EP1134175A2 - Method from home network technology to monitor, diagnose and control elevators - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves data telecommunications between a controller associated with each elevator and a central station for transferring the data determined by the controller and detected and digitized by sensors associated with the elevators. The central station monitors the data for monitoring the operating state and determining source of faults arising for each elevator.

Description

The invention relates to a method of building management technology for monitoring, Diagnosis and control of a large number of hydraulic elevators in particular.

It is well known in building management, service and support as well technical monitoring in a wide range, for example large ones Bundle house complexes in air conditioning or the like. Such building complexes can be extensive manufacturing facilities, hospitals, airports or the like, but such building management techniques also come in Cities, districts or the like. Aim of this building management system is it. Control and monitoring techniques, especially as services summarize centrally.

Typical services in building management systems include one Guard and locking company. In the technical area there are surveillance, Maintenance and possibly repair mostly in the electrical installation, air conditioning and Fire extinguishing systems or water installation. For this purpose regular buildings, sections of buildings or just individual rooms Sensors equipped, for example, a fire in a fire alarm system report due to heating or smoke and through the spatial Can also locate the arrangement of the sensors. Liquid sensors can also be used also report the leakage of a liquid from a line so that Maintenance and / or appropriately equipped via the central of the building management system Repair teams are sent to appropriate sources of error can.

However, technical surveillance of elevators is mostly used in a wide range of areas made visually by an elevator attendant. The results of his Observations are reported to the building control center. In particular elevator attendants of this type are usually unable to carry out minor repairs to be carried out immediately on the spot.

Rather, an appropriately equipped repair team must go through the head office to be sent to his place of work, which is regularly a significant Losing time means.

Such a loss of time can be critical when monitoring and diagnosing Be elevators if they fail to be staffed. For the trapped then it’s an advantage if in addition to the usual safety precautions Lifts a long distance call line between the elevator and the building control center is available so that a survey (injured persons, etc.) is immediately possible can take place. The relief measures can then be comprehensive immediately be initiated. Until the necessary assistants arrive, the Speech communication with those included is then maintained. Is further an elevator stopped between two floors and does not leave it in any Moving in the direction manually is only possible with an emergency exit, regularly arranged in the cabin roof, possible. However, it is extremely worrying that in older elevators there is usually no emergency exit and no long-distance telephone line available. This can also happen in the event of a fire failure become a deadly danger.

Elevators are regularly serviced and checked, but they do exist in particular hydraulic lifts, which are mostly used as freight lifts find the great danger that overloading, improper treatment, Driving or loading with unauthorized equipment and the like, that lateral forces load the elevator cage so that lateral, vertical guides can be significantly damaged. In particular, there is a risk that between the elevator cage and the lifting piston of the hydraulic lifting cylinder damage to a hydraulic elevator, even demolition an articulated head plate or spherical cap carried by the reciprocating piston, which regularly creates the connection between the elevator cage and the piston. In the event of When the connection is broken, the elevator cage can even become jammed in the Guides can be held when the piston when descending into the Submersible lifting cylinder, which creates a great risk of an elevator crash is caused.

In DE-GM 298 12 736, the content of which is fully disclosed in this application is included, a pressure sensor is explained in more detail for safety reasons the pressurization of the hydraulic system of the lifting cylinder is permanent registered and monitored. A corresponding evaluation of the pressure certainly shows whether there is a connection between the reciprocating piston and the elevator cage or whether this may have been torn off. Such a pressure sensor is not one equate to an analogue manometer. It has one over its entire measuring range very high measuring accuracy and especially records small pressure changes, from which faults in elevator operation can be deduced. example Such a digital pressure sensor is one under the type designation MAN SF 26 from a manufacturer Fa. Kobold Messring GmbH, Sindelfingen, Germany, pressure sensor to be obtained.

By predicting such a sensor for pressure monitoring significantly improves the safety of the operation of a hydraulic goods lift, however, such a sensor is only a security element, which in the case an error message. It must then be done in a conventional manner a building control center will be alerted, which in turn will repair or Maintenance team must send to this elevator. Receives the building control center the error message immediately, it is known that there is an error, however, the exact cause of the error has yet to be determined and can then often occur first called in a specially equipped repair team to remedy the fault become.

The task arises in front of this technical problem, especially one To monitor, maintain and repair a large number of hydraulic lifts and if necessary to control that malfunctions and in particular Accidents are largely excluded and the safety of the operation of the Elevator is generally increased.

To solve this task, a process of building management technology for monitoring, Diagnostics and control of a variety of hydraulic in particular Lifts proposed, in which according to claim 1 to remote data transmission between a controller assigned to each elevator and a control center for transmission of those determined by the controller and assigned by the elevator Sensors received digitized data, which center the data if necessary, evaluates, collects and monitors for monitoring the Operating state and the detection of occurring error sources of everyone Elevator. Conversely, the control center preferably also intervenes via remote data transmission into the elevator control system, the local sequence of which is controlled by the remote control is overridden, so that elevators are stopped remotely in the event of a malfunction The fault area is moved out or otherwise removed from the hazard can be.

In a special embodiment of the invention it can be provided that at a Fire reports from the control center via a data transmission line to the controllers of the Fire-affected elevators can be controlled. Because modern fire alarm systems are also regularly suitable today, a risk of fire, smoke etc. to localize, it is possible for the head office operating in this Control elevators located in the danger area via the controller and hereby also to influence the use of the lifts.

Alternatively, if necessary additionally, a fire alarm system can be connected directly to the Controllers of the elevators connected in the fire alarm system monitored danger zone are provided. This will go over without detour the control center of the endangered elevator or endangered lifts via the controller of the fire alarm system.

Such control can also consist, for example, that an announcement is made of the risk of fire and the use the elevator is prohibited. Such an announcement can also be, for example be a synthetic announcement, which is stored digitally in a speech chip and which is only available.

The measure that is preferred and expedient is that in the event of a fire alarm the locations of affected elevators are determined by the head office. At a A large number of monitored elevators is thus limited to one Lifts affected by fire so that help can be organized in the best possible way.

In particular, elevators affected by a fire can continue from the headquarters are regularly controlled separately, especially standing lifts can also be shut down by the controller with the doors open. It can be a such elevator can then no longer be put into operation. It is impossible that this elevator becomes a trap. The open ones also bear this Doors bill, so that people who may be in the elevator Can still leave the elevator cage.

In a further embodiment it can be provided that those affected by the fire moving lifts on the next floor with doors open from that Controller be shut down. This may also be used in conjunction with a in particular synthetic announcements that indicate the dangers of a fire, Development of smoke or the like. In a consequent development According to the invention, it is ultimately provided that those affected by the fire Moving lifts are moved out of the danger area by the controller and shut down with the doors open. However, this measure is necessary a very intensive monitoring of the situation so that it can be clearly ensured can actually lift the elevator out of the danger zone becomes, without there being any further danger, for example in the elevator cage located people comes.

A number of advantages are achieved by the method according to the invention. First of all, it is ensured that one of the Central all lifts of a building, an industrial complex, one Hospital, entire districts or districts are permanently monitored can. And not just in terms of acoustic monitoring by the call of people in the elevator cage, but there is also monitoring regarding the actual operating data.

Any irregularity can be recognized immediately and, as a regular one A large number of sensors can monitor the operation of each elevator Errors are largely narrowed down so that a targeted one is suitable equipped and prepared maintenance and / or repair team for this Elevator can be put on march. This results in delays largely excluded. Remote data transmission also allows Central, not only to monitor the data, but also if necessary evaluate, so that an exact picture of the operating state or the error also can be determined. This data can be used for later documentation, for example can also be collected, for example stored digitally. For the Remote data transmission between each elevator and the control center is a Controller, for example a microprocessor, provided by which the individual Data from the sensors can already be processed if necessary, for example, by combining the data from two sensors. Such a Controller is largely independent of the actual elevator control, however, it is regularly and appropriately provided that the controller Override elevator control, for example in an emergency, the elevator can also shut down.

For fast data transmission over long-distance data lines are expedient The data is digitized and the known protocols for remote data transmission are available also available. In this respect, you can also use commercially available components can be used for remote data transmission.

A widely available type of remote data transmission are telephone networks, public and private, for which purpose the controller expediently with a modem, an ISDN card or the like is equipped for dialing into these networks. A Sufficiently fast data transmission is today with high-speed modems respectively given with corresponding ISDN cards. This in particular too This is because the amount of data is comparatively low, since the number of Sensors are regularly restricted and an elevator is not used continuously becomes.

Provision can be made for the data status of each controller from the control center can be queried, for which purpose the controller between has collected the operational data from the individual queries. Alternatively, it is possible and preferred that data be transmitted online by the controller and / or by the Central can be queried. The latter measure makes it possible to be permanent determine and monitor the operating status of each elevator. By the constant, timely transfer of existing data can immediately Changes in the operating status of each elevator can be determined and may also be ensured by appropriate measures of operation become. In particular, such a measure is the time of a malfunction extremely precise and can possibly be used to find the source of the fault also be used. Last but not least, malfunctions caused by operating personnel regularly caused by misconduct, for example by a Driving on a goods lift with too heavy equipment, damage the lift.

The sensors used to monitor every elevator are few critical and it can usually fall back on known, commercially available sensors they only have to be used for the new purpose be adjusted. This means that the sensors that are already present are not influence the actual elevator control as in the case of emergency braking of the elevator at a falling speed that is too high, but that Data can also be made available to the controller. As a result, this is suitable The inventive method also for retrofitting existing lifts or is also suitable for subsequent integration into an existing system of building management systems.

In hydraulic elevators in particular, it is thought that at least one Sensor designed as a pressure sensor of the type mentioned above (DE-GM 298 12 736) is the pressurization of a hydraulic lifting unit of an elevator cage measures. In particular, such a pressure sensor poses a peak load of a hydraulic elevator.

Every overload of the elevator can be determined and in particular an overloaded elevator can be operated via the controller and the elevator control be shut down. Another, already regularly available sensor monitors the closed state of the doors. Basically, an elevator is only when closed Shaft doors and cabin doors move, if cabin doors are provided, which is not mandatory for freight lifts. It is further provided that at least one sensor and / or a circuit of the Elevator control a standstill and / or a method of the elevator cage supervised.

The pressure sensor can also be used for this purpose, if necessary also a separate speedometer, or it will only be the Circuit of the elevator control system tapped, which provides a signal that the elevator was set in motion. Ultimately, the service life of the Determine elevator and in particular the speeds at which the Elevator is moved. This is particularly in connection with the pressure sensor also any overload, even by its type, of the elevator can be detected.

For example, such an overload of the nominal values of the elevator limit values of the data are regular or exceeded in this regard the controller can make an emergency call to the control center and / or an emergency call is triggered by the control center. This is particularly true in Failure is important because quick action will avert damage can be.

It is also expedient that when a reference error list is created, this the Specifies limit values of the data, and that when the limit values of the data are reached the source of the error and the type of maintenance based on the reference error list and / or the repair is determined. As a result of this measure can be done regularly damage to the elevator can be safely avoided in normal operation, because it is possible to identify in advance any sources of error that may arise during the operation of the elevator to let. This is particularly true in the field of hydraulics, for example Leaks in the hydraulic system or the like are detected by the pressure sensor can be.

In particular, it is then possible to have a specially equipped maintenance or To assemble the repair team and immediately provide the appropriate one Have the elevator repaired or serviced before it becomes essential Damage comes.

In the area of freight lifts in particular, it has proven to be useful the use, load and / or cost of each elevator by the Central in particular to permanently record, evaluate, record and / or to document. This measure can cause a person causing damage on a regular basis also be found. In particular, the proof is also possible, which caused damage, for example due to an overload.

The building management system becomes more extensive through the method according to the invention developed in addition to a variety of other tasks as well monitoring, particularly of hydraulic elevators, is also possible becomes. Maintenance corresponding to the load on each elevator is complete ensures remote monitoring and, moreover, that when Errors can be stopped immediately because they are already in the head office the fault is recognized regularly and the repair is accordingly targeted can be addressed. This ensures the safety of the operation of elevators significantly improved.

The method according to the Invention by the measure that a fire alarm system with the headquarters of Elevator monitoring is connected. Again and again in the past Elevators in the event of fire, heavy smoke or the like as lethal Traps proven for people in the elevator. Since now the headquarters for the elevator monitoring is immediately informed about the fire alarm system, that a dangerous event has occurred, the head office can also help in Elevators trapped people are initiated as the headquarters is informed about the operating status of the lifts and it is known which ones Elevators, for example, are being moved or are occupied by people.

Claims (14)

Method of building management technology for monitoring, diagnosis and control of a large number of hydraulic elevators, in particular, characterized by remote data transmission between a controller assigned to each elevator and a control center for transmitting the data obtained and digitized by the controller and assigned by the elevator, in which Central the data for the monitoring of the operating state and the detection of occurring error sources of each elevator are monitored. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the center can override the elevator control via the controller. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a fire alarm system is connected to the center of the elevator monitoring via the remote data transmission. Method according to claim 3, which refers back to claim 2, characterized in that in the event of a fire report from the control center via a data transmission line, the controllers of the elevators affected by the fire are controlled. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a fire alarm system is connected to the controllers of the elevators which are provided in the danger zone monitored by the fire alarm system. Method according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that in the event of a fire report from the central office, the locations of the elevators concerned are determined. Method according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that standing elevators affected by the fire with the doors open are shut down by the controller. Method according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that moving lifts affected by the fire are shut down by the controller on the next floor with the doors open. Method according to one of Claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the elevators affected by the fire move the controller out of the danger zone and shut them down with the doors open. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that data is transmitted online by the controller and / or queried by the central office. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one digitally operating sensor is designed as a pressure sensor which measures the pressurization of a hydraulic lifting unit of an elevator cage. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that when predefinable limit values of the data are reached, the controller issues an emergency call to the control center and / or an emergency call is triggered by the control center. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a reference error list is created, which specifies limit values of the data, and that when the limit values of the data are reached, the source of error and the type of maintenance and / or repair is determined on the basis of the reference error list. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control center continuously records, evaluates, records and / or documents the use, load and / or costs of each elevator.