ELEVATOR WITH A SAFETY ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CREATING A SAFE WORKING SPACE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE ELEVATOR SHAFT

• US 20180229966A1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: KARIMPANACKAL NATARAJAN, Nithil, Haivala, Markku, Kattainen, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 11,505,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/32 effective on braking devices , e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/3407 Setting or modification of parameters of the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/00 Aspects of control systems of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 3/002 Indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0056 by preventing crushing
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0068 by activating the safety brakes when the elevator car exceeds a certain upper or lower position in the elevator shaft
• 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

The invention relates to a method and arrangement for creating a safe working space in the upper part of an elevator shaft. The solution comprises a number of safety levels with pre-defined clearances and triggering limits for safety operations in order to create a safety space zone at the upper part of the elevator shaft by stopping the upwards movement of the elevator car, when the elevator is in the inspection or maintenance mode, with actions which are arranged to become more and more effective and definitive safety level by safety level.

Claims

1. Elevator with a safety arrangement for creating a safe working space in the upper part of an elevator shaft equipped with a ceiling, a bottom and side walls, which elevator comprises at least an elevator operating system, control system, a safety system and an inspection or maintenance mode, and an elevator car arranged to run in the elevator shaft along guide rails, a counterweight connected to the elevator car with hoisting ropes from above, a hoisting machinery in the upper part of the elevator shaft with operating brakes, and at least an arrangement to monitor the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft, wherein the safety arrangement comprises a number of safety levels with pre-defined clearances and triggering limits for safety operations in order to create a safety space zone at the upper part of the elevator shaft by stopping the upwards movement of the elevator car, when the elevator is in the inspection or maintenance mode, with actions which are arranged to become more and more effective and definitive safety level by safety level.

2. Elevator according to claim 1, wherein the first safety level comprises a first pre-defined clearance with a first triggering limit at its lower edge, the second safety level comprises a second pre-defined clearance with a second triggering limit at its lower edge, and the third safety level comprises a third pre-defined clearance with a third triggering limit at its lower edge, and that the length of the first clearance is bigger than the length of the second clearance, and further the length of the second clearance is bigger than the length of the third clearance.

3. Elevator according to claim 2, wherein the pre-defined clearance is a minimum distance on each safety level between the roof of the elevator car and the ceiling of the elevator shaft.

4. Elevator according to claim 1, wherein the elevator comprises two independent sensor systems and to monitor the actual position of the elevator car with respect to the ceiling of the elevator shaft.

5. Elevator according to claim 4, wherein the elevator comprises activating means for safety level to activate an alarm device in case the first triggering limit is crossed by the elevator car at the lower edge of the first clearance.

6. Elevator according to claim 4, wherein the elevator comprises activating means for safety level to activate the safety circuit of the elevator and the operation brakes of the elevator machinery in case the second triggering limit is crossed by the elevator car at the lower edge of the second clearance.

7. Elevator according to claim 4, whereinthe elevator comprises activating means for safety level to activate the safety gear system of the elevator in case the third triggering limit is crossed by the elevator car at the lower edge of the third clearance.

8. Method for creating a safe working space in the upper part of an elevator shaft equipped with a ceiling, a bottom and side walls, which elevator comprises at least an elevator operating system, control system, a safety system and an inspection or maintenance mode, and an elevator car that is arranged to run in the elevator shaft along guide rails, a counterweight connected to the elevator car with hoisting ropes from above, and a hoisting machinery in the upper part of the elevator shaft with operating brakes, and in which method the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft is monitored with a position control arrangement, wherein a safety space zone with a number of safety levels with pre-defined clearances and triggering limits for progressively strengthening safety operations is created at the upper part of the elevator shaft for the elevator that is in the inspection or maintenance mode.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein in the direction of the movement of the elevator car the first pre-defined clearance with the first triggering limit at its lower edge is set as the largest clearance of the pre-defined clearances, and in the same direction the second pre-defined clearance with the second triggering limit at its lower edge is set as the second largest clearance of the pre-defined clearances, and in the same direction the third pre-defined clearance with the third triggering limit at its lower edge is set as the shortest clearance of the pre-defined clearances.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein the need for a safety working space is monitored with an entry triggering system and when the entry triggering system is triggered the safety space zone is created by using elevator car position data collected from two independent position sensor systems and activating means of the elevator control system to activate progressively strengthening safety operations to prevent the elevator car from moving upwards.

11. Method according to claim 8, wherein the method comprises at least following steps:

the movement and the position of the elevator car is continuously monitored by the two independent position sensor systems,

if the monitored position of the elevator car crosses the first triggering limit, the crossing is detected by the position sensor systems, and the detected information is sent to the elevator control system, and an alarm is activated through an appropriate alarm device for stopping the upwards movement of the elevator car manually,

the movement and the position of the elevator car is continuously monitored by the two independent position sensor systems,

if the monitored position of the elevator car crosses the second triggering limit, the detected information is sent to the elevator control system, and the electrical safety circuit of the elevator is activated to switch off the power of the elevator motor, and the operating brakes of the elevator machinery are activated to stop the upwards movement of the elevator car,

the movement and the position of the elevator car is continuously monitored by the two independent position sensor systems,

if the monitored position of the elevator car crosses the third triggering limit, the detected information is sent to the elevator control system, and the safety gear system of the elevator is activated to stop the upwards movement of the elevator car and to lock the elevator car into the guide rails.