Distributed control system for an elevator system

• US 8,230,977 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thyssenkrupp Elevator Innovation And Operations AG
• Original Assignee: Thyssenkrupp Elevator AG (TK Elevator Corporation)
• Inventors: Thumm, Gerhard, Hänle, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/448,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20090277724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/248, 187/249, 187/289, 187/293, 187/296, 187/297, 187391-394
• US Class Current: 187/247
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/285 with the use of a speed pattern generator
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons

Abstract

An elevator system including an elevator shaft and at least one elevator cab which can move in the elevator shaft. The elevator system has a distributed control system having a first evaluation unit, respectively associated with the at least one elevator cab, and has at least one second evaluation unit, associated with the elevator shaft. A bus link connects the first evaluation unit and the at least one second evaluation unit to one another. The first evaluation unit has a set of limit curves containing limit curves for the actuation of a braking device and/or a safety gripping device that are calculated and scaled in line with a current operating state, the first evaluation unit being configured to trigger the safety gripping device or the braking device if one of the limit curves is exceeded. Defined ends of the limit curves limit a scope of movement for the at least one elevator cab.

Claims

1. An elevator system having an elevator shaft and at least one elevator cab which can move in the elevator shaft, the elevator system comprising:

a distributed control system having a first evaluation unit, respectively associated with the at least one elevator cab, and has at least one second evaluation unit, associated with the elevator shaft;

a bus link connecting the first evaluation unit and the at least one second evaluation unit to one another;

the first evaluation unit comprising a set of limit curves containing limit curves for the actuation of a braking device and/or a safety gripping device that are calculated and scaled in line with a current operating state, the first evaluation unit being configured to trigger the safety gripping device or the braking device if one of the limit curves is exceeded; and

wherein defined ends of the limit curves limit a scope of movement for the at least one elevator cab.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein signal transmission takes place via the bus link using a safety protocol, so that safety-related data transmission is possible between the evaluation units, so that possible transmission errors are detected and reconstructible.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein two or more elevator cabs can move independently of one another in an elevator shaft, and wherein each elevator cab has an associated dedicated first evaluation unit.

4. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein the safety protocol is in a form such that transmission errors are detected.

5. The elevator system according to claim 2, wherein the safety protocol is in a form such that data corruption is indicated.

6. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the first evaluation unit associated with the at least one elevator cab is connected to sensors for safe position and speed sensing for the elevator cab.

7. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the first evaluation unit associated with the at least one elevator cab is connected to sensors for safe acceleration sensing for the at least one elevator cab.

8. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the first evaluation unit associated with the at least one elevator cab is connected for communication purposes to at least one safety switch and allows the at least one safety switch to be read onto the first evaluation unit.

9. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the first evaluation unit associated with the at least one elevator cab is connected for communication purposes to at least one safety device of the elevator system and allows the safety device to be read onto the first evaluation unit.

10. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the braking device and the safety gripping device are actuated by the first evaluation unit and/or the at least one second evaluation unit.

11. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second evaluation unit is connected to an operator console in the form of a man/machine interface.

12. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second evaluation unit is connected to a drive of the elevator system.

13. The elevator system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one second evaluation unit is connected to a frequency converter of the drive.

14. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second evaluation unit is connected to safety devices in a pit of the elevator shaft.

15. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second evaluation unit is connected to an external control room or control center.

16. The elevator system according to claim 1, wherein the bus link is a serial bus link.

17. The elevator system according to claim 1, and further comprising additional evaluation units, wherein every one of the additional evaluation units is connected to the bus link for signal transmission purposes and allows actuation of safety devices of the elevator system.

18. The elevator system according to claim 17, wherein each one of the additional evaluation unit is connected for communication purposes to safety devices and allows the safety devices to be read onto the additional evaluation units.

19. The elevator system according to claim 17, wherein the bus link has at least two physically separate channels, and the first evaluation unit, the at least one second evaluation unit and the additional evaluation units are equipped with at least a number of processors which corresponds to the number of channels.

20. A method for controlling an elevator system, comprising the steps of:

a first evaluation unit calculating and scaling at least one limit curve in line with a current operating state, wherein the at least one limit curve associates an associated speed with an arbitrary position for an elevator cab in an elevator shaft;

controlling the elevator cab in line with the respective values of the at least one limit curve; and

triggering by the first evaluation unit a safety gripping device or a braking device if one, of the at least one limit curve is exceeded, and defined ends of the at least one limit curve limiting a scope of movement for the elevator cab.

21. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 20, and further comprising the step of comparing the at least one limit curve with measured values from sensors for safely sensing the position and speed of the elevator cab.

22. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 20, and further comprising the step of introducing predefined safety measures in response to the comparison of the at least one limit curve with measured values from sensors for safely sensing the position and speed of the elevator cab.

23. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 20, wherein the at least one limit curve comprises at least a trigger curve and a stopping limit curve.

24. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 22, wherein the predefined safety measures comprise triggering of safety devices as soon as the measured values from the sensors for safely sensing the position and speed of the elevator cab exceed the at least one limit curve or the trigger or stopping limit curve at the respective position in the elevator shaft, so that the elevator cab is stopped within a section of the elevator shaft which is defined by the stopping limit curve.

25. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 20, wherein the elevator system is controlled by a bus link and the elevator system comprises a plurality of elevator cabs, wherein each elevator cab is controlled independently of the remaining elevator cars and one of the plurality of the elevator cabs is moved in a respective section of the elevator shaft which is at least currently unused by the other elevator cabs.

26. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 25, wherein if the shaft door at a station is not locked then the elevator cab is moved only in a section of the elevator shaft beneath the shaft door which is not locked or the elevator cab is stopped in a region beneath the unlocked shaft door.

27. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of elevator cabs are controlled by calculating limit curves.

28. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 27, wherein the control of the elevator cabs comprises collision prevention, with the interval between the plurality of elevator cabs in the elevator shaft being calculated and the at least one limit curve for each elevator cab being calculated in order to prevent elevator cabs from colliding.

29. The method for controlling an elevator system according to claim 20, and further comprising the steps of:

triggering of safety devices of at least one associated elevator cab if the at least one elevator cab loses the connection to the bus link; and

moving the remaining elevator cabs to predetermined positions.