1. A method for allocating calls in an elevator group comprising a plurality of elevators and at least one group control unit, wherein:
the actual usage of each elevator is recorded;
the group control unit executes at least one allocation algorithm for selecting which elevator of the elevator group is used to serve a call;
the allocation algorithm is configured to compare the actual usage of at least two elevators against respective target usages and to select the elevator having its actual usage most deviating from the target usage to serve an outstanding call.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the at least two elevators, the actual usage of which is compared against respective target usages, are chosen from the group of elevators having an equal cost or having a cost below a pre-defined threshold, as determined by the allocation algorithm.
3. A method according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein: the actual usage of an elevator is obtained as a function of the actual number of calls served by the elevator, share of calls served by the elevator from the calls served by the elevator group, distance travelled by the elevator, andor share of distance travelled by the elevator from the distance travelled by the elevators in the elevator group.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the target usage is computed for each elevator by multiplying the number of calls served by the elevator group or the distance travelled by the elevators in the elevator group with a target share of each elevator.
5. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the target usage is balanced between the elevators, for evening out wear and tear among the elevators.
6. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the target usage is set higher for a subgroup of elevators than for the rest of the elevators in the elevator group, for the elevator or elevators in the subgroup reaching the end of maintenance period sooner.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein: the target usage is computed based on a target profile for each elevator.
8. An elevator group control unit, herein: the elevator group control unit is configured to carry out the method of claim 1.
9. Elevator group control unit according to claim 8, wherein: the group control unit is connected to a data base for recording information of actual usage andor target usage.
10. Elevator group, wherein: the elevator group comprises a number of elevators and elevator controls and at least one elevator group control unit according to any one of claim 8 or 9. The elevator group control unit is configured to collect usage information from car operator panels, up buttons and down buttons, andor destination operating panel. The elevator group control unit is also configured to command the elevator chosen by the allocation algorithm to serve an outstanding call.
11. Application executable in a remote service centre or in the elevator group control unit according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: the application is configured to: a) remotely read usage data andor target usage from an elevator group control unit andor data base of the elevator group; andor b) set the target usage andor target profile for certain elevators or all elevators in the elevator group.
12. A method according to claim 2, wherein: the target usage is computed for each elevator by multiplying the number of calls served by the elevator group or the distance travelled by the elevators in the elevator group with a target share of each elevator.
13. A method according to claim 3, wherein: the target usage is computed for each elevator by multiplying the number of calls served by the elevator group or the distance travelled by the elevators in the elevator group with a target share of each elevator.
14. A method according to claim 2, wherein: the target usage is balanced between the elevators, for evening out wear and tear among the elevators.
15. A method according to claim 3, wherein: the target usage is balanced between the elevators, for evening out wear and tear among the elevators.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A plant container, the container comprising at least one section of flexible material, the material having an inner and an outer surface, said inner surface being formed at least in part by a lattice of recesses, at least some of said recesses converging towards a hole through the material, said outer surface being formed at least in part by a lattice of protuberances at the same relative positional arrangement as the recesses, wherein said section is formed as a parallelogram having two acute angles and two obtuse angles, the one or more sections being arranged to form a cylinder with adjacent ends overlapping and the protuberances on the outer surface of one end nesting within the recesses of the inner surface of the adjacent end at the overlap.
2. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acute angles are in the range 30 to 60 degrees.
3. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acute angles are at 45 degrees.
4. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container includes one or more fastening means provided to hold the section in said overlapping, nested engagement.
5. A plant container as claimed in claim 4 wherein there are at least two fastening means arranged on the overlap.
6. A plant container as claimed in claim 4 wherein the fastening means is by screws located through the holes formed in the recesses.
7. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of said recesses are of a substantially truncated conical form.
8. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein each recess comprises a wall which converges towards the hole, adjacent walls forming a peak between each recess, wherein a plurality of said peaks are located on a row lengthways on the inner surface having a height greater than that of adjacent peaks across the width of the inner surface.
9. A plant container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the container further comprises a base arranged to rest on said walls of said peaks of greater height.
10. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holes within the recesses are of various diameters over the width of the section.
11. A plant container as claimed in claim 10 wherein at least one of holes is medium sized, wherein medium sized are apertures which remove 6%-20% of the area at the base of a recess.
12. A plant container as claimed in claim 10 wherein at least one of holes is large sized, wherein large sized are apertures which remove 20%-40% of the area at the base of a recess.
13. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the protuberances includes a hole at their apex.
14. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the material is formed from a relatively thin sheet of plastic material and the said recesses in said inner surface produces said protuberances in said outer surface.
15. A plant container as claimed in claim 14 wherein the plastic is a recycled plastic.
16. A plant container as claimed in claim 15 wherein the plastic is HDPE (high density polyethylene) obtained from domestic waste.
17. A plant container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the holes within the recesses are of various diameters over the width of the section.
18. A section of material as claimed in claim 17 wherein at least one of holes is medium sized, wherein medium sized are apertures which remove 6%-20% of the area at the base of a recess.
19. A section of material as claimed in claim 17 wherein at least one of holes is large sized, wherein large sized are apertures which rem ove 20%-40% of the area at the base of a recess.
20. A section of material for forming a container, the material having an inner and an outer surface, said inner surface being formed at least in part by a lattice of recesses, at least some of said recesses converging towards a hole through the material, said outer surface being formed at least in part by a lattice of protuberances at the same relative positional arrangement as the recesses, wherein said section is formed as a parallelogram having two acute angles and two obtuse angles.
21. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein the acute angles are in the range 30 to 60 degrees.
22. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein the acute angles are at 45 degrees.
23. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein at least some of said recesses are of a substantially truncated conical form.
24. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein each recess comprises a wall which converges towards the hole, adjacent walls forming a peak between each recess, wherein a plurality of said peaks are located on a row lengthways on the inner surface having a height greater than that of adjacent peaks across the width of the inner surface.
25. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein at least one of the protuberances includes a hole at its apex.
26. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein the material is formed from a relatively thin sheet of plastic material and the said recesses in said inner surface produces said protuberances in said outer surface.
27. A section of material as claimed in claim 20 wherein the plastic is a recycled plastic.
28. A section of material as claimed in claim 27 wherein the plastic is HDPE (high density polyethylene) obtained from domestic waste.
29. A container for organic matter, the container comprising at least one section of flexible material, said inner surface being formed in part by a lattice of recesses, at least some of said recesses being of substantially truncated conical form having a wall which converges towards a hole through the section, adjacent walls forming a peak between each recess, a plurality of said peaks located on a row lengthways on the inner surface having a height greater than that of adjacent peaks across the width of the inner surface, said outer surface being formed in part by a lattice of protuberances at the same relative positional arrangement as the recesses, said section being a parallelogram having two acute angles and two obtuse angles arranged in a cylinder with its opposite ends overlapping and the protuberances on the outer surface of one end nesting within the recesses of the inner surface of the other end at the overlap, and a container base arranged to rest on said walls of said peaks of greater height and fastening means being provided to hold the section in said overlapping, nested engagement.
30. A container as claimed in claim 29 wherein the container further comprises a lid arranged to res on an upper edge of the flexible section of material.