Elevator system having a measuring device for determining a position of an elevator car in an elevator shaft

• US 10,472,204 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cedes AG (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Cedes AG (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Rohr, Stephan, Giger, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Uhlir, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US15/484,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 187247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/28 electrical detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 ; control of electrical motor H02P
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3492 Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0018 Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 9/00 Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 3/1084 Tapes combined with arrangements for functions other than measuring lengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/34792 with only digital scales or both digital and incremental scales

Abstract

An elevator system having an elevator car in an elevator shaft and having a measuring tape in the elevator shaft for determining the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft. The measuring tape is arranged vertically in the elevator shaft and has optical coding for length measurement. At least one marking element which has optical marking is arranged on the measuring tape. The marking element is fixedly arranged on the measuring tape. A sensor device which comprises a lighting source and a sensor which form a detection field for detecting the measuring tape is attached to the elevator car. The elevator system comprises an evaluation device for decoding the codings in the detection field and a control device for controlling the elevator system as a function of the coding and/or of the position of the at least one marking element on the measuring tape.

Claims

1. An elevator system having an elevator car in an elevator shaft comprising:

a measuring tape for determining a position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft, which is arranged vertically in the elevator shaft, and has optical coding for length measurement;

at least one marking element that is arranged on the measuring tape and has optical coding;

a sensor device which is attached to the elevator car and comprises a lighting source and a sensor which form a detection field for detecting the measuring tape;

an evaluation device for decoding the codings in the detection field; and

a control device for controlling the elevator system as a function of the at least one marking element,

wherein the at least one marking element is fixedly arranged on the measuring tape,

wherein the optical coding of the at least one marking element has a same format as a format of the measuring tape,

wherein the optical coding of the at least one marking element corresponds to a length specification, and

wherein the optical coding of the at least one marking element has a value outside a length range of the measuring tape.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one marking element is attached to the measuring tape in a non-displaceable fashion.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the coding of the at least one marking element covers the coding of the measuring tape.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the coding of the measuring tape is formed from a plurality of successive position patterns.

5. The elevator system according to claim 4, wherein the coding of the at least one marking element is formed from one or more position patterns which are the same in format and arrangement as the position patterns of the measuring tape.

6. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one marking element is embodied as a clip to be fitted over the measuring tape, and/or is embodied to be sealed in order to provide proof of replacement and/or is embodied as an adhesive strip to be stuck onto the measuring tape.

7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one marking element has a characterization region for sensory identification of a property thereof through color, size, shape or labelling.

8. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the control device assigns different properties selected from a permissible maximum speed, an upper or lower shaft end, an upper or lower door zone, or door level to different examples of coding the at least one marking element by means of a table in a non-volatile memory in the control device.

9. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the elevator system

has a plurality of marking elements with different examples of coding on the measuring tape, the coding of which marking elements corresponds to coding for which a property is assigned in the control device, and/or

has on the measuring tape a marking element for a permissible maximum speed of the elevator car, which marking element is arranged under a marking element for a lower shaft end, and/or

has at specific positions on the measuring tape marking elements with a specific property for these positions in the elevator shaft selected from an upper shaft end and the lower shaft end, upper and lower inspection limits, upper and lower door zones and/or door levels.

10. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein in a delivery state the control device does not assign any position to different properties of the coding and/or limits a speed of the elevator car to a specific service speed.

11. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein

in a first learning journey of the elevator car with respect to a marking element for a maximum speed, the control device stores the maximum speed detected from a coding of said marking element in a memory, and

in a second learning journey via all marking elements for position specifications, the control device stores a property of said marking elements which is assigned to their code and an assigned detected position of the marking elements on the measuring tape in a memory and/or releases the elevator system for normal operation, and/or

in a normal operating state, the control device controls the elevator system as a function of the maximum speed, positions and assigned properties which are stored in its memory and have been read in from the marking elements.

13. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one marking element is attached to the measuring tape in a functionally locking or materially joined fashion.

14. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the coding of the at least one marking element has a value above the length range of the measuring tape by 1 km or 1.5 km.

15. The elevator system according to claim 4, wherein the successive position patterns are 2D codes.

16. The elevator system according claim 11, wherein in a delivery state the control device limits the speed of the elevator car to a speed lower than a permissible maximum speed in the normal operation state.

17. The elevator system according claim 10, wherein in the delivery state the control device limits the speed of the elevator car to 0.6 m/s.

12. A marking element with an attachment element for attachment to a measuring tape of an elevator system and having optical coding, wherein a marking element is designed to cover a coding of the measuring tape with its coding after the attachment to the measuring tape, and the coding of the marking element corresponds to a length specification of over 50 m, over 100 m, over 500 m, over 1 km, or over 1.5 km,

wherein the coding of the marking element has a same format as a format of the measuring tape, and

wherein the coding of the marking element has a value outside a length range of the measuring tape.