Adjustable multicar elevator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279591-B2
Application number	US-201816002431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A multicar elevator system includes a group of individually drivable elevator cars and two shafts coupled to each other with at least two transfer channels. The system further includes a control unit configured to operate the system in either of two operating modes, wherein in the first mode the group of elevator cars is arranged to travel to a first vertical direction in the first shaft and to another vertical direction in the second shaft through the transfer channels. In the second mode, a first sub-group of elevator cars are parked in one of the shafts and at least one elevator car belonging to a second sub-group of elevator cars is arranged to travel in the both vertical directions in the other shaft upon a call.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multicar elevator system comprising:
a group of individually drivable elevator cars; two shafts coupled to each other with at least two transfer channels; and
a control unit configured to control the elevator system to operate in either of two operating modes,
wherein:
in the first operating mode the group of elevator cars is arranged to travel to a first vertical direction in the first shaft and to another vertical direction in the second shaft and wherein each of the elevator cars is transferred between the shafts through the at least two transfer channels wherein the travel of the group of elevator cars is initiated upon a call,
in the second operating mode a first sub-group of elevator cars is arranged to be parked in one of the shafts and at least one elevator car belonging to a second sub-group of elevator cars is allowed to travel in any vertical direction in the other shaft upon a call, and
the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system, in the second operating mode, by instructing an adjustment of a number of elevator cars in the second sub-group.

2. The multicar elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the operation of the elevator system on a basis of a result of a cost function representing an operational state of the elevator system.

3. The multicar elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment is based on a comparison of the result of the cost function to at least one threshold value obtainable by the control unit.

4. The multicar elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to, in the second operating mode, to control the elevator system by instructing at least one of the elevator cars belonging to the second sub-group to transfer through one of the transfer channels to the one shaft if the at least one elevator car prevents an accomplishment of the call given to one other elevator car belonging to the second sub-group.

5. The multicar elevator system according to the claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in response to instructing the at least one of the elevator cars belonging to the second sub-group to transfer to the other shaft through the one of the transfer channels, to further control the elevator system by instructing at least one further elevator car being parked in the one shaft to transfer to the other shaft through the other transfer channel.

6. The multicar elevator system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system in the second mode so that at least one elevator car belonging to the second sub-group is instructed to serve a first portion of the other shaft and at least one other elevator car is instructed to serve a second portion of the other shaft wherein the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft overlap so that the elevator cars serve at least one common floor.

7. The multicar elevator system according to claim 2 , wherein the adjustment is based on a comparison of the result of the cost function to at least one threshold value obtainable by the control unit.

8. The multicar elevator system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to, in the second operating mode, to control the elevator system by instructing at least one of the elevator cars belonging to the second sub-group to transfer through one of the transfer channels to the one shaft if the at least one elevator car prevents an accomplishment of the call given to one other elevator car belonging to the second sub-group.

9. The multicar elevator system according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is further configured to, in the second operating mode, to control the elevator system by instructing at least one of the elevator cars belonging to the second sub-group to transfer through one of the transfer channels to the one shaft if the at least one elevator car prevents an accomplishment of the call given to one other elevator car belonging to the second sub-group.

10. The multicar elevator system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system in the second mode so that at least one elevator car belonging to the second sub-group is instructed to serve a first portion of the other shaft and at least one other elevator car is instructed to serve a second portion of the other shaft wherein the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft overlap so that the elevator cars serve at least one common floor.

11. The multicar elevator system according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system in the second mode so that at least one elevator car belonging to the second sub-group is instructed to serve a first portion of the other shaft and at least one other elevator car is instructed to serve a second portion of the other shaft wherein the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft overlap so that the elevator cars serve at least one common floor.

12. The multicar elevator system according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system in the second mode so that at least one elevator car belonging to the second sub-group is instructed to serve a first portion of the other shaft and at least one other elevator car is instructed to serve a second portion of the other shaft wherein the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft overlap so that the elevator cars serve at least one common floor.

13. The multicar elevator system according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the operation of the elevator system in the second mode so that at least one elevator car belonging to the second sub-group is instructed to serve a first portion of the other shaft and at least one other elevator car is instructed to serve a second portion of the other shaft wherein the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft overlap so that the elevator cars serve at least one common floor.

14. A method for controlling an operation of a multicar elevator system, the method comprising:
determining an operational state of the elevator system; and
controlling the operation of the elevator system by selecting an operating mode for the elevator system on the basis of the determined operational state of the elevator system, wherein the operating mode is selected between two operating modes,
wherein:
in the first operating mode the group of elevator cars is arranged to travel to a first vertical direction in the first shaft and to another vertical direction in the second shaft and wherein each of the elevator cars is transferred between the shafts through the at least two transfer channels wherein the travel of the group of elevator cars is initiated upon a call,
in the second operating mode a first sub-group of elevator cars is arranged to be parked in one of the shafts and at least one elevator car belonging to a second sub-group of elevator cars is allowed to travel in any vertical direction in the other shaft upon a call, and
in the second operating mode, controlling the operation of the elevator system, by instructing an adjustment of a number of elevator cars in the second sub-group.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Hänninen Ari
• Koivisto Ari

Classifications

• B66B1/2491

  For elevator systems with lateral transfers of cars or cabins between hoistways · CPC title

• B66B2201/404

  by cost function evaluation · CPC title

• B66B2201/241

  Standby control · CPC title

• B66B9/003

  for lateral transfer of car or frame, e.g. between vertical hoistways or to/from a parking position · CPC title

• B66B1/2466 Primary

  For elevator systems with multiple shafts and multiple cars per shaft · CPC title