阅读说明：本技术 电梯系统 (Elevator system ) 是由 奥立弗·德尔格 于 2019-08-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及电梯系统,其具有布置为能够在井道中沿着轨道在水平方向上移动的电梯轿厢。驱动单元(例如线性驱动器(也是线性电机驱动器))设计为使电梯轿厢沿着轨道移动。制动单元设计为使电梯轿厢减速。此外,该电梯系统具有控制单元,该控制单元设计为在电梯轿厢即将发生速度改变时,首先对位于电梯轿厢中的人员发起加速度B2,然后致动制动单元或驱动单元,使得制动单元或驱动单元将具有加速度B1的速度改变传递到电梯轿厢,其中,加速度B2的大小大于加速度B1。作用在电梯轿厢中的人员上的加速度B2有利地是脉冲,也就是说,持续时间短但强度高的速度改变。(The present invention relates to an elevator system having an elevator car arranged to be movable in a horizontal direction along a rail in a hoistway. The drive unit, e.g. a linear drive (also a linear motor drive), is designed to move the elevator car along the track. The brake unit is designed to decelerate the elevator car. Furthermore, the elevator system has a control unit which is designed to initiate an acceleration B2 to a person located in the elevator car first and then to actuate the braking unit or drive unit when a speed change of the elevator car is about to occur, so that the braking unit or drive unit transmits the speed change with an acceleration B1 to the elevator car, wherein the acceleration B2 is greater in magnitude than the acceleration B1. The acceleration B2 acting on the person in the elevator car is advantageously a pulse, that is to say a speed change of short duration but high intensity.)

1. An elevator system (100) having the following features:

an elevator car (110) arranged to be movable in a horizontal direction along a travel rail (102) in a hoistway (120);

a drive unit (10) designed to move the elevator car (110) along the travel track (102);

a braking unit (12) designed to brake the elevator car (110);

a control unit (14) designed to initiate an acceleration B2 to a person located in the elevator car first and then to control the braking unit (12) or the drive unit (10) such that the braking unit (12) or the drive unit (10) transfers the speed change with an acceleration B1 to the elevator car (110) when a speed change of the elevator car is imminent, wherein the acceleration B2 is greater in magnitude than the acceleration B1.

2. The elevator system (100) of claim 1, wherein the acceleration B1 and the acceleration B2 act in the same direction.

3. The elevator system (100) of any of the preceding claims,

wherein, to initiate the acceleration B2, the control unit (14) initially controls the brake unit (12) such that the brake unit (12) applies a relatively large braking force to the elevator car (110) before the control unit (14) controls the brake unit such that the brake unit brakes the elevator car with the acceleration B1; or

Wherein, to initiate the acceleration B2, the control unit (14) initially controls the drive unit (10) such that the drive unit (10) applies a relatively large acceleration to the elevator car (110) before the control unit (14) controls the drive unit (10) such that the drive unit (10) accelerates the elevator car (110) with the acceleration B1.

4. The elevator system (100) of claim 1,

wherein the elevator car (110) has a floor (16), which floor (16) is arranged to be movable at least in a horizontal direction relative to a wall of the elevator car;

wherein, for initiating the acceleration B2, the control unit (14) is designed to control the floor of the elevator car such that the floor of the elevator car exerts the acceleration B2 on the person located in the elevator car (110).

5. Elevator system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (14) is designed to initiate the acceleration B2 only when the control unit controls the brake unit (12) to the effect of emergency braking of the elevator car.

6. The elevator system (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (14) is designed to initiate the acceleration B2 to be at least twice as strong as the acceleration B1.

7. The elevator system (100) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (14) is designed to initiate the acceleration B2 for a shorter time than the acceleration B1.

8. Elevator system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (14) is designed to select the duration of the acceleration B2 to be less than 0.25 s.

9. Elevator system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit (14) is designed to select the duration and the intensity of the acceleration B2 such that the product of the intensity and the square of the duration is less than 0.6 m.

10. Elevator system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is designed to control a recoil element in order to initiate the acceleration B2 to a person located in the elevator car.

11. The elevator system (100) of any of the preceding claims, comprising:

at least one fixed first travel track (102V) fixedly oriented in a first direction (z);

at least one fixed second travel track (102H) fixedly oriented in a second direction (y);

at least one transfer unit for transferring the elevator car (110) from traveling in the first direction (z) to traveling in the second direction (y).

12. A method for operating an elevator system, comprising the steps of:

moving the elevator car in a horizontal direction along the guide rails;

when a speed change is about to occur:

initiating an acceleration B2 for a person located in the elevator car; and is

Controlling a brake unit or a drive unit such that the brake unit or the drive unit transmits the speed change with an acceleration B1 to the elevator car, wherein the acceleration B2 is greater in magnitude than the acceleration B1.

13. Computer program having a program code for performing the method according to claim 12 when the computer program runs on a computer.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an elevator system having an elevator car traveling in a horizontal direction. The control unit first initiates an acceleration effect B2 (e.g. deceleration effect) on the person located in the elevator car before e.g. the (service and/or emergency) brake brakes the elevator car with an acceleration effect B1 (e.g. deceleration effect), wherein B2 is larger than B1. The exemplary embodiment shows an elevator system that generates proactive movement pulses to prepare passengers for unexpectedly high acceleration or deceleration in an elevator car traveling horizontally.

Background

As an alternative to the rope drive, a linear drive is simultaneously present in the elevator construction. Such a linear drive comprises a stator unit fixedly fitted in the elevator shaft and at least one rotor unit fixedly fitted on the elevator car. The invention can be applied to elevator systems with an elevator car and such a linear drive for driving the elevator car. Elevator systems with linear motor drives are known, for example, from DE 102010042144 a1 or DE 102014017357 a1, in which the primary part of the linear motor is provided by correspondingly formed guide rails of the elevator system and the secondary part of the linear motor is provided by the car of the elevator car comprising the rotor of the linear motor. However, there are also other drives, such as gear drives or the like, for which the elevator car of the elevator system can be moved in the horizontal direction. The invention can also be applied to such elevator systems.

Such elevator systems also make lateral travel (that is to say movement of the elevator car in the horizontal direction) possible. During lateral travel, there is generally a risk that the person in the elevator car is used to travel at a certain speed and then the (positive or negative) acceleration of the elevator car unbalances the person. One underestimates the physical reverse movement necessary to maintain standing stability. Then, the risk of injury to personnel increases due to the reduced attention.

Furthermore, DE 102014117373 a1 shows an elevator system with a cabin and a first and a second transport path for the cabin, wherein the direction of the first transport path differs from the direction of the second transport path.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved concept for horizontal acceleration of an elevator car in an elevator system.

This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Further advantageous embodiments form the subject of the dependent patent claims.

Exemplary embodiments illustrate an elevator system having an elevator car arranged to be movable in a horizontal direction along a travel track in a hoistway. The drive unit, for example a linear drive (also a linear motor drive), is designed to move the elevator car along the travel track. The brake unit is designed to brake the elevator car. Furthermore, the elevator system has a control unit which is designed to initiate first a (second) acceleration B2 to the person located in the elevator car when a speed change of the elevator car is about to occur, and then to control the braking or driving unit such that the braking or driving unit transmits a speed change with a (first) acceleration B1 to the elevator car, wherein the magnitude of the acceleration B2 is greater than the acceleration B1. The acceleration B2 acting on the person in the elevator car is advantageously a pulse, that is to say a speed change of short duration but strong intensity compared to the acceleration B1.

It should be noted that the expression "acceleration" covers both positive and negative accelerations (that is to say decelerations). Unless explicitly distinguished, all accelerations are included.

In addition, a horizontal movement of the elevator car is also understood to be a movement whose velocity vector, after component decomposition, has a horizontal component which is greater than the vertical component.

The expression speed change is particularly seen as a need to accelerate the elevator car positively or negatively. In particular, the speed change should therefore not be regarded as a (predetermined) intensity of the acceleration.

The acceleration B2 may be, for example, at least twice as great or at least 5 times as great as the acceleration B1. The intensity may relate to an average or peak value of the acceleration B2. Furthermore, the acceleration B1 can act on the elevator car and thus on the person in the elevator car longer than the acceleration B2. In particular, the acceleration B2 may act for shorter than 0.25s, shorter than 0.1s, or shorter than 0.05 s. It is also advantageous if the duration and the intensity of the acceleration B2 are chosen such that the product of the intensity and the square of the duration is less than 0.6m, preferably less than 0.3 m. These values are derived from the relationship s-0.5 a.t²Where s describes the covered distance, a describes the acceleration, and t describes the duration. If the product of the intensity and the square of the duration is less than 0.6m, the distance covered by the foot of the person in contact with the floor of the elevator car with respect to the upper body of the person is 0.3 m. Thus, the centre of gravity of the body remains within the usual footprint of the person, and thus standing stability remains unimpaired. However, whether by decreasing duration or intensity, it may be advisable to choose smaller pulses, especially for the elderly.

Such a short travel pulse (B2), which informs the person in the elevator car that he or she must adjust to the speed change without the person losing balance due to the pulse itself, has a higher intensity and advantageously also the same direction than the later functional movement change (B1). In other words, the standing stability of the person remains unimpaired by the pulse. The direction of the acceleration B2 can be chosen freely (independently of the direction of the acceleration) as long as the attention of the person in the elevator car is focused more highly than e.g. in the case that the person is discussing intensely in order to be able to better cope with the subsequent speed change. However, it is advantageous to select the acceleration B2 such that the acceleration B2 acts in the same direction as the acceleration B1. The person in the elevator car can then adjust directly to the direction of the subsequent speed change or the compensating movement of the absorption pulse has taken place in the same direction, as a result of which the person has taken the correct position for the actual, weaker acceleration process.

An exemplary embodiment of the elevator system shows that, for initiating the acceleration B2, the brake unit is initially controlled such that it applies a relatively large braking force to the elevator car before the control unit controls the brake unit such that it brakes the elevator car with the acceleration B1. In this case, the acceleration B2 is a deceleration. Alternatively, to initiate the acceleration B2, the control unit initially controls the drive unit such that the drive unit applies a relatively large acceleration to the elevator car before the control unit controls the drive unit such that the drive unit accelerates the elevator car with the acceleration B1. The relatively large acceleration may be positive or negative. For example, a relatively large acceleration is negative when a reduction of the speed of the elevator car can be achieved by appropriate control of the drive unit, e.g. in the case of linear drive. It should be noted that, for example, in the case of emergency braking, deceleration B1 may be applied by both the brake unit and the drive unit. The acceleration B2 may then be generated by one or both units.

In an exemplary embodiment the elevator car may also have a floor, which is arranged to be movable at least in the horizontal direction relative to the walls of the elevator car. To initiate the acceleration B2, the control unit is designed to control the floor of the elevator car such that the floor exerts an acceleration B2 on the person located in the elevator car. This arrangement is advantageous, for example, if the required acceleration B2 cannot be applied by the brake unit and/or the drive unit. The floor can be (mechanically) connected to a dynamic, in particular short-stroke, actuating element in order to perform a movement relative to the wall of the elevator car. These actuating elements make it possible to achieve very large accelerations.

In an exemplary embodiment, the control unit is designed to control the recoil element and thus initiate a recoil in order to produce an acceleration B2 for a person located in the elevator car. This is particularly advantageous if the actuating element, that is to say for example an (electric) motor or a pneumatically or hydraulically actuated drive, cannot apply sufficient acceleration or cannot support the force for initiating an acceleration on the shaft or elevator car. In this case, the recoil elements, such as (tension) springs (mechanical energy) and/or drives like rockets (chemical energy), for example filled with propellant charges, can exert an acceleration B2 on the person located in the elevator car by a counter-acceleration of the recoil mass. It may be advantageous to use a propellant charge if a lower mass is combined with the same acceleration. After the propellant charge is consumed it may be replaced or refilled.

In an exemplary embodiment, the subsequent speed change is greater than other customary positive accelerations or decelerations used in normal operation to initiate or pick up speed or to brake the elevator car. For example, greater accelerations may occur in an emergency. The case where a large deceleration occurs is emergency braking. In combination with emergency braking of the elevator cars, in the event of a potential collision between two elevator cars, it is also possible to move the first elevator car at risk of collision away from the second elevator car initiating the potential collision in order to increase the available braking path of the second elevator car. In this case, a large positive acceleration can act on the person in the first elevator car. As a result of the (sporadic) use of the second acceleration B2, habitual effects on the persons in the elevator car are avoided only in the event of a subsequent large speed change, as a result of which the pulse maintains its effect by means of the second acceleration B2 in the event of an emergency.

In an exemplary embodiment, the elevator system further comprises at least one fixed first travel track, which is fixedly oriented in a first, in particular vertical, direction (z). The elevator system comprises at least one fixed second travel track, which is fixedly oriented in a second direction (y), in particular a horizontal direction (y), and at least one transfer unit for transferring the elevator car from travel in the first direction (z) to travel in the second direction (y). In particular, the transfer unit comprises at least one movable, in particular rotatable, third travel track. In particular, the third travel track may be transferred between a first position (in particular oriented in direction (z)) and a second position (in particular oriented in second direction (y)).

Also disclosed is a method for operating an elevator system, the method comprising the steps of: moving the elevator car in a horizontal direction along the guide rails, and when a change of direction is about to occur: initiating an acceleration B2 for a person located in the elevator car; and controls the brake unit or the drive unit such that the brake unit or the drive unit transmits a speed change with an acceleration B1 (e.g. as a target or final speed to be achieved by the elevator car) to the elevator car, wherein the acceleration B2 is (in magnitude) greater than the acceleration B1.

The method may be implemented in program code of a computer program for performing the method when the computer program runs on a computer.

Drawings

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1a shows a schematic view of an elevator system in a perspective view;

fig. 1b shows a schematic view of an elevator car with a movable floor in a perspective view;

fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a comparison of two travel curves of an elevator car, once with an initial acceleration B2 and once without an initial acceleration B2;

fig. 3 shows a schematic view of an elevator system according to an exemplary embodiment in a perspective view.

Detailed Description

Before exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more full detail below based on the drawings, it is noted that identical, functionally identical, or identically functioning elements, objects, and/or structures are provided with the same reference numerals in the different drawings, and thus the descriptions of these elements provided in the different exemplary embodiments may be interchanged or applied with one another.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an elevator system 100. The elevator system 100 comprises an elevator car 110, a drive unit 10, a brake unit 12 and a control unit 14. The elevator car 110 is arranged to be movable in a horizontal direction (y) along the travel rail 102 in the hoistway 120. The drive unit 10 can move the elevator car 110 along the travel track 102. The drive unit is e.g. a linear drive or another drive which can move the elevator car on the guide rails. The braking unit can be moved in the direction of movement K, e.g. by a spring, in order to brake the elevator car 110. However, any other brake capable of braking the elevator car 110 may be used.

The control unit may be a computer performing control of the elevator system. If the control unit detects that the elevator car 110 has to change its speed, that is to say has to accelerate or brake (positively) in order to travel through its travel curve or due to unforeseen events, the control unit 14 first initiates an acceleration B2 to the person located in the elevator car 110 before implementing the speed change. In particular, the acceleration B2 acts on the person for a predetermined duration before the control unit controls the brake unit and/or the drive unit in dependence on the detected speed change. Acceleration B2 has a greater intensity, that is to say it is greater (in magnitude) than acceleration B1, but has a shorter duration.

Fig. 1b shows a schematic view of an elevator car 110 according to an example embodiment. The elevator car 110 has a floor 16, which floor 16 is arranged to be movable at least in the horizontal direction (y) relative to the walls of the elevator car. This can be achieved, for example, by inserting a floor, which is (mechanically) connected to the elevator car by one or more actuators or actuating elements. The actuating element can be used to move the floor of the elevator car at least horizontally, so that before initiating a braking or acceleration process of the elevator car, the floor performs a corresponding movement in order to transfer the acceleration B2 to a person in the elevator car.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary travel curve of the elevator car 100 in a diagram of the speed v over time t. The upper part shows the conventional travel curve 18 of the braking process and the lower part shows the corresponding counterpart curve, i.e. the travel curve 18' with the initial pulse, that is to say the acceleration B2 acting on the person in the elevator car before the acceleration B1. Here, the acceleration B2 acts on the entire elevator car, for example because the brake unit initially (that is to say at time t1 until time t2) brakes the elevator car slightly more strongly than is required for braking the elevator car. Then, a normal braking process occurs between time t2 and time t 3. As described in connection with fig. 1B, the action of the pulse (i.e. the acceleration B2 between the time t1 and the time t2) can also be achieved by a movement of the floor of the elevator car. This then has no significant effect on the travel curve of the elevator car. In this case, the travel curve of the person, in particular of the person's feet, in the elevator car is (approximately) equal to the travel curve 18'.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of an elevator system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention. The elevator system 100 includes a plurality of travel rails 102 along which a plurality of elevator cars 110 may be guided, such as by a backpack mount, along the travel rails 102. The vertical travel track 102V is oriented vertically in a first direction and enables the guided elevator car 110 to move between different floors. A plurality of vertical travel rails 102V are arranged in the vertical direction in adjacent hoistways 120. The travel track may also be referred to as a guide rail.

A horizontal travel rail 102H is arranged between the two vertical travel rails 102V, along which travel rail 102H the elevator car 110 can be guided by means of a rucksack-type mounting. The horizontal travel track 102H is horizontally oriented in a second direction and enables the elevator car 110 to move within a floor. Further, the horizontal traveling rail 102H connects the two vertical traveling rails 102V to each other. Thus, the second travel rail 102H also serves to transfer the elevator car 110 between two vertical travel rails, for example to perform modern bucket elevator operations. In the elevator system, a plurality of such horizontal travel rails 102H (not shown) that connect two vertical travel rails to each other may be provided. The elevator car 100 can be transferred between the vertical travel rail 102V and the horizontal travel rail 102H by means of a transfer unit having a movable, in particular rotatable, travel rail 103. The present invention can be applied to the travel rail 102H. All running rails 102, 103 are fitted at least indirectly in the shaft wall 120. Such elevator systems are generally described in WO 2015/144781 a1 and also in DE 102016211997 a1 and DE 102015218025 a 1.

Although some aspects are described in connection with an apparatus, it will be understood that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, and thus blocks or components of the apparatus are also understood to refer to corresponding method steps or features of method steps. Similarly, aspects described in connection with or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or detail or feature of a corresponding apparatus.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as hardware or software, depending on the particular implementation requirements. The embodiments may be performed using a digital storage medium (e.g. a floppy disk, a DVD, a blu-ray disk, a CD, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM or a flash memory, a hard disk or another magnetic or optical memory) storing electronically readable control signals, which interact or do interact with a programmable computer system such that the respective method is performed. Accordingly, the digital storage medium may be computer-readable. Some exemplary embodiments according to the present invention therefore comprise a data carrier with electronically readable control signals, which are capable of interacting with a programmable computer system such that one of the methods described herein is performed.

In general, exemplary embodiments of the invention can be implemented as a computer program product having a program code for performing one of the methods efficiently when the computer program product runs on a computer. The program code may also be stored on a machine readable carrier, for example. Other exemplary embodiments include a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, wherein the computer program is stored on a machine readable carrier.

In other words, an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention is therefore a computer program having a program code for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer. Thus, another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention is a data carrier (or a digital storage medium or a computer-readable medium) on which a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein is recorded.

Thus, another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present invention is a data stream or a signal sequence constituting a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream or the signal sequence may be configured to be transferred via a data communication connection, in particular via the internet, for example.

Another exemplary embodiment includes a processing device (e.g., a computer or programmable logic component) configured or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

Another exemplary embodiment includes a computer having a computer program embodied thereon for performing one of the methods described herein.

In some example embodiments, a programmable logic component (e.g., a field programmable gate array, FPGA) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In some example embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the methods in some example embodiments are performed by any hardware device. The latter may be, for example, general purpose hardware, such as a Computer Processor (CPU), or hardware specific to the method, such as an ASIC.

The above-described exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to others skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended patent claims and not by the specific details presented herein based on the description and the explanation of exemplary embodiments.

List of reference numerals:

10 drive unit

12 brake unit

14 control unit

16 floor of elevator car

18. 18' travel curve

100 elevator system

102 track of travel

103 rotatable track section (third travel track)

110 elevator car

120 well

Direction of travel F

Direction of movement of the K brake unit

M moving direction of floor