Method for post-processing a surface structure of shaft material

Abstract

A method for refinishing a surface structure of shaft material of an elevator, which extends along a shaft, enables the use of image data to determine an absolute position and/or speed of an elevator car. The elevator includes the elevator car, which is movable in the shaft, a camera, which is arranged at the elevator car and generates the image data from the surface structure, and an evaluating unit, which determines the absolute position and/or the speed of the elevator car from the image data. The surface structure is refinished at least locally in order to increase a distinctiveness of the surface structure in the image data. The shaft material can be, for example, a guide rail, a fastening element of the guide rail, or a shaft wall.

Claims

1. A method for determining an absolute position and/or speed of an elevator car that is movable in an elevator shaft, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a surface structure of an elevator shaft material in the elevator shaft for determining the absolute position and/or speed of the elevator car in the elevator shaft, the surface structure extending in the shaft along a travel path of the elevator car; selecting at least one location on the surface structure for refinishing; refinishing the at least one location by at least one of mechanical processing and layer-coating processing to increase a distinctiveness of the at least one location in image data; arranging a camera at the elevator car; and generating the image data of the at least one location on the surface structure from the camera for use by an evaluating unit to determine at least one of the absolute position and the speed of the elevator car based upon the image data.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one location is an entirety of the surface structure.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one location includes all of the surface structure that lacks distinctiveness detectable in the image data prior to performing the refinishing step.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the surface structure is refinished subsequently to a basic process of forming the shaft material.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the surface structure is part of at least one of a wall of the elevator shaft, a guide rail in the elevator shaft and a fastening element in the elevator shaft.

6. The method according to claim 1 including performing the refinishing step by spraying-on a three-dimensional structure using a structuring spray.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the three-dimensional structure is at least one of a nitro-cellulose binder, a vinyl copolymer and a polyurethane synthetic resin dispersion.

8. The method according to claim 1 including performing the refinishing step by spraying-on a two-dimensional pattern using a pattern spray.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the two-dimensional pattern is formed from a hammer-finish paint that includes at least one of aluminum flakes, mica, bronze and silicon oil.

10. The method according to claim 1 including performing the refinishing step by a machining processing method.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the machining processing method is at least one of grinding, engraving, blasting and brushing.

12. The method according to claim 1 including performing the refinishing step by a non-machining processing method.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the non-machining processing method is at least one of stamping, etching, hammering and laser marking.

14. An elevator comprising: an elevator car movable in a shaft, the shaft including a shaft material that has a surface structure extending along a travel path of the elevator car; a camera arranged at the elevator car for generating image data from the surface structure wherein an evaluating unit determines an absolute position of the elevator car in the shaft based upon the image data; and wherein the shaft material is an elevator component refinished, at least locally, by performing the method according to claim 1.

15. The elevator according to claim 14 wherein the elevator component is one of a wall of the shaft, a guide rail for the elevator car, and a fastening element for the guide rail.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Preferred forms of embodiment of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description by way of the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows, in a strongly schematic illustration, an exemplifying embodiment of an elevator installation with a camera as part of an absolute positioning system, which generates images of a surface structure of a shaft wall;

(3) FIG. 2 shows, in a strongly schematic illustration, an exemplifying embodiment of an elevator installation with a camera as part of an absolute positioning system, which generates images of a surface structure of a guide rail;

(4) FIG. 2A shows an exemplifying embodiment of refinishing in accordance with the invention of the surface structure by means of spraying a structure onto a guide rail;

(5) FIG. 2B shows an exemplifying embodiment of refinishing in accordance with the invention of the surface structure by means of coating a hammer-finish paint on a guide rail; and

(6) FIG. 2C shows an exemplifying embodiment of refinishing in accordance with the invention of the surface structure by means of spraying a structure onto a guide rail and a fastening element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an elevator with an elevator car 4 which is movable in a shaft 1 along guide rails 6. In that case, the elevator car 4 is guided at the guide rail 6 by way of guide elements 11 such as, for example, guide shoes. The elevator car 4 is suspended at a first end of the support means 10 in a suspension ratio of 1:1. The expert can, of course, also select a suspension ratio, which differs therefrom, of 2:1 or higher. In order to compensate for the weight force of the elevator car 4 a counterweight 5, which is suspended at a second end of the support means 10, is provided.

(8) In addition, a drive unit comprising at least one drive engine 7 and a drive pulley 8 driven by the drive engine is provided. The support means 10 runs over the drive pulley 8 and is operatively connected therewith so that a drive moment of the drive engine 7 is transmissible to the support means 10 by way of the drive pulley 8. In addition, the support means 10 runs over a deflecting roller 9.

(9) Moreover, the elevator comprises a camera 3 which is arranged at the elevator car 4. The camera 3 is part of an absolute positioning system and generates images of the surface structure 20 from shaft material 2, 6, 12. The camera 3 records reference images, which are filed in a storage medium (not illustrated), of the surface structure 20 in a learning travel. In the case of travel during normal operation of the elevator the camera 3 generates continuous images of the surface structure 20. These images are evaluated in an evaluating unit (not illustrated). This evaluation includes comparison between the previously filed reference images, which are associated with a position in the shaft 1, with the images continuously produced during travel of the elevator car 4. In that case, the evaluating unit determines an absolute position of the elevator car 4.

(10) In FIG. 1, the recording region 3.1 of the camera 3 is directed towards a shaft wall 2 bounding the shaft 1. Accordingly, the camera 3 generates images of the surface structure 20 of the shaft wall 2, which are evaluated by the evaluating unit.

(11) If the level of distinctiveness of the surface structure 20 of the shaft wall 2 is too low at least locally and does not allow reliable positional determination, then the surface structure 20 of this location can be refinished. In the case of a shaft wall, the refinishing can be realized particularly simply by means of layer-coating processing methods.

(12) In FIG. 2, the recording region 3.2 of the camera 3 is directed towards a guide rail 6. Accordingly, the camera 3 generates images of the surface structure 20 of the guide rail 6, which are evaluated by the evaluating unit.

(13) There are numerous ways of processing the surface structure 20 in the case of a metallic surface such as, for example, a guide rail 6. Thus, use can be made not only of material-removing and non-material-removing processing methods, but also layer-coating methods. Since guide rails 6 are prepared by machine, refinishing of the surface structure 20 can preferably be carried out right at the time of production of the guide rail 6, particularly continuously over the entire length of the guide rail 6 in relatively simple manner.

(14) Two examples of surface structures 20, which were refinished by two different processing methods, on a guide rail 6 are shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

(15) In the case of FIG. 2A, the surface structure 20 of the base plate 6.1 of the guide rail 6 was refinished by a sprayed-on structure. A guide flange, which has a guide surface 6.3a and an end surface 6.3b, is connected centrally with the base plate 6.1 at a right angle. The web 6.2 forms a transition between the base plate 6.1 and the guide flange 6.3. The web 6.2 appears black in the image of FIG. 2A. In the illustrated example, only the base plate is refinished with the sprayed-on structure. Alternatively or additionally thereto the surface structure 20 of the web 6.2 might also be refinished. In the illustrated example the sprayed-on surface structure 20 extends continuously along the entire guide rail 6. In that case, a three-dimensional surface structure 20 is produced.

(16) The material of the sprayed-on structure preferably comprises at least one substance from the group consisting of nitro-cellulose binder, vinyl copolymer and polyurethane synthetic resin dispersion.

(17) FIG. 2B shows a surface structure 20 refinished with a hammer-finish paint. In this example as well, only the surface structure 20 of the base plate 6.1 is refinished. Neither the surface structure 20 of the web 6.2 nor that of the guide flange 6.3a, 6.3b was refinished. However, here as well the web 6.2 might also additionally or alternatively be refinished with a hammer-finish paint. Here, too, the applied hammer-finish paint preferably extends continuously along the entire guide rail 6.

(18) The hammer-finish paint comprises at least one element from the group consisting of aluminum flakes, mica, bronze and silicon oil in order to impart individual two-dimensional surface patterns to the hammer-finish paint.

(19) FIG. 2C shows a further embodiment of a sprayed-on structure. In this embodiment the structure was sprayed onto a guide rail 6, particularly onto the base plate 6.1 thereof and onto a fastening element 12 of the guide rail 6. The illustrated fastening element 12 is here formed as a clamping plate. The expert can, of course, also use other forms of suitable fastening elements 12, which in the case of insufficient distinctiveness of the surface structure 20 can be treated in correspondence with the processing method shown here.

(20) The invention is not restricted to the illustrated examples. Rather, use can also be made of the processing methods mentioned in the introduction in order to increase distinctiveness of the surface structure 20. In addition, any shaft material can make a contribution to the surface structure 20 to be evaluated, even if only locally.

(21) In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment.

(22) However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.