MULTI-CAGE LIFT INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MULTI-CAGE LIFT INSTALLATION

Abstract

A method for operating a multi-car elevator system having a shaft system with at least one lift shaft, a plurality of elevator cars that can be moved individually in the shaft system, and a control system. Data about the cars is provided at time intervals. When the provision of data relating to a first car fails, a shaft position of said first car is determined. A quarantine section of the shaft system is determined, in which the first car is located by means of the determined shaft position, and the determined quarantine section is blocked for the other cars of the system. The invention further relates to a multi-car elevator system configured for the implementation of such a method.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A method of operating a multi-car elevator system that comprises a shaft system with at least one lift shaft, a plurality of elevator cars individually movable in the shaft system, and a control system, the method comprising: providing data of the elevator cars at time intervals, determining, in the absence of the provision of the data of a first elevator car of the multi-car elevator system, a shaft position of said first elevator car, determining a quarantine section of the shaft system in which the first elevator car is located using the determined shaft position, and blocking access to the determined quarantine section for the other elevator cars of the multi-car elevator system.

17. The method of claim 16, including: collecting, by the control system, the provided data, and detecting, by the control system, the lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, including: providing position data of the elevator cars with respect to the position of the respective elevator car of the multi-car elevator system in the shaft system as said data at time intervals.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the control system determines the probable shaft position of the first elevator car by taking into account at least one of the following criteria: the last detected position data of the first elevator car; the last detected movement parameters of the first elevator car; the last detected destination floors of the first elevator car; signal durations for providing the data of the elevator cars; or the last detected error messages.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the probable shaft position is determined as a position interval, wherein boundaries of the position interval are determined such that the first elevator car is reliably located in the specified position interval.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the quarantine section is determined such that the respective end of the quarantine section is at least one stopping distance from the determined shaft position.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein in the event of a lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car the first elevator car is stopped.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the other elevator cars in the shaft system continue to operate outside the quarantine section.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein when one of the plurality of elevator cars enters the blocked quarantine section an emergency stop of said elevator car is triggered.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the elevator cars are moved in the shaft system by means of a linear motor drive, wherein the blocked quarantine section is powered off.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein for each elevator car of the multi-car elevator system, the stopping position at which the respective elevator car stops in the event of stopping the respective elevator car is calculated taking into account current movement parameters of the respective elevator car, wherein at least the respective stopping position is provided as said data of the elevator cars.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the control system is a decentralized control system, wherein at least each of the elevator cars is assigned a cage control unit and the respective cage control unit of an elevator car communicates the data of said elevator car at least to the cage control units of the immediately adjacent elevator cars.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein defined shaft sections of the shaft system are each assigned a shaft control unit wherein the respective cage control unit of an elevator car of the multi-car elevator system communicates the data of that elevator car at least to the shaft control unit of that shaft section in which the elevator car is located when communicating the data.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car is individually recognized by each control unit to which said data are to be communicated, the recognition of the lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car is communicated to the other control units, the respective detection time of the recognition of the lack of provision of the data is detected and the shaft position is determined while taking into account the detected detection times.

30. A multi-car elevator system containing a shaft system with at least one lift shaft, a plurality of elevator cars individually movable in the shaft system and a control system, wherein the multi-car elevator system is configured to provide data of the elevator cars at time intervals, determine, in the absence of the provision of the data of a first elevator car of the multi-car elevator system, a shaft position of said first elevator car, determine a quarantine section of the shaft system in which the first elevator car is located using the determined shaft position, and block access to the determined quarantine section for the other elevator cars of the multi-car elevator system.

Description

[0035] Further advantageous details, features and embodiment details of the invention are explained in more detail in connection with the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. In the figures:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows in a simplified schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a multi-car elevator system designed according to the invention, which performs an exemplary embodiment of a method designed according to the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows in a simplified schematic representation a further exemplary embodiment of a multi-car elevator system designed according to the invention, which performs a further exemplary embodiment of a method designed according to the invention; and

[0038] FIG. 3 shows in a simplified schematic representation a further exemplary embodiment of a multi-car elevator system designed according to the invention, which performs a further exemplary embodiment of a method designed according to the invention.

[0039] The multi-car elevator system 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a shaft system 2 with only one lift shaft 3. In this lift shaft 3, two elevator cars 4, 41 can be moved individually, i.e. largely independently of each other. In particular, it is provided that this is a so-called TWIN system. The elevator cars 4, 41 are moved in the lift shaft 3 by rope drives. However, other drives can also be provided, such as in particular rack-and-pinion drives, friction wheel drives or linear motor drives.

[0040] In addition, the multi-car system 1 comprises a control system 5. In this exemplary embodiment, the control system 5 is designed as a central control system. Moreover, the multi-car elevator system 1 shown in FIG. 1 contains a shaft information system 6, which is in particular embodied to detect each current position of the elevator cars 4, 41 and, moreover, to determine movement parameters of the elevator cars 4,41, in particular the speed, acceleration and/or the jolting of the elevator cars 4,41.

[0041] The data of the elevator cars 4, 41 acquired by the shaft information system 6 are provided to the control system 5 at time intervals. The transmission of the data of the elevator cars 4, 41 to the control system 5 takes place in this exemplary embodiment at fixed time intervals, for example at time intervals of ten milliseconds. The specification of the time intervals advantageously depends on the maximum speed of the elevator cars 4, 41 with which the elevator cars 4, 41 are moved in the lift shaft 3 of the multi-car elevator system 1. Advantageously, the higher the maximum speed of the elevator cars 4, 41, the shorter is the time interval to be determined. If the maximum speed of the elevator cars 4, 41 is, for example, twelve m/s (m/s: meters per second), the time interval after which data of the elevator cars 4 41 are provided in each case is preferably not more than 15 milliseconds. If, for example, the maximum speed of the elevator cars 4, 41 is, for example, only 6 m/s, the time interval can be correspondingly longer and, for example, between 15 milliseconds and 25 milliseconds.

[0042] The data of the elevator cars 4, 41 provided by the shaft information system 6 of the multi-car elevator system 1 are detected by the control system 5 in this exemplary embodiment. If the shaft information system 6 does not provide data related to one of the elevator cars 4, 41 or related to both elevator cars 4, 41 of the multi-car elevator system 1, so that as a result no data of the elevator cars 4, 41 of the shaft information system 6 are received by the control system 5 after the specified time interval, then the lack of provision of the data is detected by the control system 5.

[0043] In particular, it is provided that the communication system or the communication channels for the transmission of the data of the elevator cars 4, 41 from the shaft information system 6 to the control system 5 is embodied redundantly. A lack of the provision of the data of at least one of the elevator cars 4, 41 is advantageously detected in this case only if data of the corresponding elevator car 4, 41 are not provided via any of the redundantly embodied communication channels.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, it is now assumed that in relation to the elevator car 4, as provided in the normal case, data of this elevator car 4 are provided by the shaft information system 6 to the control system 5 at time intervals. With regard to elevator car 41, however, the control system 5 has detected a failure to provide the data of the elevator car 41.

[0045] Triggered by the lack of provision of the data of the elevator car 41, the control system 5 determines the shaft position of the elevator car 41. For this purpose, the most recently provided position information provided by the shaft information system 6 is used. Taking into account the movement parameters last known before the provision of the data of the elevator car 41, in particular the direction of travel of that elevator car, the speed of that elevator car 41 and the acceleration of that elevator car 41, the shaft position 7 of the elevator car 41 is determined in such a way that the elevator car 41 is reliably located at the specified shaft position. For this purpose, in this exemplary embodiment, a shaft section is the shaft position 7, so that the shaft position 7 is a position interval with an upper boundary 71 and a lower boundary 72. The position interval, which is defined by the boundaries 71, 72, is larger than the dimensions of the elevator car 41.

[0046] Furthermore, the control system 5 of the multi-car elevator system 1 determines a quarantine section 8 of the shaft system 2. The quarantine section 8 is determined in such a way that the determined shaft position 7 and thus, in particular, the elevator car 41 is disposed entirely within the quarantine section 8. The quarantine section 8 is blocked by the control system 5 for the other elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1, i.e. the elevator car 4 may not enter the quarantine section 8. Floors located below the quarantine section 8, on the other hand, can still be approached and served by the elevator car 4.

[0047] On the other hand, the elevator car 41 must not be removed from the quarantine section 8 until the fault is rectified. A further movement of the elevator car 41 in the quarantine section 8 can be provided, in particular a floor stop within the quarantine section 8 in order to allow people in the elevator car 41 to disembark. Such a movement to a next stop is in particular an option if, although data of the elevator car 41 have not been provided via any of the redundantly embodied communication channels after the expiry of one time interval, data of the elevator car 41 are provided after the end of the following time interval, but at least via one of the redundantly embodied communication channels. In particular on the other hand, it is provided as a variant of the method that immediately after a lack of provision of the data of one of the elevator cars 4, 41 an emergency stop of the corresponding elevator car is triggered and that this elevator car may not be moved in the quarantine section 8 until the fault has been rectified.

[0048] Due to the fact that the elevator car 4 can continue to be moved outside the quarantine section 8, the operation of the multi-car elevator system 1 can thus be continued at least to a limited extent.

[0049] When moving the elevator car 4, it is monitored that this elevator car 4 does not enter the quarantine section 8. If a minimum distance to the quarantine section 8 is undershot by the elevator car 4, an emergency stop of this elevator car 4 is triggered.

[0050] The exemplary embodiment represented in FIG. 2 shows a multi-car elevator system 1 that contains a shaft system 2 with a plurality of vertical and horizontal lift shafts 3. The multi-car elevator system 1 also includes a plurality of elevator cars 4 that are individually movable in the shaft system 2. In particular, it is provided that the elevator cars 4 can be moved in the lift shafts 3 by means of a linear motor drive (not explicitly shown in FIG. 2). The multi-car elevator system 1 is also designed in such a way that the elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 can change between the lift shafts 3. For this purpose, in particular, it is provided that the multi-car elevator system 1 includes suitably embodied shaft change units (not explicitly shown in FIG. 2), in particular so-called exchanger units as described in JP 06048672 A, for example.

[0051] Furthermore, this exemplary embodiment provides that the multi-car elevator system 1 comprises a control system 5. The control system 5 is a decentralized control system, wherein each of the elevator cars 4 is assigned a cage control unit 51. For each of the elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1, the stopping position 10 in which the respective elevator car 4 stops in the event of stopping the respective elevator car 4 is calculated taking into account current movement parameters of the respective elevator car 4, preferably using the respective cage control unit 51. As a driving parameter, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the direction of travel 9 as well as the current speed and acceleration of the respective elevator car 4 are provided. In particular, it is provided that the stopping positions 10 as described in the document WO 2016/083115 A1 with respect to the stopping points will be determined and the stopping positions 10 used as part of the safety concept of the multi-car elevator system 1, as also described in the document WO 2016/083115 A1.

[0052] The stopping positions 10 determined with respect to each of the elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 are provided as data of the elevator cars 4. In particular, it is provided that the stopping positions 10 are each sent from the cage control unit 51 of an elevator car 4 to the cage control units 51 of the immediately adjacent elevator cars 4 and are thus provided. Immediately adjacent elevator cars 4 are the subsequent and preceding elevator cars, between which no other elevator cars are moving. In other words, in this exemplary embodiment a cage control unit 51 always transmits the stopping positions 10 to at least two additional cage control units 51. If an elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 is located in an area near the shaft change units, it is in particular provided that the cage unit 51 transmits the respective stopping position 10 to more than two other cage control units 51, since in this case in particular there are not absolutely necessarily just a single subsequent elevator car or a single preceding elevator car.

[0053] If the provision of the stopping position 10 is not available as data of an elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1, then the stopping position 10 of the elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 will not be received by at least one cage control unit 51, so the affected elevator car 4 will be stopped and the shaft position 7 thereof in the shaft system 2 will be determined. The determination of the shaft position 7 of the elevator car 4 is carried out using the last recorded stopping position 10 with respect to this elevator car 4, taking into account the predetermined time interval for the provision of the stopping position 10 as well as more advantageously taking into account system running times, in particular taking into account the durations for the transmission of the stopping position 10 from one cage control unit 51 to another cage control unit 51. In particular, it is provided that the stopping positions 10 of the elevator cars 4 are transmitted wirelessly, in particular via WLAN (WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network), wherein the maximum duration for the data transfer is set to 80 milliseconds. As a result of the fact that the stopping position 10 of the elevator cars can be determined in the specified time intervals and thus virtually continuously, the shaft position 7 can advantageously be determined very precisely. The position interval describing the shaft position 7 is in this respect advantageously not or only slightly greater than the dimensions of an elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is now assumed that the provision of the stopping position 10 of a first elevator car 41 as well as the provision of the stopping position 10 of a further first elevator car 42 is lacking after the predetermined time interval. The elevator cars 41, 42 are then stopped, in particular by triggering an emergency stop of the elevator cars 41, 42. The shaft positions 7 of the elevator cars 41, 42 are identified and in each case a quarantine section 81, 82 of the shaft system 2 is determined, in which the respective elevator car 41, 42 is reliably located. In particular, the quarantine sections 81, 82 are also determined in such a way that the respective end of the respective quarantine section 81, 82 is at a greater distance from the determined shaft position 7 than a stopping distance of a further elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1.

[0055] The quarantine sections 81, 82 will be blocked for the other elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1, i.e. the other elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 may not enter the specified quarantine sections 81, 82. This is achieved in this exemplary embodiment by the fact that the part of the linear motor drive of the multi-car elevator system 1 that is responsible for the quarantine sections 81, 82 is powered off.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a multi-car elevator system 1. The multi-car elevator system 1 contains a shaft system 2 with three lift shafts 31, 32, 33. The multi-car elevator system 1 also contains a plurality of individually movable elevator cars 4. In particular, it is provided that the elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 are moved within the shaft system 2 by means of a linear motor drive. Furthermore, the multi-car lift system 1 contains a decentralized control system, wherein the elevator cars 4 each comprise a cage control unit 51. In addition, defined shaft sections 311 to 333 are each assigned a shaft control unit 511 through 533, namely the shaft control unit 511 to the shaft section 311, the shaft control unit 512 to the shaft section 312, etc.

[0057] Data of the elevator cars 4 are provided at predetermined time intervals. In this case, data of an elevator car 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 are in particular movement parameters of the respective elevator car 4, such as speed and acceleration as well as position data of the respective elevator car 4. Said movement parameters and position data of an elevator car 4 are detected as data by the respective cage control unit 51 and are sent to other control units of the decentralized control system. The transmission of the data from the respective cage control units 51 is carried out wirelessly in this exemplary embodiment, in particular by means of a radio connection, which is represented in FIG. 3 by symbolized radio waves.

[0058] In this exemplary embodiment, the data of a cage control unit 51 are sent to the cage control units 51 of adjacent elevator cars, in particular to cage control units 51 of the elevator car immediately following the respective elevator car 4 as well as of the elevator car immediately preceding the respective elevator car 4.

[0059] In addition, the data of a cage control unit 51 are also transmitted to the respective shaft control unit of the shaft section in which the respective elevator car 4 is located at the time of the communication of the data of the elevator car 4. For example, the elevator car 43 transmits the data to the immediately preceding and immediately following elevator cars 4, 41 and to the shaft control unit 522 of the shaft section 322 and to the shaft control unit 512 of the shaft section 312.

[0060] The movement of the elevator cars 4 of the multi-car elevator system 1 in the shaft system 2 is controlled using said data. In particular, the assignment of elevator cars 4 to calls submitted by users is made taking into account said data, in particular the assignment of elevator cars to destination calls submitted by users. In addition, said data are advantageously used to ensure safe movement of the elevator cars 4 within the shaft system 2. In particular, the data are used to maintain safety distances between elevator cars 4 of the elevator system.

[0061] In particular, it is provided that in this exemplary embodiment a confirmation signal is sent as further data from the cage control units 51, 511 through 533, if said data have been received from the other control units 51, 511 through 533. In this way, it is advantageously ensured that data sent from a control unit 51 are actually received by at least one of the neighboring control units 51, 511 through 533. A lack of the provision of data from the elevator cars 4, i.e. in the present case a lack of transmission of the aforementioned movement parameters and position data as well as the lack of a confirmation signal are detected by the control system in this case.

[0062] With regard to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that the elevator car 41 is intended to change from the shaft section 312 to the shaft section 311. In the shaft section 312, the provision of data of the elevator car 41 is lacking in this case, i.e. in particular the control unit 512 and the shaft control unit 511 as well as the cage control units 51 of the elevator cars 4, 43 have not received any data from the cage control unit 51 of the elevator car 41.

[0063] Due to this lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car 41, the elevator car 41 is stopped and a probable shaft position 7 of this stopped elevator car 41 is determined. The probable shaft position 7 of the elevator car 41 is determined by the control system as a position interval, wherein the boundaries 71, 72 of the position interval are determined in such a way that the stopped elevator car 41 is reliably located within the specified shaft position 7. Since the elevator car 41 was on the downward journey from the shaft section 312 and the shaft change from the shaft section 312 to the shaft section 311 was comparatively slow in this case, the upper boundary 71 of the position interval is further away from the elevator car 41 than the lower boundary 72 of the position interval.

[0064] In particular, it is provided that the lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car 41 is individually recognized by each control unit 51, 511 through 533, to which said data should be communicated. Thereupon, the recognition of the lack of provision of the data of the first elevator car 41 is communicated by the cage control unit 51 thereof to the other control units 51, 511 through 533, in particular to the other cage control units 51 of adjacent elevator cars 4, 43 and the shaft control units 511, 512. The resulting respective detection time of the control units 51, 511 through 533 for detecting the lack of the provision of the data is recorded and the probable shaft position 7 is determined while further taking into account the detected detection times.

[0065] Instead of determining detection times, a maximum detection time that can occur under the most unfavorable conditions can be specified, in particular a detection time of 80 milliseconds.

[0066] After determining the shaft positions 7, a quarantine section 8 of the shaft system 2 in which the first elevator car 41 is located is determined by the control system. The quarantine section 8 extends beyond the boundaries 71, 72 of the position interval in this case. The quarantine section 8 of the shaft system 2 is blocked for the other elevator cars 4, 43 of the multi-car elevator system 1. The further elevator cars 4, 42 of the multi-car elevator system 1 will continue to move in the shaft system 2 outside the quarantine section 8. If an elevator car 43 of the multi-car elevator system 1 is moved in such a way that said elevator car 43 falls below a safety distance from the quarantine section 8 specified by the control system or even enters the quarantine section 8, the control system immediately triggers an emergency stop of said elevator car 43.

[0067] The exemplary embodiments shown in the figures and described in connection with the figures are used to explain the invention and do not restrict the invention. In particular, the components shown in the figures are not shown to scale.

REFERENCE LIST

[0068] 1 Multi-car elevator system [0069] 2 Shaft system [0070] 3 Lift shaft [0071] 31 Lift shaft [0072] 32 Lift shaft [0073] 33 Lift shaft [0074] 311 Shaft section [0075] 312 Shaft section [0076] 313 Shaft section [0077] 321 Shaft section [0078] 322 Shaft section [0079] 323 Shaft section [0080] 331 Shaft section [0081] 332 Shaft section [0082] 333 Shaft section [0083] 4 Elevator car [0084] 41 First elevator car [0085] 43 Elevator car [0086] 5 Control system [0087] 51 Cabin control unit [0088] 511 Shaft control unit [0089] 512 Shaft control unit [0090] 513 Shaft control unit [0091] 521 Shaft control unit [0092] 522 Shaft control unit [0093] 523 Shaft control unit [0094] 531 Shaft control unit [0095] 532 Shaft control unit [0096] 533 Shaft control unit [0097] 6 Shaft information system [0098] 7 Shaft position [0099] 71 Upper boundary of the probable shaft position 7 [0100] 72 Lower boundary of the probable shaft position 7 [0101] 8 Quarantine section [0102] 9 Direction of travel [0103] 10 Stopping position