Elevator Safety Control System Using Electronic Nodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety control systems for elevators, escalators, and moving walkways face challenges such as increased installation costs, complexity in assembly and maintenance, and reduced scalability due to extensive wiring and reliance on electromechanical elements, particularly with inspection and rescue push-button boxes, which are prone to faults that compromise safety.
Innovation Solution
A safety control system featuring a central control unit and electronic safety nodes capable of two-way communication via a secure bus, where each node is associated with safety switches and state detectors, allowing for fault detection and redundancy, reducing the need for extensive wiring and electromechanical elements, and enabling easy scalability and remote monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electromechanical safety devices with series-connected contacts are used, then safety chain functionality is achieved, but installation costs and wiring complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electromechanical safety contacts and push-button boxes with electronic safety nodes containing microcontrollers. These electronic nodes communicate safety status digitally, eliminating the need for extensive series-connected electromechanical contacts and reducing wiring complexity while maintaining safety chain functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic safety nodes serve multiple functions: they monitor safety conditions, communicate status to the control unit, and can replace multiple separate electromechanical components. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components and wiring required in the safety system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional inspection push-button boxes are installed in multiple locations, then operational flexibility improves, but installation costs and wiring requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The same electronic safety node design can be deployed in multiple locations (car, pit, machine room) with identical hardware. Each node independently monitors local safety conditions and communicates with the control unit, providing operational flexibility without requiring different hardware configurations or extensive additional wiring.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety system is divided into independent electronic safety nodes distributed at different locations. Each node operates autonomously to monitor its local safety conditions, allowing the system to be easily expanded to multiple locations without creating a complex centralized wiring structure.
3Ease of operation
If electromechanical contacts are used in push-button boxes, then manual operation is achieved, but fault detection capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic safety nodes continuously monitor their own operational status and safety conditions, providing real-time feedback to the control unit. This digital feedback mechanism enables immediate fault detection and reporting, allowing maintenance personnel to identify and address issues before they compromise safety, while the nodes maintain manual operation capabilities.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a safety control system for an elevator, escalator or moving walkway, comprising a central control unit (4) and at least one electronic safety node (1, 2, 6) communicated with one another by means of a secure communication bus (5). Each electronic safety node (1, 2, 6) is functionally associated with at least one safety switch (1', 2', 6'), which are connected in series forming a safety chain (3). The electronic safety nodes transmit to one another and to the central control unit information relating to the state of at least one safety switch associated with a node, such that each safety node controls its safety switch depending on the information received from another safety node. The proposed control system can be easily scaled and allows reducing installation wiring for the purpose of reducing installation costs and facilitating the assembly thereof.