Solution for operating an elevator having different elevator car motion profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358754-B2
Application number	US-202016845433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an elevator system. The method comprises receiving a request to drive an elevator car to a destination and generating an elevator car motion profile to serve the received request. The elevator car motion profile comprises at least the following motion parameters of the elevator car: acceleration, maximum speed, and deceleration. At least one of the maximum speed of the elevator car and the deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is defined on the basis of the destination. The invention relates also to a processing unit and an elevator system configured to perform the method at least partly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an elevator system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a safety controller, a request to drive an elevator car to a destination;
generating, at the safety controller, an elevator car motion profile to serve the received request, the elevator car motion profile including motion parameters of the elevator car, the motion parameters of the elevator car including at least acceleration of the elevator car, a target maximum speed of the elevator car, and deceleration of the elevator car, wherein at least one of the target maximum speed of the elevator car and the deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is defined based on the destination;
monitoring, at the safety controller, a movement of the elevator car or a movement of a counterweight in a hoistway based on processing information provided continuously by an absolute positioning system communicatively connected to the safety controller via a safety data bus, the information representing the movement of the elevator car or the movement of the counterweight, the information including both of
continuous position information of the elevator car or the counterweight, the continuous position information received from an encoder, and
door zone information receive from a door zone sensor system, the door zone sensor system including a reader device arranged to the elevator car or the counterweight, the door zone sensor system further including a plurality of targets arranged to the hoistway within separate, respective landing zones of a plurality of landings, the door zone information received from the reader device based on the elevator car or the counterweight causing the reader device to pass at least one target of the plurality of targets; and

triggering, at the safety controller, one or more safety brakes to stop the movement of the elevator car and the movement of the counterweight, in response to detecting that, when the elevator car is at a given position in the hoistway, a speed of the elevator car or a speed of the counterweight at least meets a value of an overspeed threshold that corresponds to the given position of the elevator car in the hoistway,
wherein the overspeed threshold is a continuous curve that varies based on both the target maximum speed of the elevator car and elevator car position in the hoistway, such that the overspeed threshold has
an upper limit corresponding to elevator car positions in the hoistway at which the elevator car is to move at the target maximum speed according to the generated elevator car motion profile, the upper limit being greater than the target maximum speed of the elevator car by a safety factor, and
a lower limit corresponding to elevator car positions in the hoistway that are proximate to a pit of the hoistway or an overhead structure in a top end terminal of the hoistway, the target maximum speed being greater than the lower limit, and

wherein the elevator system includes a pit safety equipment dimensioned according to the overspeed threshold corresponding to the lower limit,
wherein the safety data bus extends within a travelling cable that extends along the hoistway to be connected to the plurality of targets and is connected at one end to the elevator car.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
if the destination is an extreme destination, the maximum speed of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is a first maximum speed, and
if the destination is any other destination than the extreme destination, the target maximum speed of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is a second maximum speed, and
the first maximum speed is lower than the second maximum speed.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
if the destination is an extreme destination, the maximum deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is a first maximum deceleration,
if the destination is any other destination than the extreme destination, the maximum deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is a second maximum deceleration, and
the first maximum deceleration is lower than the second maximum deceleration.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target maximum speed and/or the deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile are specific for each destination.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling an elevator hoisting machine such that the elevator car speed of the elevator car is in accordance with the generated elevator car motion profile.

6. An elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car;
a counterweight;
a safety controller communicatively connected to the elevator car or to the counterweight via a safety data bus;
one or more brake control units;
one or more safety brakes including triggering elements connected to the one or more brake control units; and
an absolute positioning system configured to provide continuously information representing a movement of the elevator car or a movement continuously information representing a movement of the elevator car or a movement of the counterweight, the absolute positioning system communicatively connected to the safety controller via the safety data bus, the absolute positioning system including
an encoder configured to generate continuous position information of the elevator car or the counterweight, and
a door zone sensor system configured to generate door zone information, the door zone sensor system including
a reader device arranged to the elevator car or the counterweight, and
a plurality of targets arranged to a hoistway within separate, respective landing zones of a plurality of landings, the door zone information generated by the reader device based on the elevator car or the counterweight causing the reader device to pass at least one target of the plurality of targets, P 1 wherein the absolute positioning system is configured to continuously provide information representing the movement of the elevator car or the movement of the counterweight, such that the information representing the movement of the elevator car or the movement of the counterweight includes both the continuous position information and the door zone information,

wherein the safety controller includes
one or more memories storing a computer program including instruction, and
one or more processors configured to execute the computer program to cause the safety controller to
receive a request to drive the elevator car to a destination,
generate an elevator car motion profile to serve the received request, the elevator car motion profile including motion parameters of the elevator car, the motion parameters of the elevator car including at least acceleration of the elevator car, a target maximum speed of the elevator car, and deceleration of the elevator car, wherein at least one of the target maximum speed of the elevator car and the deceleration of the elevator car in the generated elevator car motion profile is defined based on the destination,
monitor the movement of the elevator car or the movement of the counterweight in the hoistway based on processing the information provided continuously by the absolute positioning system, and
trigger the one or more safety brakes to stop the movement of the elevator car and the movement of the counterweight, in response to detecting that, when the elevator car is at a given position in the hoistway, a speed of the elevator car or a speed of the counterweight at least meets a value of an overspeed threshold that corresponds to the given position of the elevator car in the hoistway,

wherein the overspeed threshold is a continuous curve that vari

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Viljanen Mikko
• Wenlin Henri
• Tenhunen Asmo
• Kallioniemi Antti
• Parviainen Mikko

Classifications

• B66B1/285 Primary

  with the use of a speed pattern generator · CPC title

• B66B5/06

  electrical · CPC title

• B66B5/0068

  by activating the safety brakes when the elevator car exceeds a certain upper or lower position in the elevator shaft · CPC title

• B66B2201/102

  Up or down call input · CPC title

• B66B1/36

  Means for stopping the cars, cages, or skips at predetermined levels · CPC title