Elevator Door Unlocking Zone Control for Passenger Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers are often trapped in an elevator car due to the prevention of door opening when a safety switch is triggered, even if the car is stopped a short distance from the landing doors, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with a controller that determines if the car is within an unlocking zone, allowing the doors to open if aligned or misaligned within defined limits, and prevents opening if a safety switch indicates a hazardous condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elevator door and landing door are prevented from opening when a safety switch is triggered, then safety is improved, but passengers may be trapped in the elevator car
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different door opening permissions for different locations within the hoistway. The unlocking zone is divided into a first portion where doors can open and a second portion where doors cannot open, even when the same safety switch is triggered. This spatial differentiation allows the system to maintain safety restrictions in hazardous areas while enabling door opening in safe areas, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and door opening capability.
2Reliability
If the elevator car is stopped a short distance from the landing doors due to a safety hazard, then safety is improved, but passengers are trapped until maintenance intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hoistway space into distinct zones based on safety conditions. By dividing the unlocking zone into a first portion (where doors can open) and a second portion (where doors cannot open), the system enables automatic passenger release when the car stops in the safe first portion, eliminating the need for maintenance intervention and reducing passenger trapping time while maintaining safety.
3Ease of operation
If the unlocking zone allows door opening when car floor and landing floor are misaligned, then passenger release is improved, but safety may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by permitting door opening only in the first portion of the unlocking zone where the car floor and landing floor are substantially aligned, while prohibiting door opening in the second portion where misalignment exceeds a threshold. This spatially differentiated approach allows passenger release capability in safe alignment conditions while maintaining safety restrictions when misalignment is significant.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator system includes a hoistway (217) including a landing (225A-225C), which includes a landing door (227A-227C), an elevator car (203), comprising an elevator car door (229), arranged to move within the hoistway (217), a first safety switch (231; 233) configured to indicate a potential hazard in the elevator system (201) and a controller (215). The controller (215) is configured, when the first safety switch (231; 233) is triggered, to stop movement of the elevator car (203) and determine whether the elevator car (203) is located anywhere within an unlocking zone (253) in the hoistway. The controller is further configured, if it is determined that the elevator car (203) is located anywhere in the unlocking zone (253), to allow the elevator car door (229) and landing door (227A-227C) to be opened.