METHOD FOR SAFEGUARDING THE CAR OF AN ELEVATOR

Abstract

The method according to the invention is a method for safeguarding the car of an elevator, which is provided to form regular unlocking zones in the region around the envisaged stopping points at the stories, against unintended movement. The method monitors the speed of the car, the height position of the car in the elevator shaft and the status of the locking of the car door, and identifies possible stopping of the car, the height position of the car outside a regular unlocking zone, and a possibly unlocked state of the car door. A first sub-method of the method forms a temporary unlocking zone when the car stops outside a regular unlocking zone with the car door unlocked, and it assigns the temporary unlocking zone an upper and a lower boundary above and below the position where the car stops.

Claims

1. A method for safeguarding the car of an elevator, which is provided to form regular unlocking zones in the region around the envisaged stopping points at the stories, against unintended movement, including the monitoring of the speed of the car, and of the height position of the car in the elevator shaft, and of the status of the locking of the car door, and including the possible identification of the car stopping, and of a height position outside a regular unlocking zone, and of an unlocked state of the car door, and having a first sub-method, which in the event of the car stopping outside a regular unlocking zone with the car door unlocked, forms a temporary unlocking zone, with an upper and lower boundary above and below the position where the car stops.

2. The method according to claim 1, having a second sub-method, which, in the event of the car traveling beyond the upper or the lower boundary of the temporary unlocking zone with the car door unlocked, initiates an alarm reaction, in particular an emergency stop, in particular an actively braked emergency stop of the car.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-method forms the temporary unlocking zone with a maximum permissible traveling speed for the car, and wherein the second sub-method, in the event of the car not exceeding the maximum permissible traveling speed with the car door unlocked within a temporary unlocking zone, prevents an emergency stop of the car on account of the car traveling with the car door unlocked outside a regular unlocking zone.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-method forms the temporary unlocking zone with a maximum permissible traveling speed for the car, and/or wherein the second sub-method, in the event of the car exceeding the maximum permissible traveling speed with the car door unlocked within a temporary unlocking zone, initiates an emergency stop of the car.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-method files the values of the temporary unlocking zone in a memory of the elevator-control system and/or cancels the temporary unlocking zone again on account of the locking of the car door or of a reset for the purpose of canceling the temporary unlocking zone.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second sub-method reads out the values of the temporary unlocking zone from a memory of the elevator-control system and/or cancels an emergency stop again on account of the locking of the car door or of a reset for the purpose of canceling the emergency stop.

7. The method according to claim 1, having a third sub-method, which teaches the height positions of regular stopping points in particular during a teaching phase, in particular during a teaching travel operation, and files them in particular in a memory, and forms regular unlocking zones at a specific distance, in particular a predetermined distance, around the height positions of the regular stopping points and files the upper and lower boundaries of said unlocking zones in a defined manner in a memory.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sub-method is implemented prior to a teaching phase and/or during a teaching travel operation and/or during evacuation of the car outside a regular teaching zone and/or in the event of regular stopping points having been stored incorrectly.

9. An elevator-control system which is designed to implement the method of claim 1.

10. An elevator which is designed to implement the method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail hereinbelow. Like reference signs in the individual FIGURES here denote corresponding elements.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the unlocking zone.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows the diagram of an unlocking zone.

[0037] The axis 11 shows the possible height position of the car of an elevator around a stopping point 23. The stopping point is surrounded by an unlocking zone, with an upper boundary of the unlocking zone 21 and a lower boundary of the unlocking zone. Within the unlocking zone, the car can travel, under certain conditions, with the doors unlocked. The axis 12 shows the speed of a car of an elevator in the region of an unlocking zone and has various speed barriers 31, 33 and 34.

[0038] The zero point of the speed 31 corresponds to the car being at a standstill. The maximum permissible arrival speed 34 defines the maximum permissible speed of the car with the doors unlocked in the unlocking zone. The maximum permissible adjustment speed 33 defines the maximum permissible speed of the car in the unlocking zone following a stop with the doors unlocked until the doors are locked again.

[0039] The speed profile 13 of a stopping car shows the car entering into the unlocking zone (21, 22) at the upper boundary of the unlocking zone 21 at a speed below the maximum permissible arrival speed 34. Following entry into the unlocking zone (21, 22), the doors are unlocked and begin to open. The speed profile 13 of the car continues to run below the arrival speed 34 until it comes to a standstill in the region of the stopping point 23. Following the standstill, it is possible to adjust the position of the car at a speed below the maximum permissible adjustment speed 33. Following closure and locking of the door(s) for departure, the speed profile 13 runs independently of the maximum permissible adjustment speed 33 and of the maximum permissible arrival speed 34.

[0040] In an unlocking zone (21, 22), with the doors unlocked the maximum arrival speed 34 is equal to 0.8 m/s (5.12.1.4.c) and the maximum adjustment speed is equal to 0.3 m/s (5.12.1.4.d), it otherwise being necessary to initiate an emergency stop (5.6.7.1) with specific conditions relating to the location of the subsequent stop (5.6.7.5). An unlocking zone has a maximum extent of 20 cm below and above the stopping point, when the doors of the car and shaft are not driven jointly, and of 35 cm, when the doors of the car and shaft are driven jointly. This means that the upper and the lower boundaries of the unlocking zone are each at a distance of 20 cm or 35 cm from the stopping point.

[0041] In the case of known elevators, the unlocking zones around the regular stopping locations at the stories are generally predefined to some extent by corresponding mechanical markings in the shaft or by height positions for the corresponding boundaries of the unlocking zones being stored in an electric memory of the elevator-control system.

[0042] The method according to the invention takes effect, in particular, when, for whatever reason, the car stops outside the predefined regular unlocking zones. This is conceivable for example when the elevator is started up before or during the teaching phase for defining the story positions and the corresponding regular unlocking zones, when, before or during the teaching phase, the regular unlocking zones are not yet defined and stored in the memory of the elevator-control system, or for example in the event of a stoppage, emergency stop or evacuation between the stories.

[0043] If, in such a situation, the car does not come to a standstill in a regular unlocking zone and/or if the doors of the car are to be unlocked outside a regular unlocking zone, then the car would not be secured against unintended or excessively quick movement.

[0044] Therefore, the method according to the invention also makes provision, irrespective of regular stopping points at the stories, for temporary unlocking zones to be formed in the event of the car stopping, and/or in the event of the car door(s) being unlocked, outside regular unlocking zones of the regular stopping points.

[0045] As soon as a stoppage and/or an unlocking of the car door(s) outside the regular unlocking zones is detected, a temporary unlocking zone is set up immediately around the position of the event. The position of the event is considered here temporarily to be a stopping point. The temporary unlocking zone can be set up for an elevator with permanent and continuous detection of the height position in that a memory of the elevator-control system is assigned the values for the upper and lower unlocking zones, or the value of the position where the stoppage occurs, whereas the elevator-control system has the relative extent predetermined in a permanently stored manner.

[0046] The temporary unlocking zone is maintained until the car doors are locked again. Once the unlocking zone has been canceled, the actions thereof are done away with. The temporary unlocking zone can be canceled by virtue of the values for the upper and lower boundaries of the temporary unlocking zone being deleted.

[0047] If a temporary unlocking zone set up is one in which the floor level of the car is located, and if the movement speed exceeds the corresponding limit values or if the car, with the car door unlocked, travels beyond the boundaries of the unlocking zone, then the method implements an emergency stop of the car. The emergency stop can be implemented by the safety circuit of the elevator being opened, said safety circuit interrupting the motor drive and/or activating the car brakes. The emergency stop can be deactivated again by a corresponding reset of the elevator.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0048] 11 Height position of the floor level of the car [0049] 12 Speed of the car [0050] 21 Upper boundary of the temporary unlocking zone [0051] 22 Lower boundary of the temporary unlocking zone [0052] 23 Stopping point (floor level of the story) [0053] 31 Zero point of the speed [0054] 33 Maximum permissible adjustment speed [0055] 34 Maximum permissible arrival speed