METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ELEVATOR FOR AN INSPECTION

Abstract

A method for operating an elevator having a car, a drive engine, shaft doors, signal receptors, an engine controller and a door controller. Each of the shaft doors is reciprocally opened and closed by an associated active door drive and has one of the signal receptors thereat. The method includes: receiving a requesting signal at one of the signal receptors; responding to the requesting signal by instructing the engine controller to control the drive engine to displace the car to a first position with the car roof adjacent to the shaft door at the floor from which the requesting signal originated when that floor is not the lowermost floor, and when the floor is the lowermost floor to a second position above the lowermost floor; instructing the door controller to control the door drive to actively open the door; and switching the engine controller to an inspection mode.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating an elevator for an inspection, the elevator including a car being displaceable along an elevator shaft, a drive engine displacing the car, a plurality of shaft doors, at least one of the shaft doors being arranged at each of multiple floors including a lowermost floor and at least one upper floor, each of the shaft doors having an associated active door drive for reciprocally opening and closing the shaft door, a plurality of signal receptors, at least one of the signal receptors being arranged at each of the floors, an engine controller controlling operation of the drive engine, and a door controller for controlling operation of the active door drives, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a requesting signal at one of the signal receptors at one of the floors; responding to the requesting signal by, when the one floor is not the lowermost floor, instructing the engine controller to control the drive engine to displace the car to a first position such that a roof of the car is adjacent to the shaft door at the one floor, and when the one floor is the lowermost floor, instructing the engine controller to control the drive engine to displace the car to a second position above the lowermost floor; instructing the door controller to control the associated door drive of the shaft door at the one floor to open the shaft door; and switching the engine controller to an inspection mode.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein, when in the inspection mode, the engine controller prevents the drive engine from displacing the car after the car has arrived at either of the first position and the second position.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein, when the one floor is not the lowermost floor, the engine controller controls the drive engine to displace the car to the first position such that the roof of the car is flush with a bottom at the one floor.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein the receiving of the requesting signal is enabled by a technician initiating transmitting of the receiving signal when at the one floor in proximity to the one signal receptor arranged at the one floor and the technician being outside of the elevator shaft.

20. The method according to claim 16 wherein the one signal receptor receives the requesting signal via short range wireless data communication from a data communication device.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the requesting signal is transmitted by the data communication device being a mobile data communication device used by a technician.

22. The method according to claim 16 wherein the one signal receptor receives the requesting signal via a technician manually actuating the one signal receptor.

23. The method according to claim 16 further comprising: receiving a finalizing signal at the one signal receptor; and responding to the finalizing signal by, instructing the door controller to control the associated door drive of the shaft door at the one floor to close the shaft door, and switching the engine controller to a normal operation mode.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein, upon receiving the requesting signal, detecting an identity of a technician initiating a transmission of the requesting signal and wherein, upon receiving the finalizing signal, detecting an identity of a technician initiating a transmission of the finalizing signal and switching the engine controller to a normal operation mode only when the identity of the technician initiating the transmission of the requesting signal is identical to the identity of the technician initiating the transmission of the finalizing signal.

25. The method according to claim 16 wherein, upon receiving the requesting signal, detecting an identity of a technician initiating a transmission of the requesting signal.

26. An elevator adapted to execute and control the method for operating according to claim 16, the elevator comprising: a car being displaceable along an elevator shaft; a drive engine for displacing the car; a plurality of shaft doors along the elevator shaft, at least one of the shaft doors being arranged at each of multiple floors including a lowermost floor and at least one upper floor, each of the shaft doors having an associated active door drive for reciprocally opening and closing the shaft door; a plurality of signal receptors, at least one of the signal receptors being arranged at each of the floors; an engine controller for controlling operation of the drive engine; and a door controller for controlling operation of the active door drives.

27. The elevator according to claim 26 wherein each of the signal receptors is arranged outside of the elevator shaft.

28. The elevator according to claim 26 wherein each of the signal receptors, the engine controller, the door controller and a communication established for exchanging signals between the signal receptors, the engine controller and the door controller is configured to fulfil SIL3 requirements.

29. A computer program product comprising one of: computer readable instructions that, when performed by a processor in the

26. according to claim 26, instruct the elevator to execute and control the method for operating; and computer readable instructions that, when performed by a processor in a mobile data communication device, instruct the mobile data communication device to transmit at least one of the requesting signal and a finalizing signal for triggering the elevator according to claim 26 to execute and control the method for operating.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising the computer program product according to claim 29 stored thereon.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0072] FIG. 1 shows an elevator configured for executing a method for operating the elevator for an inspection according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0073] The FIGURE is only schematic and not to scale. Same reference signs refer to same or similar features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] FIG. 1 shows an elevator 1. The elevator 1 is shown in a side view. Furthermore, a portion of the elevator 1 is shown in a front view, as visualized in a partial view inside a dashed frame line.

[0075] The elevator 1 comprises a car 3 which is displaceable along an elevator shaft 5. The elevator car 3 is held and displaced by a suspension traction means 7 such as a rope or a belt. At its opposite end, the suspension traction means 7 is coupled to a counterweight 9. The suspension traction means 7 is driven by a drive engine 11. The drive engine 11 is controlled by an engine controller 13. It is to be noted that the arrangement of the suspension traction means 7 and the drive engine 11 shown in FIG. 1 is represented in a very schematic manner.

[0076] The elevator car 3 comprises a car door 15 for opening and closing an access to the elevator car 3. The car door 15 may be opened and closed actively by a car door drive 17. The car door drive 17 is controlled by a car door controller 19.

[0077] At each of multiple floors 21, at least one shaft door 23 is provided. The shaft door 23 may be opened and closed for granting or blocking access to the elevator shaft 5. The elevator 1 presented herein comprises an active door drive 25 at each of the shaft doors 23 for actively opening and closing the respective shaft door 23 by laterally displacing shaft door blades 27. Each of the door drives 25 is controlled by a door controller 29. In the example presented herein, the door controller 29 is integrated into the engine controller 13. It is to be noted that, for reasons of a simpler formulation, the terms “door drive 25” and “door controller 29” shall refer herein only to the shaft doors 23, not to the car door 15 (which has a “car door drive 17” and a “car door controller 19”).

[0078] Furthermore, at each of the multiple floors 21, a landing operation panel 31 is provided in a neighborhood to the shaft door 23. For example, such landing operation panel 31 may comprise one or more push buttons 32 which may be actuated by passengers for calling the car 3 to come to their floor 21.

[0079] Additionally, in the example shown, a separate signal receptor 33 is arranged next to the landing operation panel 31. The signal receptor 33 is configured for receiving signals, such as a requesting signal and a finalizing signal.

[0080] During normal operation of the elevator 1, the engine controller 13 controls the drive engine 11 for displacing the car 3 to one of the floors 21 in response to passenger's calls provided by actuating one of the landing operation panels 31. Therein, the drive engine 11 is controlled such that the car 3 is stopped at a landing position such that its car bottom 35 is substantially flush with a bottom 37 at the floor 21 at which the car 3 shall collect or deliver passengers.

[0081] For inspection purposes, the normal operation of the elevator 1 has to be temporarily interrupted. For such purpose, according to the method proposed herein, a technician may approach the elevator 1 at one of the floors 21 such as for example a lowermost floor 21′ or one of multiple floors 21″, 21″′. Upon being close to the shaft door 23 at this floor 21, the technician 39 may initiate emitting a requesting signal. Such requesting signal is then received by the signal receptor 33 at the respective floor 21. Such receiving of the requesting signal may be communicated from the signal receptor 33 towards for example the engine controller 13 and/or the door controller 29. In reaction to receiving such requesting signal, it is then checked whether the requesting signal was received from the signal receptor 33 arranged at the lowermost floor 21′ or from one of the signal receptors 33 arranged at one of the upper floors 21″, 21″′.

[0082] When the requesting signal was received at one of the signal receptors 33 at one of the upper floors 21″, 21″′, the engine controller 13 will control the drive engine 11 to displace the car 3 to a position such that a roof 41 of the car 3 is adjacent to the shaft door 23 at the floor 21″′ from which the requesting signal had been received. Preferably, the car 3 is stopped at a level at which an upper surface of its roof 41 is substantially flush with the bottom 37 at the respective floor 21″′. Subsequently, the door controller 29 controls the door drive 25 at the respective floor 21″′ to actively open the associated shaft door 23. Accordingly, the technician 39 may enter the elevator shaft 5 by stepping on top of the roof 41 of the waiting car 3. At such location, the technician 39 may inspect, modify, repair or replace various components of the elevator 1 such as for example car guide shoes, a car brake, a front bracket fixation, the suspension traction means 7 and end connectors at a counterweight side as well as at a car side, counterweight guide shoes, shaft information, a load measuring device, a deflection pulley in a head room and/or other components (components not shown for simplification and clearness of the figure).

[0083] The car 3 adjacent to the shaft door 23 may not necessarily be in a position that the roof 41 is flush with the bottom 37 at the respective floor 21″′. It may be advisable to displace the car 3 to a position such that the roof 41 is significantly above the bottom 37 at the floor 21″′. For example, such a car position can be useful when the technician 39 must inspect, repair or replace the drive engine 11, which is, as shown exemplary in FIG. 1, arranged in the region of the shaft head of the elevator shaft. In this case, the technician 39 may climb up to the car roof 41 which would be about 50 cm or more above the bottom at the uppermost floor.

[0084] When the requesting signal was received at the signal receptor 33 at the lowermost floor 21′, the engine controller 13 will control the drive engine 11 to displace the car 3 to a position above the lowermost floor 21′, i.e. such that the car bottom 35 is sufficiently above a pit 43 of the elevator shaft 5, for allowing the technician 39 to enter such pit 43. Subsequently, the door controller 29 controls the door drive 25 at the lowermost floor 21′ to actively open the associated shaft door 23. Accordingly, the technician 39 may enter the pit 43 of the elevator shaft 5. In the pit 43, the technician may inspect, modify, repair or replace various components of the elevator 1 such as for example a traction sheave pulley on a machine, a slack belt (tension on traction means), an electrical drive and motor of a ventilator and/or other components (components not shown for simplification and clearness of the figure). Furthermore, the technician 39 may clean the pit 43.

[0085] Furthermore, upon having received the requesting signal, the engine controller 13 is switched to an inspection mode. In such inspection mode, calls entered by passengers for example at one of the landing operation panels 31 or at a car operation panel are ignored. Furthermore, any displacement of the car 3 is prevented as long as the shaft door 23 is opened at one of the floors 21 in reaction to receiving the requesting signal.

[0086] In an exemplary embodiment, the technician 39 may use a data communication device 45 such as his smart phone for generating and transmitting data forming the requesting signal. For such purpose, a specific application may be programmed and uploaded to the data communication device 45. Upon activation of this application, the data communication device 45 may send the data forming the requesting signal e.g. as electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves may be received by a suitable sensor comprised in the signal receptor 33. Preferably, the data communication is established as a short-range wireless data communication such that the signal receptor 33 may receive the requesting signal only in case the data communication device 45 is in a sufficiently close proximity to the signal receptor 33.

[0087] In an alternative embodiment, the signal receptor 33 may not be implemented as a separate device but may be part of an existing device which normally serves for other purposes. For example, the signal receptor 33 may be integrated into the landing operation panel 31 at each of the floors 21. In such embodiment, the technician 39 may provide the requesting signal for example by actuating the landing operation panel 31 in a specific manner. For example, the push buttons 32 of the landing operation panel 31 may be actuated in accordance to a specific actuation sequence, such actuation sequence being only known to authorized technicians.

[0088] Upon having completed the inspection works, the technician 39 may leave the elevator shaft 5 through the opened shaft door 23. The technician 39 may then transmit a finalizing signal which may be received by the signal receptor 33. Upon receiving the finalizing signal, the door controller 29 may be instructed to control the door drive 25 of the opened shaft door 23 to close this shaft door 23. Subsequently, the engine controller 13 may be switched back into its normal operation mode.

[0089] With the method and the elevator 1 proposed herein, inspection of the elevator 1 may be substantially simplified and may be made more secure. Particularly, upon initiation by transmitting the requesting signal, a shaft door 21 next to the technician 39 may be opened actively and automatically. Furthermore, the car 3 has already previously been driven to a suitable location with its roof 41 being substantially flush to the floor bottom 37, such that the technician 39 may easily and securely step onto the car roof 41. Alternatively, the technician 39 may easily enter the pit 43 after the car 3 has been automatically removed from such pit 43. As, during inspection mode, no further displacement of the car 3 is allowed, risks of injury for the technician 39 are minimized. Furthermore, there is no need for any control unit on the car roof 41 or in the pit 43.

[0090] Generally, there is also no need for any toe guard on the car roof 41 and/or for an apron on a car sill. Accordingly, costs for such hardware may be saved.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.

[0092] 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.