ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A landing door of an elevator system has a door leaf equipped with an integrated floor display that indicates to a person the floor at which an elevator car approaching the floor of departure is currently located. The door leaf of the landing door has a wall element made of sheet metal, the floor display having at least one controllable light source arranged behind the wall element, and a cover layer. The wall element has a display segment with a plurality of light passage openings, the light passage openings forming a perforated screen structure. The cover layer functions such that after the light source is activated to display the desired floor information, light from the light source penetrates through the light passage openings and the cover layer to the outside and when the light source is deactivated, the cover layer does not let light through to the outside.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. An elevator system having a landing door with a door leaf at a floor, the landing door providing access from the floor to an elevator car in an elevator shaft, the door leaf comprising: a wall element forming a support structure of the door leaf and covering at least a portion of a shaft access to the elevator shaft when in a closed position, the wall element having a front side facing the floor and a rear side facing the elevator shaft; wherein the wall element has a display segment with a plurality of light passage openings, the display segment being included in a floor display adapted to display a current position of the elevator car as floor information indicating to a person on the floor a floor at which the elevator car is currently located; and wherein the floor display includes a controllable light source arranged behind the wall element at the rear side, the light passage openings forming a perforated screen structure letting light from the light source when activated through the wall element such that the person sees the floor information at the front side.

16. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the wall element is made of sheet metal.

17. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein door leaf includes a cover layer on the front side of the wall element, wherein light from the activated light source passes through the light passage openings and penetrates outwards through the cover layer such that the person sees the floor information, and when the light source is deactivated, the cover layer does not let light from the light passage openings through.

18. The elevator system according to claim 17 wherein the cover layer is made of a material having opaque properties.

19. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the light passage openings are formed as round holes in the wall element having a diameter of 0.5 mm to 8 mm.

20. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the light passage openings are formed as round holes in the wall element having a diameter of 1 mm to 5 mm.

21. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the display segment is arranged in an edge region and/or a corner region of the door leaf.

22. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the display segment occupies no more than 20% of a total area of the front side of the wall element.

23. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the controllable light source is an array of individual light sources arranged on a plane installed on the rear side of the wall element.

24. The elevator system according to claim 23 wherein the individual light sources are each an LED and the LEDs form a planar LED array.

25. The elevator system according to claim 15 including transparent or translucent plugs arranged in the light passage openings.

26. The elevator system according to claim 25 including a light guide layer arranged in the display segment between the controllable light source and the wall element, and wherein the plugs are formed on the light guide layer.

27. The elevator system according to claim 26 wherein the controllable light source is an array of individual light sources and the light guide layer includes at least two modules each having at least two of the plugs formed thereon, each of the modules is associated with a different one of the individual light sources.

28. The elevator system according to claim 15 wherein the controllable light source is an array of individual light sources and each of the light passage openings is associated with one of the individual light sources.

29. The elevator system according to claim 15 including a control unit and an operating unit for inputting a call, the floor display and the operating unit communicating with the control unit to display the floor information in response to registration of a call.

30. A door leaf for a landing door of an elevator system, the door leaf comprising: a wall element forming a support structure of the door leaf and adapted to cover at least a portion of a shaft access to an elevator shaft when in a closed position, the wall element having a front side and a rear side; wherein the wall element includes a floor display adapted to display a current position of an elevator car as floor information at the front side; wherein the floor display includes a display segment with a plurality of light passage openings and a controllable light source arranged behind the wall element at the rear side, the light passage openings forming a perforated screen structure letting light from the light source when activated through the wall element to the front side; and a cover layer on the front side of the wall element, wherein light from the activated light source passes through the light passage openings and penetrates outwards through the cover layer to display the floor information, and when the light source is deactivated, the cover layer does not let light from the light passage openings through.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Further individual features and advantages of the invention can be derived from the following description of embodiments and from the drawings, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 is a simplified representation of an elevator system in a side view,

[0033] FIG. 2 is a simplified perspective view of a landing door with a door leaf with an activated floor display of the elevator system according to the invention,

[0034] FIG. 3 shows the landing door with the door leaf with a deactivated floor display,

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a door leaf (without a cover layer) with a deactivated floor display,

[0036] FIG. 5 shows the door leaf (without a cover layer) with an activated floor display,

[0037] FIG. 6 shows the door leaf (without a cover layer) from FIG. 5 with an activated floor display, wherein the floor display outputs alternative floor information,

[0038] FIG. 7 shows a greatly enlarged detail view of a display segment of the door leaf from FIG. 4 (detail D from FIG. 4) with light passage openings in a perforated screen structure for the floor display,

[0039] FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of light passage openings in a perforated screen structure for the floor display,

[0040] FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view of a door leaf for the elevator system according to the invention,

[0041] FIG. 10 is a simplified sectional view of a floor display integrated in a door leaf,

[0042] FIG. 11 shows a variant of the floor display of FIG. 10, and

[0043] FIG. 12 is a simplified sectional view of a floor display integrated in a door leaf according to a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an elevator installation or 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 transporting people or goods to individual floors. The elevator car 2 has a car door 16. A landing door 8 is associated with each floor 4. The elevator system 1 has a counterweight 5 connected to the elevator car 2 via suspension means (e.g. belts or steel cables). In order to move the elevator car 2 and the counterweight 5, a drive unit 7 is provided that is controlled by an elevator control unit 6. The drive unit 7 (e.g. a traction drive) drives the one or more suspension means and thus moves the car 2 and the counterweight 5 in opposite directions.

[0045] 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 to the elevator shaft 3. If the person who is located on the floor 4 wishes to use the elevator, he/she will operate an operating unit denoted by 17, for example, by pressing a button. In the present case, the operating unit 17 is designed as a call detection unit for inputting a floor call. After the floor call, the elevator car 2 moves to the floor at which the person made the floor call. To inform the person waiting for the elevator car 2, the landing door 8 has a floor display 10. The floor display 10 serves to display information about the position of the elevator car, such as the floor at which the elevator car is currently located. Instead of or in addition to this generally numerical display, the floor display 10 can be designed as a directional display. The directional display indicates the direction in which the elevator car is currently moving. The floor display 10 could also indicate that an arrival of an elevator car is imminent, whether an elevator car is currently waiting behind the landing door, whether the elevator car is empty or already fully occupied, where the elevator car will go next, etc.

[0046] FIGS. 2 and 3 show the landing door 8 from the front from the floor 4. The landing door 8 has two door leaves that can be moved in opposite directions in order to be moved between an open and a closed position. The door leaf denoted by 9, which is located on the right in FIG. 2 of the present embodiment, is equipped with a floor display 10. Of course, the left-hand door leaf denoted by 9′ could alternatively be equipped with a floor display 10. It would even be conceivable to equip both door leaves 9, 9′ with floor displays 10. For example, the one floor display 10 could then visually indicate a number for the floor at which the elevator car is located, and the other floor display (not shown here) could visually indicate a directional display.

[0047] In FIG. 2, the floor display 10 is activated. The floor display 10 is activated via the elevator control unit 6, which outputs the corresponding signals to the floor display 10 (see FIG. 1). The elevator control unit and the floor display 10 can communicate with one another via a wired connection or wirelessly. The car call made by pressing a button of the operating unit 17 is registered in the elevator control unit, whereupon the elevator car starts car travel. The floor display 10 now indicates the floor at which the elevator car is currently located. In FIG. 2, the number “4” is displayed, and the elevator car is consequently located at the fourth floor. The floor display 10 receives the corresponding signals for the floor information from the elevator control unit. In the door leaf 9, at least one controllable light source (not shown here) is installed in a display segment indicated by a dashed rectangle 14. To activate the floor display 10, the at least one light source is brought into an activated state in which the at least one light source is illuminated. The light emitted by the at least one light source, via at least one light passage opening in a wall element of the door leaf 9 and a cover layer attached to the wall element, is finally output as floor information in the manner described in detail below and indicates to the person who is on the floor the floor at which the elevator car is currently located.

[0048] A special feature of the floor display 10, which is presented here and integrated in the door leaf 9, is that in the idle state, i.e., when it is not activated, it cannot be recognized at all as such from the outside. This state is shown in FIG. 3. If the at least one light source is deactivated, the light passage openings will be covered by the cover layer so as to let no light through such that the person on the floor is given the impression of a conventional door leaf.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows the door leaf 9 in a front view, wherein the above-mentioned cover layer has been removed for a better understanding of the design. Without the cover layer, 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 support structure of the door leaf. This support structure supports the cover layer (not shown here) and the light sources arranged behind the wall element 11 for generating the floor information. The light sources are arranged in the display segment 14 in the upper right-hand corner region of the wall panel. In the display segment 14, the wall element has a plurality of holes for forming the light passage openings 12. The display segment 14 with the light passage openings 12 clearly has a perforated screen structure. The light passage openings 12 in the perforated screen structure ensure that any numbers, letters or word signs and symbols can be indicated with the floor display 10, wherein the wall element is not unnecessarily weakened such that it can meet high requirements with regard to the mechanical load-bearing capacity.

[0050] The display segment 14 occupies a limited area on the front side of the wall element 11 or of the door leaf 9. Advantageously, the area assigned to the display segment 14 occupies at most 20% of the total area of the front side of the door leaf 9. For example, the display segment 14 can be of rectangular configuration as in the present embodiment.

[0051] In order for different information to be displayed with the floor display 10, LEDs are used as light sources. These LEDs are arranged behind the wall element 11 and are therefore not shown here. The LEDs can form a planar LED array. OLED foils could also be provided instead of the LED array. The LEDs can be individually activated and deactivated or can be activatable and deactivatable in groups depending on the application.

[0052] In FIG. 4, the LEDs of the floor display 10 are deactivated. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the LEDs of the floor display 10 are in each case activated. In FIG. 5, the floor display 10 shows a “4” as an example of a numerical display of the floor information. As shown by way of example in FIG. 6, the floor display 10 can also be used to display the direction. Instead of the triangle, the direction indicator could also have the shape of an arrow or a

[0053] FIG. 7 shows, in a greatly enlarged detail view D from 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 distributed uniformly in an area. In the present case, the light passage openings 12 are designed as rectangular holes in the wall element 11. As can be seen from FIG. 8, the respective light passage opening 12 can also be a circular hole in the wall element 11. The light passage opening 12 of the perforated screen structure can in each case have a diameter of 1 mm to 3 mm.

[0054] Further details regarding the design of a door leaf 9 having an integrated floor display 10 can be found in FIG. 9. The cover layer 13 covers the free or visible front side of the wall element 11 essentially completely. Not shown in the present case for the sake of simplicity are non-visible regions of the wall element 11 adjoining the wall element 11 at the top, which regions, when the door leaf is installed in the elevator system to form, for example, a landing door configured as a sliding door, are also accommodated in a transom or a door frame in the open state.

[0055] The cover layer 13 can be a plastic sheeting, a real wood veneer or a lacquer or paint layer. The cover layer 13 can also be a laminate. Suitable materials for the plastic sheeting are, for example, PE, PP or PVC. These plastics are characterized by opaque properties. It can thus be ensured that the light passage openings 12 can be covered to let no light through that is less intense than the light generated by the light sources. However, the cover layer 13 is so thin that light can penetrate through the cover layer 13 after the light sources have been activated. Depending on the material selection, the plastic sheeting can have a sheet thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 mm, for example. The plastic sheeting can be a printed sheeting. For example, a plastic sheeting having a wooden appearance can be selected as the cover layer 13.

[0056] The display segment 14 with the light passage openings 12 forming a perforated screen structure is arranged in a corner region of the door leaf 9 or of the wall element 11. If the door leaf 9, which is rectangular in the front view, has two vertical longitudinal sides and transverse sides connecting the longitudinal sides to one another, the display segment 14, as in the present embodiment, can be arranged in the corner region in the upper transverse side and the vertical outer longitudinal side.

[0057] An operating unit (not shown) can be integrated in the door leaf 9, for example in the form of a call detection unit for inputting a floor call. In such an arrangement, provision does not have to be made for operating units on the door frame, separate operating terminals or building walls in the floors. The operating region assigned to the operating unit is preferably arranged approximately at average height in the region of an inner longitudinal side opposite the outer longitudinal side.

[0058] Below the wall element 11, an LED array denoted by 21 is arranged in the display segment 14. The LED array 21 shown only schematically has a plurality of LEDs as light sources for operating the floor display 10.

[0059] Further details on possible developments of the floor display 10 for the landing door can be gathered from FIGS. 10 to 12. The floor display 10 according to FIG. 10 corresponds approximately to the floor display shown in FIG. 9. The LED array 21 comprises a printed circuit board 22 accommodating the LEDs 15. The LEDs are positioned directly behind the light passage openings 12.

[0060] FIG. 11 concerns a variant in which transparent or translucent plugs 20 for closing the light passage openings are inserted into or otherwise arranged in the light passage openings 12. The variant having the plugs 20 is also suitable for an adapted variant (not shown here) for the door leaf in which a cover sheeting is dispensed with.

[0061] As FIG. 12 shows, an LED 15 does not have to be assigned to each light passage opening 12. By means of light guide layer modules 18, it can be ensured that, after corresponding activation, light from the LEDs 15 still passes outwards via the cover layer 13. In this case, too, it is conceivable to equip the door leaf 9 without the cover layer 13.

[0062] 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.