ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A landing door of an elevator system includes a door leaf equipped with an integrated floor indicator that signals to a person the floor on which an elevator car approaching the exit floor is currently located. The door leaf of the landing door has a wall element made of sheet metal with a microperforated indicator sector and actuatable light sources arranged in the indicator sector behind the wall element to form the floor indicator.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. An elevator system having a landing door, the landing door including a door leaf and through which landing door an elevator car is accessible from a floor at which the landing door is positioned, the door leaf comprising: a wall element having a microperforated indicator sector; and an actuatable light source arranged in a region of the microperforated indicator sector behind the wall element opposite the floor, the light source and the microperforated indicator sector adapted to operate as a floor indicator of the elevator system.

13. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the wall element is made of sheet metal.

14. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the microperforated indicator sector has a plurality of holes extending through the wall element forming light passage openings in a perforated screen structure to pass light from the light source.

15. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the holes have a round shape with a maximum diameter of 1 mm.

16. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the holes are formed as slits running parallel to one another and having a width less than 1 mm.

17. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the microperforated indicator sector is arranged in an edge region and/or a corner region of the door leaf.

18. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein an area assigned to the microperforated indicator sector is no more than 20% of a total area of a front side of the door leaf.

19. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the light source is a plurality of individual light sources arranged on one level for the floor indicator and installed on the door leaf.

20. The elevator system according to claim 19 wherein each of the individual light sources is an LED and the individual light sources form a planar LED array.

21. The elevator system according to claim 20 including a light guide layer arranged in the indicator sector between the LED array and a rear side of the wall element.

22. the elevator system according to claim 19 wherein the microperforated indicator sector has a plurality of holes extending through the wall element forming light passage openings in a perforated screen structure to pass light from the light source, and wherein each of the individual light sources is assigned to an associated one of the light passage openings.

23. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the door leaf includes an operating unit adapted as a call registering unit for inputting a floor call.

24. A wall panel with a display function for an elevator system, the wall panel comprising: a wall element having a front side and a rear side and including a microperforated indicator sector, the microperforated indicator sector permitting passage of light from the rear side to the front side; and an actuatable light source arranged in a region of the microperforated indicator sector at the rear side of the wall element, the microperforated indicator sector and the light source forming a visual indicator of information when the light source is actuated.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Further individual features and advantages of the invention can be derived from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings. The following are shown:

[0034] FIG. 1 is a simplified representation of an elevator system in a side view,

[0035] FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of a landing door with a door leaf with an activated floor indicator of the elevator system according to the invention,

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the landing door with the door leaf with a deactivated floor indicator,

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a door leaf with a deactivated floor indicator,

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the door leaf with an activated floor indicator,

[0039] FIG. 6 shows the door leaf from FIG. 5 with an activated floor indicator, wherein the floor indicator outputs alternative floor information,

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a highly magnified detail view of an indicator sector of the door leaf of FIG. 4 (detail D of FIG. 4) with light passage openings in a perforated screen structure for the floor indicator,

[0041] FIG. 8 shows an alternative design of light passage openings in a perforated screen structure for the floor indicator,

[0042] FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view of a door leaf for the elevator system according to the invention,

[0043] FIG. 10 shows a variant of the door leaf of FIG. 9, and

[0044] FIG. 11 is a simplified sectional representation of a floor indicator integrated in a door leaf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system, denoted by 1, for a multi-story building. The building has one elevator shaft 3 or a plurality of elevator shafts, as required. The elevator system 1 shown here contains an elevator car 2 that can be moved vertically up and down in the elevator shaft 3 for the transport of people or goods to individual floors. The elevator car 2 has a car door 16. A landing door 8 is assigned to each floor 4. The elevator system 1 has a counterweight 5 connected to the elevator car 2 via supporting means (e.g. belts, steel cables). For moving the elevator car 2 and the counterweight 5, a drive unit 7, which is actuated by an elevator control unit 6, is provided. The drive unit 7 (e.g., a traction sheave drive) drives the supporting means and thus moves the car 2 and the counterweight 5 in opposite directions.

[0046] The landing door 8 is designed as a floor door of the elevator system 1, closes the elevator shaft 3 and forms the access from the floor 4 into the elevator shaft 3. If the person who is on the floor 4 wants to use the elevator, he or she operates an operating unit denoted by 17 by pressing a button, for example. In the present case, the operating unit 17 is designed as a call registering unit for inputting a floor call. After the floor call, the elevator car 2 moves to the floor on which the person made the floor call. To inform the person waiting for the elevator car 2, the landing door 8 has a floor indicator 10. The floor indicator 10 is used to display information regarding the location of the elevator car, such as the floor on which the elevator car is currently located. Instead of or in addition to this usually numerical indicator, the floor indicator 10 can be designed as a direction indicator. The direction indicator shows the direction in which the elevator car is currently moving. The floor indicator 10 could also indicate that an elevator car arrival is imminent, whether an elevator car is currently waiting behind the landing door, whether the elevator car is empty or already full, where the elevator car is going next, etc.

[0047] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the landing door 8 from the front from the floor 4. The landing door 8 has two door leaves, which can be moved in opposite directions in order to be moved between an open position and a closed position. The door leaf denoted by 9, which is on the right in FIG. 2 of the present exemplary embodiment, is equipped with a floor indicator 10. Of course, the left-hand door leaf, denoted by 9′, could alternatively be equipped with a floor indicator 10. It would even be conceivable to equip both door leaves 9, 9′ with floor indicators 10. For example, one floor indicator 10 could then visually indicate a number for the floor on which the elevator car is currently located, and the other floor indicator (not shown here) could visually indicate a direction indicator.

[0048] In FIG. 2, the floor indicator 10 is activated. The floor indicator 10 is activated by the elevator control unit 6, which sends the corresponding signals to the floor indicator 10 (see FIG. 1). The elevator control unit 6 and the floor indicator 10 may communicate with one another via a wire connection or wirelessly. The car call by pressing a button of the operating unit 17 is registered in the elevator control unit, whereupon the elevator car starts the car journey. The floor indicator 10 now shows the floor on which the elevator car is currently located. In FIG. 2, the number “4” is displayed; thus, the elevator car is on the fourth floor. The floor indicator 10 receives the corresponding signals for the floor information from the elevator control unit. At least one actuatable light source (not shown here) is installed in the door leaf 9 in a microperforated indicator sector indicated by dashed rectangle 14. The microperforation of the wall element creates light passage openings with small dimensions. To activate the floor indicator 10, the at least one light source is placed in an activated state, in which the at least one light source is illuminated. The light emitted by the at least one light source finally emerges via light passage openings of the microperforated indicator sector 14 of a wall element of the door leaf 9 as floor information in the manner described in detail below, and signals to the person on the floor the floor on which the elevator car is currently located. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the operating unit 17 is arranged in the landing door frame. However, it is also conceivable to provide an operating unit 17 that is integrated in the door leaf 9.

[0049] A special feature of the floor indicator 10 presented here, which is integrated in the door leaf 9, is that in the idle state, i.e. when it is not activated, it is practically not visible as such from the outside—at least when viewed from a distance. This state is shown in FIG. 3. When the at least one light source is deactivated, the light passage openings are barely visible to the elevator user because of their smallness, giving the person on the floor the impression of an almost ordinary door leaf.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the door leaf 9 in a front view. The door leaf 9 has a wall element 11 that forms the front side of the door leaf. The wall element 11 is made of sheet metal and provides the supporting structure of the door leaf. This supporting structure supports the light sources arranged behind the wall element 11 for generating the floor information. These light sources are arranged in the indicator sector 14 in the upper, right corner region of the wall panel. In the indicator sector 14, the wall element has a plurality of very small holes for forming the light passage openings 12 in order to create a microperforated indicator sector. The microperforated indicator sector 14 can be seen to have light passage openings 12 in a perforated screen structure. The light passage openings 12 in a perforated screen structure ensure that any numbers, characters, logograms and symbols can be signaled with the floor indicator 10.

[0051] The microperforated indicator sector 14 occupies a limited area on the front side of the wall element 11 or the door leaf 9. Advantageously, the area assigned to the microperforated indicator sector 14 occupies no more than 20% of the total area of the front side of the door leaf 9. For example, the microperforated indicator sector 14 can be designed to be rectangular, as in the present exemplary embodiment.

[0052] So that different information may be displayed with the floor indicator 10, LEDs are used as light sources. These LEDs are arranged behind the wall element 11 and are therefore not shown here. The LEDs may form a planar LED array. Instead of the LED array, OLED films could also be provided. The LEDs can be activated and deactivated individually or may be activated and deactivated in groups depending on the application.

[0053] In FIG. 4, the LEDs of the floor indicator 10 are deactivated. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the LEDs of the floor indicator 10 are activated in each case. In FIG. 5, the floor indicator 10 displays a “4” as an example of a numerical indicator of floor information. As FIG. 6 shows by way of example, the floor indicator 10 can also be used to indicate the direction. The direction indicator could also be in the form of an arrow or “V” instead of the triangle.

[0054] It can be seen from FIG. 7 (detail D in FIG. 4) that the light passage openings 12 form a perforated screen structure. A perforated screen structure is characterized by a large number of holes more or less evenly distributed on a surface. In the present case, the light passage openings 12 are designed as rectangular holes in the wall element 11. The respective light passage opening 12 can also be a circular hole in the wall element 11, as can be seen in FIG. 8. The light passage opening 12 of the perforated screen structure can have a side length or diameter of 0.5 mm to 1 mm in each case. However, even smaller holes are conceivable.

[0055] Further details regarding the structure of a door leaf 9 with an integrated floor indicator 10 can be taken from FIG. 9. A decorative layer 13 (not shown, see FIG. 11) can substantially completely cover the free or visible front side of the wall element 11, except for the light passage openings. Not shown here for the sake of simplicity are non-visible regions of the wall element 11 which adjoin the top of the wall element 11 and, if the door leaf is installed in the elevator system to form, for example, a landing door designed as a sliding door, are accommodated in a transom or a door frame even in the open state.

[0056] The microperforated indicator sector 14 with the light passage openings 12 forming a perforated screen structure is arranged in a corner region of the door leaf 9 or the wall element 11. If the door leaf 9, which is rectangular in the front view, has two vertical longitudinal sides and transverse sides interconnecting them, the microperforated indicator sector 14 can be arranged in the corner region at the upper transverse side and the vertical outer longitudinal side, as in the present exemplary embodiment.

[0057] As FIG. 10 shows, the microperforated indicator sector 14 can also have a plurality of light passage openings 23 formed by slits. This indicator sector 14 has slits 23 running parallel to one another in the wall element 11, wherein the slit width of the slits 23 is less than 1 mm.

[0058] An operating unit (not shown), for example in the form of a call registering unit for inputting a floor call, can be integrated into the door leaf 9. With such an arrangement, there is no need to provide operating units on the door frames, separate operating terminals or building walls on the floors. The operating region assigned to the operating unit is preferably arranged at approximately mid-height in the region of an inner longitudinal side opposite the outer longitudinal side.

[0059] Below (behind) the wall element 11, an LED array denoted by 21 is arranged in the indicator sector 14. The LED array 21, shown only schematically, has a plurality of LEDs as light sources for operating the floor indicator 10. The LED array 21 can be surface-mounted or fixed at a distance to the wall element 11.

[0060] Further details of possible designs of the floor indicator 10 for the landing door can be seen in FIG. 11. The floor indicator 10 according to FIG. 11 corresponds approximately to the floor indicator shown in FIG. 9, wherein a decorative layer 13 is additionally provided here. The LED array 21 comprises a circuit board 22 holding the LEDs 15. As an example, the LEDs are positioned directly behind the light passage openings 12. The decorative layer 13 can be a plastic film, a real wood veneer or a lacquer or paint layer. The decorative layer 13 can also be a laminate. PE, PP or PVC, for example, is suitable as the material for the plastic film. Depending on the choice of material, the plastic film can have a film thickness of 0.05 to 0.3 mm, for example. The plastic film can be a printed film. For example, a plastic film with a wood look can be selected as the decorative layer 13.

[0061] An LED 15 does not necessarily have to be assigned to each light passage opening 12. Light guide layer modules can be used to ensure that, after corresponding activation, light still reaches the outside from the LEDs 15 via the light passage openings 12.

[0062] As an alternative to the door leaf 9 of a landing door described above, the arrangement comprising the wall element 11 with a microperforated indicator sector 14 and actuatable light sources 15 arranged in the region of the microperforated indicator sector 14 behind the wall element 11 can also be used in other application locations of an elevator system 1. The arrangement can be designed as a wall panel with a floor indicator, which forms a wall element of an elevator car. However, such a wall panel or a similar wall panel could also be used as a car ceiling. Instead of a floor indicator, other visual indicators are also conceivable. The indicator integrated into the wall panel could, for example, be used to convey information to the elevator user to pass the time during a car journey, or to display special varying light patterns for optimum ride comfort for the user.

[0063] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.