via a server, such as a cloud.

[0147] Once maintenance is complete, the technician 14 may exit the elevator shaft 4 through the open shaft door 8. The technician 14 may then send a maintenance stop request, which may be received by the elevator control unit 12, using his mobile electronic device 16. Upon receiving the maintenance stop request, the elevator control unit 12 may control the door drive unit 28 of the open shaft door 8 to close it. After the elevator control unit 12 closes the shaft door 8, the elevator control unit 12 moves the elevator cabin upward. As the next step, the technician 14, who should now be outside the shaft 4, must identify himself inside the cabin located on the first floor 10''. Therefore, the elevator control unit 12 opens the respective shaft doors and cabin doors, thereby allowing the technician 14 to enter the cabin 2 and identify himself, for example, on the car operating panels 22, 24. After this identification, the elevator control unit 12 learns that the technician 14 who requested maintenance is no longer inside the shaft and therefore not inside the predefined hazardous area, i.e., the pit 17, and safely switches back to normal operating mode.

[0148] In an exemplary embodiment, camera 20 may be located at the bottom of the cabin and may be used to capture a pre-maintenance status, i.e., a pre-maintenance snapshot before entering maintenance mode, and a post-maintenance status, i.e., a post-maintenance snapshot before exiting maintenance mode. Before moving the cabin to the next lower floor 10'' (see paragraph above), the elevator control unit 12 compares the two snapshots and concludes that they are similar enough to rule out the presence of a person in the pit. Only if this conclusion is reached, the cabin 2 is moved to the upper floor 10'', where the method continues as described above, i.e., by identifying the technician 14 inside the cabin 2.

[0149] With the method and elevator 1 proposed herein, maintenance of elevator 1 can be substantially simplified and made more secure. Upon sending a maintenance commencement request, the shaft door 8 of the floor on which the technician 14 has requested maintenance can be opened actively and automatically. Furthermore, the cabin 2 is already driven to the appropriate position. Since further movement of the cabin 2 is not permitted during maintenance mode, the risk of injury to the technician is minimized. In addition, there is no need for a control unit on the cabin roof or in the pit 17. Generally, there is also no need for a toe guard on the cabin roof 41 and / or an apron on the cabin sill. Thus, the cost of such devices can be saved.

[0150] Finally, note that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and “a” or “an” does not exclude multiple elements. Furthermore, elements described in relation to different embodiments may be combined. Also note that reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. A method for operating elevator (1) for maintenance, Elevator (1) - Cabin (2) and elevator shaft (4), wherein the cabin is movable along the elevator shaft (4), - Drive unit (6) for moving the cabin (2), - A plurality of shaft doors (8), wherein at least one of the shaft doors (8) is located on each of the plurality of floors (10) including at least the lowest floor (10') and the highest floor (10''), - Elevator control unit (12) Equipped with, The elevator control unit (12) performs the following steps: - A step in which an elevator control unit (12) receives a maintenance start request sent by a technician (14), wherein the maintenance start request is preferably sent via a mobile electronic device (16), - Steps in which the elevator control unit (12) switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode, - A step in which an elevator control unit (12) receives a maintenance stop request sent by a technician (14), wherein the maintenance stop request is preferably sent via a mobile electronic device (16), - A step in which the elevator control unit (12) checks whether there is a person in a predefined hazardous area (18), wherein the predefined hazardous area (18) is preferably the elevator shaft (4), - If there are no people in the predefined hazard zone (18), the elevator control unit (12) switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode. Perform The step of checking that there are no people in the predefined hazard zone (18) is - After a maintenance start request is received by the elevator control unit (12), and before the elevator control unit (12) switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode, the steps include capturing the pre-maintenance status of the elevator (1), preferably the hazardous area (18), and / or - After a maintenance stop request is received by the elevator control unit (12), and before the elevator control unit (12) switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode, the step of obtaining the post-maintenance status of the elevator (1) is performed. - A step of evaluating the difference between at least two of the following: the pre-maintenance status of elevator (1), the post-maintenance status of elevator (1), and a predefined value for the pre-maintenance status and a predefined value for the post-maintenance status. - If one and / or more of the evaluated differences are below a predefined threshold, preferably within ±5% of each other, and particularly preferably within ±2% of each other, then the step is to conclude that there is no one in the predefined hazardous area (18). Methods that include...

2. The step of obtaining the pre-maintenance status and post-maintenance status of elevator (1) is: - Measure the load of the cabin (2) before maintenance and / or after maintenance, and store it in the elevator control unit (12). The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

3. The step of obtaining the pre-maintenance status and / or post-maintenance status of elevator (1) is: - Capture snapshots of the elevator shaft (4) using a camera, TOF camera, thermal imaging camera, and / or lidar system. The method according to claim 1 or 2, including the method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The step of verifying that there are no people in the predefined hazard zone (18) is - After the elevator control unit (12) receives a maintenance start request from the technician (14), and before the elevator control unit (12) switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode, the step of verifying the presence of the technician (14) inside the cabin (2) and / or on the floor (10), and / or - After the elevator control unit (12) receives a maintenance stop request from the technician (14), the step of verifying the presence of the technician (14) inside the cabin (2) and / or on the floor (10) before the elevator control unit (12) switches from maintenance mode back to normal operation mode. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including

5. The step of verifying the presence of a technician (14) inside the cabin (2) and / or on the floor (10) is, - Display on a screen (20) inside the cabin (2) and / or on the floor (10) a code that the technician (14) must scan with a mobile electronic device (16), and / or - Identifying the technician (14) using another camera (24) inside the cabin and / or on the floor (10) and / or a short-range wireless communication device (24). The method according to claim 4, which is verified by identifying an engineer (14).

6. The technician's (14) request to start maintenance is a request to enter the elevator shaft (4) through a specific shaft door (8), and the method is, - Step of moving the cabin (2) to a predefined position near a specific shaft door (8) The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, including the method described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. After a maintenance stop request is received by the elevator control unit (12), the movement of the cabin (2) is stopped. - If maintenance mode is requested on the lowest floor, move upwards and / or - If maintenance mode is requested on the top floor, move downwards. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step of limiting to only the method.

8. At least one, preferably all, of the shaft doors (8) have associated active door drive units (28) for opening and closing the shaft doors (8) and / or active door locks (30) for locking and unlocking the shaft doors, and the method is - After entering maintenance mode, the steps include unlocking and / or opening a specific shaft door (8) by an active door lock (30) and / or an active door drive unit (28), respectively, so that a technician (14) can access the elevator shaft (4), and / or - Steps to close and / or lock specific shaft doors (8) by an active door drive unit (28) and / or an active door lock (30) respectively, so that a technician (14) can no longer access the elevator shaft before exiting maintenance mode. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising the step of ensuring that the cabin (2) is empty after the elevator control unit (12) has received a maintenance commencement request sent by a technician (14) and before the elevator control unit (12) switches from normal operation mode to maintenance mode.

10. In maintenance mode, the elevator control unit (12) prevents the drive unit (6) from moving the cabin (2), and / or Before the technician (14) is permitted access to the shaft (4), the elevator brake (28), preferably the cabin brake (28), is engaged. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. - A step to begin verifying braking performance after exiting maintenance mode and / or before entering maintenance mode by performing a static brake test. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising:

12. Elevator (1), - A cabin (2) that can move along the elevator shaft (4), - Drive unit (6) for moving the cabin (2), - Elevator control unit (12), - A plurality of shaft doors (8), wherein at least one shaft door (8) is located on each of a plurality of floors (10), and preferably each shaft door (8) has an associated active door drive unit (28) and / or active door lock (30) for opening and closing the shaft door (8), which can be enabled / disabled by an elevator control unit (12). Equipped with, An elevator (1) configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The elevator control unit (12) or at least a portion of the elevator control unit (12) is configured to satisfy the SIL3 requirement. The elevator according to claim 12.

14. A computer program product, - A computer-readable instruction, when performed by a processor in the elevator (1) according to claim 12 or 13, instructing the elevator (1) to perform one of the following: to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and to control the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11; - A computer-readable instruction, when performed by a processor in the data communication device (32), instructs the data communication device (32) to transmit a maintenance request to trigger the elevator (1) according to claim 12 or 13 in order to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13. A computer program product that includes one of the following:

15. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer program product according to claim 14, stored thereon.

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