Locking system for elevator car door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124388-B2
Application number	US-201615748694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A locking system that locks and unlocks a door of an elevator car travelling along a track having stopping points and associated stopping point zones includes a lock mechanism having a locking position wherein the door is immobilized in a closed position and an unlocking position wherein the door can be opened, an actuator for bringing the lock mechanism into the locking and unlocking positions, and a control device activating the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocking position when the car is located in the region of a stopping point zone. A position detecting unit continuously detects the position of the car relative to the track and communicates the position to the control device that continuously detects whether the car is located in the region of a stopping point zone by comparing the communicated car position to stored position limit values of the stopping point zones.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locking system for locking and unlocking a car door of an elevator car of an elevator system, in which elevator system the elevator car travels along an elevator track having stopping points and associated stopping point zones, comprising:
a lock mechanism having a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein the car door in the locking position of the lock mechanism is immobilized in a closed position and can be opened in the unlocking position of the lock mechanism;
an actuator for bringing the lock mechanism into the locking position and the unlocking position;
a control device for controlling the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocking position when at least a condition is met that the elevator car is located in a region of one of the stopping point zones; and
a position detecting unit which continuously detects a current position of the elevator car relative to the elevator track and communicates the position to the control device, the control device continuously detecting whether the condition that the elevator car is located in the region of one of the stopping point zones is met by comparing the current position of the elevator car communicated by the position detecting unit to stored position limit values of the stopping point zones, and where the position detecting unit also continuously detects the current position of the elevator car as an input for a drive control of the elevator car.

2. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the stored position limit values of the stopping point zones are at least one of adjustable and changeable by a programming device.

3. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the position detecting unit includes a measuring tape with a code extending along an entire length of the elevator track and a detector mounted on the elevator car for detecting the code of the measuring tape.

4. The locking system according to claim 3 wherein the code of the measuring tape is configured such that absolute values of the position of the elevator car can be detected by the detector or by the control device.

5. The locking system according to claim 3 wherein the code of the measuring tape is formed as a Manchester code in which an absolute position of the detector and the elevator car can be derived from a simultaneous detection of a plurality of successive code marks, each of the code marks having one of two detectable different properties.

6. The locking system according to claim 3 wherein the measuring tape is a steel strip which has the code as magnetic code marks formed by zones of the steel strip magnetized as north poles and south poles.

7. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the actuator by which the lock mechanism is brought into the locking position and the unlocking position includes an electrically controllable solenoid.

8. The locking system according to claim 7 wherein the solenoid is a bistable solenoid.

9. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the control device causes the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocking position when at least an additional condition is met that a stop of the elevator car is planned at a next stopping point in a direction of travel of the elevator car.

10. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the control device causes the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocking position when at least an additional condition is met that a traveling speed of the elevator car has decreased to a defined maximum value.

11. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the control device causes the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the locking position when at least both conditions are met that a drive command is pending for the elevator car and that the car door is closed.

12. The locking system according to claim 1 wherein the control device in a presence of defined safety conditions permits the unlocking position of the lock mechanism to be effected by a person using least one unlocking switch from at least one position in the elevator system.

13. The locking system according to claim 1 including at least one emergency power system that in an event of a power failure enables the locking mechanism to be brought to the unlocking position by the control device or by an unlocking switch.

14. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator car having a car door, the elevator car travelling along an elevator track having stopping points and associated stopping point zones; and
a locking system for locking and unlocking the car door including,
a lock mechanism having a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein the car door in the locking position of the lock mechanism is immobilized in a closed position and can be opened in the unlocking position of the lock mechanism;
an actuator for bringing the lock mechanism into the locking position and the unlocking position;
a control device for controlling the actuator to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocking position when at least a condition is met that the elevator car is located in a region of one of the stopping point zones; and
a position detecting unit which continuously detects a current position of the elevator car relative to the elevator track and communicates the position to the control device, the control device continuously detecting whether the condition that the elevator car is located in the region of one of the stopping point zones is met by comparing the current position of the elevator car communicated by the position detecting unit to stored position limit values of the stopping point zones, and wherein the position detecting unit also continuously detects the current position of the elevator car as an input for a drive control of the elevator car.

Assignees

• Inventio Ag

Inventors

• Birrer Eric
• Gremaud Nicolas
• Geisshusler Michael

Classifications

• B66B13/165 Primary

  electrical · CPC title

• B66B13/143

  electrical · 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