Elevator Car Destination Control With Solid-State Safety Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional elevators with safety contactors experience delays due to the need to verify their operation at each landing, especially in long-distance travel, increasing waiting times and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with a controller that can modify the travel destination of an elevator car in response to service requests, using solid state switches to ensure safe operation and adjust motion profiles for efficient direction changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If safety contactors are verified by opening them at each landing floor, then safety reliability is improved, but elevator waiting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary verification of safety contactors during the elevator's idle periods or during normal operation at landing floors without requiring the elevator to stop and wait. The verification process is initiated in advance or conducted simultaneously with other operations, so that when a service request is received, the safety verification is already complete or can be completed without delaying the elevator's response to passenger requests.
2Reliability
If traditional safety contactors are used with mechanical switching, then safety function is ensured, but operational delay occurs due to verification requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical safety contactors with solid-state switching devices. These solid-state switches can verify their operational status electronically and instantaneously without the mechanical wear and verification delays associated with traditional contactors. The solid-state switches provide safety verification through electrical signals and can change state immediately in response to control signals, eliminating the need for mechanical verification procedures that cause operational delays.
3Reliability
If elevator car travels to verify safety contactors, then safety operation is confirmed, but additional travel time is incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The safety verification system operates autonomously without requiring the elevator car to perform special verification trips or movements. The solid-state switches automatically monitor their own operational status and provide verification signals to the control system during normal operation. The system self-verifies its safety function through electronic monitoring of the switch states and circuit conditions, eliminating the need for dedicated verification travel.
Data Source
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AI summary
An elevator system (100) is provided, the elevator system (100) comprising: an elevator car (110) configured to travel between landing floors (F1, F2); an elevator drive system (130) configured to operate the elevator car (110); an elevator controller (120) at least configured to operate the elevator drive system (130); wherein the elevator controller (120) is configured to, in response to a detection of a service request during an execution of an elevator service wherein the elevator car (110) is caused to travel from a departure floor (F1, F2) to a destination floor (F1, F2), generate (260) a control signal to set a new destination to the elevator car (110) so as to cause a modification of the travel of the elevator car (110) to the new destination. Also a method and a computer program are provided to.