Positioning apparatus, elevator and a method for determining the position of an elevator car by using classified position identifiers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040664-B2
Application number	US-201514816890-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A positioning apparatus for an elevator car, an elevator and also a method for determining the position of an elevator car are disclosed. The positioning apparatus for an elevator car includes a plurality of position identifiers possessing a readable physical property, which position identifiers are disposed by the side of the trajectory of the elevator car and also a reader device installed on the elevator car for reading a physical property of the position identifiers. The aforementioned readable physical property of a position identifier is adapted to classify each position identifier according to the intended use of the position identifier into one of two or more optional classes, and in the position identifiers belonging to at least one aforementioned class the same physical property is additionally adapted to indicate the linear position of the elevator car.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A positioning apparatus for an elevator car, comprising:
a plurality of position identifiers possessing a readable physical property, the plurality of position identifiers being disposed by the side of the trajectory of the elevator car; and
a reader device installed on the elevator car for reading the physical property of the plurality of position identifiers, all of the plurality of position identifiers being disposed on a same side of the elevator car to be readable by the same reader device;
wherein the plurality of position identifiers are classified into two or more optional classes based on intended uses of the plurality of position identifiers, readings of the physical property from position identifiers belong to different optional classes by the same reader device are distinguishable from each other in order to identify respective optional class, and
wherein the same readings of the physical property from position identifiers belonging to at least one of the two or more optional classes by the same reader device additionally indicate a linear position of the elevator car.

2. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the readable physical property varies in the position identifier in the direction of the trajectory of the elevator car.

3. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reader device comprises a plurality of sensors that are disposed consecutively and are configured to read the readable physical property.

4. The positioning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the sensors form sensor pairs, which are disposed consecutively at uniform intervals.

5. The positioning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reader device comprises a processor, which is connected to the sensors; and
wherein the reader device comprises a memory, in which a program to be executed by the processor has been recorded, wherein the processor is configured:
to read the measuring data of the sensors,
to classify the position identifier on the basis of the measuring data being read from the sensors and, if the class of the position identifier fulfills a preselected criterion,
to calculate the linear position of the elevator car on the basis of the measuring data being read from the sensors.

6. The positioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the class of the position identifier comprises two or more of the following:
top end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
bottom end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
stopping floor identifier;
top floor identifier;
bottom floor identifier;
servicing space identifier; and
identifier of reference point between stopping floors.

7. An elevator, comprising:
an elevator car adapted to be movable along a trajectory determined by guide rails; and
an electric drive for driving the elevator car,
wherein the elevator comprises the positioning apparatus according to claim 1 for determining the location of the elevator car.

8. A method for determining the position of an elevator car with the positioning apparatus according to claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
reading a physical property of a position identifier with the reader device; and
classifying the position identifier, on the basis of the physical property read, according to the intended use of the position identifier.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
if classification of the position identifier does not succeed, removing the elevator from service.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
determining otherwise the location on the trajectory of the elevator on the basis of the class of the position identifier.

11. The method according claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
if the class of the position identifier fulfills a preselected criterion, calculating the linear position of the elevator car on the basis of the readable physical property of the position identifier.

12. The positioning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the reader device comprises a plurality of sensors that are disposed consecutively and are configured to read the readable physical property.

13. The positioning apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the reader device comprises a processor, which is connected to the sensors; and
wherein the reader device comprises a memory, in which a program to be executed by the processor has been recorded, wherein the processor is configured:
to read the measuring data of the sensors,
to classify the position identifier on the basis of the measuring data being read from the sensors and, if the class of the position identifier fulfills a preselected criterion,
to calculate the linear position of the elevator car on the basis of the measuring data being read from the sensors.

14. The positioning apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the class of the position identifier comprises two or more of the following:
top end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
bottom end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
stopping floor identifier;
top floor identifier;
bottom floor identifier;
servicing space identifier; and
identifier of reference point between stopping floors.

15. The positioning apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the class of the position identifier comprises two or more of the following:
top end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
bottom end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
stopping floor identifier;
top floor identifier;
bottom floor identifier;
servicing space identifier; and
identifier of reference point between stopping floors.

16. The positioning apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the class of the position identifier comprises two or more of the following:
top end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
bottom end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
stopping floor identifier;
top floor identifier;
bottom floor identifier;
servicing space identifier; and
identifier of reference point between stopping floors.

17. The positioning apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the class of the position identifier comprises two or more of the following:
top end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
bottom end limit identifier of elevator car trajectory;
stopping floor identifier;
top floor identifier;
bottom floor identifier;
servicing space identifier; and
identifier of reference point between stopping floors.

18. An elevator, comprising:
an elevator car adapted to be movable along a trajectory determined by guide rails; and
an electric drive for driving the elevator car,
wherein the elevator comprises the positioning apparatus according to claim 2 for determining the location of the elevator car.

19. A positioning apparatus for an elevator car, comprising:
a plurality of position identifiers possessing a readable physical property, the plurality of position identifiers being disposed by the side of the trajectory of the elevator car; and
a reader device installed on the elevator car for reading the physical property of the position identifiers,
wherein the readable physical property of a position identifier is adapted to classify each position identifier according to the intended use of the position identifier into one of two or more optional classes,
wherein in the position identifiers belonging to at least one of the two or more optional classes, the same physical property is additionally adapted to ind

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Kangas Petteri

Classifications

• B66B1/50

  with operating or control mechanisms mounted in the car or cage or in the lift well or hoistway · CPC title

• B66B1/3492 Primary

  Position or motion detectors or driving means for the detector (B66B1/40, B66B1/50 take precedence; length measuring G01B; speed measuring G01P) · CPC title

• B66B3/02

  Position or depth indicators · CPC title

• B66B1/48

  Adaptations of mechanically-operated limit switches (for cranes B66C13/50; for winding mechanisms B66D1/56) · CPC title

• B66B5/02

  responsive to abnormal operating conditions · CPC title