Elevator Car Safety Supervising Unit Installation Mode
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional decentralized electronic safety systems for elevators are not applicable during the installation phase, as they require a fully installed elevator system to operate effectively, leaving a gap in safety supervision and control.
Innovation Solution
A car safety supervising unit (SSU) with sensors, an I/O interface, and a signal processing unit that can operate in both installation and normal modes, capable of autonomously monitoring and controlling elevator parameters to ensure safety during installation, using proprietary energy sources and switching between modes based on available sensors and connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a decentralized electronic safety system with head SSU is used, then safety supervision is improved during normal operation, but the system cannot be applied during installation phase
Solution Approach 1:
The car SSU dynamically adapts its operational mode based on system configuration. During installation, it operates in autonomous mode using only car-related signals. During normal operation, it transitions to cooperative mode utilizing both car-related signals and input signals from the head SSU via bus system, thereby achieving versatility across different operational phases
Solution Approach 2:
The car SSU is designed with multi-functionality to serve both installation and normal operation phases. It can process exclusively car-related signals during installation and process both car-related and input signals during normal operation, making it universally applicable across different operational contexts without requiring separate systems
2Reliability
If analog safety circuits with series-connected safety contacts are used, then safety circuit integrity is ensured, but wiring complexity and installation effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/analog series-connected safety contacts system with an electronic signal processing system. The car SSU processes car-related signals electronically and generates output signals, substituting the mechanical wiring complexity with electronic signal handling while maintaining safety integrity through systematic signal processing and monitoring
3Reliability
If car SSU processes both car-related signals and input signals from head SSU, then comprehensive safety monitoring is achieved, but system dependency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its operational mode based on availability of the head SSU and bus system. When the head SSU is available during normal operation, the car SSU processes both car-related and input signals for comprehensive monitoring. During installation or when head SSU is unavailable, it autonomously processes only car-related signals, thereby managing system dependency dynamically
Data Source
AI summary
A car safety supervising unit (SSU) for an elevator having an elevator car displaceable within an elevator shaft includes at least one sensor for sensing car-related parameters and outputting corresponding car-related signals, an I/O interface for inputting input signals into the car SSU and for outputting output signals to external devices and a signal processing unit for processing at least one of the car-related signals and the input signals and for generating the output signals. In an installation operation mode, the signal processing unit processes exclusively the car-related signals and generates the output signals based exclusively on the car-related signals whereby the car SSU accomplishes basic safety functions for safely operating the elevator with a limited number of available sensors. In a normal operation mode, the signal processing unit processes both the car-related signals and the input signals and generates the output signals based on both.