Patent Publication Number: US-2020283270-A1

Title: Elevator system landing door unlocking mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The subject matter disclosed herein relates to elevator systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to access restriction through landing floor doors of elevator systems. 
     Elevator systems typically include one or more elevator cars movable along a hoistway, with landing doors located along the hoistway to allow passengers to enter and exit the elevator cars. The landing doors are also periodically used by elevator system maintenance personnel to access the hoistway to perform service and/or maintenance on components of the elevator system, such as the machine which drives the elevator system, suspension members of the elevator car and other components. 
     In current elevator systems, when the maintenance personnel wish to enter the hoistway through the landing doors, they utilize shaped keys, which fit into a mechanical lock in the landing door assembly. The keys, often triangular in shape, are relatively simple and easy to replicate. As such, anyone in possession of such a key may enter the hoistway through the landing doors, whether authorized or not. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a landing floor door access system for an elevator system includes a door lock operably connected to a landing floor door, and a door lock controller operably connected to the door lock. The door lock controller is configured for non-contact communication with an access device such that communication between the access device and the door lock controller initiates a signal from the door lock controller to the door lock to deactivate the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device is integrated into one of an access badge, a telecommand device, a key chain, or a near field communication (NFC) chip of a smart phone or other handheld device. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device automatically communicates with the door lock when the access device is placed within an operable range of the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device must be activated by a user before communication is initiated with the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the door lock is located at a lintel of the landing floor door. 
     In another embodiment, an elevator system includes a hoistway, an elevator car positioned in the hoistway and movable along the hoistway and a landing floor door located at the hoistway to allow access to and from the elevator car. A landing floor door access system includes a door lock operably connected to the landing floor door, and a door lock controller operably connected to the door lock. The door lock controller is configured for non-contact communication with an access device such that communication between the access device and the door lock controller initiates a signal from the door lock controller to the door lock to deactivate the door lock allowing opening of the landing floor door. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device is integrated into one of an access badge, a telecommand device, a key chain, or a near field communication (NFC) chip of a smart phone or other handheld device. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device automatically communicates with the door lock when the access device is placed within an operable range of the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device must be activated by a user before communication is initiated with the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the door lock is disposed at a lintel of the landing floor door. 
     In yet another embodiment, a method of accessing a hoistway of an elevator system includes approaching a landing floor door of the elevator system, the landing floor door positioned at the hoistway, and initiating communication between an access device and a door lock of the landing floor door via non-contact interaction between the access device and the door lock. The door lock is deactivated via the non-contact interaction between the access device and the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments non-contact operable communication is initiated between the access device and a door lock controller to initiate a signal from the door lock controller to the door lock, and the door lock is deactivated via the signal from the door lock controller. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the access device is integrated into one of an access badge, a telecommand device, a key chain, or a near field communication (NFC) chip of a smart phone or other handheld device. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the method includes automatically communicating with the door lock via the access device when the access device is placed within an operable range of the door lock. 
     Additionally or alternatively, in this or other embodiments the method includes activating the access device before communication is initiated with the door lock. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an embodiment of an elevator system; and 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an embodiment of a landing door access system for an elevator system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Shown in  FIG. 1  is a schematic of an exemplary traction elevator system  10 . The elevator system  10  includes an elevator car  12  operatively suspended or supported in a hoistway  14  with one or more suspension members  16 , such as ropes or belts. The one or more suspension members  16  interact with one or more sheaves  18  to be routed around various components of the elevator system  10 . The one or more sheaves  18  could also be connected to a counterweight  22 , which is used to help balance the elevator system  10  and reduce the difference in suspension member  16  tension on both sides of a traction sheave  24  during operation. 
     The elevator system  10  further includes one or more guide rails  28  to guide the elevator car  12  along the hoistway  14 . The elevator car  12  includes one or more guide shoes or rollers  30  interactive with the guide rails  28  to guide the elevator car  12 . The elevator car  12  also may include safeties  32  interactive with the guide rail  28  to slow and/or stop motion of the elevator car  12  under certain conditions, such as an overspeed condition. 
     The hoistway  14  includes one or more landing floors  34  at which the elevator car  12  stops to allow ingress and/or egress of passengers from the elevator car  12  through elevator car doors  38 . A landing floor door  36  is located at each landing floor  34  of the hoistway  14 . During elevator system operation, the landing floor door  36  opens when the elevator car  12  is present at the landing floor  34  to allow for passenger ingress and/or egress. The landing floor door  36  is also utilized as an access point for service personnel to access the elevator car  12  and/or an interior of the hoistway  14  to perform inspections, service, maintenance, repairs or other tasks related to the elevator car  12  or other components of the elevator system  10  located in the hoistway  14 , such as the suspension members  16 , sheaves  18 , guide rails  28 , counterweight  22 , or other components. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the landing floor door  36  may comprise a pair of landing floor door panels  58  located at a door opening  60 . The landing floor door panels  58  meet at a center of the door opening  60  and open laterally outwardly from the center of the door opening  60 , or alternatively from a side of the door opening  60 . The door opening  60  is bounded by a door frame  40  including vertical frame sides  42  and a door lintel  44  spanning between the frame sides  42 . A door lock  46  is located at the door frame  40 , in some embodiments at the door lintel  44 . When the door lock  46  is activated, the landing floor door  36  cannot be opened, and when the door lock  46  is deactivated, the landing floor door  36  may be opened, either manually or through operation of the elevator car doors, interactive with the landing floor door  36 . 
     The door lock  46  may be, for example, a mechanical lock, magnetic lock or electrical lock, and is operably connected to a door lock controller  48 . A connection between the door lock  46  and the door lock controller  48  may be an electrical wire or may be a wireless connection. The door lock controller  48  may be located at any suitable location, such as the door lintel  44  or one of the frame sides  42 . A technician  50 , who may be seeking access to the hoistway  14  via the landing floor door  36  is provided with an access device  52 , which may be passive, and integrated into an access badge, key chain, or near field communication chip (NFC) of a smartphone, or may be an active access device  52  such as a telecommand device, a push-button remote control device or the like. In some embodiments, communication between the access device  52  and the door lock controller  48  is via radio frequency identification (RFID). In some embodiments, the access device  52  is passive, meaning that no action by the technician  50 , other than placing the access device  52  within communication range of the door lock controller  48 , is necessary to initiate communication between the access device  52  and the door lock controller  48 . Examples of passive access devices  52  include, but are not limited to, such a device integrated into an access badge, key chain, or near field communication chip (NFC) of a smartphone. In other embodiments, the access device  52  may be active and require activation by the technician  50  to communicate with the door lock controller  48 . For example, the transmitter  52  may require a button push or entry of a code into the access device  52  before initiating communication with the door lock controller  48 . Examples of active access devices  52  include, but are not limited to, a telecommand device such as a push-button remote control device or the like. Further, the access device  52 /door lock controller  48  communication is non-contact. No physical contact between the access device  52  and the door lock controller  46  or other components such as the door lock  46  or the landing floor door  36  is necessary to deactivate the door lock  46 . 
     When the access device  52  communicates with the door lock controller  48 , the door lock controller  48  transmits a signal to the door lock  46  to deactivate the door lock  46 , allowing the technician  50  to open the landing floor door  36  by, for example, pushing the landing floor door  36  from a closed position (shown in  FIG. 2 ) to an opened position in the direction of arrows  54 . The access device  52  has an operational range  56 , in some embodiments, about 6 feet or 2 meters so that the access device  52  must be located in close proximity to the door lock controller  48  to receive the signal from the access device  52 . This prevents inadvertent or unintentional deactivation of the door lock  46 , such as in elevator system  10  installations with multiple hoistways  14  and multiple sets of landing floor doors  36  at a landing floor  34 . 
     In some embodiments, the same access device  52  may be similarly utilized to allow the technician  50  to access maintenance panels (not shown) or other components inside the elevator car  12  and/or inside the hoistway  14 . The contactless device disclosed herein to unlock the landing floor door  36  allowing technician access to the elevator car  12  and/or hoistway  14  reduces unauthorized access through the landing floor door  36  by eliminating the conventional mechanical key and lock arrangement at the landing floor door  36 . The reduction in unauthorized access in turn enhances safety of elevator system  10  passengers and technicians. 
     While the present disclosure has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate in spirit and/or scope. Additionally, while various embodiments have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.