Elevator with master controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9988240-B2
Application number	US-201514666436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for controlling the movement of an elevator is provided. The elevator controller directs the operation of the elevator and receives information from the elevator system to calculate a brake profile. The elevator system transmits the brake profile to a master controller. The master controller selectively actuates the brakes to apply a braking force configured to generate the brake profile. The system and method may include local controllers, each configured to actuate a respective brake, wherein the master controller selectively directs the local controllers to generate a brake force commensurate with the braking profile.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling the movement and braking of an elevator car in a shaft of an elevator system, comprising:
at least two brake units each having a separate local controller associated therewith, said brake units being operatively coupled to the elevator car and configured to be controlled by said local controllers to selectively apply a varied braking force to resist movement of the elevator car;
an elevator controller configured to receive user input signals from a user control panel and generate signals corresponding to requests to initiate associated movement and braking functions for the elevator car, based on the user input; and
a master controller in communication with each of the elevator controller and the at least two local controllers for each of the at least two brake units, the master controller being configured to,
receive from the elevator controller a request to perform a specified braking function,
determine an appropriate braking force profile for the elevator car based on the requested braking function, and
instruct at least one of said local controllers to actuate at least one of said brake units to generate appropriate braking forces so as to substantially achieve the generated braking profile for the elevator car.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least a first sensing unit in communication with said master controller and configured to detect a free falling state of the elevator car and transmit such detected information to said master controller;
at least a second sensing unit in communication with said master controller and configured to detect an unintended movement of the elevator car and transmit such detected information to said master controller; and
at least one third sensing unit in communication with each of said local brake units and configured to detect the physical conditions of at least one of the at least two brakes and transmit such detected information to said master controller.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the at least two brakes are rail brakes.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the wear of a brake pad of each of the at least two brakes.

5. The system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the each of the at least two rail brakes includes an actuator, and wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the force of each of the actuators of the at least two rail brakes.

6. The system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the gap between a brake pad and a corresponding rail.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the master controller is disposed on one of the at least two brakes.

8. The system as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the master controller is disposed on one of the at least two brakes.

9. The system as set forth in claim 2 , further including a plurality of local brake controllers, the plurality of local brake controllers disposed on a respective one of the plurality of rail brakes and configured to actuate the respective brake, the plurality of local brake controllers in communication with the third sensing unit and configured to actuate the respective one of the plurality of brakes.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the wear of each of the at least two brakes.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the each of the at least two brakes includes an actuator, and wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the force of each of the actuators of the at least two brakes.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9 , at least two brakes are rail brakes and wherein the third sensing unit is configured to detect the gap between a brake pad and a corresponding rail.

13. The system as set forth in claim 9 , further including a check unit, configured to detect if a transmission from the master controller is received by any one of the plurality of local brake controllers.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of local brake controllers is the master controller, and wherein the check unit elects a different local brake controller as the master controller when a transmission from the master controller is not received by any one of the local brake controllers.

15. A method for operating the braking of an elevator system, the elevator system having a system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
detecting by at least one sensor in communication with the elevator car, at least one of a free falling state or an unintended movement of the elevator car; and
in the master controller, receiving, at least one of
information from the elevator controller so as to direct at least one of the two brakes to apply a braking force to stop the elevator car at a desired floor, or
information from the at least one sensor so as to direct at least one of the two brakes to apply a braking force to stop the elevator car when one of an unintended movement or a freefalling state is detected.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14 , further including the step of detecting the physical conditions of the at least two rail brakes, and processing the physical conditions of the at least two rail brakes to calculate a stopping force.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15 , wherein the at least two brakes are rail brakes, the rail brakes having a brake pad and an actuator, the actuator configured to press the rail brakes against a rail, wherein the physical conditions include a gap between the brake pad and the rail, the thickness of the brake pad and the force of the actuator of the at least two rail brakes.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 , further including the step of providing a plurality of local brake controllers, the plurality of local brake controllers disposed on a respective one of the at least two rail brakes and configured to actuate the respective rail brake, the plurality of local brake controllers transmitting the physical conditions of the respective brake pad to the master controller, the master controller processing both the physical conditions of the brake pads and the braking request so as to selectively instruct at least one of the local brake controllers to perform a braking function, wherein collectively, the local braking controllers generate the braking request.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 , further including the step of performing a voting scheme, wherein a determination is made as to whether each of the plurality of local brake controllers may perform the functions of the master controller, and wherein anyone of the plurality of local brakes able to perform the functions of the master controller is designated the master controller when the current master controller is unable to perform.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18 , further including the step of locating the master controller with one of the plurality of local brake controllers and providing a check unit, wherein the check unit is configured to determine if a signal from the master controller is received by any of the local brake controllers, and wherein the check unit designates a new master controller when any one of the local brake controllers fails to receive a signal from the master controller.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Elevator Ag
• Thyssenkrupp Ag

Inventors

• Anderson John Keith
• Dudde Frank P
• Feldhusen Peter P
• Palazzola Michael A
• Xu Jie
• Parker Alan M
• Delk William D
• Stone Olivia

Classifications

• B66B5/04

  for detecting excessive speed · CPC title

• B66B5/16

  Braking or catch devices operating between cars, cages, or skips and fixed guide elements or surfaces in hoistway or well · CPC title

• B66B1/32 Primary

  effective on braking devices {, e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes (brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02)} · CPC title

• B66B5/18 Primary

  and applying frictional retarding forces · CPC title

• B66B5/12

  in case of rope or cable slack · CPC title