Zoned Elevator System
AssigneeThyssen Elevator Capital Corp.
InventorsRory S. Smith, Randolph W. Huff, Richard D. Peters, Bruce Powell, Gerhard Thumm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elevator system comprises at least two independently operable elevator cars in each of a plurality of elevator shafts within a building. The elevator system can include at least one first elevator shaft having a first and a second region, with the first region extending from a ground level to sub-ground levels, and with the second region extending from the ground level to a top floor. A first elevator car may move within the first region and a second elevator car may move within the second region, in the same shaft independently of each other.
Claims6
An elevator system having two elevator cars within each elevator shaft for passenger transportation to a plurality of floors of a building, the elevator system comprising:
- a. at least one elevator shaft comprising a first region and a second region, the first region extending from a ground level to a plurality of sub-ground levels, and the second region extending from the ground level to a top floor of the building;
- and
- b. a first and a second elevator car for moving within the at least one elevator shaft, the first elevator car moving within the first region and the second elevator car moving within the second region, wherein the first and the second elevator car are moveably controlled independently of each other within the at least one elevator shaft.
A method of operating an elevator system comprising a first and a second independently operable elevator car within each at least one elevator shaft within a building, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. assigning the first elevator to operate within a first region of the at least one elevator shaft;
- b. assigning the second elevator to operate within a second region of the at least one elevator shaft, wherein the second region is located above the first region;
- c. loading the first and the second elevator car from a ground floor level;
- and
- d. controlling the loading of the second elevator car from the ground floor by moving the first elevator below the level of the ground floor to a lower level zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.