ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

An elevator system includes at least one guide rail and at least one elevator cabin movable in a direction of travel along the guide rail. A cabin control unit is installed on the elevator cabin and a central control unit is connected to the cabin control unit by a wireless communications system. The wireless communications system includes a slotted waveguide conductor arrangement installed in the elevator shaft.

Claims

1.-8. (canceled)

9. An elevator system, comprising: a guide rail, an elevator cabin which is configured to move in a direction of travel along the guide rail, a cabin control unit disposed on the elevator cabin, and a central control unit in communication with the cabin control unit by a wireless communications system, wherein the wireless communications system includes a slotted waveguide conductor arrangement installed in the elevator shaft.

10. The elevator system of claim 9, including a plurality of guide rails and a plurality of elevator cabins, each of the elevator cabins to move along one or more of the plurality of guide rails.

11. The elevator system of claim 9, wherein the slotted waveguide conductor arrangement includes a slotted waveguide and a cabin antenna, wherein the slotted waveguide comprises a cavity, which extends in the direction of travel, configured to guide electromagnetic waves, wherein the cavity is delimited by side walls that are arranged parallel to the direction of travel, wherein the cabin antenna is installed on the elevator cabin, and wherein the slotted waveguide comprises a passage opening, which extends parallel to the direction of travel, the passage opening configured to receive at least part of the cabin antenna.

12. The elevator system of claim 9, wherein the central control unit is connected to the cabin control unit by at least two wireless communications systems, wherein the two wireless communications systems are separate from one another.

13. The elevator system of claim 12, wherein the communications systems each use an air interface and the air interfaces for each communications system are separated from one another spatially and/or are separated from one another by the use of frequencies which differ from one another.

14. The elevator system of claim 12, wherein each of the communications systems comprise at least one shaft antenna, which is installed in the slotted waveguide, and two cabin antennae, which are installed on the cabin and project into said slotted waveguide, wherein the two cabin antennae of each of the communications systems are arranged one after the other when viewed in the direction of travel.

15. The elevator system as claimed in claim 12, wherein, when viewed in the direction of travel, the two cabin antennae of a first of the communications systems are arranged in such a manner with respect to the two cabin antennae of a second of the communications systems that transitions between two slotted waveguides, which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel, are reached in each case by the four cabin antennae at various points in time.

16. The elevator system of claim 9, comprising: at least one first guide rail which is oriented in a first direction, at least one second guide rail which is oriented in a second direction, the first direction and the second direction having different orientations, and at least one rail segment which is rotatable in relation to the shaft and is transferable between an orientation in the first direction and an orientation in the second direction.

17. The elevator system of claim 16, wherein the first direction is vertical, and the second direction is horizontal.

18. The elevator system of the claim 9, wherein the elevator cabin is guided on the guide rail mounted in a rucksack-type manner and/or is driven in a ropeless manner.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0023] The invention is explained in more detail below by way of the figures, each of which is as follows

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation in perspective of a section of an elevator system according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation in perspective of parts of the data-transmitting elements of the elevator system according to FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation in top view of details of the data transmission structure of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a first design;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a functional block representation of the data-transmitting elements of the elevator system according to FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a movement diagram of the antennae of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a first configuration;

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a movement diagram of the antennae of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a second configuration;

[0030] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation in top view of details of the data transmission structure of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a second design;

[0031] FIG. 8 shows a schematic representation in top view of details of the data transmission structure of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a third design;

[0032] FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation in top view of details of the data transmission structure of the elevator system according to FIG. 1 in a fourth design.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0033] FIG. 1 shows parts of an elevator system 1 according to the invention. The elevator system 1 includes a plurality of guide rails 2, along which multiple elevator cabins 10 can be guided by way of a rucksack-type bearing arrangement. A guide rail 2.sub.V is oriented vertically in a first direction and makes it possible for the guided elevator cabin 10 to be movable between various floors. Multiple guide rails are arranged in adjacent shafts 20 in said vertical direction.

[0034] A horizontal guide rail 2.sub.H, along which the elevator cabin 10 is able to be guided by way of a rucksack-type bearing arrangement, is arranged between the two vertical guide rails 2.sub.V. Said horizontal guide rail 2.sub.H is oriented horizontally in a second direction and makes it possible for the elevator cabin 10 to be able to be moved within a floor. In addition, the horizontal guide rail 2.sub.H connects the two vertical guide rails 2.sub.V together. Consequently, the second guide rail 2.sub.H also serves for switching the elevator cabin 10 between the two vertical guide rails in order to carry out, for example, a modern paternoster operation.

[0035] The elevator cabin 10 is able to be switched from one guide rail to the other guide rail via in each case a rotatable rail segment 3. All the rails 2, 3 are installed at least indirectly in a shaft wall 20. Such elevator systems are described accordingly in WO 2015/144781 A1 and in German patent applications 10 2016 211 997.4 and 10 2015 218 025.5.

[0036] Cabin control units 11, which move along the rails 2 with the cabins, are installed on each of the cabins 10. Said cabin control units 11 are in data contact with a central control unit 21 of the elevator system 1. As no traveling cables can be used in the case of such elevator systems, the data transmission has to be realized in another manner. Sliding contacts have proved to be susceptible to wear such that wireless data transmission is used between the cabin control units 11 and the central control unit 21. A possibility for wireless data transmission is described in more detail below by way of FIGS. 2 to 4.

[0037] Data is transmitted wirelessly by way of a slotted waveguide arrangement 4. Said slotted waveguide arrangement 4 includes two separate communications systems L, R, which are able to carry out wireless data transmission independently of one another and are consequently redundant. As the designs of the two communications systems L, R are substantially identical, only the first communication system L is described below; insofar as nothing to the contrary is specified, the description also relates to the second communications system R. The second communications system R, when viewed in the direction of travel F, is arranged parallel to the first communications system L.

[0038] The first communications system L includes a plurality of slotted waveguides 22.sub.L1, 22.sub.L2, which are arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel F. Two slotted waveguides 22.sub.L1, 22.sub.L2, per communications system L, R, are shown representatively for this in the figures. The slotted waveguides 22.sub.L1, 22.sub.L2, are realized identically such that one slotted waveguide 22 is described below representing all further slotted waveguides and the indices L, R are omitted. The slotted waveguide 22 is installed fixedly on the shaft wall 20 and includes multiple walls 26 which extend parallel to the direction of travel F. A cavity 25, which extends parallel to the direction of travel F, is formed by the walls 26. The slotted waveguide 22 includes a shaft antenna 28, which is set up to couple electromagnetic radiation into the cavity 25 or to receive it from the cavity 25. The shaft antenna 28 is connected in a wire-bound manner to a central control unit 21. The electromagnetic radiation is the carrier medium for the wireless data transmission. The wall 26 is formed from a shielding material. For the design of the slotted waveguide 22 and the selection of suitable wavelengths, reference can be made to the relevant literature concerning slotted waveguides as waveguides for electromagnetic waves.

[0039] The electromagnetic waves are essentially able to disperse well in the cavity 25, whilst the electromagnetic waves hardly penetrate the wall 26. Consequently, the slotted waveguides 22 are also suitable for an extremely secure, wireless data transmission, as the signals transmitted in the cavity 25 are secured against unauthorized interception and a manipulation of the signals from outside of the slotted waveguide 22 is made difficult. The cross section of the slotted waveguide, in this case, is not limited to the cross section shown in the figures, on the contrary a plurality of angular or round cross sections is conceivable.

[0040] The walls 26 realize a slot 24 which extends parallel to the direction of travel F, through which cabin antennae 12 are introduced in part into the cavity 25. Each of the cabin antennae 12 is installed on the elevator cabin 10 and consequently in operation moves with the elevator cabin 10 in the direction of travel F. The orientation of the slot 24 parallel to the direction of travel F makes it possible for the cabin antennae 12 to always project into the cavity 25. The cabin antennae 12 are set up to couple electromagnetic radiation into the cavity 25 or to receive it from the cavity 25 and consequently are in communications contact with the associated shaft antenna 28. The cabin antennae 12 are connected in a wire-bound manner to a cabin control unit 11 which is installed on the elevator cabin 10.

[0041] The communications contact between an individual shaft antenna 28.sub.L1, 28.sub.L2, 28.sub.R1, 28.sub.R2 and an individual cabin antenna 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2, 12.sub.R1, 12.sub.R2 can, however, only be maintained sufficiently when the respective cabin antenna 12 projects into the slotted waveguide 22.sub.L or 22.sub.R to which the respective shaft antenna 28.sub.L or 28.sub.R is assigned.

[0042] In the case of the generic elevator systems 1, a slotted waveguide 22 does not inevitably extend over the entire height of the elevator shaft. A transition between two consecutive slotted waveguides 22.sub.L1, 22.sub.L2 or 22.sub.R1, 22.sub.R2, in particular in the interface region between a fixed guide rail 2 and a rotatable rail segment 3, is unavoidable, for an associated slotted waveguide is held so as to be rotatable as it were at the rotatable rail segment in order to be rotated with the rotatable rail segment. The communications contact between an individual cabin antenna and the shaft antenna 28 is inevitably ruptured at a transition 23.sub.L or 23.sub.R between two slotted waveguides 22.sub.L1 and 22.sub.L2 or 22.sub.R1 and 22.sub.R2.

[0043] In the example in FIG. 2, when traveling in the direction of travel F the cabin antenna 12.sub.L1 reaches a transition 23 as first of the cabin antennae. So that via the first communications system L there is communications contact at all times between a shaft antenna 28.sub.L1, 28.sub.L2 of the first communications system L and a cabin antenna 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2, the communications system L comprises two cabin antennae 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2 per elevator cabin 10. The cabin antennae 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2 of the first communications system L are arranged in such a manner that in each case at least one cabin antenna is not arranged at a transition 23. When, therefore, the first cabin antenna 11.sub.L1 reaches the transition 23.sub.L, the second cabin antenna 11.sub.L2 is arranged sufficiently distant from the transition 23.sub.L and is in secure communications contact with the shaft antenna 28.sub.L2. Consequently, one seamless (in the temporal sense), wireless data connection per communications system L is always able to be maintained.

[0044] The two cabin antennae 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2 consequently operate redundantly inside the communications system L in order to compensate for the inevitable break in communications contact at the transition 23.sub.L. However, said redundancy always comes into play when one of the antennae passes the transition. At said moment, however, there is no longer any redundancy available in order to compensate for failure of the active antenna. As the second antenna is consequently used inside a communications system for the purpose of compensating for a failure of an antenna which occurs inevitably as part of the operation, the provision of the second antenna per communications system does not provide any viable redundancy. The second communications system R now serves for this purpose.

[0045] The second communications system R operates, in principle, exactly as described previously for the first communications system L. The use of said two communications systems L, R consequently generates a redundancy of two seamlessly functioning communications systems L, R. The operation of the associated elevator cabin 10 can be ensured when one of the two communications systems L, R already functions properly.

[0046] For comparison: in the present case of application there is no sufficiently reliable option provided for realizing the bridging of the loss of communications contact simply as a result of switching to the second communications system R when the antenna of the first communications system L travels over the transition 23. Said solution is certainly possible technically but would simply provide seamlessness at the expense of the redundancy. The second communications system R, in this connection, would inevitably have to engage in order to maintain a seamless data transmission. Seamlessness would no longer be ensured should there be a fault in one of the two communications systems L, R. There is, consequently, a lack of redundancy.

[0047] In order, consequently, to produce a seamless and redundant wireless data connection, two communications systems L, R, which each include per elevator cabin 10 two cabin antennae 12 which are arranged offset in the direction of travel F, are provided according to the invention. Naturally the distance between the cabin antennae must not be equal to the distance between two transitions.

[0048] A preferred spatial arrangement of the cabin antennae 12 is described by way of FIG. 5, with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 5 provides a space and time diagram of the cabin antennae 12. A space and time line is recorded for each cabin antenna 12. This begins with t=0 at a starting z position which is fixed for each cabin antenna 12 z.sub.L1(t=0), z.sub.R1(t=0), z.sub.L2(t=0), z.sub.R2(t=0) and can also be seen in FIG. 2. When viewed from above, the order of the cabin antennae 12 is as follows:

[0049] 1. First cabin antenna 12.sub.L1 of the first communications system L;

[0050] 2. First cabin antenna 12.sub.R1 of the second communications system R;

[0051] 3. Second cabin antenna 12.sub.L2 of the first communications system L;

[0052] 4. Second cabin antenna 12.sub.R2 of the second communications system R;

[0053] where z.sub.L1(t=0)>z.sub.R1(t=0)>z.sub.L2(t=0), z.sub.R2(t=0).

[0054] The transitions 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R are at the same z position on both communications systems L, R.

[0055] Correspondingly, the antennae each reach a transition at the following points in time:

[0056] 1. First cabin antenna 12.sub.L1 of the first communications system L at time t.sub.L1;

[0057] 2. First cabin antenna 12.sub.R1 of the second communications system Rat time t.sub.R1;

[0058] 3. Second cabin antenna 12.sub.L2 of the first communications system L at time t.sub.L2;

[0059] 4. Second cabin antenna 12.sub.R2 of the second communications system R at time t.sub.R2;

[0060] where t.sub.L1<t.sub.R1<t.sub.L2<t.sub.R2.

[0061] It is advantageous, in this case, for the cabin antennae 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2 of the first communications system L and the cabin antennae 12.sub.R1, 12.sub.R2 of the second communications system R to always reach the respective transition 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R at different points in time. The failure safety is once again significantly increased in this way. For in spite of the use of two cabin antennae 12 per communications system L, R, when traveling over a transition the risk of an at least short-term failure of the data transmission is not to be regarded as negligible. It would be a problem if such a short-term failure of the data transmission were to occur in both communications systems L, R at the same time. As the antennae of both communications systems now never reach a transition at the same time, the risk of simultaneous failure is once again significantly reduced to a risk that is now negligible.

[0062] Said advantage can also be realized as a result of the z position of the transitions differing from one another, as is shown by way of the diagram in FIG. 6. As an example, the cabin antennae are arranged in such a manner on the elevator cabin 10 that the starting z position realizes the following characteristic:

[0063] z.sub.L1(t=0)=z.sub.R1(t=0)>z.sub.L2(t=0)=z.sub.R2(t=0).

[0064] The two first cabin antennae 22.sub.L1, 22.sub.R1 of both communications systems L, R are consequently arranged at identical height. The two second cabin antennae 22.sub.L2, 22.sub.R2 of both communication systems L, R are consequently also arranged at identical height. In order, nevertheless, to reach the respective transitions at different points in time, the transitions 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R are arranged at different z positions z.sub.23L, z.sub.23R.

[0065] Also in the case of said variant, the cabin antennae 12 reach the respective transitions 23.sub.L, 23.sub.R at the times t.sub.L1<t.sub.R1<t.sub.L2<t.sub.R2.

[0066] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the wireless data transmission. Data is to be transmitted from the central control unit 21, which is installed fixedly in relation to the shaft 20, to the cabin control unit 11 and vice versa. A slotted waveguide, in this case, has associated therewith a shaft-side data doubler 29.sub.2 which forwards the data to the two communications systems L, R.

[0067] The first communications system L comprises a shaft-side transmit/receive controller 31.sub.L2 which is connected to the shaft antenna 28.sub.L2. Said shaft antenna 28.sub.L2 radiates the signal wirelessly to the two cabin antennae 12.sub.L1, 12.sub.L2 which are associated with the first communications system L and which forward the received signals to a cabin-side transmit/receive controller 32.sub.L of the first communications system R. The received data is transmitted from the transmit/receive controller 32.sub.L to a cabin-side data doubler 30.

[0068] The second communications system R comprises a shaft-side transmit/receive controller 31.sub.R2 which is connected to the shaft antenna 28.sub.R2. Said shaft antenna 28.sub.L2 radiates the signal wirelessly to the two cabin antennae 12.sub.R1, 12.sub.R2 which are associated with the second communications system L and which forward the received signals to a cabin-side transmit/receive controller 32.sub.R of the second communications system R. The received data is transmitted from the transmit/receive controller 32.sub.R to the cabin-side data doubler 30.

[0069] In the normal case, the cabin-side data doubler 30 receives the same data from both transmit/receive controllers 32.sub.L, 32.sub.R and forwards it once to the cabin control unit 11. Should there be a fault in the communications transmission on one of the communications systems, the cabin-side data doubler 30 receives the data to be transmitted only once. In this case too, the cabin-side data doubler 30 forwards the received data to the cabin control unit 11, which consequently remains unaffected by the communications fault.

[0070] The above description is to be applied analogously to the reverse transmission of data from the cabin control unit 11 to the central control unit 21, the functions [0071] of the cabin-side data doubler 30 then being exchanged with those of the shaft-side data doubler 29, [0072] of the cabin-side transmit/receive controller 32 then being exchanged with those of the shaft-side transmit/receive controller 31, [0073] of the cabin antennae 12 then being exchanged with those of the shaft antennae 28.

[0074] The redundant realization provides, in particular, that in each case separate shaft-side transmit/receive controllers 31 and cabin-side transmit/receive controllers 32 are provided per communications system L, R and in each case separate shaft-side transmit/receive controllers 31 and cabin-side transmit/receive controllers 32 are provided per communications system L, R.

[0075] A separate slotted waveguide 22 is not absolutely necessary, as is explained again by way of FIG. 9.

[0076] FIGS. 7 to 9 show variants of the communications systems L, R shown beforehand, to which the above description continues to be applicable; the following description demonstrates the essential differences.

[0077] The two slotted waveguides 22.sub.L, 22.sub.R are always arranged together in a common housing in the variants in FIGS. 7 to 9.

[0078] A partition wall 27, which separates the two cavities 25.sub.L, 25.sub.R from one another, is provided in the variant according to FIG. 7. The partition wall 27 extends substantially parallel to the direction of travel F and largely parallel to the orientation of the cabin antennae 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R. The partition wall 27 is formed from a shielding material so that the electromagnetic waves largely do not leave the respective cavities 25. Each slotted waveguide 22.sub.L, 22.sub.R comprises, in this case, a separate slot 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R, through which protrude in each case either only the cabin antennae 22.sub.L of the first communications system L or (exclusive or) only the cabin antennae 12.sub.R of the second communications system R.

[0079] Even when both communications systems L, R utilize common elements 26, 27 in part in said design, the communications systems L, R are separated by the partition wall 27 between the cavities 25.sub.L, 25.sub.R and by the use of separate shaft antennae 28 and cabin antennae 12.

[0080] A partition wall 27, which separates the two cavities 25.sub.L, 25.sub.R from one another, is provided in the variant according to FIG. 8. The partition wall 27 extends substantially parallel to the direction of travel F and largely transversely to the orientation of the cabin antennae 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R. The partition wall 27 is formed from a shielding material so that the electromagnetic waves largely do not leave the respective cavities 25.

[0081] A first slot 24.sub.L is arranged, in this case, in the housing wall and connects the surrounding area to the first cavity 25.sub.L. A second slot 24.sub.R is arranged, in this case, in the partition wall 27 and connects the first cavity 25.sub.L to the second cavity 25.sub.R. The cabin antenna 12.sub.L of the first communications system L projects, in this case, through the first slot 24.sub.L into the first cavity 25.sub.L.

[0082] The cabin antenna 12.sub.R of the second communications system R also projects through the first slot 24.sub.L into the first cavity 25.sub.L but extends further through the second slot 24.sub.R into the second cavity 25.sub.R. So that no interactions occur between the cabin antenna 12.sub.R of the second communications system R and the electromagnetic waves in the cavity 25.sub.L of the first communications system L, the cabin antenna 12.sub.R of the second communications system R comprises a shielding 17 in the region of the cavity 25.sub.R of the second communications system R, similar to a shielding in the case of a coaxial cable.

[0083] Even when both communications systems utilize common elements 26, 27, 24.sub.L in part in this design, the communications systems L, R are separated by the partition wall 27 between the cavities 25.sub.L, 25.sub.R, the use of separate shaft antennae 28 and cabin antenna 12 and the shielding 17 of such cabin antennae 12.sub.R wherever they are arranged in the region of the cavity 25.sub.L of a slotted waveguide 25.sub.L of the respective other communications system L.

[0084] The variant according to FIG. 9 does not provide a partition wall which separates two cavities from one another. Rather, the two communications systems L, R divide one common cavity 25. The cabin antennae 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R of the two communications systems L, R project through a common slot 24 into said common cavity 25 and there interact in an intended manner with the electromagnetic waves that are there. The shaft antennae 28.sub.L, 28.sub.R of the two communications systems L, R are also received in said common cavity 25.

[0085] Even when both communications systems utilize common elements 22, 25, 26 in part in this design, the communications systems L, R are separated by the use of separate shaft antennae 28 and cabin antennae 12. The shaft and cabin antennae 28.sub.L, 12.sub.L of the first communications system L utilize, in this case, a different frequency band to the shaft and cabin antennae 28.sub.R, 12.sub.R of the second communications system R. As, in this connection, simply mechanical elements are used in common by both communications systems L, R and said elements have a very high level of failure safety on account of their robustness, the reliability demanded of the redundancy is met.

[0086] In FIGS. 8 and 9 the cabin antennae 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R of both communications systems L, R project through the common slot 24.sub.L or 24. To improve the representation in said view, the cabin antennae 12.sub.L, 12.sub.R are shown side by side here. As an alternative to such an arrangement, it is also possible for the antennae of the different communications systems L, R also to be arranged precisely one behind the other in the direction of travel F. The slot 24.sub.L, 24 can thus be realized in a narrower manner (that is to say smaller in the y direction), which, in particular, reduces the dissipation of electromagnetic energy at the slot 24.sub.L, 24.

[0087] In a further development which is not shown the elevator system includes a further, third slotted waveguide arrangement. Said third slotted waveguide arrangement includes a third slotted waveguide and at least one antenna which is fastened to the elevator cabin. Said third slotted waveguide arrangement is used for the transmission of data which is less safety relevant. For example, this is data for the operation of an entertainment system. Such data allows for temporary buffering and consequently copes, in principle, with an interruption in the data transmission of a few seconds. In this respect, one slotted waveguide and one cabin antenna can suffice for this.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0088] 1 Elevator system

[0089] 2 Guide rail

[0090] 3 Rotatable rail segment

[0091] 4 Slotted waveguide arrangement

[0092] 10 Elevator cabin

[0093] 11 Cabin control unit

[0094] 12 Cabin antenna

[0095] 17 Shielding

[0096] 20 Shaft

[0097] 21 Central control unit

[0098] 22 Slotted waveguide

[0099] 23 Transition

[0100] 24 Slot

[0101] 25 Cavity

[0102] 26 Side wall

[0103] 27 Partition wall

[0104] 28 Shaft antenna

[0105] 29 Shaft-side data doubler

[0106] 30 Cabin-side data doubler

[0107] 31 Shaft-side transmit/receive controller

[0108] 32 Cabin-side transmit/receive controller

[0109] F Direction of travel

[0110] L, R Separate communications system