ELEVATOR SYSTEM AND ELEVATOR DOOR CONTROL METHOD

Abstract

An elevator system includes: a car traveling in an elevator shaft; a car door arranged on the car; at least one shaft door arranged on a door opening of the elevator shaft; a shaft door locking device, in particular comprising a shaft door drive, for unlocking and/or closing and/or opening the shaft door; a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door and a car door signal transmitter arranged on the car door; and a shaft door control unit operatively connected to the shaft door sensor, the shaft door control unit directly actuating the shaft door locking device when a car door signal of the car door signal transmitter is received by the shaft door sensor.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. An elevator system comprising: a car traveling in an elevator shaft; a car door arranged on the car; a shaft door arranged on a door opening of the elevator shaft; a shaft door locking device including a shaft door drive adapted to at least one of unlock, close and open the shaft door; a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door and a car door signal transmitter arranged on the car door; and a shaft door control unit operatively connected to the shaft door sensor, the shaft door control unit directly actuating the shaft door locking device when a car door signal generated by the car door signal transmitter is received by the shaft door sensor.

13. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the car door signal generated by the car door signal transmitter is received by the shaft door sensor only when the car door is positioned in a door opening zone of the shaft door.

14. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the car door signal transmitter is a magnet.

15. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the car door signal transmitter is a permanent magnet.

16. The elevator system according to claim 12 including a car door drive adapted to at least one of close, open and unlock the car door, a car door sensor arranged on the car door, a shaft door signal transmitter arranged on the shaft door, and a car door control unit operatively connected to the car door sensor and adapted to directly actuate the car door drive to at least one of close, open and unlock the car door when the car door sensor receives a shaft door signal generated by the shaft door signal transmitter.

17. The elevator system according to claim 16 wherein the car door control unit is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit, and the shaft door locking device is directly actuated by the shaft door control unit to at least one of unlock, close and open the shaft door when the car door sensor receives the shaft door signal triggered by the shaft door signal transmitter.

18. The elevator system according to claim 16 wherein the shaft door control unit and the car door control unit are wirelessly connected.

19. The elevator system according to claim 16 including an absolute position system generating a position signal representing a position of the car in the elevator shaft and transmitting the position signal to the shaft door control unit, and further including a brake system adapted to arrest the car in the elevator shaft, the brake system transmitting an arrest signal to the car door control unit when the car is arrested.

20. The elevator system according to claim 19 wherein the shaft door control unit simultaneously evaluates at least two of the arrest signal, the position signal, the car door signal, and the shaft door signal.

21. A method for controlling a car door and a shaft door of an elevator system, the method comprising the steps of: generating a car door signal from a car door signal transmitter arranged on the car door; receiving the car door signal by a shaft door sensor arranged on the shaft door; transmitting the received car door signal to a shaft door control unit to at least one of open, close and unlock the shaft door; and directly actuating a shaft door locking device with the shaft door control unit to at least one of unlock, open and close the shaft door when the cabin door signal is present at the shaft door control unit.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising the method steps of: generating a shaft door signal by shaft door signal transmitter arranged on the shaft door; receiving the shaft door signal by a car door sensor arranged on the car door; and transmitting the received shaft door signal to a car door control unit to at least one of open, close and unlock the car door when the shaft door signal is present at the car door control unit.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising the method steps of: transmitting the shaft door signal from the car door sensor to the shaft door control unit; and directly actuating the shaft door locking device by the shaft door control unit to at least one of unlock, open and close the shaft door when the car door signal and the shaft door signal are present at the shaft door control unit.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to drawings. In the drawings:

[0037] FIG. 1: shows an elevator system having a car which can travel in the elevator system; and

[0038] FIG. 2: shows a schematic illustration of the elevator system shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 is an elevator system 1 arranged typically inside a building. The elevator system 1 comprises a car 5 which can travel in a usually vertically-oriented elevator shaft 3. A car door 7 is arranged on the car 5. The elevator shaft 3 has multiple door openings 9 arranged one above the other, in order to enable access to individual floors of the building. A shaft door 11 is arranged at each of these door openings 9. If the car 5 and/or the car door 7 arranged on the car 5 is positioned at one of these shaft doors 11, the car 5 can be accessed from the building floor of the shaft door 11 when the car door 7 is open and the shaft door 11 is open.

[0040] The car door 7 has a car door drive 35 and a car door signal transmitter 17. Each of the shaft doors 11 has a shaft door drive 13 that functions as a shaft door locking device. A shaft door control unit 19 is assigned to each of these shaft door drives 13, and the shaft door control unit 19 can directly actuate the shaft door drive 13 assigned to it. By means of the actuation of the shaft door drive 13, the shaft door 11 assigned to the shaft door drive 13 can be unlocked and/or opened and closed.

[0041] A shaft door sensor 15 is arranged on each of the shaft doors 11 in such a way that the car door signal generated by the car door signal transmitter 17 can be received by the shaft door sensor 15given a corresponding position of the car 5 in a door opening zone 25. Accordingly, the shaft door sensor 15 of each of the shaft doors 11 is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit 19 of the same shaft door 11.

[0042] The car door signal transmitter 17, which is preferably designed as a magnet, in particular as a permanent magnet, causes a car door signal to be generated, which is consequently receivable by the shaft door sensor 15 if the car 5 is positioned at the shaft door 11 assigned to the shaft door sensor 15. The shaft door sensor 15 is operatively connected to the shaft door control unit 19, such that the car door signal can be transmitted or is transmitted to the shaft door control unit 19.

[0043] Furthermore, the elevator system 1 comprises a car door control unit 31, preferably fixed to the car 5, and can comprise a car door sensor 29 which is arranged on the car 5 and/or on the car door 7. A shaft door signal generated by a shaft door signal transmitter 33 can be received by the car door sensor 29. Such a shaft door signal transmitter 33 assigned to this shaft door 11 can be arranged on each shaft door 11. Furthermore, the car 5 has an absolute position system 37, which is designed, for example, as a laser positioning system, and the car has a brake system 39.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the elevator system 1 shown in FIG. 1. The schematic illustration shows the shaft door control unit 19 and the car door control unit 31. The shaft door control unit 19 and the car door control unit 31 are operatively connected to one another, preferably wirelessly. In addition, the absolute position system 37 and the brake system 39 used to arrest the car 5 are shown. The absolute position system 37 generates a position signal constantly or periodically. The position signal indicates the location of the car 5 in the elevator shaft 3. The brake system 39 comprising an arresting brake generates an arrest signal in the event that the car 5 is arrested in the elevator shaft 3. Accordingly, the arrest signal is generated if the arresting brake is blocked and consequently the car 5 in the elevator shaft 3 is not able to travel in the elevator shaft.

[0045] The position signal can be transmitted to the shaft door control unit 19. The arrest signal can be transmitted to the car door control unit 31. The shaft door control unit 19 can receive and evaluate the car door signal, the position signal and the arrest signal. If the evaluation reveals that the car 5 is both positioned and arrested at the shaft door 11 assigned to the shaft door control unit 19, the shaft door drive 13 assigned to the shaft door control unit 19 can be actuated directly to open the shaft door 11.

[0046] In addition, the car door control unit 31 can transmit the shaft door signal to the shaft door control unit 19 for further evaluation. If the evaluation reveals that the shaft door signal can be assigned to the shaft door 11 of the shaft door drive 13 to be actuated, greater safety can be achieved by means of such an evaluation.

[0047] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. 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.