EP3853164B1 - Elevator cab, elevator facility and method for operating an elevator facility - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an elevator system and a method for operating an elevator system according to the preambles of the independent claims.

Elevator cars usually have elevator doors. These include at least one car door, which is connected to the elevator car. In addition, there may be a plurality of shaft doors, which are arranged on floors of a building and provide access to the elevator shaft.

When opening and closing, the car door and a shaft door are usually connected to one another via a coupling and moved together by the door drive usually attached to the elevator car.

In tall buildings, considerable air resistance can act against the closing or opening movement of the cabin and landing doors. This air resistance is due to the fact that air from outside the building enters the elevator shaft, which experiences a vertical flow due to the so-called chimney effect. In most cases, warm air rises in a chimney or elevator shaft. Chimney effects can also be caused by “falling” cold air.

The strength of the effect depends on the dimensions of the shaft and on changing external conditions such as temperature, wind speed or air pressure.

The higher the speed of the air in the shaft due to the chimney effect, the more resistance is exerted on these elevator doors when closing and/or opening the elevator doors. On extremely windy days, air resistance can exceed the maximum closing force intended for the elevator doors. For this reason, closing the elevator doors is made more difficult or even impossible.

US3822767A teaches how to detect the wind speed prevailing in the shaft and a proportional adjustment of the size of the closing force of the door drive moving the elevator doors to the strength of the wind speed prevailing in the shaft. An obstruction to the opening and/or closing of the elevator doors may also occur due to an obstacle located in the area of the elevator doors. EP0976675 A1 discloses a system for operating an automatic elevator door with a door drive comprising a control, motor and drive mechanism, as well as an actual value detector for the generated or applied driving force. The force applied to the door by the motor is referred to as the driving or motor force. The closing force or opening force is the force that is exerted by the door edge or door onto an obstacle during a closing or opening process. A driving force model for the driving force calculates the driving force to be applied in interference-free operation based on a mathematical model and the door parameters. A limit generator calculates a force limit value from the driving force model value and a permissible disturbance force. If the force limit is exceeded, the door is stopped and/or a reversing movement is triggered.

However, the system does not differentiate between obstacles and influences caused by external circumstances. The force limit value can be exceeded, for example, by the occurrence of the chimney effect, after which a door can no longer be opened or closed.

JP2015168519 discloses an elevator system installed in an elevator shaft with a door drive having a control unit and a sensor unit for detecting a wind speed, i.e. the speed of the air entering the elevator shaft.

JP2015020864 discloses a door system of an elevator system that includes a diagnostic unit. The door system includes a car door and a landing door. The diagnostic unit includes a driving force detection unit for detecting the driving force used by the door drive.

The task is to provide an elevator car or an elevator system or a method for operating such an elevator system as well as door drives which overcome the disadvantages of the known and in particular allow operation in tall buildings.

The object is achieved by an elevator system with at least one elevator car, the elevator system comprising at least one elevator door and a door drive for actuating the elevator door. The door drive includes in particular a control, a motor and a drive mechanism, via which drive mechanism the elevator door can be set in motion. The elevator system, in particular the elevator car, includes a sensor for detecting the driving force of the door drive. The sensor is particularly important to this suitable for measuring the motor current required to open and/or close the elevator door. The measurement is carried out in particular during the closing and/or opening times of the elevator door. The elevator system further comprises an evaluation unit which is designed in such a way that, based on the detected or measured driving force, it can be determined whether there is a deviation of the measured driving force from a reference driving force, the reference driving force being determined depending on the floor.

The task is also solved by a method for operating such an elevator system.

The elevator system usually includes an elevator shaft arranged in a building. Such a building includes several floors, which are connected by the elevator shaft. Accordingly, passengers of the elevator system can reach different floors of the building using the elevator system.

In an advantageous development of the invention, the elevator system, in particular the elevator car, comprises at least one sensor unit for measuring or detecting external conditions, in particular pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air flows and/or wind. Using such a sensor unit, for example, changed external conditions caused by the chimney effect, in particular meteorological conditions, can be detected. The sensor unit is preferably part of the door drive.

The sensor unit can in particular also be arranged in such a way that at least one changed external condition is detected, which has a strengthening or weakening effect on the chimney effect. For example, the chimney effect can increase or weaken when the outside temperature or the prevailing wind speed changes, so that a previously determined reference driving force no longer corresponds to the current conditions.

The changed external conditions can occur due to changed pressure conditions and/or air flows, for example those that arise due to the chimney effect in changed meteorological conditions. Using the sensor unit can Accordingly, for example, the pressure, the temperature and / or the wind speed are measured, with the corresponding external conditions corresponding to the placement of the sensor unit in the elevator system, for example on the elevator car, in particular on the elevator door. The at least one sensor unit can also be placed in such a way that the pressure in the elevator shaft or pressure differences along the elevator shaft, in other words wind conditions and/or temperatures, can be determined. The measurements, i.e. data collection, can be carried out at fixed intervals, for example once a day, or continuously.

The sensor unit for detecting external conditions can be provided at one location in the elevator shaft and/or sensor units can be provided at several locations in the elevator shaft.

The evaluation unit is therefore preferably designed in such a way that the measurement of the at least one recorded external condition is taken into account when determining the floor-related reference driving force.

In the elevator system, the evaluation unit is designed in such a way that if the external conditions change, a corresponding other already stored reference driving force is used or a new determination of the reference driving force is triggered. Accordingly, it is possible for changed external conditions, which can, for example, lead to an increased chimney effect, to be taken into account, so that a higher reference driving force for the elevator door can be effective with this increased chimney effect.

In a further development of the elevator system, the evaluation unit is designed to determine a floor-related reference driving force for each floor by means of a floor-related reference measurement of the driving force over the respective closing time and / or opening time and the at least one condition detected by the sensor unit. In this way, the measured values of the external conditions can be taken into account for determining the reference driving force assigned to the elevator door, so that, if necessary, reference driving forces can be corrected to higher values without exceeding a permissible closing force emanating from the door leaf and acting on an obstacle.

The reference driving force is therefore determined by means of the reference measurement of the driving force that takes place over the respective closing and/or opening time. The reference driving force can be stored as a driving force curve over the closing and/or opening time or as a value or group of values, in particular as a pair of values. Such a value to be determined is typically above the maximum of the measured driving force curve, that is, greater than the amount of the corresponding measured driving force curve. Or a pair of values is defined, with the two values being above both extremes of the measured driving force curve. An entire curve can also be saved, which corresponds to the pattern of the measured driving force curve.

The closing or opening time of the elevator door includes the time required for a movement of the door leaf(s) belonging to the elevator door from the opened to the closed state of the elevator door or vice versa.

Accordingly, an updated reference driving force can be determined, so that, if necessary, the reference driving force relating to the elevator door can be corrected to higher values without exceeding a permissible closing force emanating from the door leaf and acting on an obstacle. The measured values can be used, for example, to weight the specified reference driving forces and to set the weighted reference driving forces as new reference driving forces. This means, for example, that a chimney effect that is expected to be stronger according to the measured values causes a higher new reference driving force.

In addition, values relating to external conditions, in particular pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air currents and/or wind, can be recorded, with which the reference driving forces of the respective floors are weighted in order to adapt the reference driving forces to changed external conditions without new measurements of the driving forces.

The reference driving force for each floor is preferably determined and stored from a reference measurement carried out for this floor. Reference measurements can also be carried out for at least one of the floors and the Reference driving forces for the remaining floors are calculated, in particular interpolated. This means that a chimney effect, which is always present to a certain extent, is taken into account from the outset.

The measurements can be used, for example, in the extrapolation or interpolation of driving force measurements for individual floors to further reference driving forces for other floors.

The reference measurement and preferably the determination of the reference driving force can be carried out before regular driving operations begin. The reference drive forces are preferably updated during driving in order to accommodate even slightly changing external conditions. For this purpose, further reference measurements can be carried out at regular intervals or continuously during regular driving operations to update the reference driving force for one of the elevator doors.

Particularly in tall buildings in which a strong chimney effect can occur, it makes sense to use floor-specific reference drive forces so that the elevator doors open and/or close at all in the event of air resistance caused by the chimney effect. With a reference driving force that is uniform for all floors, the air resistance caused by the chimney effect can be considered an obstacle and as a result the movement, in particular the closing of the elevator door, is prevented from moving.

The reference driving force typically has different values, particularly in tall buildings, for different floors on which the elevator door is opened or closed.

The reference driving forces for the floors are or are preferably stored in the evaluation unit. In particular, the reference driving force can be set via a value that is compared with the maximum value of the driving force curve, or via a pair of values that is compared with the two extremes of the driving force curve during the acceleration phase and the braking phase.

Alternatively, the reference driving force can be defined as a reference driving force curve, which is compared with the course of the driving force over the closing and/or opening time. The driving force curve typically has different phases, namely an acceleration phase, a sliding phase and a deceleration phase.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the elevator car comprises an adjustment unit which is designed such that a stop or a reversing movement of the elevator door can be triggered due to a certain deviation of the measured driving force from the reference driving force. The actuating unit is preferably part of the door drive.

The data measured during normal operation of the elevator system can be forwarded to the evaluation unit and/or to a setting unit, whereby the evaluation unit or the setting unit can be part of a central control of the elevator system.

The evaluation unit is designed in such a way that the measured driving force is compared with the reference driving force of the corresponding elevator door.

In contrast to a comparison with a floor-independent reference driving force, the present method can be used to decide whether an increased driving force occurs due to an obstacle or a changed external condition. The latter is taken into account in a floor-dependent reference driving force, which is based on measurements at different floors.

Advantageously, after detecting a deviation of the measured driving force from the reference driving force, the door is stopped and/or a reversing movement is triggered.

Such a deviation of the measured driving force from the reference driving force occurs when at least one extreme value of the measured driving force curve exceeds the value of the reference driving force or at least one value of the pair of reference driving force values or when the pattern of the measured driving force curve deviates greatly from the pattern of the reference driving force curve.

The evaluation unit is designed in particular to determine whether an obstacle is in contact with the elevator door. In addition to determining the driving force, the detection of external conditions can be taken into account when determining whether an obstacle is present.

In addition, with the help of the measurements of the driving force, especially if no stop or reversing movement is triggered, an updated reference driving force can be determined, at least for the respective floor. With trouble-free operation, each measurement can be used to check for an obstacle on the one hand and to update the reference driving force on the other.

Alternatively or additionally, the measured values of the external conditions can be saved together with the reference driving forces.

The elevator door consists in particular of a car door and a shaft door, wherein the car door can be coupled to the shaft door on one floor, so that the car door and the shaft door can be moved as an elevator door by the door drive. The elevator door can alternatively also consist of a car door if, for example, the shaft door can be opened and closed separately and/or manually. Alternatively, the elevator door can consist of a shaft door. The car door or the shaft door each comprise at least one door leaf, which door leaf can be moved between an open position and a closed position of the elevator door by the door drive.

Figur 1:

eine schematische Darstellung einer Aufzugsanlage;

Figur 2:

eine schematische Darstellung des Kamineffekts;

Figur 3:

ein beispielhaftes Diagramm, in dem für zwei Stockwerke der Motorstrom als Mass für die Antriebskraft über die Zeit aufgetragen ist.

The invention is explained below using examples shown in figures. Show it:

Figure 1:

a schematic representation of an elevator system;

Figure 2:

a schematic representation of the chimney effect;

Figure 3:

an exemplary diagram in which the motor current is plotted over time for two floors as a measure of the driving force.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an elevator system 10. The elevator system 10 includes an elevator shaft 12 and an elevator car 1.

The elevator car 1 includes a car door 13 with two door leaves 2, wherein the car door 13 can be coupled to one of several shaft doors 14 at a given time. Each of these shaft doors 14 is arranged on a floor 15. According to the one shown Figure 1 An elevator door 2 consists of the car door 13 and the lower shaft door 14 coupled to the car door 13.

The elevator car 1 has a door drive 3 for actuating the car door 13 and the shaft door 14 coupled to the car door 13. The elevator car 1 also has a sensor 4 for detecting the motor power of the door drive 3 and an evaluation unit 5. The evaluation unit 5 enables a determination as to whether a detected maximum driving force 6a, 6b (see for example in Figure 3 ) from a floor-dependent reference driving force 7a, 7b (see example in Figure 3 ) differs.

Since the reference driving force 7a, 7b depends on the floor, it can be reliably decided whether there is an obstacle that is in contact with the elevator door 2.

The elevator car 1 includes an adjustment unit 8. If the measured driving force 6a, 6b deviates from the reference driving force 7a, 7b, the adjustment unit 8 triggers a stop or reversing movement of the elevator door 2.

The elevator car 1 includes a sensor unit 9 for measuring pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air flows and/or wind. Alternatively or additionally, a sensor unit 11 for detecting external conditions, in particular pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air flows and/or wind, can be arranged on the elevator shaft 12. This means that the sensor unit 11 can optionally be arranged outside the elevator shaft 12 and the measured values obtained from the sensor unit 11 are taken into account when determining the at least one reference driving force 7a, 7b.

In Figure 2 an effect of the chimney effect is shown schematically. Since the elevator shaft 12 is typically in contact with the environment via the building doors and the elevator doors, warm air can penetrate into the shaft. This rises, which results in the elevator car 1 in the lower area of the elevator shaft 12 experiences lower pressure than in the upper area of the elevator shaft 12.

Figure 3 shows an exemplary diagram in which the motor current I is plotted as a measure of the driving force 6a, 6b over time t for two floors, here over the length of the closing time 16.

The solid line corresponds to the driving force 6a on a middle floor. The dashed line corresponds to the driving force 6b on an upper floor where the chimney effect comes into play.

A reference driving force 7a, 7b can be determined for each of the two floors from the temporal behavior of the driving force 6a via the maximum value. The reference driving force can be determined, for example, by multiplying the amount of the maximum by, for example, 1.1 or 1.2.

The reference driving forces for the remaining floors can be determined in further measurements or extrapolated from these values 7a, 7b.

During regular operation, the elevator door is only stopped or a reversing movement is initiated when the driving force exceeds the reference driving force for the respective floor.

Alternatively, the reference driving force can also be saved as a pattern of the driving force behavior over time. A stop or reversing movement occurs when the curves deviate. For this purpose, a standard to characterize the deviation and a corresponding limit value are defined. Soft obstacles can also be taken into account when deciding on the deviation of the curve patterns.

In addition, values relating to external conditions, in particular pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air currents and/or wind, can be recorded, with which the reference driving forces of the respective floors are weighted in order to adapt the reference driving forces to changed external conditions without new measurements of the driving forces.

Claims (12)

1. Elevator system (10) comprising at least one elevator car (1), the elevator system (10) comprising at least one elevator door (2) and at least one door drive (3) for actuating the at least one elevator door (2), the door drive (3) having:

   - at least one sensor (4) for detecting a drive force (6a, 6b) of a door drive (3) of the elevator system (10), in particular for detecting the motor current,

   - at least one sensor unit (9) for detecting at least one external condition, in particular pressure conditions, temperature conditions, air flows and/or wind, and

   - an evaluation unit (5) which is designed to determine, on the basis of the detected drive force (6a, 6b), whether the measured drive force (6a, 6b) deviates from, in particular exceeds, a reference drive force (7a, 7b), wherein the reference drive force (7a, 7b) is determined by means of a reference measurement carried out by means of the sensor (4) and on the basis of the floor (15),

   wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed to take into account the at least one detected external condition when determining the floor-dependent reference drive force (7a, 7b), wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed such that, when the external conditions change, a corresponding other already saved reference drive force (7a, 7b) is used or a new determination of the reference drive force (7a, 7b) is triggered.
2. Elevator system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the elevator system (10), in particular the elevator car (1), comprises an adjustment unit (8), and the evaluation unit (5) and/or the adjustment unit (8) are designed such that, when the measured drive force (6a, 6b) exceeds the reference drive force (7a, 7b), a stop or a reversing movement of the elevator door (2) can be triggered.
3. Elevator system (10) according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor unit (9) is fixed to the elevator car (1).
4. Elevator system (10) according to either claim 1 or claim 2, comprising an elevator shaft, wherein the sensor unit (9) is fixed in the elevator shaft.
5. Elevator system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed to determine a floor-related reference drive force for each floor (15) by means of

   - a floor-related reference measurement of the drive force (6a, 6b) over the relevant closing time (16) and/or opening time, and

   - the at least one condition detected by means of the sensor unit (9).
6. Elevator system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed to determine whether an obstacle is in contact with the elevator door (2).
7. Elevator system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed such that

   - the drive force (6a, 6b) detected for the elevator door (2) arranged at a floor (15) or the reference drive force (7a, 7b) determined for this elevator door, and

   - the condition detected by means of the sensor unit (9)
   are or can be used to calculate the reference drive force (7a, 7b) of at least one further floor (15).
8. Elevator system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the evaluation unit (5) is designed such that the reference drive force (7a, 7b) can be stored in the evaluation unit (5), wherein the reference drive force (7a, 7b) is in the form of a reference drive curve or a value.
9. Method for operating an elevator system (10), in particular according to any of claims 1-8, comprising

   - detecting a floor-related drive force (6a, 6b), in particular the motor current, of a door drive (3) by means of a sensor (4),

   - detecting an external condition by means of a sensor unit (9) designed for this purpose,

   - determining a reference drive force (7a, 7b) per floor (15) by means of at least one reference measurement of the drive force (6a, 6b) and the detected external condition,

   - using another already stored reference drive force (7a, 7b) or triggering a new determination of the reference drive force (7a, 7b) when the external conditions change.
10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the reference drive force (7a, 7b) is determined on more than one floor (15) over the relevant closing time (16) and/or opening time.
11. Method according to either claim 9 or claim 10, comprising

    - measuring the drive force (6a), in particular the motor current, for opening and/or closing at least one elevator door using a sensor (4) during an opening and/or closing process carried out in normal operation,

    - comparing the measured drive force (6a, 6b) with the reference drive force (7a, 7b).
12. Method according to claim 11, wherein, after determining that the reference drive force (7a, 7b) exceeds the measured drive force (6a, 6b), the door is stopped and/or a reversing movement is triggered.

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