Patent Application
20210403279
Elevator systems include doors at each entry to the hoistway. The landing or hoistway doors face toward the hallway or lobby from which a passenger enters the elevator car. The elevator car doors are supported on the elevator car. The landing doors remain at the respective installed locations while the elevator car doors travel with the elevator car along the hoistway.
It is necessary to accurately install the hoistway door components, such as the sill, and door header to achieve the precise alignment needed between the elevator car and the sill. Many hoistways are built in a way that makes aligning all hoistway door sills along the hoistway challenging and time-consuming. Even skilled installers have to make multiple measurements and adjustments to get everything properly aligned.
An illustrative example embodiment of a device that facilitates installing at least one elevator door component, includes a detector that is configured to detect at least one reference feature in a vicinity of a desired position of the elevator door component. A processor is configured to use information from the detector to determine the desired position of the elevator door component relative to the at least one detected feature. An indicator is configured to provide at least one indication corresponding to the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of the previous paragraph, the at least one indication comprises a visual indication.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the indicator comprises a laser and the at least one visual indication is a laser projected image.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the visual indication is situated to appear on a portion of the elevator door component to visually indicate when the elevator door component is in the desired position.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the visual indication is situated to appear on a surface near the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the detector comprises a LiDAR detector.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the detector is configured to use photogrammetry to detect at least one feature of a hoistway in a vicinity of the desired position of the elevator door component within an image and the processor is configured to use information regarding the detected at least one feature within the image and provided information regarding a relationship between the detected at least one feature and the desired position to determine the desired position.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the detector is configured to detect at least one target that is placed in a known location relative to the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the detector is configured to detect at least one marker on the elevator door component, the processor is configured to determine a current position of the elevator door component relative to the desired position based on information from the detector regarding a position of the at least one marker on the elevator door component, the processor is configured to determine a change in position of the elevator door component to bring the elevator door component into the desired position, and the processor is configured to control the indicator to dynamically change the indication based on variations in the determined change in position.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the device of any of the previous paragraphs, the at least one indication comprises an audible indication.
An illustrative example embodiment of a method of facilitating installation of at least one elevator door component includes detecting at least one reference feature in a vicinity of a desired position of the elevator door component, using at least one processor for automatically determining the desired position of the elevator door component relative to the at least one detected feature, and providing at least one indication corresponding to the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of the previous paragraph, the at least one indication comprises a visual indication.
An example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs includes using a laser to provide the at least one visual indication as a laser projected image.
An example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs includes causing the visual indication to appear on a portion of the elevator door component to visually indicate when the elevator door component is in the desired position.
An example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs includes causing the visual indication to appear on a surface near the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, the detecting is performed using a LiDAR detector.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, the detecting is performed using photogrammetry to detect at least one feature of a hoistway in a vicinity of the desired position of the elevator door component within an image and determining the desired position of the elevator door component comprises using information regarding the detected at least one feature within the image and provided information regarding a relationship between the detected at least one feature and the desired position.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, the detecting comprises detecting at least one target that is placed in a known location relative to the desired position of the elevator door component.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, the detecting comprising detecting at least one marker on the elevator door component. Automatically determining the desired position comprises using the processor to determine a current position of the elevator door component relative to the desired position based on information regarding a position of the at least one marker on the elevator door component and using the processor to determine a change in position of the elevator door component to bring the elevator door component into the desired position and providing the at least one indication comprises dynamically changing the indication based on variations in the determined change in position.
In an example embodiment having at least one feature of the method of any of the previous paragraphs, providing the at least one indication comprises providing an audible indication.
The various features and advantages of at least one example embodiment 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.
Embodiments of a device or method consistent with the teachings of this description facilitate installing elevator door components, such as a hoistway door sill, in an efficient and accurate manner
Positioning the sill 30 is important to achieve a desired spatial relationship and alignment with an elevator car door sill 42, which includes a track 44 that guides movement of the elevator car door 46.
As shown in
Plumb lines 56 are situated in the hoistway 50 to provide vertical references that may be used for various purposes during installation of the elevator system. In this embodiment, targets 58 are at least temporarily secured to the plumb lines 56. The targets 58 are detectable by a sensor or detector portion of the device 48. Additional targets 66 are supported on a guide rail 66 that is supported along another hoistway wall 70. Any or all of the targets 58, 66 provide reference locations within the hoistway in the vicinity of the opening 52. Those reference locations allow the device 48 to determine a desired position of the sill 30.
The sensor or detector portion of the device 48 in some embodiments includes a LiDAR (light distance and ranging) sensor that detects one or more of the targets 58, 66 or features of the hoistway 50. Information from the LiDAR sensor is processed by the processor portion of the device 48 to determine distance information based on the locations of the hoistway features or targets 58, 66. The distance information may be based on, for example, known relationships between the positions of the targets and an intended position of a door component, such as the sill 30.
In some embodiments, the device 48 has photogrammetry capability that uses known pixel density analysis to determine distances associated with at least one of the targets 58, 66 or at least one feature of the hoistway 50 to determine the position of the sill 30. For example, one example device 48 obtains image information based on a camera, scanner or sensor capturing at least one image of a portion of the hoistway near the opening 52 where the sill 30 will be installed. A user provides a measured or known distance between the physical features or items in the hoistway 50 that also appear in the image through a user interface that communicates with a processor or computing device of the device 48. The processor then determines a spatial relationship between the location(s) of the detected target(s) or features of the hoistway 50 and determines the desired position of the sill 30 relative to the image information.
The device 48 provides at least one visual indication 72 that informs an installer of the proper position of the sill 30. For example, the visual indication 72 is a line that establishes at least a horizontal alignment of the sill 30 relative to the edge of the floor 38. In the illustrated example embodiment, additional visual indications 74 provide information regarding necessary movement of the sill 30 to achieve proper positioning of the sill 30.
The visual indications 72 and 74 are projected by a laser projector of the device 48 in the illustrated example embodiment. The visual indications 74 may be provided on the floor 38 as shown or in another location that would be convenient for an installer. The visual indication 72 may only be visible on the sill 30 when the sill is sufficiently close to the intended installed position.
In this embodiment, markers 76 are provided on the sill 30 at least during the installation process. The device 48 detects or senses the markers 76 in a manner similar to recognizing the targets 58, 62, 66. The device 48 in this embodiment dynamically updates the visual indications 74 to guide the installer while positioning the sill 30 based on the locations or movement of the markers 76. The processor or computing device of the device 48 uses suitable programming or is otherwise configured to provide appropriate visual indications 74. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this description will realize how to use commercially available technology to provide visual indications that meet the needs of their particular situation.
In
One feature of the device 48 is that it can provide visual indications guiding the installer where to drill holes in the hoistway wall 36 for mounting the sill prior to bringing the sill 30 into or near the desired position. The task of locating the proper drill locations is typically challenging and time-consuming in and of itself.
While the sill 30 is used as an example door component in
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.
