Elevator Positioning Using Contactless Magnetic Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator car positioning systems are unreliable due to mechanical contact failures and oxidation, and they require complex setups with multiple sensors to accurately determine the linear position of the elevator car.
Innovation Solution
A positioning apparatus using position identifiers with readable physical properties, such as magnetic fields, inductance, or capacitance, that indicate both the class and linear position of the elevator car, allowing for simplified and more reliable positioning through a reader device with sensors and a processor to classify and calculate the elevator's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If magnetic switches with mechanical contacts are used to detect elevator car position, then position detection can be achieved, but reliability deteriorates due to contact failure from vibration, impact, and oxidation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based magnetic switches with a contactless positioning system. Position identifiers with magnetic fields are disposed in the hoistway, and a reader device on the elevator car reads these fields without mechanical contact, eliminating wear and oxidation issues while maintaining position detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses magnetic field copies of position information instead of direct mechanical sensing. The position identifiers create magnetic field representations of their locations, and the reader device reads these field copies to determine position without physical contact with the identifiers
2Measurement precision
If multiple separate sensors and switches are disposed in the hoistway to measure extreme limits and position, then measurement coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates position identifiers that serve multiple functions simultaneously. Each identifier contains both class information (indicating the type of position, such as stopping floor or extreme limit) and linear position information (exact position data), allowing a single identifier to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of class detection and linear position measurement into a single integrated system. The reader device reads both the class and linear position from the same position identifier using the same physical property (magnetic field), eliminating the need for separate sensor arrays for each function
3Device complexity
If the same physical property indicates both class and linear position of position identifiers, then the number of components decreases, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent encodes multiple types of information (class and linear position) into variations of a single physical property (magnetic field characteristics). Different magnetic field patterns, strengths, or configurations represent different classes and positions, allowing the reader device to extract both types of information from the same physical property through appropriate signal processing
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
The solution provides a more reliable and simplified method for determining the elevator car's position, improving fault tolerance and reducing the number of components, enabling precise positioning without mechanical contacts and enhancing elevator safety and operation.
Implementation Method 1
The magnetic field 5 produced in this manner is sinusoidal elsewhere than within the range of an end limit identifier 1E, 1F. Both the classification of position identifiers 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G and the linear position s are read from a position identifier using the same sensors of the reader device 2
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2f
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a positioning apparatus for an elevator car (3), an elevator and also a method for determining the position of an elevator car (3). The positioning apparatus for an elevator car comprises a plurality of position identifiers (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E) possessing a readable physical property that are disposed by the side of the trajectory of the elevator car (3) and also a reader device (2) installed on the elevator car (3) for reading a physical property (5) of the position identifiers (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E). The aforementioned readable physical property (5) of a position identifier is adapted to classify each position identifier according to the intended use of the position identifier into one of two or more optional classes, and in the position identifiers (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E) belonging to at least one aforementioned class the same physical property (5) is additionally adapted to indicate the linear position (s) of the elevator car.