Method and an elevator system for performing a synchronization run of an elevator car

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304775-B2
Application number	US-201916530001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2019
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A method for performing a synchronization run for an elevator car stopped between floors—upon initiating the synchronization run, driving the elevator car at a low speed in order to detect a first magnet of the elevator shaft, detecting the first magnet of the elevator shaft, comparing the identification code of the detected first magnet to stored pre-information in order to identify the detected first magnet, in response to identification of the first magnet, generating a control signal to the elevator car to travel up to an elevator rated speed, and driving an elevator car with an elevator rated speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for performing a synchronization run of an elevator car stopped between floors, the method comprising:
upon initiating the synchronization run, driving the elevator car at a low speed in an elevator shaft,
detecting a first magnet fixed to the elevator shaft,
comparing an identification code of the detected first magnet to stored pre-information to identify the detected first magnet,
in response to identification of the detected first magnet, generating a control signal to the elevator car to raise elevator speed,
continuously obtaining pulse position information of the elevator car, and
defining absolute position information of the elevator car by adding a predefined correction value to the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car, wherein the predefined correction value indicates drift between the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car and actual pulse position of the elevator car.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control signal controls the elevator car to travel up to an elevator rated speed, and the method further comprising:
driving the elevator car at the elevator rated speed.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a second magnet fixed to the elevator shaft,
comparing an identification code of the detected second magnet to the stored pre-information to identify the detected second magnet,
obtaining from the stored pre-information pulse position information of the second magnet corresponding to the detected second magnet,
defining a pulse position distance between the detected first magnet and the detected second magnet,
comparing the defined pulse position distance between the detected first magnet and the detected second magnet to a corresponding distance between the first magnet and the second magnet defined based on the stored pre-information to provide a comparison result, and
generating the control signal to change the elevator speed in accordance with the comparison result.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the elevator rated speed is a maximum speed limit defined for the elevator car or a buffer rated speed.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first magnet and the second magnet is a door zone magnet.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car is obtained from a pulse sensor unit comprising:
at least one quadrature sensor measuring incremental pulses from a rotating magnet ring arranged in an overspeed governor arranged in the elevator shaft.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first magnet is a door zone magnet from among a plurality of door zone magnets, and pre-information about at least one door zone magnet of the plurality of door zone magnets at a door zone of each floor of the elevator shaft is obtained and stored during a setup run as the stored pre-information,
the pre-information about the at least one door zone magnet comprising at least a floor number, an identification code, a magnet type, pulse position information, and linear position information.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the floor number, the identification code, the magnet type, and the linear position information of the elevator car within the door zone of each floor is obtained from at least one door zone sensor unit comprising at least one Hall sensor and a RFID reader.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined correction value is defined during the synchronization run, the method further comprising:
obtaining from the stored pre-information the pulse position information of a door zone magnet corresponding to the detected first magnet, and
defining the predefined correction value by subtracting the pulse position information of the elevator car at a detection position of the first magnet from the pulse position information of the door zone magnet corresponding to the detected first magnet.

10. The method according to claim 6 , comprising defining the absolute position information at two channels of the at least one quadrature sensor.

11. An elevator system for defining the absolute position information of the elevator car, the elevator system comprising:
an elevator control unit,
a pulse sensor unit,
a door zone sensor unit, and
a safety control unit configured to
continuously obtain the pulse position information of the elevator car from the pulse sensor unit, and
define the absolute position information of the elevator car by adding the predefined correction value to the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car,

wherein the elevator control unit, the safety control unit, the door zone sensor unit, and the pulse sensor unit are communicatively coupled to each other, and
the elevator control unit is configured to perform the synchronization run according to claim 1 .

12. A method of performing a synchronization run of an elevator car stopped between floors of an elevator shaft, the method comprising:
driving the elevator car at a first speed to detect a first magnet from a plurality of magnets fixed to the elevator shaft;
comparing an identification code of the detected first magnet with stored pre-information to identify a magnet from among the plurality of magnets that corresponds to the detected first magnet;
driving the elevator car at a second speed to detect a second magnet from the plurality of magnets fixed to the elevator shaft;
comparing an identification code of the detected second magnet with the stored pre-information to identify a magnet from among the plurality of magnets that corresponds to the detected second magnet;
obtaining pulse position information of the magnet that corresponds to the detected first magnet and pulse position information of the magnet that corresponds to the detected second magnet from the stored pre-information;
determining a pulse position distance between the detected first magnet and the detected second magnet;
comparing the pulse position distance to a first distance between the magnet that corresponds to the detected first magnet and the magnet that corresponds to the detected second magnet to provide a comparison result, the first distance obtained based on the stored pre-information; and
generating a control signal to raise elevator speed based on the comparison result.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
continuously obtaining pulse position information of the elevator car; and
defining absolute position information of the elevator car by adding a predefined correction value to the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car,
the predefined correction value indicating drift between the obtained pulse position information of the elevator car and actual pulse position of the elevator car.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the predefined correction value is defined during the synchronization run, the method further comprising:
defining the predefined correction value by subtracting the pulse position information of the elevator car at a detection position of the detected first magnet from the pulse position information of the magnet that corresponds to the detected first magnet obtained from the stored pre-information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the magnet that corresponds to the first magnet is a door zone magnet.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the control signal is generated to raise the elevator speed responsive to the pulse position distance corresponding to the first d

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Jussila Ari
• Hirvonen Toni
• Kattainen Ari
• Hovi Antti

Classifications

• B66B5/0031

  for safety reasons · CPC title

• B66B1/3446

  Data transmission or communication within the control system · CPC title

• B66B7/123

  by analysing magnetic variables · 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

• B66B11/0226 Primary

  Constructional features, e.g. walls assembly, decorative panels, comfort equipment, thermal or sound insulation · CPC title