Elevator installation comprising a number of individually propelled cars in at least three adjacent hoistways
AssigneeInventio AG
InventorsThomas Dünser, Romeo Deplazes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Elevator cars move in two vertical hoistways each having at least one crossing-point to a third vertical parking hoistway arranged between the two hoistways to allow transfer of the elevator cars between adjacent ones of the hoistways. A control system and a drive move empty elevator cars through the crossing-points for parking and for responding to calls for service.
Claims19
A method of operating an elevator installation with at least three adjacently situated vertical elevator hoistways and a plurality of individually driven elevator cars movable in the hoistways, the two outwardly situated hoistways having access openings which lie in one vertical plane, and the centrally situated hoistway having crossing-points which allow movement of the elevator cars between adjacent ones of the hoistways, comprising the steps of:
- a. ready one of the elevator cars in one of the two outwardly situated hoistways in response to a call for an upward trip;
- b. ready one of the elevator cars in another of the two outwardly situated hoistways in response to a call for a downward trip;
- c. execute a transfer of an empty one of the elevator cars from one of the two outwardly situated hoistways to the centrally situated hoistway to park the empty elevator car in the centrally situated hoistway;
- and
- d. in response to service requirements, ready in the centrally situated elevator hoistway in waiting positions in the vicinity of the crossing-points empty ones of the elevator cars for rapid transfer to one of the outwardly situated hoistways to perform said step a. or said step b.
An elevator installation comprising:
- a plurality of individually driven elevator cars;
- a first vertical elevator hoistway having access openings in a vertical plane;
- a second vertical elevator hoistway having access openings in said vertical plane;
- a vertical parking hoistway situated between said first hoistway and said second hoistway and having crossing-points permitting movement of said elevator cars between said parking hoistway and said first and second hoistways;
- a driving means on each of said elevator cars for moving said elevator cars vertically in said hoistways and horizontally in said crossing-points;
- and
- a control system connected to said driving means and being responsive to calls for service to cause said driving means to move said elevator cars in said first and second hoistways to said access openings corresponding to said calls and being responsive to empty ones of said elevator cars to cause said driving means to move said empty ones of said elevator cars to said parking hoistway.
A method of operating an elevator installation with at least three adjacently situated vertical elevator hoistways and a plurality of individually driven elevator cars movable in the hoistways, outwardly situated ones of the adjacent hoistways having hoistway access openings which lie in one vertical plane, and a centrally situated one of the adjacent hoistways having crossing-points which allow movement of the elevator cars between the centrally situated one and the outwardly situated ones of the adjacent hoistways, comprising the steps of:
- a. controlling the elevator cars to move in one of the two outwardly situated hoistways in response only to calls for upward trips;
- b. controlling the elevator cars to move in another of the two outwardly situated hoistways in response only to calls for downward trips;
- c. transferring empty ones of the elevator cars from one of the two outwardly situated hoistways to the centrally situated hoistway to park and preventing ones of the elevator cars responding to calls from entering the centrally situated hoistway;
- and
- d. in response to service requirements, ready in the centrally situated elevator hoistway in waiting positions in the vicinity of the crossing-points empty ones of the elevator cars for rapid transfer to the outwardly situated hoistways to perform said step a. and said step b.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.