DOOR CONTROLLER AND DOOR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENTS OF AT LEAST ONE DOOR LEAF OF AN ELEVATOR DOOR

Abstract

A door control system with a door controller controls shift movements of at least one door leaf of an elevator door. The door controller is configured as a slave controller to implement master instructions from an elevator controller, acting as a master controller, by actuating a door drive. The door controller is also configured to autonomously reverse a previous door leaf movement, preferably by a specified distance, when a collision of the at least one door leaf with an obstacle is detected, by appropriately actuating the door drive. In this way, even in the event of a malfunction of the elevator controller or if an elevator installation is operated in a fire mode or maintenance mode, it can be ensured that no obstacles or people are trapped in the elevator door.

Claims

10. A door controller for controlling shift movements of at least one door leaf of an elevator door, the door controller comprising: a slave controller implementing master instructions received from an elevator controller acting as a master controller to actuate a door drive to shift the at least one door leaf of the elevator door, wherein the elevator controller controls an elevator car that includes the elevator door; and wherein the door controller is adapted to autonomously reverse a previous door leaf movement of the at least one door leaf by actuating the door drive in response to a detection of a collision of the at least one door leaf with an obstacle.

11. The door controller according to claim 10 wherein the door controller reverses the previous door leaf movement, when the collision is detected, unaffected by the master instructions from the master controller.

12. The door controller according to claim 10 wherein the door controller reverses the previous door leaf movement, when the collision is detected and when a master reversal instruction that specifies that the previous door leaf movement is to be reversed in a specified manner is received from the master controller, by actuating the door drive following the receipt of the master reversal instruction.

13. The door controller according to claim 10 wherein the door controller reverses the previous door leaf movement by a specified distance when the collision is detected.

14. The door controller according to claim 13 wherein the specified distance is shorter than 50 mm.

15. The door controller according to claim 13 wherein the specified distance is between 10 mm and 30 mm.

16. The door controller according to claim 10 wherein the door controller detects the collision based upon activation of a closing force limitation means.

17. A door control system for controlling shift movements of at least one door leaf of an elevator door, the door control system comprising: a master controller included in an elevator controller, the master controller outputting master instructions that specify a manner in which the at least one door leaf is to be shifted; and a slave controller operating as a door controller according to claim 10.

18. An elevator installation comprising: an elevator car having an elevator door with at least one door leaf; a door drive for shifting the at least one door leaf; an elevator controller acting as a master controller to actuate the door drive to shift the at least one door leaf of the elevator door, wherein the elevator controller controls shifting the elevator car in an elevator shaft; and the door controller according to claim 10.

19. A method for controlling shift movements of at least one door leaf of an elevator door, the method comprising the steps of: operating a door controller to actuate a door drive to shift the at least one door leaf in door leaf movements wherein the door controller acts a slave controller implementing master instructions from an elevator controller acting as a master controller of the door leaf movements; and operating the door controller to autonomously reverse a preceding one of the door leaf movements independently of the elevator controller when a collision of the at least one door leaf with an obstacle is detected.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a door control system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] The FIGURE is merely schematic and is not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a door control system 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. The door control system 1 comprises a door controller 3 and a master controller 5 which is designed as part of an elevator controller 7. The door controller 3 controls a door drive 9 of an elevator door 11. In the example shown, the elevator door 11 comprises two door leaves 13 which can be shifted laterally relative to a stationary frame 15 of an elevator car 17 along a travel path 19 by means of the door drive. As a result, access 21 to the interior of the elevator car 17 can be opened or closed as required.

[0047] In order to comply with regulations such as EN81, it has to be ensured that in the event that one of the door leaves 13, while being shifted along the travel path 19, collides with a person 25 acting as an obstacle 23, no excessive forces are exerted on the person 25 and, in particular, the person 25 is not trapped by the elevator door. Any person 25 who may be briefly trapped by the elevator door must be released again immediately.

[0048] It should be taken into account here that the door leaves 13 have a certain inertia during the shift, so that even if the elevator door 11 is stopped by a door closing force limitation means, the person 25 is initially still trapped before the door leaf 13 is reversed and thus opened again.

[0049] In addition, the previously typically vertically hanging door leaves 13 are usually tilted slightly due to the mechanical resistance of the obstacle 23.

[0050] In conventional elevator installations, the door control system is usually implemented in such a way that the elevator controller 7, in the form of the master controller 5, has monitored whether a door leaf 13 collides with an obstacle 23 and has controlled a reversal of the door leaf movement in the event of such a collision.

[0051] In the event of a failure of the elevator controller 7 or, for example, in the event that the elevator installation is operated in a specific fire mode during a fire, in which mode the components of the elevator installation are no longer controlled by the elevator controller 7, situations can arise in which obstacles 23 and in particular people 25 collide with door leaves 13 of the elevator door 11 and become trapped.

[0052] In order to avoid such situations, in the door control system 1 proposed herein, the door controller 3 is specifically configured for an autonomous and automated slight reversal of the door leaf movement in the event of a collision.

[0053] Specifically, the door controller 3 can detect a collision with an obstacle 23 on the basis of activation of a closing force limitation means, as has to be provided as standard on elevator doors.

[0054] In conventional elevator installations, the door controller 3 initially remains inactive in such a collision and a reversal of the door leaf movement is initiated only if this is prompted by the higher-level master controller by outputting a corresponding master instruction.

[0055] In contrast, the door controller 3 proposed herein is intended to autonomously prompt such a reversal of the door leaf movement by actuating the door drive 9 independently of instructions from the master controller 5, in such a way that the door leaves 13 are retracted counter to their previous door leaf movement.

[0056] A trapped person 25 or a trapped obstacle 23 is thus released automatically and quickly. The person 25 or the obstacle 23 is released independently of a function or any current malfunction of the elevator controller 7 and also independently of the current operating mode of the elevator installation, i.e., also during a fire mode or a maintenance mode.

[0057] In particular, the door controller 3 controls the drive 9 in the event of a collision in such a way that the colliding door leaf 13 is reversed by a specified distance s of, for example, approximately 20 mm. The distance s by which the door controller 3 moves the colliding door leaf 13 back can be independent of the current speed at which the door leaf 13 is shifted, and thus independent of the time required to shift the door leaf 13 by this distance s.

[0058] The door leaf 13 is reversed in a manner unaffected by any master instructions by the master controller 5, in particular independently of master instructions which specify that the door leaf movement is to be stopped or continued.

[0059] At most, the reversal of the door leaf 13 caused autonomously by the door controller 3 can be “overwritten” by a master reversal instruction by means of which the master controller 5 orders the door leaf 13 to be reversed, and thus specifies a specific way in which the door leaf 13 is to be reversed.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “have,” “comprising,” etc. do not exclude any other elements or steps, and terms such as “an” or “a” do not exclude a plurality. It should also be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above.

[0061] 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.