# US 10,118,800 B2 · Method and arrangement for closing doors of an elevator of a multi-car elevator shaft system

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- Number: US 10,118,800 B2
- Document ID: US10118800B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/826,903
- Filed: 2015-08-14
- Published: 2016-02-25
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-08-22
- Assignees: Kone Corporation
- Applicants: Marja-Liisa Siikonen; Janne Sorsa; Pentti Alasentie
- Inventors: Marja-Liisa Siikonen; Janne Sorsa; Pentti Alasentie
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118800B2

## CPC

- B66B 13/12: Arrangements for effecting simultaneous opening or closing of cage and landing doors
- B66B 5/027: {to permit passengers to leave an elevator car in case of failure, e.g. moving the car to a reference floor or unlocking the door}
- B66B 13/146: {method or algorithm for controlling doors}
- B66B 9/003: {for lateral transfer of car or frame, e.g. between vertical hoistways or to/from a parking position}
- B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a method and arrangement for closing doors of an elevator that comprises at least an elevator shaft, a car running along guide rails, in the shaft and equipped with a car door, landing doors at each landing floor, a hoisting machinery, a necessary roping system and shaft equipment, and a control system for controlling the activities of the elevator. According to traffic situations controlled by the control system of the elevator the door open time of the car doors and landing doors is reduced by speeding up the closure of the doors, and at the same time the passengers are informed about the speed-up.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for closing doors of an elevator that includes at least an elevator shaft, a plurality of cars each of which is configured to run along guide rails in the elevator shaft and is equipped with a car door, a plurality of landing doors that includes a landing door at each of a plurality of landings, a hoisting machinery, a roping system, shaft equipment, and a control system configured to control activities of the elevator and adjust door open times of one or more of the car doors of the plurality of cars and one or more of the landing doors, the method comprising:
monitoring and analyzing a door open time of a car door of a first car, from among the plurality of cars,
the first car being a car stopped at a landing ahead of one or more other cars from among the plurality of cars; and,
if a duration of the door open time will result in a stopped state of the first car interrupting a motion of at least a next car behind the first car,
accelerating closure of the car door of the first car, and
generating a sound to inform passengers of the accelerated closure at substantially the same time as the accelerated closure,
wherein, when a door failure in which the car door of the first car does not close occurs, and there is at least one passenger detected in the first car, a car door opening of the first car is closed with a safety element after which the first car is moved away from the landing at which the first car was stopped.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for closing doors of an elevator according to claim 1, wherein, if the first car experiences the door failure and at least one other car, from among the plurality of cars, is operating in the elevator shaft, the first car is moved to a maintenance or fixing space in connection with the elevator shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for closing doors of an elevator according to claim 1, wherein the accelerating the closure of the car door of the first car includes shortening a door open time before starting the closure of the car door of the first car.

### Claim 4

An arrangement for closing doors of an elevator that comprises:
at least an elevator shaft;
a plurality of cars, each of which is
configured to run along guide rails in the elevator shaft, and
equipped with a car door;
a plurality of landing doors, the plurality of landing doors including a landing door at each of a plurality of landings;
a hoisting machinery;
a roping system;
shaft equipment; and
a control system configured to,
control the activities of the elevator,
monitor and analyze a door open time of a car door of a first car, from among the plurality of cars,
the first car being a car stopped at a landing ahead of one or more other cars from among the plurality of cars, and
if a duration of the door open time will result in a stopped state of the first car interrupting a motion of at least a next car behind the first car,
accelerate closure of the car door of the first car, and
generate a sound to inform passengers of the accelerated closure,
wherein the arrangement further includes a safety element, and
wherein the control system is further configured to,
detect passengers inside the stopped first car, and
when a door failure in which the car door of the first car does not close occurs, and at least one passenger is detected in the first car,
close a car door opening of the first car with the safety element, and
move the first car away from the landing at which the first car was stopped, after closing the car door opening of the first car with the safety element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The arrangement of claim 4, wherein the arrangement further comprises:
an alarm configured to inform passengers of the accelerated closure of the car door of the first car at substantially the same time as the accelerated closure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The arrangement of claim 4 above, wherein the arrangement further comprises:
a maintenance or fixing space for maintenance and repair of the plurality of cars and for rescuing passengers if a door failure where a car door of a car, from among the plurality of cars, fails to close occurs.