Method for operating a lift system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703607-B2
Application number	US-201615550404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A method for operating an elevator system with a car that moves in an elevator shaft may involve detecting an operating parameter related to a change in loading of the car, ascertaining whether a position of the car relative to a stopping floor needs to be adjusted based on the operating parameter, determining times at which the car is to be stopped and at which the adjustment is to be performed, stopping the car and blocking a flow of energy of a drive of the car and/or activating a service brake as the car is being stopped and/or while the car is stopped, and adjusting the position of the car if necessary. Further, whether the adjustment is necessary may be ascertained before the car is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating an elevator system comprising a car that is moved in an elevator shaft, the method comprising:
detecting an operating parameter related to a change in loading of the car;
ascertaining whether an adjustment of a position of the car relative to a destination floor is necessary based on the operating parameter;
if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary, determining a first time at which the adjustment is to be performed;
determining a second time at which the car is to be stopped;
determining the first and second times before bringing the car to rest at the destination floor, wherein each of the first and second times is determined relative to an absolute time or relative to a time period during which the car is at rest at the destination floor;
stopping the car at the destination floor by at least one of blocking a flow of energy of a drive of the car or activating a service brake; and
if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary, adjusting the position of the car to the destination floor whereby the position of the car in the elevator shaft relative to the destination floor is set,
wherein whether the adjustment is necessary is ascertained before the car is stopped.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the operating parameter and ascertaining whether the adjustment is necessary occur before the car is brought to rest at the destination floor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary the car is adjusted before the car is stopped.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising ascertaining an anticipated change in loading of the car based on the detected operating parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the car is stopped after the adjustment in accordance with the anticipated change in loading that is ascertained.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein to ascertain whether the adjustment is necessary the operating parameter is compared to a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter comprises at least one of:
a first change in load by way of which a load of the car at the destination floor is reduced;
a second change in load by way of which the load of the car at the destination floor is increased;
a first number of passengers that leave the car at the destination floor; or
a second number of passengers that enter the car at the destination floor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary, the car is adjusted from a beginning of the time period, throughout the time period, and up until an end of the time period, wherein the car is stopped at the end of the time period.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a beginning of the time period corresponds to the first time, at which point the adjustment is performed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second time follows an end of the adjustment.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a beginning of the time period during which the car is at rest at the destination floor is determined as the second time, at which point the car is stopped.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first time, at which point the adjustment is performed, follows an end of a stop of the car.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein if the adjustment is ascertained to be unnecessary, a beginning of the time period is determined as the second time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter is at least one of:
determined by way of a destination selection controller of the elevator system;
determined by way of an occupancy profile of the elevator system;
is fixedly configured and the adjustment is always performed at a predetermined destination floor;
determined by way of a person- and/or load-specific sensor signal; or
determined by way of a load measurement of the car.

15. The method of claim 1 comprising limiting the stopping of the car to once per destination floor.

16. An elevator system comprising:
a car that is movable in an elevator shaft; and
a control unit that
detects an operating parameter related to a change in loading of the car,
ascertains whether an adjustment of a position of the car relative to a destination floor is necessary based on the operating parameter,
if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary, determines a first time at which the adjustment is to be performed,
determines a second time at which the car is to be stopped,
determines the first and second times before bringing the car to rest at the destination floor, wherein each of the first and second times is determined relative to an absolute time or relative to a time period during which the car is at rest at the destination floor,
stops the car at the destination floor by at least one of blocking a flow of energy of a drive of the car or activating a service brake, and
if the adjustment is ascertained to be necessary, adjusts the position of the car to the destination floor whereby the position of the car in the elevator shaft relative to the destination floor is set.

17. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the control unit is configured so as to stop the car only once per destination floor.

18. A method for operating an elevator system comprising a car that is moved in an elevator shaft,
wherein the car is brought to rest at a destination floor;
wherein the car is stopped at the destination floor, the stopping of the car involving a flow of energy being blocked and/or a service brake being activated, wherein in a case of the flow of energy being blocked a flow of energy of a drive of the car is blocked;
wherein if adjustment is required a position of the car is adjusted to the destination floor, wherein the car position in the elevator shaft relative to the destination floor is set during a course of the adjustment;
wherein at least one operating parameter that relates to a change in loading of the car is detected;
wherein depending on the at least one operating parameter at least before the car is stopped, it is ascertained whether adjustment to the destination floor is required;
wherein if it is ascertained that adjustment is required, a first time at which the adjustment is carried out is determined, and a second time at which the car is stopped is determined before bringing the car to rest at the destination floor, and
wherein each of the first and second times is determined relative to an absolute time or relative to a time period during which the car is at rest at the destination floor.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising limiting the stopping of the car to once per destination floor.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Elevator Ag
• Thyssenkrup Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Altenburger Bernd

Classifications

• B66B1/44

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

• B66B1/40 Primary

  and for correct levelling at landings · CPC title

• B66B5/02

  responsive to abnormal operating conditions · CPC title

• B66B9/00

  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) · CPC title

• B66B5/0018

  Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system · CPC title