Active damping of a hovering elevator car based on vertical oscillation of the hovering elevator car

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099894-B2
Application number	US-201314772211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A system and a method are provided for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing. The system includes a sensor, a controller and an elevator machine connected to a traction sheave. The sensor is adapted to provide a sensor signal indicative of rotation of the traction sheave, wherein the rotation of the traction sheave corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car. The controller is adapted to provide a control signal based on the sensor signal. The elevator machine is adapted to reduce the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car by controlling the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing, the system comprising:
a traction sheave;
a sensor adapted to provide a sensor signal indicative of rotation of the traction sheave, wherein the rotation of the traction sheave corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car;
a controller adapted to provide a control signal based on the sensor signal; and
an elevator machine connected to the traction sheave, and adapted to reduce the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car by controlling the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal;
wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal towards a baseline;
wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal to within a baseline range that includes the baseline; and
wherein the sensor signal oscillates within the baseline range.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein sensor signal is indicative of an angular position of the traction sheave, and the baseline is indicative of an angular baseline position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of an angular velocity of the traction sheave, and the baseline is indicative of a substantially zero angular velocity.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal to the baseline.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the elevator machine includes a brake;
the controller is adapted to signal the brake to substantially prevent rotation of the traction sheave where the hovering elevator car is at an upper floor; and
the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the hovering elevator car is at a lower floor located vertically below the upper floor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the elevator machine includes a brake;
the controller is adapted to signal the brake to substantially prevent rotation of the traction sheave where a door of the hovering elevator car is closed; and
the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the door of the hovering elevator car is open.

7. A system for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing, the system comprising:
a traction sheave;
a sensor adapted to provide a sensor signal indicative of rotation of the traction sheave, wherein the rotation of the traction sheave corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car;
a controller adapted to provide a control signal based on the sensor signal; and
an elevator machine connected to the traction sheave, and adapted to reduce the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car by controlling the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal;
wherein the elevator machine includes a brake; and
wherein the controller is adapted to signal the brake to substantially prevent rotation of the traction sheave where
the sensor signal is within a threshold range, wherein the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the sensor signal is outside of the threshold range; and/or
the hovering elevator car is at an upper floor, wherein the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the hovering elevator car is at a lower floor located vertically below the upper floor; and/or
a door of the hovering elevator car is closed, wherein the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the door of the hovering elevator car is open; and/or
change in a weight of the hovering elevator car is below a threshold, wherein the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the change in the weight of the hovering elevator car is above the threshold; and/or
the elevator machine has been controlling the rotation of the traction sheave more than a predetermined period of time.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the elevator machine includes a brake;
the controller is adapted to signal the brake to substantially prevent rotation of the traction sheave where change in a weight of the hovering elevator car is below a threshold; and
the controller is adapted to provide the control signal to the elevator machine where the change in the weight of the hovering elevator car is above the threshold.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein
the elevator machine includes a brake; and
the controller is adapted to signal the brake to substantially prevent rotation of the traction sheave where the elevator machine has been controlling the rotation of the traction sheave more than a predetermined period of time.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a rotor sensor, a car sensor and a counterweight sensor.

11. A method for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing, wherein rotation of a traction sheave connected to an elevator machine corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car, the method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal indicative of the rotation of the traction sheave;
processing the sensor signal with a controller to provide a control signal to the elevator machine; and
reducing the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car by controlling the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine based on the control signal;
wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal towards a baseline;
wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal to within a baseline range that includes the baseline; and
wherein the sensor signal oscillates within the baseline range.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein sensor signal is indicative of an angular position of the traction sheave, and the baseline is indicative of an angular baseline position.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sensor signal is indicative of an angular velocity of the traction sheave, and the baseline is indicative of a substantially zero angular velocity.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the controlling of the rotation of the traction sheave with the elevator machine drives the sensor signal to the baseline.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
substantially preventing rotation of the traction sheave with a brake where the hovering elevator car is at an upper floor;
wherein the elevator machine controls the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal where the hovering elevator car is at a lower floor that is located below the upper floor.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
substantially preventing rotation of the traction sheave with a brake where a door of the hovering elevator car is closed;
wherein the elevator machine controls the rotation of the traction sheave based on the control signal where the door of the hovering elevator car is open.

17. A method for damping vertical oscillations of an elevator car hovering at an elevator landing, wherein rotation of a traction sheave connected to an elevator machine corresponds to the vertical oscillations of the hovering elevator car, the method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal indicative of the rotation of the traction sheave;
processing the sensor signa

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Roberts Randall K
• Lotfi Amir
• Agirman Ismail

Classifications

• B66B1/40 Primary

  and for correct levelling at landings · CPC title

• B66B1/28

  electrical (detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 {; control of electrical motor H02P}) · CPC title

• B66B1/3492

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

• B66B1/44 Primary

  and for taking account of disturbance factors, e.g. variation of load weight · CPC title