阅读说明：本技术 电梯安全系统 (Elevator safety system ) 是由 J·鲁恩克 于 2020-12-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：根据该公开内容的第一方面,提供一种用于电梯系统的电梯安全系统,该电梯安全系统包括：位置参考系统,该位置参考系统配置成用于确定在电梯系统内的电梯轿厢的当前位置；至少一个制动器,该至少一个制动器构造成使电梯轿厢安全停止；控制器,该控制器配置成触发至少一个制动器；其中控制器配置成：从位置参考系统接收数据；从电梯轿厢的当前位置计算当前加速度；将当前加速度与预定加速度阈值比较；以及在当前加速度超过预定加速度阈值时,触发至少一个制动器。(According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an elevator safety system for an elevator system, the elevator safety system comprising: a position reference system configured to determine a current position of an elevator car within the elevator system; at least one brake configured to safely stop the elevator car; a controller configured to activate at least one brake; wherein the controller is configured to: receiving data from a position reference system; calculating a current acceleration from a current position of the elevator car; comparing the current acceleration to a predetermined acceleration threshold; and activating at least one brake when the current acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold.)

1. An elevator safety system (21) for an elevator system (1), the elevator safety system (21) comprising:

a position reference system (20), the position reference system (20) being configured to determine a current position of an elevator car (2) within the elevator system (1);

at least one brake (9), the at least one brake (9) being configured to safely stop the elevator car (2); and

a controller (6), said controller (6) being configured to activate said at least one brake (9);

wherein the controller (6) is configured to:

receiving data from the position reference system (20);

calculating a current acceleration (A) from a current position of the elevator car (2);

comparing the current acceleration (A) with a predetermined acceleration threshold (At); and

-activating said At least one brake (9) when said current acceleration (a) exceeds said predetermined acceleration threshold (At).

2. An elevator safety system (21) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is in the form of a plot of expected acceleration between a first landing and a second landing.

3. Elevator safety system (21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is a value of a predetermined acceleration threshold.

4. Elevator safety system (21) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the maximum predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is between 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1).

5. Elevator safety system (21) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the position reference system (20) comprises a position reference detector (7) provided on the elevator car (2) and one or more corresponding elements (8) provided within a hoistway (3) of the elevator system (1).

6. Elevator safety system (21) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the position reference system (20) is an optical system.

7. Elevator safety system (21) according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the control (6) is an on-car control (6 a).

8. Elevator safety system (21) according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller (6) is configured to

Calculating a current speed (S) from a current position of the elevator car (2);

comparing the current speed (S) with a predetermined speed threshold (St); and

-activating said at least one brake (9) when said current speed (S) exceeds said predetermined speed threshold (St).

9. An elevator system (1), the elevator system (1) comprising:

a hoistway (3), the hoistway (3) extending between a plurality of landings (11);

an elevator car (2), the elevator car (2) configured for movement along the hoistway (3) between the plurality of landings (11); and

elevator safety system (21) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method (100, 200) for operating an elevator safety system (21), the method comprising:

receiving position data associated with a current position of the elevator car (2) from a position reference system (20);

calculating a current acceleration (A) associated with the elevator car (2) from continuous position data;

comparing the current acceleration (A) with a predetermined acceleration threshold (At);

-activating At least one brake (9) when said current acceleration (a) exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold (At).

11. The method (100, 200) of claim 10, wherein the predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is in the form of a plot of expected acceleration between a first landing and a second landing.

12. The method (100, 200) according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is a value of a predetermined acceleration threshold.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the maximum predetermined acceleration threshold (At) is between 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1).

14. The method (100, 200) according to any of claims 10-13, wherein the position reference system (20) comprises a position reference detector (7) provided on the elevator car (2) and one or more corresponding elements (8) provided within a hoistway (3) of the elevator system (1).

15. The method (100, 200) according to any of claims 10-14, comprising

Calculating a current speed (S) from a current position of the elevator car (2);

comparing the current speed (S) with a predetermined speed threshold (St); and

-activating said at least one brake (9) when said current speed (S) exceeds said predetermined speed threshold (St).

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to elevator safety systems and to methods of operating elevator safety systems.

Background

Elevator systems generally include an elevator car that moves within a hoistway between a plurality of landings. The elevator car is guided by rails provided in the hoistway and safety aspects, including brakes, are provided near the elevator guide rails.

Elevator safety brakes (also referred to as safeties), typically located on the elevator car and/or counterweight, clamp onto the elevator track when activated to hold the elevator car and/or counterweight in place.

Safety is known to be a primary problem in elevator systems, especially in the event of an emergency situation, and e.g. in the event of a rope break, requiring the elevator car to be stopped immediately and safely. Determining when an elevator car needs to be stopped is generally based on determining when the car is operating at overspeed.

Known elevator systems include a speed sensor on the elevator car to monitor the speed of the elevator car and compare that speed to an expected speed profile for known elevator car movement (e.g., for travel between designated floors). With respect to the predefined overspeed threshold, the elevator control system (in some embodiments, continuously) monitors the speed of the elevator car, and if the speed of the elevator car is above the overspeed threshold, it determines a speed anomaly and the control system applies an emergency braking device.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an elevator safety system for an elevator system, the elevator safety system comprising: a position reference system configured to determine a current position of an elevator car within the elevator system; at least one brake configured to safely stop the elevator car; a controller configured to activate at least one brake; wherein the controller is configured to: receiving data from a position reference system; calculating a current acceleration from a current position of the elevator car; comparing the current acceleration to a predetermined acceleration threshold; and activating at least one brake when the current acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold.

The controller may be a separate on-car controller configured to function as a controller for an elevator safety system or in combination with a main controller.

The elevator safety system may include an on-car controller and/or an elevator system controller located remotely from the elevator car. The controller may include an elevator system controller disposed remotely from the elevator car.

Is scheduled to addThe speed threshold may be a value of a predetermined acceleration threshold. The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8.5-9.5 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be 9 m/s². The predetermined acceleration threshold may be less than 8 m/s²Or more than 9.8 m/s²。

The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the form of a plot of expected acceleration between the first landing and the second landing. The controller may also be configured to compare the current acceleration to a predetermined acceleration threshold curve. The predetermined acceleration threshold curve may include a first acceleration region, a second zero acceleration (constant velocity) region, and a third deceleration region.

The maximum predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1). The maximum predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8.5-9.5 m/s²Within the range of (1). The maximum predetermined acceleration threshold may be 9 m/s². The maximum predetermined acceleration threshold may be less than 8 m/s²Or more than 9.8 m/s²。

The position reference system may be any suitable system configured to measure the current position of the elevator car.

The position reference system may include a position reference system having at least one position reference detector disposed on the elevator car. The position reference system may have one or more corresponding elements disposed within a hoistway of the elevator system.

The position reference system may comprise an absolute position reference system. The position reference system may be configured to detect the current position by reading encoded information disposed within the hoistway. The position reference system may include an absolute position reference detector disposed on the elevator car. An absolute position reference system may have one or more corresponding elements disposed within a hoistway of an elevator system. The position reference detector may be a camera. The counter element may be an encoded strip provided on a sidewall of the hoistway. The encoding strip may include markings or material, which may be physical, optical or magnetic, embedded along the length of the strip. Alternatively, the counter element may comprise a plurality of markers, such as physical, optical or magnetic markers or materials, arranged along the wall of the well.

The absolute position reference system may have a plurality of absolute position reference detectors placed within the housing at predetermined horizontal and/or vertical offsets.

The position reference system may be configured to scan markings provided on the encoder strip and provide data indicative of the position of the car to the controller.

The position reference system may comprise an incremental position reference system. The position reference system may be configured to detect the current position by measuring movement relative to a known position.

The position reference system may be an optical system. The absolute position reference system may include one or more cameras. The position reference system may be a magnetic system.

The position reference system may be configured to use the relative atmospheric pressure to determine the current position. The position reference system may include an atmospheric pressure sensor disposed on the elevator car and a reference atmospheric pressure disposed at a known location within the hoistway. The position reference system may be configured to compare a current atmospheric pressure of the elevator car to a reference atmospheric pressure at a known position within the hoistway.

The controller may be configured to calculate a current speed from a current position of the elevator car. The controller may be configured to compare the current speed to a predetermined speed threshold. The controller may be configured to activate at least one brake when the current speed exceeds a predetermined speed threshold.

The controller may also be configured to compare the current speed to a predetermined speed threshold profile. The speed threshold curve may include a first region with increasing speed, a second constant speed region, and a third region with decreasing speed.

According to a further aspect, there is provided an elevator system comprising: a hoistway extending between a plurality of landings; an elevator car configured for movement along a hoistway between a plurality of landings; and an elevator safety system as described above.

According to a further aspect, there is provided a method for operating an elevator safety system, the method comprising: receiving continuous position data associated with a current position of the elevator car from a position reference system; calculating a current acceleration associated with the elevator car from the continuous position data; comparing the current acceleration to a predetermined acceleration threshold; at least one brake is activated when the current acceleration exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold.

The predetermined acceleration threshold may be a value of a predetermined acceleration threshold. The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8.5-9.5 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be 9 m/s²。

The method may include comparing the current acceleration to a predetermined acceleration threshold curve. The predetermined acceleration threshold curve may include a first acceleration region, a second zero acceleration (constant velocity) region, and a third deceleration region.

An absolute position reference system may include an absolute position reference detector disposed on an elevator car and one or more corresponding elements disposed within a hoistway of the elevator system.

The position reference system may include a position reference detector disposed on the elevator car and one or more corresponding elements disposed within a hoistway of the elevator system. The position reference detector may be a camera and the corresponding element may be an encoded strip provided on a sidewall of the hoistway. The position reference detector may be configured to scan a mark provided on the encoder strip and provide data indicative of the car position to the controller. The encoded strip may include physical, optical, or magnetic markings or materials embedded along the length of the strip. The counter element may comprise a plurality of markers, such as physical, optical or magnetic markers or materials, arranged along the wall of the well.

The position reference system may be an optical system. The position reference system may be a magnetic system.

The step of determining the current position may include scanning a mark provided on the code strip and providing data indicative of the position of the car to the controller.

The step of determining the current position may include an incremental position reference system. The step of determining the current position detects the current position by measuring movement relative to a known position.

The step of determining the current position may comprise using relative atmospheric pressure. The step of determining the current position may include comparing the current atmospheric pressure of the elevator car to a reference atmospheric pressure at a known location within the hoistway.

The method may include calculating a current speed from a current position of the elevator car. The method may include comparing the current speed to a predetermined speed threshold. The method may include activating at least one brake when the current speed exceeds a predetermined speed threshold.

The predetermined speed threshold may be a value of a predetermined speed threshold. The controller may also be configured to compare the current speed to a predetermined speed threshold profile. The speed threshold curve may include a first region with increasing speed, a second constant speed region, and a third region with decreasing speed.

The above-described system and method provide an economical solution that can be easily retrofitted into existing elevator systems.

Drawings

Certain preferred examples of this disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an elevator system that can employ various embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an elevator safety system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 3 is a flow chart of a method for operating an elevator safety system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4a shows an example threshold curve for acceleration of the elevator system of fig. 1;

fig. 4b shows an example threshold curve for the speed of the elevator system of fig. 1; and

fig. 5 is a flow chart of a method for operating an elevator safety system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an elevator system 1, which elevator system 1 comprises an elevator car 2, a hoistway 3 with side walls 10, guide rails 4, a machine room 5, a controller 6, a position reference system 20, a brake 9 (also referred to as a safety brake), and a plurality of landings 11.

Although only one brake 9 and one guide rail 4 are shown in fig. 1, it will be appreciated that the guide rails 4 are typically provided on both sides of the hoistway 3, and that the brakes 9 are provided on each side of the elevator car 2 (two brakes 9 are commonly referred to as "safeties"). The elevator car 2 is guided by guide rails 4 provided on a side wall 10 of the hoistway 3. In one embodiment, there may be only a single guide rail 4. In one embodiment, there may be three or more guide rails 4. The brake 9 is attached to the guide rail 4 and the bottom of the elevator car 2. The controller 6 is a safety PCB (printed circuit board) provided on the elevator car 2 and configured to apply the brake 9.

In another example (not shown), the controller 6 can be an elevator controller configured to control the elevator system 1, including but not limited to moving the elevator car 2 between a plurality of landings 11 and controlling the brake 9. The elevator controller can be located in any suitable location in the machine room 5 or in or near the elevator system 1. The elevator controller 6 may be positioned in a variety of locations, such as but not limited to a wireless controller, and in an elevator system without a machine room. In one embodiment, the elevator controller may be located remotely from the elevator system 1 or in the cloud.

The position reference system 20 is configured to determine a current position of the elevator car 2 within the hoistway 3. The position reference system 20 in the example of fig. 1 includes an absolute position reference system 20 having an absolute position reference detector 7, and a hoistway component 8 located on one of the sidewalls 10 of the hoistway 3. An absolute position reference detector 7 is attached to the elevator car 2 and is configured to interact with a hoistway component 8 to determine a current position of the elevator car 2.

The position data from the absolute position reference detector 7 is sent to the controller 6. The controller 6 can make a determination based on the output of the absolute position reference detector 7, such as when to apply the brake 9 to safely stop the elevator car 2 due to an emergency or to stop the elevator car 2 at one of the landings 11.

The elevator safety system 21 includes an absolute position reference system 20, a controller 6, and a brake 9.

Referring now to fig. 2, fig. 2 shows the elevator safety system 21 of fig. 1 with a simplified depiction of the elevator car 2 and the position reference system 20 (which in this example is an optical system). In general, the optical position reference system 20 includes an encoding strip or bar as a hoistway component 8 mounted within the hoistway 3 that extends along the length of the hoistway 3. The strip/stick 8 includes markings on the strip/stick 8 for identifying vertically spaced locations along the hoistway 3. The absolute position reference detector 7 is an optical sensor 7, which optical sensor 7 is mounted on the elevator car 2 and is configured for optically reading position-related marks comprised on the belt/strip.

In this example, the controller 6 includes an on-car controller 6a and an elevator system controller 6 b.

In this example, the absolute position reference detector 7 is a camera 7 and the hoistway component 8 is an encoding belt 8. The camera 7 reads data from the encoded strip 8. The camera 7 is provided in a housing 7a, which housing 7a is located on the top 2a of the elevator car 2, adjacent to the side wall 10, and at a distance'd' from the encoder belt 8 (which is located on the side wall 10 of the hoistway 3). The camera 7 reads the set scale of the encoded strip 8 depicted by the view 12. The camera 7 scans the encoded belt 8, which encoded belt 8 provides data indicative of the position of the car along the belt 8.

In this example, the absolute position reference detector 7 is provided on the ceiling 2a of the elevator car 2, but it will be appreciated that it may be provided anywhere on the elevator car 2 where it does not interfere with other systems and there is no interruption to the encoder strip 8 across the viewing angle 12.

In another example (not shown), two absolute position reference detectors 7 are fixed to the elevator car 2 in a vertically spaced alignment and are arranged to read two vertically separated coded track sections 8 simultaneously to obtain a series of position-related information.

In another example (not shown), the absolute position reference system 20 has a plurality of absolute position reference detectors 7 placed within the housing at predetermined horizontal and/or vertical offsets. This introduces redundancy in which the loss of data from one absolute position reference detector 7 can be compensated.

The absolute position reference detector 7 continuously monitors the current position of the elevator car 2 with respect to time. The data from the absolute position reference detector 7 is then passed to the controller 6. With this data the controller 6 determines when it is necessary to stop the elevator car 2 in view of any elevator call request. During normal operation the elevator car 2 travels from the first landing 11 to the destination landing 11 according to the current elevator call request. The elevator car 2 starts moving at the first landing 11, the elevator car 2 then accelerates to a normal operating speed, at which it remains until at a defined position, where it decelerates to allow the elevator car 2 to stop at the destination landing 11. The profile relating to the acceleration and speed of the elevator car 2 as it moves between landings 11 is predefined for a particular elevator car travel and is known to the controller 6.

It will be appreciated that although an optical absolute position reference system is described above, any suitable system configured to determine position from an ever-unchangeable origin of coordinates may be used.

Another known position reference system 20 is an incremental position reference system configured to count small steps from known positions. This type of system uses a reference point across the hoistway to avoid drift. For example, the incremental position reference system may include an encoder mounted on the drive shaft of the elevator drive motor, and may be referred to by those skilled in the art as an incremental position reference system. The position data of the elevator car 2 are determined by an encoder. Additional sensors and collimators (vane) may be provided at each landing 1 and each time the elevator car 2 passes the collimator at the landing 11, the position of the elevator car 2 as derived by the encoder is checked and corrected, if necessary.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart outlining an example of a method of determining when to apply emergency braking. The controller 6 obtains position data with respect to time from the position reference detector 7 (step 100). Using this data, the controller 6 can calculate the current acceleration a of the elevator car 2 (step 101).

In step 102, the current acceleration a is compared with a predetermined acceleration threshold At (e.g., a predetermined acceleration threshold). The current acceleration should always be below a predetermined acceleration threshold At. Normal operation of the elevator system 1 can continue when the current acceleration a is below the predetermined acceleration threshold At. If At any point during the travel of the elevator car the acceleration exceeds the predetermined acceleration threshold At, the controller 6 determines that there is something wrong with the elevator system 1. At this point in time, the brake 9 is applied to safely stop the elevator car 2, keeping the passengers in the elevator car 2 safe (step 103).

In this example, the predetermined acceleration threshold At is a maximum threshold. The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8-9.8 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be in the range of 8.5-9.5 m/s²Within the range of (1). The predetermined acceleration threshold may be 9 m/s²。

The predetermined acceleration threshold At may also be in the form of a curve of expected acceleration between multiple landings 11. In the case that the acceleration threshold is a curve, it will be different at different positions within the movement curve of the elevator car 2 for a given elevator car travel. The allowable tolerance above the expected acceleration curve with respect to acceleration may be different at different parts of the movement, especially in situations where an increase in acceleration may be more dangerous, e.g. when the elevator car 2 should decelerate to a stop beside the destination landing 11. In this case, for a given elevator car travel (e.g. moving downwards by a defined distance), the current acceleration a is compared with a known curve relating to acceleration.

Fig. 4a shows an example threshold curve for the acceleration of the elevator car 2 moving between landings 11. Acceleration is represented along the vertical axis and travel time is represented along the horizontal axis. At the beginning of the movement in zone (a) the elevator car 2 accelerates, then in zone (b) it moves at a constant speed, then in zone (c) it decelerates as it approaches its destination. In step 102, during the stroke, the controller 6 compares the current acceleration a with the acceleration profile. In any zone, if the current acceleration exceeds the threshold for that zone, the controller 6 applies the brake 9 to perform an emergency stop. For example, in zone (b) it is expected that the elevator car 2 will travel at a constant speed, in other words there will be no acceleration. If the elevator car experiences an unintended acceleration in zone (b), this may indicate a safety critical problem, such as a rope failure.

Fig. 4b shows an example threshold curve for the speed of the elevator car 2 moving between landings 22. Speed is represented along the vertical axis and travel time is represented along the horizontal axis. This is used in the examples described below.

Fig. 5 illustrates an additional exemplary embodiment of a method of determining when to apply emergency braking. In the example of fig. 5, both the current speed and the current acceleration of the elevator car 2 are monitored. The controller 6 obtains continuous position data relating to the current position of the elevator car 2 from the absolute position reference detector 7 (step 200). Using this data, the controller 6 can continuously calculate the current speed S of the elevator car 2 (step 201) and the current acceleration a of the elevator car 2 (step 202). The current acceleration a is compared with a predetermined acceleration threshold At. The current speed S is compared with a predetermined speed threshold St. The current acceleration a should always remain below a predetermined threshold At for acceleration (step 203). The current speed S should also remain below a predetermined threshold value St for speed (step 204). Normal operation of the elevator system 1 can continue when the current acceleration a (step 203) and the current speed S (step 204) of the elevator car 2 are below the respective predetermined threshold values.

If the current acceleration A exceeds the predetermined acceleration threshold At, the brake 9 is applied (step 205). This check allows the controller 6 to identify a potentially dangerous situation even when the maximum speed has not yet been reached. For example, if a component fails, the elevator car 2 can accelerate very quickly in a free-fall situation. By quickly detecting the abnormal acceleration, the brake 9 can be quickly applied.

If the current acceleration a is still below the predetermined acceleration threshold At, but the current speed S is above the predetermined speed threshold St for any reason, the brake 9 is applied (step 205).

In this example, the predetermined threshold is a set threshold. However, it will be appreciated that the predetermined acceleration threshold may also be in the form of a plot of expected acceleration, as shown in fig. 4a, and the predetermined speed threshold may also be in the form of a plot of expected speed between a plurality of landings 11, as shown in fig. 4 b.

In this case, the current acceleration a is compared with a known curve relating to the acceleration of the elevator car 2 at the current position during its journey (step 203). The current speed S is compared with a known profile for the speed at a specific position of the current elevator car 2 travelling between the first landing and the destination landing 11 (step 204). The current acceleration a should always remain below a predetermined threshold At for acceleration (step 203). The current speed S should also remain below the predetermined speed threshold St (step 204). Normal operation of the elevator system can continue when the current acceleration a (step 203) and the current speed S (step 204) of the elevator car 2 are below the respective predetermined thresholds At and St.

While these method steps are considered to be performed in succession with one another in fig. 3 and 5, it will be appreciated that each step may occur continuously within the processor, allowing for near instantaneous response to any change in acceleration or velocity outside of a given threshold. In an elevator system, the expected response time is 0-100 ms, where delays above 100 ms are not fast enough to safely respond to an emergency stop situation.

In these examples, the threshold is used to determine when to apply the brake to safely stop the elevator car. In an additional example (not shown), continuous monitoring of velocity and acceleration may be used for diagnostic purposes.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure has been illustrated by describing one or more particular aspects thereof, but is not limited to these aspects; many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.