Elevator Safety Controller for Conditional Emergency Stopping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems often trap passengers in the car due to immediate stopping during emergency situations, requiring significant time for mechanical or security personnel to reset the system, leading to prolonged confinement.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system that evaluates the status of safety devices and allows the car to move to a landing in non-critical situations, using a safety controller to monitor and apply brakes as necessary, ensuring safe operation and reducing passenger confinement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elevator system immediately stops the elevator car upon detection of an emergency situation, then the safety of passengers is ensured, but the passengers may be trapped in the elevator car for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the response parameter from immediate stopping to conditional stopping based on the type of emergency situation. Critical situations trigger immediate stops, while non-critical situations allow continued operation to the nearest landing, thereby reducing unnecessary passenger confinement time while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the stopping behavior based on real-time assessment of the emergency situation. The safety controller evaluates the nature of the emergency and dynamically decides whether to stop immediately or allow movement to the nearest landing, making the system adaptable rather than static
2Loss of time
If the elevator system allows the car to move to a landing in non-critical situations, then passenger confinement is reduced, but the risk to passenger safety may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety controller continuously monitors the emergency situation and provides feedback to the control system. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust its behavior based on the evolving situation, ensuring that the car only moves to a landing when it is safe to do so, thereby maintaining passenger safety while reducing unnecessary confinement
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments emergency situations into critical and non-critical categories, applying different response strategies to each. This segmentation allows the system to reduce passenger confinement for non-critical situations while maintaining immediate stopping for critical situations, thus balancing safety and time loss
Data Source
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AI summary
An elevator system (201) comprising an elevator car (203) moveable between a plurality of landings and a brake (208) configured to stop the elevator car (203) from moving within the elevator shaft. The system comprises a safety controller (232; 236) and at least one safety device (234; 238). The safety controller (232; 236) monitors for a change in status of the at least one safety device (234; 238). Upon detection of a change to a new status, the safety controller evaluates whether the new status is a first status corresponding to an emergency situation or a second status corresponding to a non-critical change. The safety controller (232; 236) is further configured to apply the brake (208) immediately to stop the elevator car (203) when the new status is a first status or allow the elevator car (203) to move to a landing when the new status is a second status.