METHOD TO OPERATE A STAIRLIFT

Abstract

Embodiments described herein are directed to a method to operate a stairlift, wherein the stairlift includes a guide extending along the staircase, a carriage moveable along the guide and configured to carry a person, and user interaction device for operating the stairlift. At least a first speed profile defining a movement of the carriage at positions along the guide is set. The first speed profile is associated to a first input of the user interaction device and adapted values of the first speed profile or a second speed profile defining a movement of the carriage at positions along the guide different than the first speed profile is associated to a second input of the user interaction device.

Claims

1. A method to operate a stairlift for transporting a person along a staircase, wherein the stairlift comprises a guide extending along the staircase; a carriage being moveable along the guide and configured to carry a person; and a user interaction device located at the carriage for operating the stairlift; at least a first speed profile defining a movement of the carriage at positions along the guide is set; wherein the first speed profile is associated to a first input of the user interaction device and a second speed profile defining a movement of the carriage at positions along the guide different than the first speed profile is associated to a second input of the user interaction device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first speed profile is optimized for shortest travel time of the stairlift or the second speed profile is optimized for high comfort of a person carried in the carriage.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein intermediate speed profiles having movement values between movement values of the first speed profile and movement values of the second speed profile are associated to intermediate inputs of the user interaction means.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user interaction device is at least one of a joystick, a rotatable knob, a potentiometer, a plurality of buttons and a touchscreen.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the user interaction device is steplessly variable.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the carriage is rotatable around a vertical axle, the speed profiles include at least one movement value for a translational speed of the carriage along the guide and at least one movement value for a rotational speed around the vertical axle or a rotational angle, and the movement values are respectively associated to positions of the carriage along the guide.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the stairlift comprises: a leveling mechanism for keeping the carriage in a horizontal orientation, wherein the speed profiles include at least one movement value for a rotational speed of the leveling mechanism or for a rotational angle for the leveling mechanism, and the at least one movement value is associated to a position of the carriage along the guide.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one rotational angle value is determined by rotating the carriage manually for at least one position of the carriage along the guide during a test run of the carriage along the guide.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first speed profile or the at least one second speed profile are determined according to individual preferences of a user.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein different speed profiles are set for different directions of the carriage along the guide.

11. A stairlift for transporting a person along a staircase, comprising a guide extending along the staircase; a carriage moveable along the guide and configured to carry a person; a user interaction device located at the carriage for operating the stairlift; and at least one control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to execute the method according to claim 1.

12. The stairlift according to claim 11, wherein the carriage is rotatable around a vertical axle by a first drive.

13. The stairlift according to claim 12, comprising: a leveling mechanism for keeping the carriage in a horizontal orientation along the guide.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the following, the present disclosure is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures using examples of embodiments. The formulation figure is abbreviated in the drawings as FIG.

[0033] FIG. 1 schematically depicts a view of a stairlift according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 2 schematically depicts a top plan view of a stairwell according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically depicts an illustrative flowchart for a method according to an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0036] FIG. 4 schematically depicts an illustrative diagram of exemplary speed profiles according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The described embodiments are merely examples that can be modified and/or supplemented in a variety of ways within the scope of the claims. Any feature described for a particular embodiment example may be used independently or in combination with other features in any other embodiment example. Any feature described for an embodiment example of a particular claim category may also be used in a corresponding manner in an embodiment example of another claim category.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a stairlift 1, to which the embodiments described herein can be applied. The stairlift 1 includes a guide 2 formed as a rail and running parallel to the slope of a staircase 3 in a direction D, wherein the staircase 3 has a number of steps 3.1. The stairlift 1 further includes a carriage 6, which can move along the guide 2 in or against the direction D, and which includes a drive unit 7 and a chair 8, wherein the chair 8 is connected to the drive unit 7 in a pivotable manner by a leveling mechanism 9. For driving the carriage 6, positive engagement devices 2.1 are provided on the guide 2, which cooperate with a second drive (not shown) for driving the carriage 6 along the guide 2 in a translational movement, such as a driven pinion, of the drive unit 7.

[0039] The chair 8 includes arm rests 8.1 and a foot rest 8.2 and a user interaction device 11 in the form of a joystick. By pulling the user interaction device 11 to a corresponding side, the carriage 6 may be driven to the according side in the direction D. The user interaction devices 11 are pictured in an upright position which is associated to a use position, while they might be folded, e.g. into a recess at the arm rest 8.1.

[0040] The carriage 6 further includes a first drive 12 which is shown schematically and with which the carriage 6, in particular the chair 8 is rotatable around a vertical axle A. The first drive 12 may be a brushed or brushless DC motor, a servo motor or a stepper motor. With a rotational angle phi set by the first drive 12, the carriage 6 can be positioned to avoid collision with steps 3.1, or walls, to (pre)position for translational movement of the carriage 6 through a turn of the guide 2 at highest possible translational speed or to provide a comfortable and desirable boarding position in a landing position of the carriage 6. Accordingly, the guide 2 can have a curved shape, which deviates from a straight line. The direction of travel D and/or the inclination of the guide 2 may change at least once during the course of the guide 2 and the guide 2 may run out horizontally at a landing position, wherein the chair 8 is hold in an upright position due to the leveling mechanism 9. Thus, the guide 2 follow a certain trajectory having turns around horizontal and/or vertical axles or both axles at the same time.

[0041] The carriage 6, such as the drive unit 7, may include a control unit 13, which is connected to the first drive 12, the second drive and a third drive (not shown) of the leveling mechanism 9, and with which a torque applied by any of the drives to the carriage 6 can be determined.

[0042] As discussed above, the at least one control unit 13 may be an electronic control unit, a central processing unit (CPU), and the like, for performing the functions as described herein. As such, the at least one control unit 13 may be configured to receive, analyze and process sensor data, perform calculations and mathematical functions, convert data, generate data, control system components (e.g., the first drive, the second drive, the third drive, the carriage, and the like), and the like. The control unit 13 may include one or more processors, and other components, for example one or more memory modules that stores logic that is executable by the one or more processors and a database based on, for example, user inputs provided via the user interaction device. Each of the one or more processors may be a controller, an integrated circuit, a microchip, central processing unit or any other computing device.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of a stairwell 14, with a stairlift 1 therein. The stairwell 14 has walls 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, and steps 3.1. Carriage 6 is drawn at two positions along guide 2, where it makes an angle phi relative to guide 2. The staircase 3 makes a turn of 90 degrees. In the turn, steps 3.1 narrow in the direction of the center of the turn. When carriage 6 is moved along the guide 2, the carriage 6 needs to be prevented from hitting the walls 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4 of the stairwell 14 or the steps 3.1. Whether there is a risk of this happening depends on inter alia the width of the stairwell 14 and the height of guide 2 above the steps 3.1. Even when guide 2 are mounted so high above the steps 3.1 that there is no risk of collision with steps 3.1 on the straight parts of the staircase, there may, for instance, be a local risk of collision in the turn due to the narrowing of steps 3.1. The risk of collisions with steps 3.1 in the turn is avoided by rotating the carriage 6 locally in the turn relative to the guide 2 around the vertical axle A in order to avoid collision with steps 3.1. The speed values and angle values describing the movement of the carriage 6 are defined in a speed profile, which defines at least the translational speed/acceleration of the carriage 6 along the guide 2 and the rotational speed/acceleration of the carriage 6 around the vertical axle A.

[0044] Now referring to FIG. 3, a method 20 to operate the stairlift 1 includes in a first step 21 setting a first speed profile defining a movement of the carriage 6 at positions along the guide 2. In a second step 22 the method includes setting a second speed profile defining a movement of the carriage 6 at positions along the guide 2 different than the first speed profile. In a third step 23, the speed profiles are associated to different inputs of the user interaction devices 11, namely the first speed profile is associated to a first input of the user interaction devices 11 and the second speed profile is associated to a second input of the user interaction devices 11. With the user interaction device 11 being a joystick as in FIG. 1, the first input may be a full possible displacement of the joystick in the direction of desired travel and the second input may be half of the possible displacement. Alternatively, the first input may be a first button (not shown) and the second input may be a second button (not shown). In a fourth step 24, when the user inputs the first input, the carriage 6 is operated according to the first speed profile. In a fifth step 25, when the user inputs the second input, the carriage 6 is operated according to the second speed profile.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a diagram of two speed profiles 31, 32 with the position of the carriage 6 along the guide 2 on the x-axis and the translational speed of the carriage 6 along the guide 2 and the rotational angle phi on the y-axis. The first speed profile 31 includes translational speed values 31.1 of the carriage 6 along the guide 2 and values 31.2 for the rotational angle phi. The second speed profile 32 includes translational speed values 32.1 of the carriage 6 along the guide 2 and values 32.2 for the rotational angle phi. At a position 33 of the guide 2, a specific angle phi has to be reached, e.g. for a turn of the guide 2 beginning at this position. Therefore the carriage 6 starts to rotate at positions 34.1, 34.2 at a certain torque of the first drive 12. The angle phi is then kept constant after the position 33, e.g. as long as the carriage 6 is in the turn. Afterwards, a counter wise rotation of the carriage 6 is conducted, e.g. to rotate the carriage 6 to an angle phi required at a landing position. This counter wise rotation is started at position 35.1 for the first speed profile 31 and at earlier position 35.2 for the second speed profile 32. The speed value 31.1 for the first speed profile 31 is kept at a maximum most of the time, while being reduced during the turn, e.g. to allow the angle phi at position 33 to be reached and/or to increase comfort in the turn.

[0046] The speed values 32.1 for the second speed profile 32 is reduced over the speed values 31.1 of the first speed profile 31. Thus, the first speed profile 31 includes faster speed for the translational movement and also, as rotation of the carriage 6 starts later, for the rotational movement and will therefore result in a relative short travel time, while the second speed profile 32 will result in a longer travel time, while providing better comfort.