Patent Publication Number: US-2013233652-A1

Title: Elevator system with emergency operation and backup power supply at the same location as the elevator drive

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Elevator systems include a variety of components. With the introduction of machine roomless arrangements, new challenges are presented for locating those components. Elevator systems traditionally have been provided with a machine room above the hoistway that provided a convenient location for the machine and other control components. Without a machine room, the placement of components has to be more carefully thought out. 
     Some elevator systems are installed within a glass hoistway. In such elevator systems, the various components within the hoistway are visible. A glass hoistway is typically used for aesthetic reasons. Strategic placement of components within such a hoistway is required to maintain the aesthetic features that the glass hoistway is intended to provide. 
     SUMMARY 
     An exemplary elevator system includes an elevator car situated for movement within a hoistway. An elevator drive provides control over operation of an elevator machine to control a position of the elevator car in the hoistway. A backup power source provides power when the primary power source is unavailable. An emergency controller uses power from the backup power source for controlling the position or movement of the elevator car within the hoistway when the primary power source is unavailable. The elevator drive, the emergency controller and the backup power source are all supported together in a single location within the hoistway. 
     The various features and advantages of disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  diagrammatically illustrates selected portions of an elevator system designed according to an embodiment of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  diagrammatically illustrates selected portions of another example elevator system designed according to an embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows selected portions of an example elevator system  20 . A hoistway  22  includes guiderails  24  for guiding movement of an elevator car  26 . This example includes a cabinet  30  for housing components that are used for controlling the position of the elevator car  26  within the hoistway  22 . An elevator drive  32  operates in a known manner to control the operation of a machine (not illustrated) to realize a desired position and movement of the elevator car  26  within the hoistway  22 . The elevator drive  32  relies upon power from a primary power source (e.g., a building power supply, not illustrated) and is used under most circumstances. 
     Occasionally, there may be a power loss to the building within which the elevator system  20  is installed. The illustrated example includes a backup or emergency controller  34  for controlling the position or movement of the elevator car  26  when power to the elevator drive  32  is unavailable from the primary power source. The emergency controller  34  comprises a rescue box that is useful for manual emergency rescue operation (“MRO”) and/or automatic rescue operation (“ARO”) in the event of a power loss, for example. 
     A backup power supply  36  is provided with the emergency controller  34  to provide power for ARO when the primary power source is unavailable. In one example, the backup power source  36  comprises one or more batteries. 
     One feature of the illustrated example is that the elevator drive  32 , the emergency controller  34  and the backup power supply  36  are all within the single cabinet  30  so that they are all supported together in a single location in the hoistway  22 . In this example, those components are all located near a top  40  of the hoistway  22 . 
     Although the elevator drive  32 , the emergency controller  34  and the backup power supply  36  are located within a single cabinet  30  in the illustration, it is not necessary that they all be in a single cabinet. It is desirable, however, to ensure that they are all at the same location within the hoistway  22 . 
     The example of  FIG. 1  also includes remote elevator system monitoring equipment  42  supported within the cabinet  30 . The remote elevator system monitoring equipment  42  allows for remotely monitoring the condition or operation of the elevator system  20  in a known manner. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates another example elevator system  20 ′. In this example, the elevator drive  32 , emergency controller  34 , backup power supply  36  and remote elevator monitoring equipment  42  are all supported on top of the elevator car  26 . In this example, all of those components are within a single cabinet  30 . It is possible to use more than one housing or cabinet for those components provided that they are all at the same location within the hoistway, which in this case is on top of the elevator car  26 . 
     While the example of  FIG. 2  shows the example components supported on top of the elevator car  26 , they may also be supported on a side or bottom surface of the car, depending on the particular configuration of a given elevator system. 
     One advantage of having the elevator drive  32 , the emergency controller  34  and the backup power supply  36  all at a single location within the hoistway  22  or on the car  26  is that it allows a technician to have access to all of those components from a single position. Adding the remote elevator system monitoring equipment  42  at the same location provides a technician with further access to additional elevator system components at that same location. 
     Another advantage to the illustrated arrangement is that it allows for improving or preserving the aesthetics of a hoistway for situations where the interior of the hoistway is visible. For example, when the walls  22 A,  22 B,  22 C, and/or  22 D of the hoistway  22  and/or the walls  26 A,  2613 ,  26 C, and/or  26 D of the car  26  are made of a transparent material (e.g., glass, fiberglass, etc.), having all of the example components in a single location avoids placing them at different locations along the hoistway, which improves the appearance of the elevator system to passengers within the car  26  and/or to individuals standing outside of the hoistway  22 . 
     The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.