Elevator system accommodating elevator cars having different sizes

Abstract

The invention refers to an elevator system having a plurality of elevator cars, which elevator cars comprise several first cars and at least one second car, which second car differs from the first cars in its size and/or technical configuration, whereby the first cars and the second car run together within one and the same elevator shaft, which elevator system comprises an elevator control comprising a call allocation control having a first part connected to at least one call input device for allocating the first elevator cars and a second part connected to at least one call issuing means for the call allocation of the second car, whereby the first and second part of the call allocation control are configured to work independently of each other.

Claims

1. An elevator system, comprising: a plurality of elevator cars, the plurality of elevator cars including a plurality of first cars and a second car, wherein the plurality of first cars and the second car are configured to run together within one elevator shaft such that the plurality of first cars and the second car are each configured to move vertically through at least a same vertical shaft part of the one elevator shaft, wherein the second car differs from each first car of the plurality of first cars based on the second car having a different size than each first car of the plurality of first cars, such that the second car has a larger base area than each first car of the plurality of first cars; and an elevator control, the elevator control including a call allocation control, the call allocation control including a first part connected to at least one call input device configured to allocate the plurality of first cars, and a second part connected to at least one call issuing means for call allocation of the second car, wherein the first part and the second part of the call allocation control are configured to work independently of each other, wherein the one elevator shaft includes at least two vertical elevator shaft parts that are connected by an upper horizontal transfer passage, and connected by a lower horizontal transfer passage, and the plurality of first cars and the second car are configured to run together simultaneously in a multi-car arrangement in a closed loop through the at least two vertical elevator shaft parts, the upper horizontal transfer passage, and the lower horizontal transfer passage of the one elevator shaft.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the second car is configured to be parked in a park position when no call is issued by the at least one call issuing means.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the call allocation control or the elevator control includes a synchronizing unit configured to control an activity of the first part and the second part of the call allocation control to synchronize movements of the plurality of first cars and the second car in the one elevator shaft.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1, further comprising landing doors that are between the at least two vertical elevator shaft parts in an area of intermediate horizontal transfer passages, wherein the elevator system is configured to move each car of the plurality of elevator cars in the closed loop and further horizontally move each car between the closed loop and separate, respective landing doors of the landing doors via separate, respective intermediate horizontal transfer passages of the area of intermediate transfer passages.

5. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one call issuing means is a key-switch or a movable wireless call issuing device configured to co-act with a receiver connected with the elevator system.

6. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the second car has a different door arrangement than each first car of the plurality of first cars, wherein the plurality of first cars and the second car each include a separate first car door on a first car side in relation to a first shaft side of the one elevator shaft and the one elevator shaft has corresponding first landing doors at the first shaft side, and the second car further includes a second car door on a different car side in relation to a second shaft side of the one elevator shaft than respective car doors of the plurality of first cars and the one elevator shaft has a corresponding second landing door with limited access rights at the second shaft side.

7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the second car has different equipment included in the second car than each first car of the plurality of first car.

8. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the second car is configured to be parked at a parking position on an intermediate horizontal transfer passage of a parking position floor of the elevator system.

9. The elevator system according to claim 8, wherein the call allocation control includes an allocation history unit, and the elevator control is configured to select the parking position floor of the parking position of the second car from the allocation history unit as a floor of the elevator system that is associated with a lowest allocation target numbers of respective allocation target numbers of the plurality of elevator cars.

10. The elevator system according to claim 8, wherein the elevator control is configured to automatically drive the second car from the parking position floor to a different floor level, in response to a call input by a call input device of the elevator system that includes the parking position floor where the second car is parked.

11. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein each elevator car of the plurality of first cars and the second car carries an ID tag with a unique ID indicating an elevator car type of the elevator car.

12. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the call allocation control is a destination call control.

13. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the one elevator shaft comprises a handling/parking area for cars, wherein the handling/parking area is horizontally offset from a vertical extension of the at least two vertical elevator shaft parts of the one elevator shaft.

14. The elevator system according to claim 1, comprising a maintenance and/or cleaning section for cars, wherein the maintenance and/or cleaning section is horizontally offset from a vertical extension of the at least two vertical elevator shaft parts f the one elevator shaft.

15. The elevator system according to claim 1, further comprising: a handling area for the plurality of first cars and the second car, the handling area being horizontally offset from the at least two vertical elevator shaft parts of the one elevator shaft, wherein the handling area includes at least one section of a parking section, a maintenance section, a cleaning section, an equipment section, wherein the handling area includes a horizontal moving mechanism configured to move a car, of the plurality of elevator cars, horizontally between an operating position in the vertical elevator shaft parts and the at least one section of the handling area.

16. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the one elevator shaft includes a handling/parking area configured only for parking of the second car.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is hereinafter described in the drawings,

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view to an elevator multi-car system with a moving loop having two vertical shaft parts and an upper and lower horizontal transfer passage whereby the landing doors are located in an intermediate portion between the two vertical elevator shaft parts,

(3) FIG. 2 the elevator system of FIG. 1 showing three optional parking positions for an unused second car having a larger size than the first cars,

(4) FIGS. 3A-3B an elevator system having four vertical shaft parts with seven first cars and two second cars which are parked in a parking area being horizontally offset with respect to the vertical elevator shaft parts,

(5) FIGS. 4A-4B an elevator system similar to FIG. 3 whereby the horizontally offset parking area additionally comprises a cleaning area, a maintenance area and an equipment area for modifying or gearing an elevator car for special requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows an elevator system 10 having an elevator shaft 12 comprising a first shaft part 14 wherein elevator cars of the elevator system 10 move upward, a second elevator shaft part 16 where the cars of the elevator system move downward, an upper horizontal transfer passage 18 and a lower horizontal transfer passage 20 located in the bottom of the elevator shaft. These vertical and horizontal passages 14, 16, 18, 20 form the moving loop for the cars in the shaft 12. The landing doors 22 are located in an intermediate section 24 located between the first and second elevator shaft parts 14, 16. The elevator system 10 comprises identical first elevator cars 26 and a second elevator car 28 having a larger base area than the first cars 26. The cars 26, 28 are moving along the loop of the first and second elevator shaft part 14, 16 and the upper and lower transfer passage 18, 20. When a car is to serve a call, it is moved via a not shown horizontal moving mechanism to the intermediate section 24 as to be located in front of a landing door 22 to allow passengers to exit/enter the car.

(7) FIG. 2 shows the elevator system according to FIG. 1 wherein possible parking areas at least for the second elevator car are shown. Thus, the second elevator car 28 could be parked in a first parking area 30 located in front of a landing door 22 of the intermediate section 24 of the elevator shaft 12. Preferably, the first parking area 30 is located in a floor which is seldomly used so that the parked second car does not affect the normal operation of the elevator system by the blocking of the corresponding landing door 22 of said floor. If, however, a call to said floor should be input which requires a first car 26 to go there the second car 28 could be automatically moved to a different landing door, preferably also of a seldomly used floor. FIG. 2 also shows three alternative second parking areas 32 in the shaft pit below the movement loop 14, 16, 18, 20 of the elevator system (indicated by arrows). In this embodiment, the elevator system 10 would provide three second parking areas 32 in the shaft pit as well as several first parking areas 30 in the area of a landing door of a seldomly used floor. The second parking area in the shaft pit has the advantage that these second parking areas are really unaffected by the normal operation (moving loop) of the cars in the elevator system. Therefore, cars parked in said second parking area could be maintained, cleaned, repaired or equipped according to requirements in the building. Although these first and second parking areas 30, 32 are intended for the parking of the second cars 28, it is of course also possible to use these areas for the parking of the first cars 26, particularly if a first car has to be repaired or cleaned or equipped or maintained.

(8) FIGS. 3A and 3B show a second embodiment 40 of an elevator system comprising four vertical elevator shaft parts 42 to 48 which are connected by an upper horizontal transfer passage 18 and a lower horizontal transfer passage 20. Therefore, the movement loop for the first elevator cars 26 and the second elevator car 28 extend in variable loops from the first vertical shaft part 42 to the fourth vertical shaft part 48 and the upper and lower horizontal transfer passage. In this connection, it is to be mentioned that in all figures identical or functionally similar parts carry the same reference numbers.

(9) In this embodiment, the landing doors 22 are located in the vertical shaft parts 42 to 48 so that a stop of an elevator car 26, 28 at a landing 22 shortly blocks the corresponding vertical shaft part 42 to 48 during the time of the stop of the elevator car. Of course, such a system with several vertical elevator shaft parts can also be embodied according to FIG. 2 with the landing doors located in an intermediate section 24 between the vertical shaft parts.

(10) In contrast to the embodiment of the FIG. 2, this embodiment 40 of an elevator system shows a parking area 50 which is located aside of the shaft pit 52 and which is horizontally offset to the vertical elevator shaft parts 42 to 48 via the length d. The advantage of this horizontally offset parking area 50 is that this area is absolutely unaffected by the vertical movement of the cars in the vertical shaft parts 42 to 48. Therefore, this horizontally offset parking area 50 is very safe as no cars are moving above it. Thus, parked elevator cars can be maintained or cleaned or equipped. Preferably, the length of the horizontal offset d corresponds at least the length l of the largest elevator car 26, 28. The embodiment of FIG. 3 shows a first second elevator car 28a having a larger base area than the first elevator car 26 as well as an alternative second car 28b which comprises a particular equipment for the transport of emergency patients in a hospital. Therefore, this elevator system 40 of FIG. 3 comprises beside the normal first elevator cars 26 two different kinds of second elevator cars 28a, 28b for different particular purposes.

(11) Finally, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an elevator system 60 having six vertical elevator shaft parts 62 to 72 and a large horizontal offset handling area 74 which is horizontally offset with respect to the vertical elevator shaft parts 62 to 72 by the depth D. The depth D of the horizontal offset of the handling area 74 is a multiple of the length l of the elevator car, i.e. four or five times the length l of a car. This large handling area 74 comprises different types of areas as specified in FIG. 4A. Thus, the handling area 74 has a parking section 76 which allows the parking of six second elevator first or second cars 26, 28, a maintenance section 78 wherein first as well as second elevator cars 26, 28a,b can be maintained and repaired, a cleaning section 80 where the inside of the parked cars 26, 28 can be cleaned or sterilized which is particularly important for hospital use. Further, the handling area 74 comprises an equipment section 82 where elevator cars can be provided with different equipment as for example beds, life ensuring devices, gas supplies as for example oxygen for emergency cases or even with power supply for supplying energy consuming medical devices. Thus, the sophisticated elevator system 60 with the handling area 74 of FIG. 4 does not only provide a safe and accessible parking section 76 but also different kinds of handling sections 78, 80, 82 which allow the maintenance, cleaning and modification of elevator cars according to the special needs of a building. The advantage of this particular embodiment is further that the parking as well as the handling of the elevator cars can be performed without interrupting or affecting the normal operation of the elevator system 60, as the areas are not affected by the traffic in the movement loops 18, 20, 62-72. It has to be mentioned that this embodiment of an elevator system is more advantageous the more floors are provided in the building as in this case the portion of the handling area 74 with respect to the area of the vertical shaft parts 62-72 in the building becomes relatively small. It has further to be mentioned that the handling area 74 which is quite voluminous can be located in a base part of the building for example in the second base floor where the available room is cheap compared with room in the first basement or in the ground floor.

(12) Furthermore in the elevator system 60 of FIG. 4 the floors have regular landing doors 22 which are aligned with corresponding car doors 23 of the cars 26, 28. In the vertical shaft parts 62 to 72 also second landing doors 22b are provided which are access controlled. These second landing doors 22b give access e.g. to surgery rooms or to an executive floor. These second landing doors can only be served by second cars 28 which have a second car door 23b located e.g. opposite of the car door 23 as to be aligned with the second landing door 22b when the car 28 stops at said floor. Thus, in this embodiment 60 the second cars 28 give access to certain access restricted areas via the second car doors 23b which are missing in the first elevator cars. The second cars can be accessed e.g. only by medicines in a hospital or by executives in a corporate building, e.g. via mobile transmitters issuing a destination call to a second car.

(13) It is clear for the skilled person that the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. The invention is not restricted to the disclosed embodiments but can be varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(14) 10 elevator system (first embodiment) 12 elevator shaft 14 first vertical shaft portion 16 second vertical shaft portion 18 upper horizontal transfer passage 20 lower horizontal transfer passage 22 landing door 22b second landing door 23 car door 23b second car door 24 intermediate section 25 intermediate horizontal transfer passage 26 first car 28a first second car 28b alternative second car 30 first parking area in an intermediate horizontal transfer passage 32 second parking area in the shaft pit 40 elevator system (second embodiment) 42-48 vertical shaft portions 50 horizontally offset parking area 52 shaft pit 60 elevator system (third embodiment) 62-72 vertical shaft portions 74 horizontally offset car handling area 76 parking section 78 maintenance/repair section 80 cleaning section 82 equipment section