ELEVATOR SYSTEM WITH SPACING CONTROL

• US 20110031069A1
• Filed: 12/08/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Kocher, Hans, Wurzbacher, Jan André
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons
• 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

Abstract

Lift system (10) with a lower lift cage (K1), an upper lift cage (K2), at least one counterweight (12), and support means (TA, TB) for supporting the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2). The support means (TB) for supporting the lower lift cage (K1) are led downwardly in the lift shaft (11) laterally along the upper lift cage (K2). Drive means for driving the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2) are present. Arranged at the upper lift cage (K2) is a first incremental transmitter (I1) which interacts with one of the support means (TB) and supplies information about a change in the spacing (D) between the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2).

Claims

1. Lift system (10) with

a lower lift cage (K1),

an upper lift cage (K2),

at least one counterweight (12),

support means (TA, TB) for supporting the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2), wherein at least one support means (TB) for supporting the lower lift cage (K1) is led downwardly in the lift shaft (11) laterally along the upper lift cage (K2),

drive means for driving the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2), and

a common lift shaft (11) in which the upper lift cage (K2) and the lower lift cage (K1) vertically move independently of one another,

characterised in that

arranged at the upper lift cage (K2) is a first incremental transmitter (I1) which interacts with a support means (TB) for supporting the lift cage (K1) and supplies to the upper lift cage (K2) information about a change in the spacing (D) between the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2).

2. Lift system (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the upper lift cage (K2) has at least one lower cable (SA, SB) which is led downwardly in the lift shaft (11) laterally along the lower lift cage (K1), wherein arranged at the lower lift cage (K1) is a second incremental transmitter (I2) which interacts with the at least one lower cable (SA) of the upper lift cage (K2) and supplies to the lower lift cage (K1) information about a change in the spacing (D) between the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2).

3. Lift system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the lift system (10) comprises means for controlling the spacing (D) between the lower and upper lift cages (K1, K2), wherein these means comprise a vertically extending code strip (C1, C2) fastened in the lift shaft (11) as well as a first code reader (L1) at the lower lift cage (K1) and a second code reader (L2) at the upper lift cage (K2).

4. Lift system (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that the lower lift cage (K1) comprises a first safety unit (S1) and the upper lift cage (K2) a second safety unit (S2), wherein the first safety unit (S1) obtains information (Ic) from the first code reader (L1) and information (Ir) from the second incremental transmitter (12) of the lower lift cage (K1) and the second safety unit (S2) obtains information (Ic) from the second code reader (L2) and information (Ir) from the first incremental transmitter (11) of the upper lift cage (K2).

5. Lift system (10) according to claim 1 to 4, characterised in that the lower lift cage (K1) is suspended at two separate mutually opposite fastening regions (15.1, 15.11) to be laterally balanced.

6. Lift system (10) according to claim 1 to 5, characterised in that the upper lift cage (K2) is suspended in a central upper fastening region (15.2, 15.22) at an end of the support means run (TA).

7. Lift system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the incremental transmitters (11, 12) each comprise at least one roller (20.1, 20.2), preferably a friction wheel, which can be set into rotation by the respective support means (TB), which run past, for supporting the lower lift cage (K1) or by the lower cable (SA) of the upper lift cage (K2).

8. Lift system (10) according to claim 7, characterised in that a decoder (21), preferably an angle decoder, is provided at the roller (20.1, 20.2), the decoder detecting rotations (R) of the roller (20.1, 20.2) and transmitting corresponding information (Ir) to a safety unit (S1, S2) of the respective lift cage (K1, K2).

9. Lift system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that a code strip (C1, C2) is provided for each lift cage (K1, K2) and wherein the code reader (L1, L2) contactlessly, preferably optically or magnetically, scans the respective code strip (C1, C2), wherein the first code reader (L1) supplies the first safety unit (S1) with information (Ic) about the instantaneous absolute position (L1ist) and the instantaneous speed (V1list) of the lower lift cage (K1) and wherein the second code reader (L2) supplies the second safety unit (S2) with information (Ic) about the instantaneous absolute position (L2ist) and the instantaneous speed (V2ist) of the upper lift cage.

10. Lift system (10) according to claim 9, characterised in that

a first speed limiter (G1) controllable by the first safety unit (S1) is provided at the lower lift cage (K1), wherein the first safety unit (S1) triggers the first speed limiter (G1) if the instantaneous speed (V1ist) of the lower lift cage (K1) falls below a maximum permissible limit value (Vmax) and

a second speed limiter (G2) controllable by the second safety unit (S2) is provided at the upper lift cage (K2), wherein the second safety unit (S2) triggers the first speed limiter (G1) if the instantaneous speed (V2ist) of the upper lift cage (K2) falls below a maximum permissible limit value (Vmax).

11. Lift system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, characterised in that a laser distance measuring device (30) is provided for each lift cage (K1, K2) and measures the spacing (D) from the respective other lift cage (K1, K2) and/or the spacing from a shaft end.