FI103335B - Device for controlling a lift basket - Google Patents

Description

103335

EQUIPMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE LIFT CAR

This invention relates to an apparatus for laterally guiding an elevator car according to the preamble of claim 1.

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The ride comfort of elevators generally deteriorates rapidly as the speed increases. This is due to the horizontal vibration of the elevator. The most common sources of vibration are the indirectness of the rails and the oscillation of basket and leveling ropes and basket cables. The biggest excitation 10 comes from the bends and indirectness in the conductors. Traditionally, attempts have been made to prevent these excitations from propagating into the elevator car by using flexible guide rollers. To improve ride comfort, the elevator car can be laterally flexibly secured to a separate elevator car carrier frame, or so-called. 15 inside the clamping ring.

EP-A-0 467 673 discloses an active suspension system for an elevator which dampens the effect of a disturbing force acting horizontally on the elevator car. Here, interference 20 is indicated by a detector. On the basis of the signal provided by the detector, the control unit controls magnets arranged between the elevator car and the guides in the elevator shaft, which provide an anti-interference force and thus dampen vibration. A problem with known systems is their complexity. 25 For example, a separate detector is always required to detect interference.

From US A 5492312, a damping apparatus is known which is based on the use of MR fluids and in the dampers of the damping apparatus, the viscosity of the MR fluid can be changed by a magnetic field by means of a control unit. In the embodiment disclosed in US A 5492312, movement of the elevator car is detected by a separate sensor.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an entirely new apparatus for controlling an elevator car based on the use of ER fluids (Electrorheological Fluids) to provide variable damping to improve the ride comfort of the elevator. ER fluids are characterized in that their viscosity can be changed by an electric field as the fluid flows through the damper valve. The apparatus according to the invention employs a damper based on the ER fluid method to reduce the transverse vibration of the elevator. The particular features of the units of the UN-5 according to the invention are set forth in the appended claims. Correspondingly, according to the claims, MR fluids (Magnetorheological Fluid) can also be used instead of ER fluids, where the viscosity is changed by a magnetic field 10 instead of an electric field.

The advantage of an ER suppressor over conventional suppressors is that it is extremely reliable because it has no moving parts. In addition, because the ER phenomenon is fast, about 1 ms, and up to 10 ~ 5 s, very fast suppressors are provided. In addition, the ER phenomenon can also be used for measurement, whereby the same attenuator can also be used as a detector. This makes the system very simple.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows the placement of dampers in an elevator and Figure 2 illustrates the basic construction of the dampers according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an elevator car 1 moving vertically on a hoist rope by means of a hoisting rope by means of a hoisting machine.

In the apparatus according to the invention, dampers 6 based on the ER fluid method are used between the elevator car 1 and the gripper ring 2 or the gripper ring 2 and the guides 4 or 35 in both locations to reduce the transverse vibration of the elevator. The dampers 6 are disposed between the elevator car 1 and the fastening members 3 or the gripper ring 2 and the roll guides 5, respectively, as shown in Figure 1.

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Fig. 2 shows a telescopic damper based on the ER fluid method connected to a roll guide guide roll 5 in cross section. It has a tubular cylinder 7 and a piston 8 moving horizontally within it 5 with its arms 9 connected to a guide roll 5. A horizontal helical spring 10 is disposed against the piston 8, at one end thereof against the rear wall 11 of the cylinder 7. between piston 8 and rear wall 10 11. On top of the cylinder 7 is a fluid reservoir 13, from which the liquid enters the fluid chamber 12 via a valve 14. In valve 14, the ER fluid flows through a narrow flow path 17 formed between two adjacent plate-like vertical electrodes 15, 16. The valve 14 is controlled by a control unit 18 connected to the electrodes 15, 16 15.

As the elevator car 1 moves, the roll guides 5 move along the guides 4. For example, due to the vibration due to the indirectness of the guides 4, the roll guide 5 causes the piston 8 to move. The movement of the piston 20 8 pushes the ER fluid through the valve 14. The viscosity of the fluid can be changed by an electric field as the fluid flows through valve 14. Usually, the roll guide has three rolls, each of which corresponds to a different guide surface of the guide. each roll of the roll roller can be individually suppressed.

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When the valve 14 is de-energized, the damping is dependent on the spring constant of the coil spring 10 and the viscosity of the fluid and the flow rate through the valve 14. When a voltage is applied to the valve 14, an increase in the viscosity of the ER fluid 30 in the valve results in an increase in attenuation.

When the control unit 18 changes the voltage in the valve 14, the viscosity of the ER fluid in the valve flow passage 17 is changed accordingly. As the voltage rises 35, the fluid flow through valve 14 slows down and decreases as the voltage drops. The damping can thus be adjusted by the control unit 18 in a desired manner, for example according to the speed of the elevator.

4 103335 The ER phenomenon can also be used for measurement. This is based on the principle whereby phenomena are observed as changes in electric current at a constant voltage. Thus, it is possible 5 to combine the measurement and control functions in the damper control unit 18. For example, the control unit 18 can provide information on the vibration frequency of the vibration. The magnitude of the excitation can also be deduced from the signal by a suitable arrangement. Information on the lateral movement of the elevator obtained by the control unit 18 or otherwise may be used to control the amount of damping.

When the damping can be adjusted by the electric field strength in the liquid, i.e. the voltage across the valve, the damping can be made one-sided, i.e. the movement of the guide roll 15 is only damped when the cylinder 7 is compressed. In reverse movement of the roll, the damping is considered to be almost non-existent, making it easy for the roll to follow the wire. The quick adjustment of the damping also allows variable damping during cylinder compression.

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It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above example, but may vary within the scope of the following claims. As noted above, instead of ER-25s, MR fluids may also be used.

Claims (6)

103335 Apparatus for controlling laterally the elevator car (1) extending vertically between the rails (4), including the lateral guides (5) extending along the rails, transverse interference such as transverse vibrations arranged between the elevator car (1) and the lateral guides (5). dampers (6) which are dampers based on the ER or MR fluid method whose viscosity 10 of the ER or MR fluid can be changed by an electric or magnetic field by the control unit (18) and in which the damping depends on the viscosity of the fluid flowing in the dampener; control, characterized in that the damping is controlled by the signal generated by the controller in the fluid based on the signal generated by the gene-15. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the damper (6) is of the telescopic type having a substantially horizontal cylinder (7) with a piston (8) extending substantially horizontally therein, and having two fluid compartments (12,13), one of which is formed in the cylinder between the piston (8) and the bottom (11) of the cylinder and the other is located outside the cylinder (8) and between them an ER or MR valve controlled by a control unit (18) through which fluid flows. 25 Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a spring member is provided between the lateral guide (5) and the elevator car (1) for lateral elasticity, preferably such that the spring member (10) is arranged on the piston (8) and the bottom of the cylinder 30. (11). Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus comprises a measuring unit for measuring transverse interference, in which the measurement takes place. 35 ER or MR. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the measurement and control functions are combined in at least one control unit (18), whereby the same control unit (18) also functions as a measurement unit. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping is controlled by information obtained from the lateral movement of the elevator car. «103335