EP3224173B1 - Elevator system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an elevator system having a car and a first and a second transport path for this car, wherein the direction of the first transport path is different from that of the second transport path, and a method for operating such an elevator system.

State of the art

Elevator systems with different transport routes for a car usually have more than one shaft. A cabin is transported, for example, in circulation operation between two shafts. Conversion devices transport a cabin on at least two floors from one shaft to the other. Such transposers are mostly used in elevator systems with more than two cabins with circulating traffic between two shafts. Systems are also known in which a car is parked (temporarily) in another shaft by means of a transfer device.
In order to achieve a sufficient flow rate of the entire system in the above elevator systems with at least two cabins and at least two shafts, must be occasionally in the horizontal direction, ie when converting the car from one shaft to the other, driven at speeds in the presence of persons would lead to a risk of injury. This risk of injury exists as part of the regular accelerations of the cabin and in the context of increased acceleration during emergency braking. As far as the ride of persons in a change of the transport route, especially the horizontal ride of persons, is not expressly provided, this is undesirable and to be avoided. Nevertheless, there is a residual likelihood that persons will remain in the cabin due to error or misuse and then during the change of transport route, So in particular during horizontal travel, be exposed to injury risk.
It is therefore desirable to provide an elevator system and a method for operating such an elevator system, in which the risk of injury when a person remains in a car of the elevator system is minimized when changing the transport path, in particular during horizontal travel. document US2006 / 011420 discloses a Aufuzsystem with at least two cabins and at least two shafts, wherein in the area of the boarding zone at least two immediately adjacent switching zones are provided, which allow a horizontal displacement of the elevator cars between the elevator shafts.

Disclosure of the invention

According to the invention, an elevator system with the features of claim 1 and a method for operating an elevator system with the features of claim 8 are proposed. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.
An elevator system according to the invention has a car and a first and a second transport path for this car, wherein the direction of the first transport path is different from that of the second transport path. The first transport path has in particular a vertical direction, the second transport path in particular a horizontal direction. In the cabin and / or on the cabin, a signal generator is present, which indicates a change, in particular an imminent change of the cabin from the first transport path in the second transport path and / or vice versa. In the example case mentioned, therefore, a change from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction and / or a change from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction of a person in the cabin is indicated by means of a signal generator present in or on the car.
In a corresponding inventive method for operating an elevator system with a car, which is moved along a first and a second transport path for this car, wherein the direction of the first transport path is different from that of the second transport path, a particular upcoming change the cabin from the first transport path in the second transport path and / or displayed vice versa by means of a signal.

By the signal indicating the transport route change, a person located in the cabin can stabilize its position and in particular adjust to an imminent transport path change.

In this context, it should be emphasized that indefinite articles used, such as "a cabin", "a transport route" or "a signal generator", do not mean "one and only one", but an indefinite number, ie "a / e or more "express.

It is advantageous if the signal transmitter or the signal transmitter output optical and / or acoustic signals. In this way, the hearing and / or visual sense of a person can be addressed.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if an optical signal indicating the direction of at least one of the transport paths is output. For example, the respective direction of the transport path of a car can be displayed with a luminous arrow in the cabin, with a change in the transport direction, for example, additionally sounds an acoustic signal.

It is particularly advantageous if a change in the transport paths is displayed for a predetermined period of time before the change of direction takes place. For example, for this purpose, a signal indicating the change in direction may be output, such as a red flashing arrow indicating the direction of the next transport path. Preferably, the remaining time period before the actual change of transport routes should be approximately equal to or at least equal to the average reaction time of a person in the cabin. In this way, enough time remains for the person to stabilize their position. On the other hand, it is expedient to limit the period of time to that time that the cabin requires to travel between two stops of the elevator system, in particular to travel between the last stop before the transport route change and the stop at which the transport route change takes place. In this way, a person in the cabin then the Transportwegwechsel in the course of the trip to the stop on which the Transportwegwechsel takes place, displayed.

As already mentioned several times, the use of the invention is particularly advantageous for elevator systems in which the direction of the first transport path is vertical and the direction of the second transport path is horizontal. Of course, an exchange of first and second transport path is possible, so that the first transport path is horizontal and the second transport path is vertical. Of course, any other directions of the transport routes are conceivable.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to the determination of a maximum speed and / or a maximum acceleration of the cabin after a transport path change. This aspect will be described below without loss of generality in connection with the explained signal indicating a change of the transport path direction. However, it is reserved to seek independent protection for this aspect of the invention hereof.

According to this second aspect of the invention, the maximum speed and / or the maximum acceleration of the car is limited to a predetermined value immediately after a change of transport routes. This measure can serve, alone or in addition to the output of a signal described in detail above, in the event of a transport path change, a person stabilizing his position sufficiently to minimize a risk of injury.

Advantageously, the value of the maximum speed of a car after a transport path change is determined as follows: It is assumed that a person in the interest of his own stability in a moving cabin occupies a certain footprint on the cabin floor, primarily by the distance D characterized the two foot well centers. The position of the center of gravity is selected by a person usually in the absence of external influence approximately centrally above the connecting line of the foot well centers, ie centrally within the foot distance. A risk of injury is minimized, as long as this focus remains within the foot distance or within the imaginary connecting line of the two foot well centers, when an external effect, such as a change of transport routes, the person acts. If the center of gravity leaves the said area, a risk of injury due to camber or impact on the cabin wall or the like is high.

By choosing a sufficiently low target speed V _max can be effected that an average awake person in the above-described standing position when a greater acceleration occurs is able to maintain their stability by timely force transfer to one or the other foot. For the sake of security, it is assumed that the accelerations can become arbitrarily large, that is to say, that it would be possible to accelerate from 0 to target speed and vice versa immediately. The scenario considered here is therefore especially in the case of emergency braking, in particular in the horizontal transport direction, before. In this time, then person and cabin have a relative speed up to the target speed. To maintain the stability of a person, it is sufficient if, during the average reaction time T of that person, the center of gravity does not move outside the foot distance described above. The distance traveled by the center of gravity relative to the cabin is given by S = V · T. To maintain the stability, V ≤ (D / 2) / T holds, so that V _max = D / (2T).

In an example assumed width or a foot distance of D = 500 mm and a reaction time of an average T = 1 s results in a maximum speed V _max = 0.25 m / s.

The above-exemplified maximum speed can thus compensate for a person, for example, in case of emergency braking by force displacement, without being exposed to an increased risk of injury.

In general, a method with graduated jerky braking as well as (positive) acceleration is conceivable. Since no further forces act on a person when traveling at constant speed, a renewed acceleration / deceleration can in principle be undertaken after a certain period of time. This time to re-acceleration / deceleration is that extra time that a person needs to get from their barely stable standing position, for example on a foot, back to the center of gravity, where their weight with maximum stability on both feet is distributed equally. Only then are comparable initial conditions given before the beginning of a subsequent acceleration / deceleration process, as before the beginning of the first acceleration / deceleration process. Since the first time T was determined by the human response to the "brake onset" event, it may be assumed that the now additional "stall relative to the car" event again requires the same time T until the person returns to the center of gravity between both footrests has brought. For a single brake, time is irrelevant, as it does not entail any additional limitation on the maximum speed. For a multi-stage braking, however, it is relevant, since, as I said comparable initial conditions must prevail before each braking stage, if the relevant arguments for the speed difference should apply.

und da s_max wie bisher der halbe Fußabstand ist, ergibt sich die maximale Beschleunigung durch $$a_{\mathit{max}}=\frac{2s_{\mathit{max}}}{T^2}=\frac{D}{T^2}$$

Instead of such a staged braking, which is undoubtedly relatively uncomfortable for the person in the elevator, but you can now perform with the same end result, a continuous braking with a finite acceleration a. A closer look at the continuous braking (or according to acceleration) is useful in cases in which the braking takes place, contrary to previous assumptions, not much faster than the personal reaction time (ie no emergency braking). Then no maximum speed must be specified, but rather a maximum acceleration a _max . Since this acceleration, according to the assumptions, is at the same time the relative acceleration of the person relative to the car, the result is for the integral of velocity, that is the way, simply the well-known formula for the constant accelerated motion: $$s_{\mathit{Max}}=\frac{1}{2}{a}_{\mathit{Max}}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="T"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">T</figure-callout>}}^2$$

and since s _{max is} half the distance as before, the maximum acceleration is given by $$a_{\mathit{Max}}=\frac{2s_{\mathit{Max}}}{{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="T"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">T</figure-callout>}}^2}=\frac{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="D\; T"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">D\; </figure-callout>}}{T^{}}$$

As explained above, the present invention also relates to a corresponding method for operating an elevator system according to the invention, in which case reference should be made in full to the statements regarding the elevator system according to the invention in order to avoid repetition.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination given, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention is illustrated schematically with reference to an embodiment in the drawing and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawing.

figure description

FIG. 1

shows a schematic representation of an elevator system with two cabins and a conversion device for the conversion of a car from one shaft into the other shaft of the elevator system,

FIG. 2

shows a stable position of a person in a cabin of the elevator system in a schematic representation,

FIG. 3

shows a diagram for a stage braking of an elevator car and

FIG. 4

shows a diagram of a continuous braking of an elevator car.

FIG. 1 schematically shows two shafts 9 of an elevator system, for example, a MultiCar system with at least two cabs in circulation mode. A transfer device 8, shown here only schematically, takes over the transport of a car 3 from a shaft in the other shaft. Another converting device 8 is present, but not shown here. The cabins 3 shown may be different cabins. FIG. 1 However, it can also be understood that snapshots are shown at different times of a car 3 in the elevator system 10.

In a cabin 3 is located, not drawn to scale, a signal generator 4, which indicates a change of the car 3 from a first transport path 1, here in the vertical direction, in the second transport path 2, here in the horizontal direction. It is advantageous if, in this exemplary embodiment, the signal generator also indicates a change from the second transport path 2 into the first transport path 1, for example after passing through the conversion device 8.

The signal generator has two optical signals 5 and 6 in this exemplary embodiment. The optical signal 5 indicates the direction of the respective transport path 1 or 2. For this purpose, four directional arrows are thus provided, through which the respective vertical direction or horizontal direction can be displayed. In the illustrated embodiment according to FIG. 1 shows the optical signal 5 of the lower cabin 3, the direction of the upward transport path 1, for example in green Color, on. For example, in this embodiment, the optical signal 6 is not activated in this state.

When the car changes from the first transport path 1 to the second transport path 2, the optical signal 5 indicates the corresponding direction of the transport path 2, for example in red. In this embodiment, in addition, the optical signal 6, for example, a red flashing light activated. In addition, an acoustic signal can sound when the optical signal 6 is active. A person in the cabin 3 7 (see. FIG. 2 ) is thus signaled the change of direction associated with the change of transport routes, so that this person can assume a stable position in order to minimize the risk of injury.

For this purpose, it is particularly advantageous if a predetermined period of time before the actual direction change an activation of the optical signals 5 and / or 6 takes place in the manner described. For example, the optical signal 6 can already be activated during this predetermined period of time in order to signal a person 7 the imminent change of direction. In addition to the upwardly directed, for example, green arrow of the direction signal signal 5, for example, by an additional red flashing, shining in the direction of the transport path 2 arrow a user 7, the upcoming direction changes are signaled. It is advantageous if said period of time is at least the average reaction time of persons 7 using the elevator system 10. Such average reaction times are known per se. The predetermined period of time can also be selected to be greater, so that the direction change signal is indicated even before the conversion device 8 is activated. This can be done, for example, on the drive from the previous stop to the stop of the transfer device 8.

FIG. 2 shows very schematically and not to scale a in a cabin 3 of in FIG. 1 The person 7 takes in a normal elevator ride approximately in the direction of the transport path 1 (see FIG. 1 ) a certain footprint on the cabin floor, by the distance D of the two Footrest centers can be characterized. The illustrated position of the person 7 is selected for maximum stability. The center of gravity S of this person 7 is located approximately in the center above the imaginary connecting line of the two foot well centers.

In an external effect, in particular in an acceleration of the car 3 in the direction of in FIG. 2 shown transport path 2, there is initially a change in the position of the center of gravity S, in turn, a stable position is taken. As long as the center of gravity S moves above the imaginary connecting line of the two foot well centers, it can be assumed that there is little risk of injury due to cambering or abutting the cabin wall. So that a person 7 remains within the average reaction time T after a change of the transport route directions with its center of gravity S within the imaginary connecting line of the two foot well centers, must apply to the maximum speed of the car 3 after change of direction: V _max = D / (2T). For an average stability range of D = 500 mm and T = 1 s this results in a maximum speed V _max = 0.25 m / s. As already stated, the considerations apply in particular in the case of emergency braking, in which braking is slowed from V _max to 0 in the shortest possible time.

It is advantageous if the elevator system 10 or the converting device 8 contains a control device which makes a limitation of the transport speed of the car 3 on the respective transport path 2 according to the above statements. It should be emphasized in this context that under some circumstances the measure of speed limitation that has been devised may also be sufficient to minimize the risk of injury, without the additional signaling explained in connection with FIG FIG. 1 would be necessary.

FIG. 3 shows a multi-stage braking process, as already described above, wherein the absolute speed v of the car and the relative speed vrel of a person relative to the car is plotted against time.

At time t = 1s the first braking of the car is made by Δv = -vmax = -0.25 m / s (curve with diamond points), so that the person now has a relative speed to the cabin of vrel = + vmax (curve with square points). After the reaction time T = 1s (at t = 2s), the person has just reached the limit of their stability at the relative position D / 2 and brakes the relative speed immediately to vrel = 0 in time. Immediately, however, the person begins to regain their position back to the middle position, which takes T = 1s (to t = 3s), and therefore because of the same path must also take place at the same speed vrel = -vmax. There she decelerates immediately to vrel = 0, and comes to rest there for a moment with the center of gravity in the middle between her feet. But now that the next stage of braking begins, the person's control process starts again. The integral below the curve vrel is zero, indicating that the relative path between the car and the person at the end is zero, so the person has not moved on average relative to the car.

Instead of the described stage braking a continuous braking with a finite acceleration a can be carried out with the same final result. In the event that one chooses this acceleration so that it corresponds to the total speed change and the total duration of the multi-stage braking, the diagram results FIG. 4 , Again, it was assumed in a simplified manner that the person can react instantaneously to the events "edge position reached" and "center position reached" with a speed jump. It was also disregarded that the person chooses during the deceleration phase a position of their center of gravity, which is slightly off the middle to optimally compensate for the slightly changed force result. Since the displacement in question is very small for horizontal accelerations, which are much smaller than the gravitational acceleration, this approximation is certainly justified for ordinary braking.

Under these assumptions, it follows again that the integral of the relative velocity at the beginning, and at the end and, of course, over the entire process is zero and reflects the fact that each time the center of gravity of the person returns to the middle position.

It is noticeable that, in spite of the same average acceleration as in the case of step braking, both the relative speeds are smaller and the areas / integrals below the relative speed curve and thus the relative paths. Thus, at the reversal position of the movement of persons, the stability limit (tilting over the one foot) has not yet been reached. Rather, it is such that compared to a stage braking the continuous braking described is a much cheaper case, since much higher average delays can be chosen here until the person is pushed to the stability limit.

As already explained above, the maximum acceleration a _max results for: $${\mathrm{a}}_{\mathrm{Max}}=\frac{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="D\; T"\; filenames="imgf0001.png,imgf0002.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">D\; </figure-callout>}}{T^{}},$$

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

first transport route

2

second transport route

3

cabin

4

signaler

5

optical signal

6

optical signal

7

person

8th

Transcriber

9

shaft

10

elevator system

T

average reaction time

D

average stand width

S

main emphasis

Claims (15)

1. An elevator system (10) having a cabin (3) and a first and a second transport path (1; 2) for said cabin (3), wherein the direction of the first transport path (1) differs from that of the second transport path (2),
   characterized in that
   in or on the cabin (3) a signaling device (4) is located, which displays a change of the cabin from the first transport path (1) into the second transport path (2) and/or vice versa.
2. The elevator system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the signaling device (4) is a signaling device for optical and/or acoustic signals.
3. The elevator system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the signaling device (4) indicates an optical signal (5) displaying at least one of the transport paths (1; 2).
4. The elevator system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the signaling device (4) indicates the change of the transport paths (1; 2) for a specified time period before the change of direction taking place.
5. The elevator system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the specified time period is at least equal to the average response time (T) of a person (7) in the cabin (3).
6. The elevator system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the specified time period is no greater than the time that the cabin (3) requires to travel between two stops of the elevator system (10).
7. The elevator system as claimed in any of the previous claims, characterized in that the direction of the first transport path (1) runs vertically and the direction of the second transport path (2) runs horizontally.
8. A method for operating an elevator system (10) having a cabin (3), which is moved along a first and a second transport path (1; 2), wherein the direction of the first transport path (1) differs from that of the second transport path (2), characterized in that a change of the cabin (3) from the first transport path (1) into the second transport path (2) and/or vice versa is indicated by means of a signal (5,6).
9. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the change in the transport paths (1; 2) is already indicated for a specified time period before the change of direction taking place.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the specified time period is at least equal to the average response time (T) of persons (7) using the elevator system (10).
11. The method as claimed in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the specified time period is no greater than the time that the cabin (3) requires to travel between two stops of the elevator system (10).
12. The method as claimed in any of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the maximum velocity of the cabin (3) is limited to a predetermined value (V_max).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the predetermined value of the maximum velocity (V_max) is approximately D/(2T), where D is the average stance width and T is the average response time of persons (7) using the elevator system (10).
14. The method as claimed in any of Claims 8 to 13, characterized in that the maximum acceleration of the cabins (3) is limited to a predetermined value (a_max).
15. The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the predetermined value of the maximum acceleration (a_max) is approximately $\frac{D}{T^2},$

    

    where D is the average stance width and T is the average response time of persons (7) using the elevator system.

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