ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

An elevator system includes: an elevator control; a plurality of individually movable elevator cars driving in an elevator runway system including at least one elevator runway, preferably at least two elevator runways, whereby the number of elevator cars is higher than the number of elevator runways in the runway system. The elevator cars are movable in the elevator runway system via at least one drive system. Each of the elevator cars is provided with an identifier. The elevator system includes at least one reader device for the identifier and a car handling module in the elevator control processing the information on the elevator cars and their identifiers in connection with their position in the elevator system. The elevator system includes elevator cars differing in at least one parameter (differing parameter). The memory of the elevator control includes car parameters of the cars in operation in the elevator system and the elevator control is configured to use the car parameters in the control of the elevator system. The identifier includes information at least about the differing parameter, and the car handling module is configured to put out of use the car parameters of an elevator car that is to be put out of operation and/or to introduce the car parameters of an elevator car which is to be put into operation.

Claims

1. An elevator system comprising: an elevator control; a plurality of individually movable elevator cars driving in an elevator runway system comprising at least one elevator runway, wherein the number of elevator cars is higher than the number of elevator runways in the runway system, the elevator cars are being movable in the elevator runway system via at least one drive system, and each of the elevator cars being provided with an identifier; at least one reader device for the identifier, and a car handling module in the elevator control processing the information on the elevator cars and their identifiers in connection with their position in the elevator system; wherein the elevator cars with respect to at least one parameter (differing parameter), wherein the memory of the elevator control comprises car parameters of the elevator cars in operation in the elevator system, wherein the elevator control is configured to use the car parameters in the control of the elevator system, wherein the identifier comprises information at least about the differing parameter, and wherein the car handling module is configured to put out of use the car parameters of an elevator car that is to be put out of operation and/or to introduce the car parameters of an elevator car which is to be put into operation.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the car handling module comprises or is in a communicative connection with a system storage with identifiers and correlated parameters of the elevator cars connected to the elevator system, the parameters comprising at least the differing parameter.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the car handling module is configured to put out of use the identifier and the correlated car parameters of an elevator car that is to be put out of operation from the memory of the elevator control and/or to introduce the parameters of an elevator car which is to be put into operation together with its unique identifier into the memory of the elevator control.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the differing parameter is car size or car weight, car speed, car acceleration, number of movers, decoration or special equipment for particular people.

5. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control is configured to put an elevator into operation only after all its parameters are loaded into the working memory.

6. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the differing parameter is the car height and wherein the parameters of the elevator car comprise information on the stopping level at the floors.

7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator system comprises at least one parking place for the elevator cars connected to the runway system, the parking place being configured to take up at least one parked elevator car which is put out of operation.

8. The elevator system according to claim 7, wherein the elevator control is configured to drive an elevator car to be put out of operation to the parking place and/or to drive an elevator car to be put into operation from the parking place into the runway system.

9. The elevator system according to claim 7, wherein the parking place is located at the topmost and/or lowermost floor of a vertical runway and extending aside of the vertical runway.

10. The elevator system according to claim 7, wherein a reader device for car identifiers is connected to the elevator control and is located at a connection between the runway system and the parking place.

11. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator cars in operation are interchangeable in the elevator system.

12. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the car handling module is configured to perform a car change only if the differing parameter of the elevator cars to be changed matches.

13. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the drive system is a linear motor drive.

14. The elevator system according to claim 13, wherein the linear motor drive comprises movers mounted at the elevator cars, the movers co-operating with stator beams mounted in the runway system.

15. The elevator system according to claim 14, wherein the elevator cars are held releasably on the stator beams.

16. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator control comprises a different set of control parameters for the elevator cars with differing identifiers and/or differing parameters.

17. A method for operating the elevator system according to claim 1, wherein together with putting an elevator car into/out of operation, the identifier and the correlated car parameters of the elevator car is added to/put out of use from the memory of the elevator control.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a setup of at least a part of the elevator control program is performed in case the differing parameter comprises safety parameters interacting with safety components of the elevator system.

19. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein the car handling module is configured to put out of use the identifier and the correlated car parameters of an elevator car that is to be put out of operation from the memory of the elevator control and/or to introduce the parameters of an elevator car which is to be put into operation together with its unique identifier into the memory of the elevator control.

20. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein the differing parameter is car size or car weight, car speed, car acceleration, number of movers, decoration or special equipment for particular people.

Description

[0052] The invention is now described in greater detail in connection with the enclosed drawings. In these show:

[0053] FIG. 1 a side view of an elevator with two elevator runways having vertical and horizontal stator beams acting together with movers pivoted at several elevator cars moving in those runways,

[0054] FIG. 2 a horizontal cross-section in the corner area between the elevator runway and the elevator car showing a rotatable stator beam part co-acting with a rotatably pivoted mover of the elevator car,

[0055] FIG. 3 a vertical stator beam co-acting with a mover of the elevator car,

[0056] FIG. 4 a schematic diagram of the system control equipment of the elevator system of FIG. 1.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows an elevator 10 as an example of a passenger conveyor, having a runway system with two vertical elevator runways 12, 14 which are at least at their upper and lower ends connected by horizontal runways 16, 18. In this runway system 12, 14, 16, 18 the elevator cars 20a-20d are movable via linear motors. The linear motors are formed by upper movers 22 and lower movers 24 which are rotatably mounted, i.e. pivoted to the back side of the elevator cars, co-acting together with vertical stator beams 26a,b, horizontal stator beams 28a,b and with rotatable stator beams parts 30 which are rotatably mounted to a common back wall 32 of the vertical and horizontal runways 12, 14, 16, 18. The vertical elevator runways 12, 14 are usually located between runway walls 31 of a building. Each car 20a-20f has its own car identifier 23, which might be a bar code , QR-code, RDIF or a corresponding per se known identification device. The car identifiers comprise at least a differing parameter which assigns the cars to different elevator A,B which differ in size, weight, decoration, equipment etc.

[0058] Via the arrangement of vertical stator beams 26a,b and horizontal stator beams 28a,b and the rotatable stator beam parts 30 located in between them, the elevator cars 20a-20d are able to move via their movers 22, 24 in the two vertical elevator runways 12, 14 and in the two horizontal elevator runways 16, 18 in a trajectory path as indicated by the arrows. The advantage of such a solution is that no counterweights and no hoisting ropes are necessary which makes this basic concept very useful for high buildings as skyscrapers wherein the vertical length of the elevator runway is more or less unlimited. A height limiting factor for conventional traction sheave elevators was the weight of the elevator ropes, which sum up in high runways to a weight of tons. This restriction is not present in this linear motor based elevator concept.

[0059] With the reference number 34, landing doors are indicated which are preferably located in the common sidewall facing the viewer, i.e. opposite to the common back wall 32 where the stator beams 26a,b, 28a,b are mounted. But of course the landing doors could also be on the same back wall 32 or where the stator beams are mounted.

[0060] The lowermost horizontal runway 18 is connected to a parking place 19 which is located aside of the two vertical elevator runways 14, 16 and is able to take up two elevator cars 20e, 20f which are not in operation and/or are to be maintained or repaired. Not in operation means that the elevator cars are not available for any calls given in the elevator system. At the entrance of the parking place 19 a reader device 21 is located and connected to the elevator control. Via the reader device 21 the single car identifiers 23 can be read so that the elevator control gets information about the differing car parameter(s), according to which the car either belongs to group A or B. Possibly the identifier might comprise unique identification data so that each single elevator can be identified by the elevator control. Of course, further reader devices 21 could be located in the runway system.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows the co-action of the rotatable stator beam parts 30 and the movers 22, 24 which are via a pivoted joint 36 rotatably mounted to a wall, particularly to a back wall or support structure 38 of the elevator car 20. The rotatable stator beam part 30 and the mover 22,24 are rotatable around a common rotation axis r. The rotatable stator beam part 30 comprises a beam section 40 which abuts in the vertical direction (as indicated) with the vertical stator beams 26a, 26b and in horizontal direction with the horizontal stator beams 28a,b. The beam sections 40 are optionally mounted to a rotating disc 42 which is pivoted via a bearing 44 to the back wall 32 of the elevator runway whereby preferably either the rotating disc 42 and/or the mover 22, 24 is driven with a rotation drive around the common rotation axis r. Thus, the whole arrangement of rotatable stator part and mover can be rotated with only one rotating drive. During the rotation, the linear motor is switched off so that the mover 22, 24 and the beam section 40 are via the magnetic force between the stator section and the mover 22, 24 fixedly attached to each other which keeps the car from moving during change of trajectory path. Accordingly, a brake for keeping the mover 22, 24 and the beam section 40 of the rotatable stator beam part 30 together is not necessary. Anyway, an additional separate brake device may be introduced to keep the mover fixed to the rotatable start beam part 30 during rotation. This may be necessary in alternative embodiments where the magnetic force would not otherwise be adequate, for example, in embodiments wherein the stator poles are implemented with magnets, such as Halbach arrays, and the rotor coils of the mover are air core coils, i.e. the rotor is implemented without ferromagnetic core. After the whole arrangement has turned into the horizontal direction, the beam section 40 is now in line with the horizontal stator beams 28a, 28b and the mover 22, 24 can again be energized as to convey the elevator car 20a-d along the horizontal elevator runways 16, 18.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a horizontal cross-section of the vertical stator beam 26a,b and the mover 22, 24. Accordingly, the vertical stator beam 26a,b comprises a stator beam 46 with square cross section having on its sides four stator faces 50 comprising stator teeth 52. The mover 22, 24 comprises active parts 54 located in a C-shaped mover housing 56 surrounding the stator beam 46, which active parts 54 face the corresponding stator faces 50 of the stator beam 46 as to generate an upwards directed propulsion force which is able to drive the elevator car 20a-d against the gravity force in upwards and downwards direction. The mover housing 56 together with the active mover parts 54 form the movers 22, 24 of the linear motors of the elevator. The mover housing 56 is via the pivot joint 36 mounted to a support structure 38 of the car 20. The stator beam 46 is supported with mountings 58 to the back wall 32 of the elevator runway 12, 14, 16, 18. The physical properties of the four different stator faces 50 of the vertical stator beam 26a,b and the physical properties of the corresponding active mover parts 54 of the mover 24, 25 are preferably identical.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows the system control equipment 60 of the elevator system 10. The system control equipment 60 comprises an elevator control 62 which is connected with call giving devices 64, e.g. destination control panels with a decade keyboard 66 for inputting a destination floor as well as a display 68 for indicating the allocated elevator car 20. Alternatively the call giving devices 64 might be simple up/down push button panels.

[0064] The elevator control 62, usually a group control, is further connected with each elevator car 20a-20f, particularly with its movers 22, 24 and their control. Via this connection the elevator control 62 is able to move each elevator car individually in the runway system 12, 14, 16, 18 of the elevator system 10 as well as in the parking place 19. Further, the elevator control 62 is connected with the rotation drive of each rotatable stator beam part 30. Together with the mover control of each single elevator car 20a-f the elevator control is thus able to steer each elevator car 20a-d individually through the runway system 12, 14, 16, 18 in order to serve calls input by the call giving devices 64 in the elevator system 10, and allocated by a per se known allocation control part of the elevator control 62, which realises an optimized call allocation under the consideration of different ride parameters as. Riding time, waiting time, energy consumption etc..

[0065] Further the elevator control 62 is connected with the at least one reader device 21, located in the runway system 12, 14, 16 ,18 and/or in the parking place 19 and/or in the connecting area in between.

[0066] The elevator control 62 comprises a car handling module 70 as well as a memory 72 which comprises data necessary for the operation of the elevator system 10 and possible data about the components in the elevator system 10.

[0067] The system control equipment 60 of the elevator system 10 works as follows:

[0068] In the above described system of FIG. 1 comprising more cars 20a-f than runways 12, 14, 16, 18, cars 20a-f might be put out of operation caused by changing traffic intensity over a time span, e.g. the day or week or even if some of the cars 20e, 20f need maintenance or have to be repaired. On that behalf the car handling module 70 is configured to put out of use the car parameters of an elevator car 20a-f that is to be put out of operation and/or to introduce the car parameters of an elevator car 20a-f which is to be put into operation. Of course, the action does not need to comprise a complete change of an elevator car but can only the putting of a car out of operation or putting a car into operation, e.g. in adaption to changing traffic conditions. Hereby, the elevator control 62 is on one hand able to retrieve the parameters of all elevator cars 20a-d in operation and even of those elevator cars 20e,f which are out or operation, i.e. parked in the parking place 19 of the elevator system 10. On the other hand with this information at least the differing parameter comprised in or linked with the car identifier 23 the elevator control 62 is able to replace a certain kind A, B of elevator car 20a-d with the same type A,B of elevator car 20e,f or with a different oneas required. Thus, the car handling module 70 is always informed which type A, B of elevator cars are in operation and which type of elevator cars are available, e.g. for special tasks, e.g. adapted for handicapped or VIP persons. This technology even allows to useadditionally to the normal single deck elevatorsdouble deck elevators in traffic peak conditions to improve the general capacity performance of the elevator system. If the car identifiers are unique they can be used to identify and/or to confirm the position of each single elevator car 20a-f in the elevator system 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0069] 10 elevatorpassenger conveyor
12 first (vertical) elevator runway
14 second (vertical) elevator runway
16 upper horizontal runway
18 lower horizontal runway
19 parking place/areastorage place/area
20 elevator car
21 reader device for car identifiers
22 upper car movers
23 car identifiers comprising information at least about a differing parameter of each car
24 lower car movers
26a,b vertical stator beams
28a,b horizontal stator beams
30 rotatable stator beam parts between the horizontal and vertical stator beams
31 elevator runway walls
32 common back wall of all elevator runways carrying the stator beams
34 landing doors
36 pivoted joint between the car and the mover
38 (back) wall or support structure of the elevator car for mounting the pivoted joint
40 stator section fixed to rotating disc of rotatable stator beam part
42 rotating disc
44 bearing for the rotating disc on the back wall of the elevator runway
46 stator beam with square horizontal cross section having on its four side faces a stator face each
48 mountings for the stator beam to the back wall of the elevator runway
50 stator face with stator poles/teeth
54 active mover parts of the mover facing the stator faces of the stator beam
56 mover housing carrying the active mover parts surrounding the stator beam
60 system control equipment of the elevator system
62 elevator (group) control
64 call giving device
66 decade keyboard
68 display
70 car handling module
72 memory
A,B different groups or types of elevator cars as specified by the differing parameter(s)
r common rotation axis of rotatable stator part and mover