CONTROL UNIT

Abstract

A control unit is used to perform a method for installing an elevator system including the steps of: using an at least partially installed traveling body as a movable working platform borne by traction means and having an electronic safety brake; creating an operating state of the safety brake using the control unit to control the safety brake, the control unit having an input from a safety sensor, a processing unit and a signal output connected to the safety brake; generating a control signal by the processing unit at the signal output, wherein the control signal controls the safety brake; detecting an unsafe operating state by the safety sensor; controlling the signal output due to a detection of an unsafe operating state by the processing unit so that the safety brake is triggered; and removing the control unit when the installation of the elevator system is complete.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A method for installing an elevator system, the method comprising steps of: using an at least partially installed traveling body as a movable working platform in the elevator system during an installation of the elevator system, wherein the traveling body is supported by a traction means, and the traveling body has an electronic safety brake; creating an operating state of the electronic safety brake by using a control unit adapted to control the electronic safety brake, the control unit including a safety sensor, a processing unit and a signal output; connecting the signal output to the electronic safety brake; generating a control signal by the processing unit at the signal output, wherein the control signal controls activation of the electronic safety brake; detecting an unsafe operating state of the working platform by the safety sensor; controlling the signal output due to the detection of an unsafe operating state by the processing unit such that the electronic safety brake is activated by the control signal; and removing the control unit when the installation of the elevator system is complete.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein safety sensor is a slack-cable contact that activates the electronic safety brake when a lower limit value for a tensile force on the traction means is undershot.

15. The method according to claim 13 including a step of supplying the control unit exclusively via a mobile energy source.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the mobile energy source.is a battery.

17. The method according to claim 13 including a step of activating the electronic safety brake by actuating an emergency switch of the control unit.

18. The method according to claim 13 including a step of tensioning the electronic safety brake by the control signal applying a flow of current to the electronic safety brake, and activating the electronic safety brake by switching off the flow of current.

19. The method according to claim 13 including a step of transporting the control unit to and from the elevator system by a handle adapted for carrying the control unit.

20. The method according to claim 13 including a step of winding a cable of the control unit onto a winding aid of the control unit, wherein the cable is one of a power cable adapted to supply power to the control unit, a safety sensor cable connecting the safety sensor to the control unit, and a signal cable adapted to connect the control unit to the electronic safety brake.

21. The method according to claim 13 including a step of temporarily attaching the control unit to the traveling body with a quick fastening system.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the quick fastening system is a hook or clamp.

23. The method according to claim 13 comprising additional steps of: mounting a lowermost rail section; and movably mounting the traveling body onto the lowermost rail section.

24. The method according to claim 23 including a step of lifting the traveling body along the lowermost rail section by a winch.

25. The method according to claim 23 including a step of attaching the control unit to the traveling body by a quick fastening system.

26. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of connecting the signal output includes establishing an electrical connection to the electronic safety brake with a signal output cable.

27. A control unit adapted to perform the method according to claim 13, the control unit comprising: the processing unit; the safety sensor connected to the processor; and the signal output connected to the electronic safety brake of the traveling body.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be found in the following description of embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which like or functionally like elements are provided with identical reference signs. The drawings are merely schematic and are not to scale.

[0063] They show:

[0064] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a control unit according to the invention,

[0065] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a slack-cable contact,

[0066] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an elevator system in its installation phase with a control unit, and

[0067] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a working platform having a control unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] FIG. 1 shows a control unit 1. The control unit 1 is designed such that it can be easily transported and quickly installed. It has a handle 17 which allows the fitter to easily transport the control unit 1. While transporting and while storing between the uses of the control unit 1, the cables of the two signal outputs 13 and the safety sensor cable 14 which runs to the safety sensor 11 can be wound onto a winding aid 18. The winding aid 18 comprises two semicircular elements which are suitable for winding on the cables.

[0069] The safety sensor 11 is designed as a slack-cable contact 20. It comprises two hooks 22. One of the two hooks 22 is suspended on the traveling body, the second of the two hooks 22 is connected to the traction means or the winch.

[0070] In order to be able to fasten the control unit 1, it has a quick fastening system 19. This can be suspended on a railing of a traveling body. The quick fastening system is designed to be slightly elastic so that, in a suspended state, it clamps the railing of the traveling body and is thereby held.

[0071] The energy can be supplied by an external power supply with, for example, 240 VAC (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, the control unit 1 has a mobile energy source 15. This can be designed as a battery or rechargeable battery and can be integrated into the processing unit. The control unit 1 is designed such that a failure of the power supply results in a safe state of the safety brakes and therefore the elevator system. The electronic safety brake is designed in such a way that the electronic safety brake is prevented from being triggered by a voltage and/or a current from the control unit. If this voltage or this current is interrupted, the electronic safety brake will be triggered. The control unit is therefore designed in such a way that, in the event of a failure of the power supply, it also drops the signal at the signal output.

[0072] The emergency switch 16 is attached directly to the processing unit 12. This is an alternative embodiment to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. The emergency switch 16 serves to allow the fitter to activate the electronic safety brakes on the traveling body. This could be the case, for example, if the fitter wishes to deposit the traveling body on the safety brakes in order to use the winch for another task than holding the traveling body.

[0073] FIG. 2 shows a slack-cable contact 20 as an embodiment of a safety sensor 11. The two hooks 22 are pulled apart by a tensile force. The spring 21 is compressed in this case. The safety switch 23 closes a circuit in this case. This circuit runs via the safety sensor cables 14 to the processing unit.

[0074] As soon as the tensile force falls below a critical level, the spring 21 expands, and the safety switch 23 opens the circuit.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows an elevator system 45. Installation has been started in an elevator shaft 43. Four rail elements 41 of the rail system 40 are already attached by means of retaining clips 42. The traveling body 30 has a basic structure, with four guide shoes 33 and two electronic safety brakes 31. This ensures that the traveling body 30 can be displaced along the already created rails and can also be reliably braked. The traveling body 30 is displaced by means of a winch 51. The traction means 50 of the winch is fastened to a holding point 44 in an upper region of the elevator shaft 43. The winch 51 is connected to the traveling body by means of the safety sensor 11. The safety sensor cable 14 connects the safety sensor 11 to the processing unit 12. The processing unit 12 controls the two electronic safety brakes 31 via the two signal outputs 13.

[0076] The traveling body is used to transport additional rail elements 41 and the fitter in the elevator shaft 43 in order to firstly attach the additional retaining clips 42 there, and then to successively extend the rail system 40. The electronic safety brakes 31 can be activated at any time by means of the emergency switch 16. This can, for example, cause travel to immediately stop and thereby prevent a potentially dangerous situation. However, it can also merely be done to place the traveling body 30 on the electronic safety brakes 31 and thereby enable more comfortable working. It is then also possible to use the winch 51 for lifting rail elements 41, for example.

[0077] The control unit 1 remains temporarily in the elevator system 45. It is therefore advantageous that the control unit 1 is easy to transport thanks to the handle 17.

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a view of the working platform 32 which has a control unit 1 as shown in FIG. 1. With the quick fastening system 19, the processing unit 12 of the control unit 1 is attached to a railing 38. The railing 38 is part of the traveling body 30 only during the installation phase. The handle 17, the emergency switch 16, the mobile energy source 15 and the winding aid 18 are analogous to the embodiment in FIG. 1. In contrast to FIG. 3, in which the electronic safety brakes 31 are mounted between the two guide shoes 33, the electronic safety brakes 31 are mounted under the two guide shoes 33 in FIG. 4. The two guide shoes 33 are fastened to the shield 36 of the catch frame 35. The safety sensor 11 is attached to the upper yoke 37, which is also part of the catch frame. The safety sensor 11 is connected to the processing unit 12 via the safety sensor cable 14. The safety sensor 11 is designed as a slack-cable contact 20. The electronic safety brakes 31 are electrically connected to the processing unit 12 via the signal outputs 13. In this case, a signal output 13 runs under the traveling body 30 to the electronic safety brake 31 on the other side of the traveling body 30.

[0079] After completion of the installation work, the control unit 1 and the railing 38 are removed and replaced by final car walls. The final car floor is then applied to the floor surface, and side walls are installed. The basic construction of the base with the electronic safety brakes 31 together with the catch frame 35 and with the guide shoes 33 are here used further. They therefore do not need to be dismantled and removed.

[0080] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising,” “having,” etc. do not preclude other elements or steps and terms such as “a” or “an” do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above.

[0081] 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.