Elevator Car Position Sensor with Redundant Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems face challenges in accurately determining car position with high reliability and low cost, as sensors must be precisely guided relative to magnetic code marks, which is expensive and complex, especially at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
The system employs two independent groups of sensors arranged perpendicular to each other, allowing for redundant scanning of code marks, ensuring accurate position detection even with significant lateral offsets, reducing the need for precise guidance and lowering costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are precisely guided relative to code marks, then position detection accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor device is divided into multiple independent sensor groups (at least two groups of sensors), each capable of independently scanning code marks. This segmentation allows the system to tolerate lateral offsets better, as not all sensors need to be precisely positioned, thereby reducing guidance complexity while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces redundancy in the spatial arrangement of sensor groups, allowing the system to compensate for lateral deviations. By having multiple sensor groups at different positions, the system gains tolerance in the lateral dimension, reducing the stringency of guidance requirements while preserving measurement precision.
2Strength
If sensors are positioned close to code marks, then magnetic field strength is improved, but reliability decreases due to rapid field diminishment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements redundant sensor groups that can compensate for signal degradation. By having multiple independent sensing paths, the system cushions against the rapid diminishment of magnetic field strength, ensuring reliable position detection even when individual sensors experience weak signals due to positioning variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of sensor arrangement by using multiple sensor groups at different positions rather than a single sensor. This allows the system to maintain reliable detection across a range of distances from the code marks, compensating for the rapid field diminishment by selecting or combining signals from sensors at optimal positions.
3Device complexity
If single row of sensors is used, then device simplicity is improved, but reliability decreases due to lateral offset sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The single row of sensors is segmented into multiple independent sensor groups arranged in parallel rows. This segmentation increases reliability by providing redundant sensing paths that are less sensitive to lateral offsets, while keeping each individual sensor group relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sensor groups are merged into a single sensor device that works cooperatively. The combined system achieves higher reliability through redundancy while maintaining overall device simplicity by integrating the groups into a unified structure mounted on the elevator car.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the reliability and accuracy of car position detection while reducing the complexity and cost of sensor guidance, maintaining high confidence in position determination across a wider range of sensor positions relative to the code marks.
Implementation Method 1
The sensors convert the different polarities of the magnetic fields into corresponding binary information
Implementation Method 2
The code marks are magnetized either as a north pole or as a south pole
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator installation with at least one car includes at least one device for determining a position of the car and a method of operating such an elevator installation. The position determining device has a code mark pattern and a sensor device. The code mark pattern is arranged along the length of travel of the car and consists of a multiplicity of code marks. The sensor device is mounted on the car and has sensors contactlessly scanning the code marks. The code marks are arranged in a single line and the sensor device comprises at least two sensor groups which are separated from each other perpendicular to the line of the code marks, which makes reading the code marks possible even if there are lateral displacements between the sensor device and the line of the code marks.