ELEVATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

An elevator system may include a ropeless direct drive, a rail system, an elevator car, and a brake. The elevator system may also include a component on which there is arranged a sensor for sensing oscillations. The elevator system further comprises a processing unit for calculating counter-oscillations on the basis of the sensed oscillations. The elevator system also include means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations, which may also be disposed on the component. A corresponding method may involve sensing oscillations outside an elevator car, calculating counter-oscillations based on sensed oscillations, and generating the calculated counter-oscillations outside the elevator car.

Claims

1.-20. (canceled)

21. An elevator system comprising: a ropeless direct drive; a rail system; an elevator car; a brake; a sensor for sensing oscillations disposed on a component outside the elevator car; a processing unit for calculating counter-oscillations based on sensed oscillations; and means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations disposed on the component.

22. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the ropeless direct drive is the component.

23. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the brake is the component.

24. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the rail system is the component.

25. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the component is a holding element of the rail system.

26. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations is disposed at a predefined distance from the sensor.

27. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the sensor is a vibration sensor or a sound sensor.

28. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor, a capacitive sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a MEMS sensor, or a resistive sensor.

29. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations is an actuator.

30. The elevator system of claim 29 wherein the actuator is a magnetic actuator or a piezoelectric actuator.

31. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the ropeless direct drive is a linear drive.

32. The elevator system of claim 31 wherein the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations comprises a coil element of the linear drive and is configured such that the counter-oscillations are modulated onto a control of the coil element.

33. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the elevator car is guided by way of a rucksack suspension on the rail system.

34. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors for sensing oscillations, wherein the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations is one of a plurality of means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations, wherein a quantity of the plurality of sensors is greater than a quantity of the plurality of means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations.

35. The elevator system of claim 21 wherein at least one of: the sensor and/or the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations is disposed on a suspension of the rail system in a shaft pit of the elevator system, or the sensor and/or the means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations is disposed on a suspension of the rail system in a shaft head of the elevator system.

36. A method for operating an elevator system having a ropeless direct drive, the method comprising: sensing oscillations outside an elevator car; calculating counter-oscillations based on sensed oscillations; and generating the calculated counter-oscillations outside the elevator car.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the oscillations are sensed by a sensor disposed on a component outside the elevator car.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the counter-oscillations are calculated by a processing unit.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the counter-oscillations are generated by means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations.

40. The method of claim 36 performed by an elevator system comprising: a ropeless direct drive; a rail system; an elevator car; a brake; a sensor for sensing oscillations disposed on a component outside the elevator car; a processing unit for calculating counter-oscillations based on sensed oscillations; and means for generating the calculated counter-oscillations disposed on the component.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention, in a schematic lateral sectional view.

[0034] In FIG. 1, an embodiment of an elevator system according to the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference 100.

[0035] The elevator system comprises a rail system 104 attached to a shaft wall 103a of an elevator shaft 103, and an elevator car 102 that can travel vertically along the rail system in the elevator shaft 103.

[0036] The rail system 104 comprises, for example, guide rails, which are not represented in detail in FIG. 1.

[0037] The elevator car 102 comprises a slide, or sledge 105, that acts in combination with the guide rails to guide the elevator car along the rail system 104, in a manner known per se.

[0038] The represented elevator system has, as a drive, a linear drive 110. This linear drive comprises, as a primary part 111, rows of stator windings, which extend along the rail system 104 and which are arranged at a distance apart from and parallel to each other, and which project perpendicularly from a stator carrier, which is held, for example by means of anchorages, on the shaft wall 3a of the elevator shaft 3. Such primary parts 111 of linear drives are known per se, and are not explained in detail here.

[0039] On the slide 105, as secondary part 112 of the linear drive 110, there is a series of excitation magnets of alternating polarity, which are located opposite the stator windings of the primary part 111 at a predefined distance. The slide 105 also has a braking means 105a (represented in purely schematic form). This braking means may be realized, for example, by appropriate control of the excitation magnets of the secondary part 112 of the linear drive.

[0040] As is also known, a travelling magnetic field is generated in the rows of stator windings of the primary part 111 for the purpose of driving the elevator car 102. As a result, the excitation magnets of the secondary part 112 of the linear drive exert a thrust force, in the vertical direction, upon the slide 105, together with the elevator car 102. The elevator car 102 can thus move up and down along the rail system 104 in the elevator shaft 103 by means of the linear motor 110 together with the slide 105.

[0041] Provided at regular intervals on the rail system 104 are sensors for sensing oscillations such as, in particular, sound and/or vibrations. FIG. 1 shows two such sensors 21, 31. Assigned to the respective sensors 21, 31 are processing units 22, 32, which are realized in such a manner that, on the basis of the sensed oscillations, they calculate suitable counter-oscillations in order to minimize the noise development in the car 102 and/or in a building in which shaft 103 is provided. In this case, it is possible to provide only one processing unit for a plurality or all of the respective sensors.

[0042] Furthermore, an actuator 23, 33 is provided in the vicinity of each sensor 21, 31, for example at a maximum distance of 5 cm. Such actuators are designed to generate the respective counter-sound and/or counter-vibrations calculated by the processing unit.

[0043] Further corresponding sensors, processing units and actuators 41, 42, 43 are realized on the slide 105 according to the design shown. In particular, these components realized on the slide may be provided on the secondary part 112 of the linear drive.

[0044] Further sensors, processing units and actuators may also be realized on the primary part 110 of the linear drive.

[0045] In particular, such sensors, processing units and actuators may also be provided on the brake 105a, i.e. in particular the excitation magnets of the secondary part 112 of linear drive 110.

[0046] By means of the invention, the elevator car 102 can be effectively decoupled from disturbing noises that occur in the rail system 104, the drive 110 and/or the braking means 105a.

[0047] In a current development, elevator systems are being designed in which a plurality of elevator cars are in each case provided in a plurality of parallel shafts. Moreover, there are elevator systems in which elevator cars can change back and forth between two adjacent shafts. In this case, advantageously, linear drives having so-called changeover units (also known as exchangers) are used, by means of which an elevator car can be moved from one shaft, via a changeover shaft, to another shaft. In practice, it has proven advantageous for sensors and actuators, for generating calculated counter-oscillations, to be arranged close to such exchangers, since here low-frequency disturbing noises occurring in practice can be compensated very effectively. This measure can significantly reduce, in particular, disturbing noises that occur when an elevator car is being unlocked or locked, from or at an exchanger.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0048] 100 elevator system [0049] 102 elevator car [0050] 103 elevator shaft [0051] 103a shaft wall [0052] 104 rail system [0053] 105 slide (sledge) [0054] 105a braking means [0055] 110 linear drive [0056] 111 primary part [0057] 112 secondary part [0058] 21 first sensor [0059] 22 first processing unit [0060] 23 first actuator [0061] 31 second sensor [0062] 32 second processing unit [0063] 33 second actuator [0064] 41 third sensor [0065] 42 third processing unit [0066] 43 third actuator