ELEVATOR CAR FOR AN ELEVATOR INSTALLATION HAVING A LINEAR MOTOR DRIVE, ELEVATOR INSTALLATION HAVING SUCH A CAR, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELEVATOR INSTALLATION

Abstract

An elevator car may comprise a sliding carriage for moving an elevator car along guide rails of an elevator installation designed as part of a linear motor, a receiving means disposed on the sliding carriage, and a load space with a load space floor that is supported by the receiving means. The load space may be vibration-related decoupled by way of one or more damping elements from the sliding carriage. The elevator car may also comprise a controllable actuating element disposed on the elevator car such that when activated the controllable actuating element enables a relative movement of the load space floor to the sliding carriage.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. An elevator car comprising: a sliding carriage for moving the elevator car along guide rails of an elevator installation configured as part of a linear motor; a receiving means disposed on the sliding carriage, which receiving means supports a load space having a load space floor, wherein the load space is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage; and a controllable actuating element configured such that when activated the controllable actuating element enables a relative movement of the load space floor to the sliding carriage or configured such that when activated the controllable actuating element enables a relative movement of the load space floor to a service brake disposed on the sliding carriage.

18. The elevator car of claim 17 wherein the controllable actuating element enables a lifting movement or a tilting movement or a lifting-tilting movement as the relative movement.

19. The elevator car of claim 17 comprising a first damping element by way of which the load space is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage, wherein the first damping element is disposed between the load space and the receiving means, the first damping element is disposed between the receiving means and the sliding carriage, or the first damping element is disposed between the load space and the receiving means and a second damping element is disposed between the receiving means and the sliding carriage.

20. The elevator car of claim 19 wherein the first damping element and the controllable actuating element are realized by an actively adaptive spring damping element.

21. The elevator car of claim 19 wherein the controllable actuating element and the first damping element are connected in series.

22. The elevator car of claim 17 wherein the controllable actuating element is at least one of mechanically adjustable, hydraulically adjustable, pneumatically adjustable, electrically adjustable, or electromechanically adjustable.

23. The elevator car of claim 17 wherein the controllable actuating element is disposed at least one of between the sliding carriage and the receiving means, between the load space and the receiving means, between the load space floor and the load space, or between the sliding carriage and a service brake disposed on the sliding carriage.

24. The elevator car of claim 17 comprising a closed-loop control device configured to determine an offset between the load space floor and a reference level outside the elevator car and configured to control a position of the load space floor by actuating the controllable actuating element to reduce the offset.

25. An elevator installation comprising: a shaft that joins together building floors; a guide rail disposed in the shaft, which guide rail is configured as part of a linear motor; and an elevator car configured to travel along the guide rail, wherein the elevator car comprises a sliding carriage for moving the elevator car along the guide rail, a receiving means disposed on the sliding carriage, which receiving means supports a load space having a load space floor, wherein the load space is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage, and a controllable actuating element configured such that when activated the controllable actuating element enables a relative movement of the load space floor to the sliding carriage or configured such that when activated the controllable actuating element enables a relative movement of the load space floor to a service brake disposed on the sliding carriage.

26. The elevator installation of claim 25 comprising a closed-loop control device configured to determine an offset between the load space floor and a floor bottom of one of the building floors and configured to control a position of the load space floor by actuating the controllable actuating element to reduce the offset.

27. A method for operating the elevator installation of claim 25, the method comprising: moving the elevator car along the guide rail with the linear motor between the building floors, wherein the load space is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage at least during movement of the elevator car; activating the service brake to hold the elevator car stationary on the guide rail when the elevator car stops at one of the building floors with a floor bottom; and moving via the controllable actuating element the load space floor relative to the sliding carriage or the service brake disposed on the sliding carriage such that the load space floor has an offset to the building floor bottom of at most ten millimeters.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the load space floor is moved such that the load space floor has the offset to the building floor bottom of at most ten millimeters after activating the service brake but before freeing up access from the load space to the one of the building floors.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the load space floor is moved such that the load space floor has the offset to the building floor bottom of at most ten millimeters after activating the service brake and before, during, and after a payload change.

30. The method of claim 27 comprising holding the offset of the load space floor to the floor bottom constant while the elevator car is stopped at the one of the building floors.

31. The method of claim 27 comprising holding the load space floor free of offset to the bottom floor after activating the service brake while the elevator car is stopped at the one of the building floors.

Description

[0034] Further advantageous details, features and configuration details of the invention shall be explained more closely in connection with the exemplary embodiments represented in the figures, in which:

[0035] FIG. 1 in a simplified schematic representation, an exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention, in side view;

[0036] FIG. 2 in a simplified schematic representation, a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention, in side view;

[0037] FIG. 3 in a simplified schematic representation, a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention, in side view;

[0038] FIG. 4 in a simplified schematic representation, a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention, in side view;

[0039] FIG. 5 in a simplified schematic representation, a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention;

[0040] FIG. 6 in a simplified schematic representation, a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car designed according to the invention, in side view;

[0041] FIG. 7 in a simplified schematic representation, a cutout in enlarged representation of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6; and

[0042] FIG. 8 a block diagram for an exemplary embodiment of a closed-loop control according to the invention for the offset between the load space floor of an elevator car and a building floor bottom.

[0043] The exemplary embodiment represented in FIG. 1 shows an elevator car 1. This elevator car 1 comprises a sliding carriage 2 for moving the elevator car 1 along guide rails 3 of an elevator installation designed as part of a linear motor. The sliding carriage 2 forms together with the guide rails 3 a linear motor of the elevator installation, wherein the guide rails 3 form the primary part of the linear motor and the sliding carriage 2 forms the secondary part of the linear motor. As shown schematically in FIG. 2, it may be provided that the sliding carriage 2 comprises rollers 15 with which the sliding carriage 2 is braced against the guide rails 3. During the movement of the elevator car 1 along the guide rails 3, the rollers 15 roll along on the guide rails 3. The sliding carriage 2 moreover comprises a service brake 8, which is designed in particular to hold the elevator car 1 in a fixed position on the guide rails 3 during a stopping of the elevator car 1 at a building floor 13. The service brake 8 is advantageously dimensioned such that it holds the elevator car 1 in particular even at full load, especially also when the linear motor drive is deactivated for the elevator car 1. In a variant embodiment not shown here, the service brake may also be provided by the elevator installation.

[0044] The elevator car 1 shown as an example in FIG. 1 further comprises a receiving means 4 arranged on the sliding carriage 2, such as a holding device, and a load space 5 that is supported by the receiving means 4. The load space 5 is made of a lightweight construction, especially making use of lightweight materials like carbon. In the load space 5, the loads to be delivered by the elevator car 1 are transported. In particular, the load space 5 may be a cabin for the transporting of people. The load space 5 has a load space floor 6, which in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is connected fixedly to the load space 5.

[0045] Beneath the load space 5, spring damping elements 9 such as spiral springs with corresponding dampers are arranged between the receiving means 4 and the load space 5. Thanks to these spring damping elements 9, the load space 5 is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage 2. Vibrations which may arise during the movement of the sliding carriage 2 along the guide rails 3 are advantageously passed on to the load space 5 in most highly reduced form by the damping elements. In this way, the ride comfort is advantageously enhanced for the persons being transported with the elevator car 1.

[0046] Moreover, the elevator car 1 represented in FIG. 1 as an exemplary embodiment comprises a controllable actuating element 7. The actuating element 7 in this exemplary embodiment is arranged on the receiving means 4 and connects the receiving means 4 movably to the sliding carriage 2. The actuating element 7 for example is constructed in the manner of a hydraulic cylinder, which is designed to perform lifting movements. The actuating element 7 is arranged in such a way that, when actuated, the receiving means 4 can be raised and lowered vertically with respect to the sliding carriage 2. In this way, the actuating element 7 furthermore enables a relative movement of the load space floor 6 to the sliding carriage 2. The actuation of the actuating element 7 in this exemplary embodiment occurs by means of a closed-loop control device 11. The closed-loop control device 11 may be designed in particular to work according to the way described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0047] If an elevator car configured according to the invention, for example an elevator car 1 as described above with reference to FIG. 1, is used in an elevator installation, it is provided during the operation of such an elevator installation that the elevator car 1 is moved in one or more shafts along guide rails 3 especially for the transporting of people between different building floors 13. In particular, the operation of such an elevator car 1 in a multiple-cabin elevator installation is also provided, especially one making possible a changing of shafts of the elevator cars.

[0048] During the operation of the elevator car 1 in an elevator installation, it is provided that the service brake 8 is activated at a building floor stop of the elevator car 1 at a building floor 13. The sliding carriage 2 of the elevator car 1 is held in this case on the guide rails 3 by the activated service brake 8. Since the sliding carriage 2 is then being held by the service brake 8, it may be provided to deactivate the linear motor drive for the elevator car 1 being held, while the service brake is activated. Due to the damping elements 9 of the elevator car, during a payload change of the load space 5 of the elevator car 1, it may be the case that the position of the load space 5 and thus the position of the load space floor 6 with respect to the receiving means 4 of the elevator car 1 and thus also with respect to the building floor bottom 14 changes.

[0049] For example, if the elevator car 1 with an empty load space 5 stops at a building floor 14 and several people, such as five people, enter the load space 5, the damping elements 9 will yield under the weight of the incoming people, so that the load space 5 and thus also the load space floor 6 will drop somewhat. This dropping is now counteracted by appropriate actuation of the actuating element 7. The actuating element 7 of the elevator car in this example raises the receiving means 4 and the load space 5 with respect to the sliding carriage 2 by a lifting movement. The actuation occurs here in such a way that in particular an offset between the load space floor 6 and the building floor bottom 14 of ten millimeters is not exceeded. Preferably, the actuating element 7 is regulated by means of the closed-loop control device 11 in such a way that the offset between the load space floor 6 and the building floor bottom 14 remains constant and preferably is less than three millimeters. In general terms, the actuating element 7 of the elevator car 1 moves the load space floor relative to the sliding carriage 2 in such a way that, after activating the service brake 8, the load space floor 6 has an offset to the building floor bottom 14 of at most ten millimeters. Preferably, the position of the load space floor 6 is regulated in such a way that no offset occurs between the load space floor 6 and the building floor bottom 14.

[0050] FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 show further exemplary embodiments for the realization of an elevator car 1 according to the invention which differ in particular in the type of arrangement of the actuating element 7.

[0051] In the exemplary embodiment of an elevator car 1 shown in FIG. 2, only one damping element 9 is provided, for example, which is connected in series with the actuating element 7. For example, it is provided here that the damping element 9 is arranged on the actuating element 7, for example a pneumatic lifting piston. In particular, it is provided as an advantageous variant to this embodiment that the damping element 9 and the actuating element 7 are realized by an actively adaptive damping element 10, especially an MRT damper.

[0052] In the exemplary embodiment of an elevator car 1 shown in FIG. 3, damping elements 9 are arranged beneath the load space 5, for example four damping elements. Furthermore, the elevator car 1 in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3 comprises at least two actuating elements 7, for example actuating elements which are height-adjustable by means of electrically operated worm gears. The actuating elements 7 are arranged beneath a plate forming the load space floor 6 between the load space floor 6 and the load space 5.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a further variant embodiment of an elevator car 1 according to the invention, in which the damping elements 9 are likewise arranged beneath the load space 5. The actuating element 7 of the elevator car 1, on the other hand, is arranged between the sliding carriage 2 and the receiving means 4 of the elevator car 1 in such a way that it allows a tilting movement of the receiving means 4 and thus also of the load space floor 6. In this case, by means of the actuating element 7, such as a movable rack, in the area where the actuating element 7 is arranged, the distance between the sliding carriage 2 and the receiving means 4 is increased or decreased depending on the actuation of the actuating means 7. For this purpose, the receiving means 4 is swivel-mounted accordingly on the sliding carriage 2 in the upper region of the receiving means 4.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows in top view a cutout of a further exemplary embodiment of an elevator car 1 designed according to the invention. A service brake 8 is arranged on the sliding carriage 2 of the elevator car 1. The service brake 8, when activated, is designed to be brought into engagement with a guide rail of an elevator installation and to hold the elevator car 1 immovably on the guide rail with the service brake activated.

[0055] Arranged between the sliding carriage 2 and the service brake 8 in this exemplary embodiment is an actuating element 7. The actuating element 7 enables a lowering or raising of the sliding carriage 2 and thus also of the load space floor, not shown in FIG. 5, with respect to the service brake 8 arranged on the sliding carriage 2. In this way, during a building floor stop, an offset between the load space floor and the building floor bottom can be advantageously regulated so that it does not become larger than ten millimeters.

[0056] Making reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, an exemplary embodiment shall be described for a proposed method for operating an elevator installation. FIG. 7 shows an enlarged cutout of FIG. 6. In particular, it is provided that such a method for operating an elevator installation is carried out by means of a control system of the elevator installation. The control system in particular is a decentralized control system, wherein one or more control units are provided for example for the assigning of elevator cars 1 to corresponding calls from people who want to be transported. In particular, it is provided that destination calls made by people are detected by means of a destination call control system and suitable elevator cars are assigned to these calls to handle the respective call. In this process, the elevator cars 1 are moved by a linear motor drive along guide rails 3 of the elevator installation. The respective guide rail forms the primary part of the linear motor and the sliding carriage 2 of a respective elevator car 1 forms the secondary part of the linear motor. Basically, it may also be provided as a variant embodiment that the guide rail 3 forms the secondary part and the sliding carriage 2 comprises the primary part. Arranged on the sliding carriage 2 of an elevator car 1 of the elevator installation is a receiving means 4, which supports a load space 5 configured as a cabin. Arranged between the receiving means 4 and the load space 5 are damping elements 9, by means of which the load space 5 is vibration-related decoupled from the sliding carriage 2.

[0057] The load space floor 6 of an elevator car 1 of the elevator installation is a plate arranged in the load space 5, connected across actuating elements 7 to the load space 5. The actuating elements 7 may be actuated by a closed-loop control device 11 of the respective elevator car 1, which is part of the control system in the exemplary embodiment. Now, if such an elevator car 1 is supposed to pick up people at a building floor 13, the elevator car will move to the corresponding building floor 13, especially making use of the control system of the elevator installation. The elevator car 1 will be moved by means of the linear motor drive to the building floor 13 in particular in such a way that, upon halting of the elevator car 1, no offset 12 is formed between the load space floor 6 and the building floor bottom 14. The service brake 8 of the elevator car 1 will then be activated and the elevator car 1 will be held by the activated service brake 8 in the position in which the elevator car 1 was halted. The linear motor drive for this elevator car 1 is then advantageously deactivated in order to reduce the energy consumption.

[0058] The access from the load space 5 to the building floor 13 is then freed up, in particular by opening corresponding cabin doors of the load space (not explicitly shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) and corresponding shaft doors of the particular shaft of the elevator installation (also not explicitly shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). By virtue of the fact that people exit from the load space 5 during the building floor stop and/or people enter the load space 5 during the building floor stop, the payload of the load space 5 changes. Since the load space 5 is arranged via the damping elements 9 on the receiving means 4, the damping elements have the effect of pushing the load space 5 upward when the payload decreases, especially by several millimeters or even up to several centimeters, or the load space 5 is pushed downward when the payload increases, especially by several millimeters or even up to several centimeters, which would result in a change in the offset 12 between the load space floor 6 and the building floor bottom 14.

[0059] This change in the offset 12 is counteracted by the closed-loop control device 11 by actuating the actuating elements 7. Thus, by means of appropriate sensors, a change in the offset 12 is detected and the detected data is transmitted to the closed-loop control device 11. The closed-loop control device 11 responds to changes in the offset 12 at a building floor stop with corresponding actuation of the actuating elements 7. By means of the actuating elements 7 of the elevator car 1, the load space floor 6 is moved relative to the sliding carriage 2 and thus also relative to the building floor bottom 14 in such a way that the change in the offset 12 is counteracted, in particular in such a way that the load space floor 6 has an offset 12 to the building floor bottom 14 of at most ten millimeters. Preferably the offset 12 is held constant by means of the closed-loop control device 11.

[0060] If the load space 5 thus drops down due to an increase in the payload, the actuating elements 7 will be actuated such that they perform an upward lifting movement and thereby raise the load space floor 6. On the contrary, if the load space 5 is lifted up by a decrease in the payload, the actuating elements 7 will be actuated such that they perform a downward stroke movement and thereby lower the load space floor 6.

[0061] Once the people have gotten in or gotten out accordingly, the shaft doors and the cabin doors of the elevator car 1 will be closed. In particular, the closed doors may be triggers for ending the regulation of the offset. Accordingly, an opening of the doors at a building floor stop may be the start of the regulation of the offset.

[0062] The linear motor drive for the elevator car 1 is once more activated in the exemplary embodiment after the closing of the doors and the service brake 8 is deactivated. The elevator car 1 is then moved further along the guide rails 3 to handle the next call.

[0063] Making reference to FIG. 8, an exemplary embodiment shall be explained for the regulation of the offset 12 with the aid of a block diagram. Here, the closed-loop control device 11 is assigned as a command variable 16, for example, that the load space floor 6 during a building floor stop should be free of offset to the building floor bottom 14. For this purpose, the closed-loop control device 11 actuates the at least one actuating element 7 of the elevator car 1 with a suitable manipulated variable 17. The at least one actuating element 7 then acts by means of the correspondingly adapted manipulated variable 17 on the load space floor 6, especially by a negative lifting movement or a positive lifting movement. A payload change 18 on the load space floor acts as a disturbance variable. The resulting offset 12, which of course may also be 0, is returned accordingly in order to determine a control deviation.

[0064] The exemplary embodiments represented in the figures and explained in connection with them serve to explain the invention and are not limiting of it. In particular, the representations are not true to scale. For reasons of better clarity, a highly detailed representation of the figures has not been provided.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0065] 1 Elevator car [0066] 2 Sliding carriage [0067] 3 Guide rail [0068] 4 Receiving means [0069] 5 Load space [0070] 6 Load space floor [0071] 7 Actuating element [0072] 8 Service brake [0073] 9 Damping element [0074] 10 Actively adaptive damping element [0075] 11 Closed-loop control device [0076] 12 Offset [0077] 13 Building floor [0078] 14 Floor bottom/Building floor bottom [0079] 15 Roller [0080] 16 Command variable [0081] 17 Manipulated variable [0082] 18 Payload change