Motor Adaptation Unit for Elevator Door Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing elevator systems require time-consuming adjustments to the elevator control system to accommodate different door drive motors, necessitating additional wiring or engine-specific adapters, which complicates the implementation of a suitable motor as a door drive motor.

Innovation Solution

A door control system comprising a motor control unit and a motor adaptation unit with a memory unit and switchover unit, allowing for the storage and selection of configuration instructions specific to various door drive motors, enabling efficient adaptation and operation without influencing the elevator control system's configuration or programming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If adjustments are made on the elevator side to accommodate different door drive motors, then the motor can be integrated into the elevator system, but the adjustment process becomes time-consuming and requires additional wiring or engine-specific adapters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor compatibilityVSAvoidadjustment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The motor adaptation unit is designed with a memory unit that can store configuration instructions for multiple different motor types. The switchover unit enables selection between these stored configurations, allowing a single elevator control system to accommodate various door drive motors without requiring separate adapter hardware for each motor type. This universal approach eliminates the need for time-consuming adjustments and additional wiring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of physically adapting the elevator control system for each motor type through wiring changes or adapters, the invention creates software copies of motor-specific configuration instructions and stores them in the memory unit. The switchover unit activates the appropriate copy based on which motor is installed, effectively replicating the behavior of a customized system without the physical customization overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If adjustments are made on the elevator side to accommodate different door drive motors, then the motor can be integrated into the elevator system, but the system complexity increases due to additional wiring or engine-specific adapters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor compatibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The motor adaptation unit serves as a universal interface that can handle multiple motor types through software configuration rather than requiring separate hardware adapters for each motor. This single multi-functional component replaces what would otherwise be multiple specialized components, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The motor adaptation unit acts as an intermediary layer between the elevator control system and the door drive motor. It absorbs the complexity of motor-specific configurations internally through stored instructions, presenting a simplified, standardized interface to the rest of the elevator system. This mediator approach isolates the complexity from the main control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If motor-specific adjustments are made to the elevator control, then the door drive motor can be properly controlled, but the configuration and programming of the elevator control system is influenced and complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor adaptabilityVSAvoidconfiguration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts motor-specific configuration parameters from the main elevator control system and places them in a separate memory unit within the motor adaptation unit. This separation allows the main elevator control configuration to remain simple and unchanged, while motor-specific adaptations are handled independently through the switchover unit activating appropriate stored instructions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than modifying the main elevator control configuration for each motor type, the invention creates separate copies of motor-specific configuration instructions and stores them in the memory unit. The switchover unit activates the appropriate copy, allowing proper motor control without influencing or complicating the main elevator control system's configuration and programming.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3898488B1Door control device for a lift system
Publication Date: 2023.06.28 INVENTIO AG
  • EP3898488B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3898488B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3898488B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a motor adaptation unit (42) for a lift system (2), wherein the motor adaptation unit (42) is designed to adapt a motor control unit (40) controlling a door drive motor (46) of the lift system (2) to a lift controller (44) of the lift system (2), and the motor control unit (40) is designed to generate an output voltage, suitable for supplying the door drive motor (46), according to provided actuation commands; the actuation commands can be provided by the lift controller (44) and the door drive motor (46) is suitable for opening or closing a lift door (4a-d) of the lift system (2); the motor adaptation unit (42) has a memory unit (54) for storing at least one configuration instruction that can be assigned to a motor that is suitable for use as a door drive motor (46; the configuration instructions of multiple motors suitable for use as a door drive motor (46) can be stored by means of the memory unit (54), and the motor adaptation unit (42) has a switch unit (52); and the switch unit (52) is designed to activate the at least one configuration instruction that can be assigned to the motor that is suitable for use as a door drive motor (46). The invention also relates to a door control system comprising a motor adaptation unit (42) of this type, to a lift system (2) comprising a door control system of this type, and to a method for operating a lift system (2) comprising the door control system.