ELEVATOR SYSTEM HAVING A SERVICE VEHICLE FOR EXTRACTING AN ELEVATOR CAR

Abstract

An elevator system may include at least one elevator shaft, at least one elevator car that is displaceable in the at least one elevator shaft, and at least one service vehicle configured to receive an elevator car of the elevator system that is located at a stop floor. The elevator car may be displaced into the service vehicle along a direction of extraction perpendicular to a direction of extent of the at least one elevator shaft. Upon receiving the elevator car, the service vehicle may extract the elevator car from the at least one elevator shaft. A rotatable portion of a rail extending in the shaft along which the elevator car travels may be rotatable so as to align with a rail of the service vehicle.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. An elevator system comprising: an elevator shaft; an elevator car that is displaceable in the elevator shaft; and a service vehicle configured to receive the elevator car located in a stop floor, wherein the elevator car in a direction of extraction perpendicular to a direction of extent of the elevator shaft is configured to be displaced into the service vehicle, wherein upon receiving the elevator car the service vehicle is configured to extract the elevator car from the elevator shaft.

16. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein the direction of extent of the elevator shaft extends vertically, wherein the direction of extraction extends horizontally.

17. The elevator system of claim 15 comprising a rail disposed in the elevator shaft that extends in the direction of extent and along which the elevator car is displaceable in the elevator shaft, wherein the rail comprises a rotatable portion that is disposed at the stop floor and is configured to rotate from a first orientation parallel to the direction of extent to a second orientation parallel to the direction of extraction.

18. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein the service vehicle comprises a first rail that extends in the direction of extraction, the elevator car being displaceable along the first rail into the service vehicle, the elevator system further comprising a second rail disposed in the elevator shaft that extends in the direction of extent and along which the elevator car is displaceable in the elevator shaft, wherein the second rail comprises a rotatable portion that is disposed at the stop floor and is configured to rotate from a first orientation parallel to the direction of extent to a second orientation parallel to the direction of extraction, wherein the rotatable portion of the second rail in the second orientation is in alignment with the first rail of the service vehicle.

19. The elevator system of claim 18 wherein the elevator car is displaceable along the rotatable portion of the second rail in the second orientation and along the second rail into the service vehicle.

20. The elevator system of claim 18 wherein the shaft is a first shaft, the elevator system comprising a second shaft, wherein the elevator car is displaceable in the direction of extraction along the rotatable portion of the second rail in the second orientation of the rotatable portion between the first and second shafts.

21. The elevator system of claim 18 wherein part of a linear drive for displacing the elevator car is disposed on at least one of the first rail or the second rail.

22. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein the service vehicle comprises a rail that extends in the direction of extraction, the elevator car being displaceable along the rail into the service vehicle.

23. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein the service vehicle comprises a drive for displacement at the stop floor.

24. The elevator system of claim 23 comprising a control system for controlling movement of the service vehicle at the stop floor.

25. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein the service vehicle comprises a sensor for scanning floor markings at the stop floor.

26. A service vehicle for an elevator system that includes an elevator car that is displaceable in an elevator shaft, wherein the service vehicle is configured to receive the elevator car at a stop floor, wherein the elevator car is displaceable into the service vehicle in a direction of extraction perpendicular to a direction of extent of the elevator shaft, wherein upon receiving the elevator car the service vehicle is configured to extract the elevator car from the elevator shaft.

27. A method for extracting an elevator car from an elevator shaft of an elevator system, the method comprising: displacing the elevator car in the elevator shaft to a stop floor; displacing the elevator car into a service vehicle at the stop floor in a direction of extraction perpendicular to a direction of extent of the elevator shaft; and extracting the elevator car from the elevator shaft with the service vehicle upon receipt of the elevator car in the service vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the elevator car in the elevator shaft is displaced at the stop floor along a rail that extends in the direction of extent, wherein a rotatable portion of the rail located at the stop floor is rotated from a first orientation parallel to the direction of extent to a second orientation parallel to the direction of extraction, wherein the elevator car is displaced along the rotatable portion of the rail in the second orientation of the rotatable portion into the service vehicle.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] In the drawing:

[0034] FIG. 1 schematically shows a preferred design embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention in a frontal view;

[0035] FIG. 2 schematically shows a preferred design embodiment of a service vehicle according to the invention in perspective views;

[0036] FIG. 3 schematically shows part of a preferred design embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention in perspective views; and

[0037] FIG. 4 schematically shows part of a preferred design embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention in a plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0038] In the figures, identical reference signs refer to the same or equivalent elements. A preferred design embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention is schematically illustrated and identified by 100 in FIG. 1.

[0039] The elevator system extends across a multiplicity of floors in a building. For reasons of clarity, only seven floors 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 are shown in FIG. 1. It is however understood that the elevator system may also extend across a larger number of floors.

[0040] The elevator system 100 comprises a multiplicity of vertically running elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114. A direction of extent of the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114 thus corresponds to a vertical direction.

[0041] Elevator cars 130 are in each case vertically displaceable in said elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114. For this purpose, rails 121, 122, 123, 124 are in each case provided in the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114, energized coils being in each case provided on said rails 121, 122, 123, 124 as stators or primary parts, respectively, of a linear drive and interacting with electromagnets which are disposed on the elevator cars 130 as reactive parts or secondary parts, respectively, of the linear drive.

[0042] In the course of transport procedures, the elevator cars 130 are displaced within the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114 and at the individual floors or stop floors 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, respectively, perform stops in the course of which the passengers of said elevator cars 130 can enter or leave the elevator cars 130.

[0043] The elevator system 100 is configured as a shaft-switching multi-cabin system in which elevator cars 130 can switch between the different elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114. For this purpose, the elevator cars 130 in special transfer floors 102, 104, 106 can be horizontally displaced between neighboring elevator shafts.

[0044] For this purpose, the rails 121, 122, 123, 124 in the special transfer floors 102, 104, 106 have in each case one rotatable portion which is in each case rotatable from a first vertical orientation to a second horizontal orientation. The rotatable portions 121A and 122A of the rails 121 and 122 in the transfer floor 102 in FIG. 1 are in each case illustrated in the second horizontal orientation of said rotatable portions 121A and 122A. The transfer floors 102, 104, 106 herein are also configured as stop floors to which the elevator cars 130 are also displaced in the course of regular transport procedures.

[0045] In order to switch between two neighboring elevator shafts, for example the shafts 111 and 112, an elevator car is vertically displaced to one of said transfer floors, for example to the floor 102. The corresponding rotatable portions 121A, 122A of the rails 121, 122 which are disposed in the elevator shafts 111, 112 are thereafter rotated from the first vertical to the second horizontal orientation of said rotatable portions 121A, 122A, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. The rotatable portions 121A, 122A in the second orientation thereof, conjointly with horizontal rail portions 125 which are disposed between the elevator shafts 111 and 112, form a horizontal rail along which the elevator car can be horizontally displaced between the two elevator shafts 111 and 112. Upon switching the elevator car 130 between the elevator shafts 111, 112, the rotatable portions 121A, 122A are rotated to the first vertical orientation thereof again.

[0046] Furthermore, elevator cars 130 can be extracted from the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114 at said transfer floors 102, 104, 106, for example in order for said extracted elevator cars 130 to be serviced or to be repaired, or because said elevator cars 130 by virtue of low traffic are currently not required for carrying out transport procedures.

[0047] For this purpose, one service vehicle 200 or a multiplicity of service vehicles 200 is/are in each case provided in the transfer floors 102, 104, 106, said service vehicles 200 being in each case specified for receiving one elevator car 130 which is located in the respective transfer floor 102, 104, 106 in that said elevator car 130 is displaced in a direction of extraction perpendicular to the direction of extent of the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113 114 into the service vehicle 200. This direction of extraction in the present example corresponds to a horizontal direction. Upon receiving the elevator car 130, the latter by the service vehicle 200 is extracted from the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114 and/or is displaced to a position remote from the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114.

[0048] An extraction procedure of this type will be explained hereunder with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0049] A preferred design embodiment of a service vehicle 200 according to the invention is in each case schematically illustrated in a perspective view in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

[0050] The service vehicle 200 has a frame 201 as well as a drive 202, for example an electric motor. Two wheels 203 which are disposed on the frame 201 are actively driven by said drive 202. The service vehicle 200 has two further wheels 204 which are not actively driven and are disposed on the frame 201. Furthermore, one or a plurality of sensors 207 is/are disposed on the service vehicle 200.

[0051] The service vehicle furthermore has a rail 205 which runs in the direction of extraction, thus horizontally, and along which the elevator car 130 is displaceable in the direction of extraction, thus horizontally, into the service vehicle 200. In analogous manner to the rails 121, 122, 123, 124 in the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114, energized coils are also disposed on this rail 205 of the service vehicle 200 as stators or primary parts, respectively, of a linear drive, said energized coils interacting with electromagnets which are disposed on the elevator cars 130 as reactive parts or secondary parts, respectively, of the linear drive. A locking system 206 is provided, by means of which the elevator car 130 displaced into the service vehicle 200 can be secured or fixed, respectively.

[0052] Part of the elevator system 100 from FIG. 1, specifically a fragment of the elevator shaft 111 in the stop floor or transfer floor 102, respectively, is in each case schematically illustrated in a perspective view in FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0053] FIG. 3a shows this fragment prior to the extraction of an elevator car 130. For this purpose, one of the service vehicles 200 is displaced to the rail 121 of the elevator shaft 111 and oriented relative to the rotatable portion 121A of said rail 121. The service vehicle 200 herein is in particular oriented in such a manner that the rail 205 of the service vehicle 200 seamlessly adjoins the rotatable portion 121A when the rotatable portion 121A is located in the second horizontal orientation thereof.

[0054] In order for an elevator car 130 to be extracted, said elevator car 130 is first displaced along the rail 121 in the elevator shaft 111 into the stop floor 102. The rotatable portion 121A of the rail 121 is thereafter rotated from the first vertical orientation thereof to the second horizontal orientation thereof. The elevator car 130 is subsequently displaced along the rotatable portion 121A in the second orientation thereof, and displaced along the rail 205 of the service vehicle 200 into the latter. The elevator car 130 is fixed by means of the locking system 206. The rotatable portion 121A is thereafter rotated from the second horizontal orientation thereof to the first vertical orientation thereof.

[0055] This situation upon receiving the elevator car 130 in the service vehicle 200, is illustrated in FIG. 3. The elevator car 130 received by the service vehicle 200 is thereafter removed from the elevator shafts 111, 112, 113, 114 and with the aid of the service vehicle 200 in the stop floor 102 is transported to a parking region 310. Said parking region 310 is illustrated in FIG. 3b, wherein further elevator cars 130 have in each case already been extracted by means of a corresponding service vehicle 200.

[0056] The fragment of the elevator system which is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 3b is schematically shown in a plan view in FIG. 4.

[0057] As is shown in FIG. 4, a control system for controlling movements of the service vehicles 200 in the stop floor 102 is provided. Said control system has floor markings 300 in the floor of the stop floor 102. These floor markings 300 can be scanned by sensors 207 which are disposed on the frame 201 of one of the service vehicles 200 such that the individual service vehicles 200 can sense their way on and orient themselves by said floor markings 300, and can thus be automatically displaced.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0058] 100 Elevator [0059] 101 to 107 Stop floors [0060] 111 to 114 Elevator shafts [0061] 121 to 124 Rails of the elevator shafts [0062] 121A, 122A Rotatable portion [0063] 125 Horizontal rail portion [0064] 130 Elevator [0065] 200 Service vehicle [0066] 201 Frame of the service vehicle [0067] 202 Drive of the service vehicle [0068] 203 Actively driven wheels of the service vehicle [0069] 204 Not actively driven wheels of the service vehicle [0070] 205 Rail of the service vehicle [0071] 206 Locking system [0072] 207 Sensor [0073] 300 Floor markings [0074] 310 Parking region