EP1437320A1

EP1437320A1 - Elevator device and car movement limiting device thereof

Info

Publication number: EP1437320A1
Application number: EP01934433A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Takao Mitsubishi Denki K. K. NISHIDA
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2001-05-30
Filing date: 2001-05-30
Publication date: 2004-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-30
Also published as: EP1437320A4; DE60125990T2; KR100506476B1; DE60125990D1; CN1444539A; CN1184127C; KR20030018058A; JP4896370B2; EP1437320B1; JPWO2002098780A1; WO2002098780A1

Abstract

In an elevator apparatus, a stationary member is fixed in the interior of a hoistway, and a movable member to be engaged with the stationary member is mounted on a car. A switch device has first and second switches. The first switch is closed when the movable member is at an accommodating position, and is opened when the movable member is at a halfway position or an engagement position. The second switch is opened when the movable member is at the accommodating position or the halfway position, and is closed when the movable member is at the engagement position. In an on-car maintenance operation mode, a control device for controlling a driving device prohibits operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is at the halfway position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an elevator apparatus in which the operation mode is switched to an on-car maintenance operation mode at the time of maintenance operation on the car and to a car movement regulating device used in the elevator apparatus and adapted to mechanically regulate the car movement during maintenance operation on the car.

BACKGROUND ART

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the car movement regulating device of a conventional elevator apparatus disclosed, for example, in JP 2000-203774 A, and Fig. 8 is a front view showing the car movement regulating device of Fig. 7. In the drawings, in a hoistway 1, there are installed a pair of guide rails 3 for guiding the ascent and descent of a car 2. Fixed to each guide rail 3 is a stationary plate 4 having an engagement hole 4a.

A bracket 6 is mounted to an upper beam 5 of the car 2. A lock bar 7 is supported by the bracket 6. The lock bar 7 is linearly reciprocated through manual operation between an engagement position (indicated by the broken line in the drawing) where its forward end portion is inserted into the engagement hole 4a and an accommodating position (indicated by the solid line in the drawing) where it is retracted to a position on the car 2.

An operating lever 8 for manually operating the lock bar 7 is mounted to the lock bar 7. Mounted to the bracket 6 is a retaining plate 9 for retaining the lock bar 7 at the engagement position and the accommodating position. Provided in the retaining plate 9 are first and

second grooves

9a and 9b into which the operating lever 8 is inserted, respectively when the lock bar 7 is at the engagement position and at the accommodating position.

Mounted to the bracket 6 is a limit switch 10 to be closed when the lock bar 7 is at the accommodating position. An operating portion 10a of the limit switch 10 is operated by the rear end portion of the lock bar 7.

A hoist 11 for raising and lowering the car 2 is controlled by a control unit 12. In the control unit 12, there is provided a power circuit 13 for supplying power to the hoist 11. The limit switch 10 is connected to the power circuit 13. When the limit switch 10 is closed, the power circuit 13 is in the ON state, and when the limit switch 10 is open, the power circuit 13 is in the OFF state.

Next, the operation of this device will be described. When performing maintenance operation on the car 2, the lock bar 7 is slide from the accommodating position to the engagement position by operating the operating lever 8, and the forward end portion of the lock bar 7 is inserted into the engagement hole 4a, whereby movement of the car 2 is mechanically regulated. At this time, the limit switch 10 is open, and the power circuit 13 is in the OFF state. Thus, there is no danger of the hoist 11 being inadvertently driven.

In the above-described conventional car movement regulating device, the limit switch 10 only detects whether the lock bar 7 is at the accommodating position or not; it is impossible for it to detect whether the lock bar 7 has been appropriately moved to the engagement position, that is, whether the forward end portion of the lock bar 7 has been surely inserted into the engagement hole 4a. Further, it is impossible to detect that the forward end portion of the lock bar 7 is somewhere between the accommodating position and the engagement position. Thus, when the lock bar 7 is not at the accommodating position, it is only possible to perform a simple control to prevent the hoist 11 from being driven.

Further, if, due to a failure such as defective welding, the limit switch 10 remains closed, the hoist 11 can be driven with the lock bar 7 somewhere between the two positions, so that the lock bar 7 may interfere with an apparatus in the hoistway 1, thereby damaging the apparatus.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been made with a view toward solving the above problems in the prior art. It is an object of this invention to provide an elevator apparatus in which it is possible to perform finer control according to the position of a movable member for regulating the movement of the car to thereby achieve an improvement in operability in the maintenance operation on the car and a car movement regulating device thereof.

According to the present invention, there is provided a car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus which is used in an elevator apparatus equipped with a car ascending and descending in a hoistway, a driving device for raising and lowering the car, and a control device for controlling the driving device and which serves to mechanically regulate movement of the car during maintenance operation on the car, the device including: a stationary member fixed to one of the interior of the hoistway and the car and having a stationary side engagement portion; a movable member which has a movable side engagement portion to be engaged with the stationary side engagement portion, which is provided in the other of the interior of the hoistway and the car, and which can be displaced between an accommodating position and an engagement position where the movable side engagement portion is engaged with the stationary side engagement portion; and a switch device connected to the control device and adapted to distinguish and detect which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and a halfway position between the accommodating position and the engagement position the movable member is placed at.

Further, an elevator apparatus according to the present invention includes: a car ascending and descending in a hoistway; a driving device for raising and lowering the car; a stationary member fixed to one of the interior of the hoistway and the car and having a stationary side engagement portion; a movable member which has a movable side engagement portion to be engaged with the stationary side engagement portion, which is provided in the other of the interior of the hoistway and the car, and which can be displaced between an accommodating position and an engagement position where the movable side engagement portion is engaged with the stationary side engagement portion; a switch device for distinguishing and detecting which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and a halfway position between the accommodating position and the engagement position the movable member is placed at; and a control device which controls the driving device by selectively switching between a plurality of operation modes including a normal mode and an on-car maintenance mode and to which a signal from the switch device is input, wherein when the operation mode is the on-car maintenance mode, the control device allows operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is at the accommodating position, and prohibits operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is at the halfway position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the arm of Fig. 1 has been rotated to a halfway position;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the arm of Fig. 2 has been rotated to an engagement position;

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the car of Fig. 3 has been raised;

Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation in the normal operation mode of the control unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation in the on-car maintenance operation mode of the control unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing an example of the car movement regulating device of a conventional elevator apparatus; and

Fig. 8 is a front view of the car movement regulating device of Fig. 7.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention. In the drawing, an engagement plate 21 serving as a stationary member is fixed to a stationary portion in the hoistway, e.g., a guide rail. In the engagement plate 21, there is provided an engagement hole 21a serving as a stationary side engagement portion.

An arm 23 serving as a movable member is mounted on a car 22 that is raised and lowered in the hoistway. The arm 23 is rotatable about an axle 24 between an accommodating position (Fig. 1) and an engagement position (Figs. 3 and 4). Provided at the forward end portion of the arm 23 is a hook portion 23a serving as a movable side engagement portion to be engaged with the peripheral edge portion of the engagement hole 21a. Further, a cam 25 is fixed to the arm 23.

Mounted on the car 22 is a first switch 26 operated by the cam 25. The first switch 26 has a normally-closed contact 26a, and is closed when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position; when the arm 23 is at a halfway position between the accommodating position and the engagement position (Fig. 2) or the engagement position, it is operated to be opened by the cam 25.

Even when the normally-closed contact 26a does not spontaneously return to its original position although the arm 23 has been restored to the accommodating position, the first switch 26 is mechanically operated by the arm 23 and is forcibly closed.

Mounted on the arm 23 is a second switch 27 operated by the engagement plate 21. The second switch 27 has a normally-open contact 27a, and is open when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position or the halfway position; when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, it is closed.

A switch device 28 has first and

second switches

26 and 27, and is adapted to detect which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and the halfway position the arm 23 is placed at.

The car 22 is raised and lowered by the drive force of a driving device 29. The driving device 29 is controlled by a control device 30. The control device 30 controls the driving device 29 by selectively switching between a plurality of operation modes including a normal mode and an on-car maintenance mode.

Further, the first switch 26 is connected in series to a safety circuit (not shown), so that when the normally-closed contact 26a is opened, supply of electricity to the driving device 29 is cut off. Thus, while the operation of the car 22 by the driving device 29 is possible when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, the operation of the car 22 is prohibited when the arm 23 is at the halfway position or the engagement position.

It is to be noted that on the car 22, there is provided a bypass switch (not shown) for opening and closing a bypass circuit for short-circuiting (bypassing) the first switch 26 along with an on-car operating switch for operating the car 22. Thus, even when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, it is possible to raise and lower the car 22 at low speed by operating the on-car operating switch while closing the bypass circuit by operating the bypass switch.

Next, the operation of this device will be described. When the arm 23 is at the accommodating position shown in Fig. 1, the first switch 26 is closed, and the second switch 27 is open.

As shown in Fig. 2, when the arm 23 is rotated, the first switch 26 is operated by the cam 25, and the first switch 26 is opened. The second switch 27 is open since it does not abut the engagement plate 21.

As shown in Fig. 3, when the arm 23 reaches the engagement position, the second switch 27 is operated by the engagement plate 21 and closed while the first switch 26 is open.

When the arm 23 is at the engagement position, if the brake device (not shown) of the driving device 29 is opened, the movement of the car 22 is mechanically regulated within the range of the engagement hole 21a. For example, when the brake device is released with the balance weight (not shown) being heavier than the car 22, the car 22 ascends; however, as shown in Fig. 4, the hook portion 23a engages with the upper edge portion of the engagement hole 21a, whereby the ascent of the car 22 is regulated.

In the elevator apparatus as described above, when maintenance operations are to be performed on the car 22, the operation mode is first switched to the on-car maintenance operation mode, and the car 22 is moved at low speed to a predetermined maintenance position. Thereafter, the arm 23 is rotated to the engagement position, and the hook portion 23a is engaged with the engagement hole 21a of the stationary plate 21, whereby the movement of the car 22 is regulated, and maintenance operation is performed on the car 22.

After the completion of the maintenance operation, the arm 23 is restored to the accommodating position, and the operation mode is restored to the normal operation mode. At this time, when, as shown in Fig. 4, the hook 23a is in contact with the peripheral edge portion of the engagement hole 21a, the bypass switch and the on-car operating switch are simultaneously operated to slightly raise or lower the car 22 to restore the position of the hook portion 23a with respect to the engagement hole 21a to the position of Fig. 3, and then the arm 23 is rotated to the accommodating position.

Next, Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device 30 of Fig. 1 in the normal operation mode. In the normal operation mode, it is first checked whether the arm 23 is at the accommodating position (step S1). Then, when the arm 23 is not at the accommodating position, the operation of the car 22 is prohibited (step S2), whereby interference of the arm 23 with the ascent/descent apparatus is more reliably prevented.

When it is confirmed that the arm 23 is at the accommodating position, a judgment is made as to whether the arm 23 is at the engagement position (step S3). Normally, when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position, the second switch 27 is open, so that it is confirmed that the arm 23 is not at the engagement position, making it possible to operate the car 22 (step S4).

However, when it is detected that the arm 23 is at the engagement position although it has been detected that the arm 23 is at the accommodating position, it is determined that failure has occurred in the switch device 28, and an error detection signal is output (step S5).

For example, when the normally-open contact 27a of the second switch 27 remains closed as a result of welding or the like, both the first and

second switches

26 and 27 are closed even if the arm 23 is at the accommodating position. In such a case, an error detection signal is output, and the switch device 28 is repaired or replaced by the operator.

Thus, in the normal operation mode, it is confirmed whether the arm 23 is at the accommodating position and whether the switch 28 is out of order, making it possible to operate the car 22 more safely.

Next, Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device 30 of Fig. 1 in the on-car maintenance operation mode. In the on-car maintenance operation mode, it is first checked whether the arm 23 is at the accommodating position (step S1). When it is confirmed that the arm 23 is at the accommodating position, a judgment is made as to whether the arm 23 is at the engagement position (step S3).

When it is confirmed that the arm 23 is not at the engagement position, it is determined that the arm 23 is at the accommodating position and that there is no abnormality in the switch 28, making it possible to operate the car 22 (step S4). Thus, even in the on-car maintenance operation mode, when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position, it is possible to operate the car 22, and the can 22 can be moved to a predetermined maintenance position.

When it is detected that the arm 23 is at both the accommodating position and the engagement position, it is determined that the switch device 28 is out of order, and an error detection signal is output (step S5).

Further, in the on-car maintenance operation mode, even when it is detected that the arm 23 is not at the accommodating position, a judgment is made as to whether the arm 23 is at the engagement position (step S6). When it is detected that the arm 23 is at neither the accommodating position nor the engagement position, it is determined that the arm 23 is at the halfway position, and the operation of the car 22 is prohibited (step S7).

Thus, after the car 22 has been moved to the predetermined maintenance position, the operation of the car 22 is prohibited while the arm 23 is being operated and in the state in which the arm 23 is not appropriately engaged with the engagement plate 21. Thus, if, when the operator is performing operations on the car 22, the arm 23 is not at the engagement position, the car 22 is not raised or lowered.

When it is detected that the arm 23 is not at the accommodating position but at the engagement position, the operation of the car 22 is prohibited, and a release command signal for the brake device of the driving device 29 is made ready to be output (step S8), whereby the brake device can be released, and maintenance operation can be conducted with the brake device released. Further, as described above, when the bypass switch and the on-car operation switch are simultaneously operated, the car 22 can be operated at low speed.

In this car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus, it is possible to detect by means of the switch device 28 which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and the halfway position, the arm 23 is placed at, so that it is possible to conduct finer control according to the position of the arm 23, whereby it is possible to achieve an improvement in the operability of maintenance operations on the car.

Further, the switch device 28, which has the first switch 26, which is closed when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position and opened when the arm 23 is at the halfway position or the engagement position, and the second switch 27, which is opened when the arm 23 is at the accommodating position or the halfway position and closed when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, is used, so that it is possible to distinguish and detect the accommodating position, the engagement position, and the halfway position with a simple construction.

Further, the first switch 26 is arranged such that when the arm 23 is restored to the accommodating position, it is operated by the arm 23 to be forcibly closed, so that even when the first switch 26 does not spontaneously return to its original position, it is possible to operate the first switch 26 in the normal fashion.

Furthermore, the arm 23 is equippedwith the cam 25 that operates the f irst switch 2 6 when it is at the halfway position or the engagement position, so that the first switch 26 can be operated more reliably.

Further, when the operation mode is the on-car maintenance operationmode, the control device 30 enables the car 22 to be operated when it is detected that the arm 23 is at the accommodating position; when it is detected that the arm 23 is at the halfway position or the engagement position, it prohibits the operation of the car 22, so that it is possible to perform the maintenance operation on the car 22 more safely.

Further, when the operation mode is the normal operation mode, the control device 30 prohibits the operation of the car 22 when it is detected that the arm 23 is not at the accommodating position, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent interference of the arm 23 with the ascent/descent apparatus.

Furthermore, when both the first and

second switches

26 and 27 are closed, an error detection signal of the switch device 28 is generated, so that it is possible to easily detect failure such as welding of the normally-open contact 27a of the second switch 27, making it possible to achieve an improvement in reliability.

Further, a release command signal for the brake device is output only when it is detected that the arm 23 is at the engagement position, so that it is possible to release the brake device more safely.

Further, when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, closing the bypass circuit through operation of the bypass switch makes it possible to operate the car 22 through operation of the on-car operating switch, so that it is possible to raise or lower the car 22 even when the arm 23 is at the engagement position, making it possible to easily cancel the engaged state of the arm 23.

While in the above example, the engagement plate 21 is fixed in the hoistway and the arm 23 is mounted on the car 22, it is also possible to fix a stationary member to the car and to provide a movable member in the hoistway.

Further, while in the above example, the movable member consists of a rotatable arm 23, it is also possible to use a slidable movable member as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Claims

A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus which is used in an elevator apparatus equipped with a car ascending and descending in a hoistway, a driving device for raising and lowering the car, and a control device for controlling the driving device and which serves to mechanically regulate movement of the car during maintenance operations on the car, the device comprising:

a stationary member fixed to one of the interior of the hoistway and the car and having a stationary side engagement portion;

a movable member which has a movable side engagement portion to be engaged with the stationary side engagement portion, which is provided in the other of the interior of the hoistway and the car, and which can be displaced between an accommodating position and an engagement position where the movable side engagement portion is engaged with the stationary side engagement portion; and

a switch device connected to the control device and adapted to distinguish and detect which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and a halfway position between the accommodating position and the engagement position the movable member is placed at.
A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the switch device has a first switch which is closed when the movable member is at the accommodating position and opened when the movable member is at the halfway position or the engagement position and a second switch which is opened when the movable member is at the accommodating position or the halfway position and closed when the movable member is at the engagement position.
A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the first switch is arranged such that by restoring the movable member to the accommodating position, it is operated by the movable member to be forcibly closed.
A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the movable member is rotated to be displaced between the accommodating position and the engagement position about an axle.
A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the movable member is equipped with a cam for operating the first switch when it is at the halfway position or the engagement position.
A car movement regulating device for an elevator apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the stationary member is fixed in the interior of the hoistway, and wherein the movable member is mounted on the car, with the first switch being mounted on the car and the second switch being mounted on the movable member.
An elevator apparatus comprising:

a car that is raised and lowered in a hoistway;

a driving device for raising and lowering the car;

a stationary member fixed to one of the interior of the hoistway and the car and having a stationary side engagement portion;

a movable member which has a movable side engagement portion to be engaged with the stationary side engagement portion, which is provided in the other of the interior of the hoistway and the car, and which can be displaced between an accommodating position and an engagement position where the movable side engagement portion is engaged with the stationary side engagement portion;

a switch device for distinguishing and detecting which of the three positions: the accommodating position, the engagement position, and a halfway position between the accommodating position and the engagement position the movable member is placed at; and

a control device which controls the driving device by selectively switching between a plurality of operation modes including a normal mode and an on-car maintenance mode and to which a signal from the switch device is input,

wherein when the operation mode is the on-car maintenance mode, the control device allows operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is at the accommodating position, and prohibits operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is at the halfway position.
An elevator apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein when the operation mode is the normal mode, the control device prohibits operation of the car when it is detected that the movable member is not at the accommodating position.
An elevator apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the driving device is equipped with a brake device, and wherein the control device makes it possible to output a release command signal for the brake device only when the operation mode is the on-car maintenance mode and it is detected that the movable member is at the engagement position.
An elevator apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the switch device has a first switch which is closed when the movable member is at the accommodating position and opened when the movable member is at the halfway position or the engagement position and a second switch which is opened when the movable member is at the accommodating position or the halfway position and closed when the movable member is at the engagement position.
An elevator apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein when both the first and second switches are closed, the control device generates an error detection signal for the switch device.
An elevator apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein provided on the car are an on-car operating switch for operating the car and a bypass switch for opening and closing a bypass circuit for short-circuiting the first switch, and wherein when the movable member is at the engagement position, the control device makes it possible to operate the car through operation of the on-car operating switch when the bypass circuit is closed through operation of the bypass switch.