Elevator Shaft Door Control Using Cab Door Signal Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems lack active control over shaft doors, leading to increased costs and safety risks due to the absence of control electronics on shaft doors, necessitating a cost-effective solution that ensures safe operation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a shaft door locking device with a drive or lock mechanism on each shaft door, controlled by a sensor and control unit, ensuring the shaft door can only be opened when the elevator car is positioned correctly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control electronics are installed on each shaft door to enable active control, then the reliability and safety of shaft door operation is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control functions for both shaft door and cabin door into a single control unit located in the elevator car. This merging eliminates the need for separate control electronics on each shaft door, reducing system complexity while maintaining active control capability for shaft door operation through the unified control unit that receives signals from both the shaft door sensor and cabin door operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control unit as an intermediary between the shaft door sensor/cabin door operator and the shaft door locking device. This intermediary processes signals and coordinates the operation, enabling reliable shaft door control without requiring complex electronics directly on the shaft door itself, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanically sensitive coupling is used to unlock and open the shaft door when the cabin door drive is engaged, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity and mechanical sensitivity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanically sensitive coupling system with an electronically controlled shaft door locking device. Instead of relying on mechanical sensitivity to unlock the shaft door when the cabin door drive is engaged, the system uses electronic signals from the shaft door sensor and control unit to actively control the locking device, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the shaft door can only be opened when the cabin door is located at the shaft door and both doors are open for accessibility, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity for coordination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coordination control functions into a single control unit that simultaneously manages both shaft door and cabin door operations. This unified control approach simplifies the coordination logic by evaluating all safety conditions (cabin door position, shaft door position, accessibility requirements) in one centralized location, reducing the overall device complexity while ensuring safe operation through comprehensive condition checking.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an elevator system (1) comprising: - an elevator cab (5) which can be moved in an elevator shaft (3), - a cab door (7) which is arranged on the elevator cab (5), - at least one shaft door (11) which is arranged at a door opening (9) of the elevator shaft (3), - a shaft door locking device, in particular a shaft door locking device comprising a shaft door drive (13), for unlocking and/or closing and/or opening the shaft door (11), - a shaft door sensor (15) which is arranged on the shaft door (11) and a cab door signal transmitter (17) which is arranged on the cab door (7), and - a shaft door control unit (19) which is operatively connected to the shaft door sensor (15) and by means of which the shaft door locking device (13) can be directly actuated upon receiving a cab door signal of the cab door signal generator (17) by means of the shaft door sensor (15).