EP1958913A1

EP1958913A1 - Door control device for elevator

Info

Publication number: EP1958913A1
Application number: EP05811649A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akihiro Chida
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2005-12-05
Filing date: 2005-12-05
Publication date: 2008-08-20
Also published as: EP1958913A4; JPWO2007066377A1; WO2007066377A1

Abstract

In an elevator door control apparatus, a wireless tag apparatus is mounted to a first mount portion of an elevator. A tag reader that detects the wireless tag apparatus is mounted to a second mount portion that can be moved relative to the first mount portion by opening and closing an elevator door. A control apparatus main body detects a position of the elevator door by means of signals from the tag reader and controls opening and closing of the elevator door.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an elevator door control apparatus that controls opening and closing of an elevator door.

BACKGROUND ART

In conventional elevator door control apparatuses, a sensor apparatus that emits and receives light is mounted to a door panel, and a tape that reflects the light from the sensor apparatus is affixed to a spar such that pulse waves are generated by opening and closing actions of the door panel. The position and velocity of the door panel can be found based on these pulse waves (see Patent Document 1, for example).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-151446

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

In conventional door control apparatuses such as that described above, there has been a risk that accurate position detection may be prevented by dust or smoke, etc., since light is used. Since pulse signals are used, the processes of position calculation and velocity calculation have also been complex.
On the other hand, there are also door control apparatuses in which an encoder is disposed on a motor shaft of a door motor to control position and velocity of a door panel based on pulse signals from the encoder, but in that case, slippage may arise between a drive belt and pulleys on the door motor, and functions and arithmetic processing that correct for the slippage have been required.
The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator door control apparatus in which elevator door position can be detected precisely using a simple configuration.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator door control apparatus including: a wireless tag apparatus that is mounted to a first mount portion of an elevator; a tag reader that is mounted to a second mount portion that can be moved relative to the first mount portion by opening and closing an elevator door and that detects the wireless tag apparatus; and a control apparatus main body that detects a position of the elevator door by means of signals from the tag reader and that controls opening and closing of the elevator door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective that shows part of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram that shows a relationship between a tag reader and a wireless tag from Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; and
Figure 5 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

Figure 1 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, a spar 1 that functions as a supporting member is fixed to an upper portion of a car entrance. A door rail 2 is fixed horizontally on the spar 1.
Car doors 3 that constitute an elevator door for opening and closing the car entrance are suspended from the door rail 2. Each of the car doors 3 has: a door panel 4; and a door hanger 5 that is fixed to an upper portion of the door panel 4 so as to engage with the door rail 2. The door hanger 5 has a pair of hanger rollers 6 that can be rolled along the door rail 2.
First and second pulleys 7 and 8 are disposed on the spar 1 at a distance from each other in a width direction of the car entrance. An endless drive belt 9 is wound between the first and second pulleys 7 and 8. The door hanger 5 is connected to the drive belt 9 by means of a coupling 10. A door motor 11 that opens and closes the car doors 3 is mounted on the spar 1. A driving force from the door motor 11 is transmittedto the first pulley 7 by means of a transmission mechanism 12. The drive belt 9 is cycled and the car doors 3 are opened and closed by rotating the first pulley 7.
A control apparatus main body 13 is also installed on the spar 1. The control apparatus main body 13 has a microcomputer and controls the opening and closing of the car doors 3 by controlling the door motor 11. A wireless tag apparatus 14 is fixed to an upper portion of the door hanger 5, which constitutes a first mount portion. A tag reader 15 that detects the wireless tag apparatus 14 is fixed to the spar 1, which constitutes a second mount portion, so as to face the wireless tag apparatus 14.
Figure 2 is a perspective that shows part of Figure 1. The wireless tag apparatus 14 has: a plate 16 that is fixed to an upper portion of the door hanger 5; and a plurality of wireless tags (RFID tags) 17 that are mounted on the plate 16. The plate 16 is a long member that has a length that is approximately equal to a width dimension of the door panel 4 and is disposed such that a longitudinal direction is parallel to a closing and opening direction of the car doors 3. The wireless tags 17 are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the closing and opening direction of the car doors 3. The tag reader 15 can detect the wireless tags 17 individually.
The control apparatus main body 13 detects the position of the car doors 3 using signals from the tag reader 15. The control apparatus main body 13 also detects the velocity of the car doors 3 by calculation from detection time intervals between the wireless tags 17.
The wireless tags 17 are disposed at least at positions corresponding to a fully-open position, a fully-closed position, a constant velocity position, an acceleration terminating position, and a deceleration commencing position of the car doors 3. That is, by detecting the wireless tags 17, the tag reader 15 enables the control apparatus main body 13 to detect when the car doors 3 have reached the fully-open position, the fully-closed position, the constant velocity position, the acceleration terminating position, and the deceleration commencing position.
Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram that shows a relationship between a tag reader 15 and a wireless tag 17 from Figure 2. The tag reader 15 has: a signal transmitting and receiving antenna 18 that generates an electromagnetic field such as that indicated by the arrows in the figure; and a signal processing portion 19 that is connected to the signal transmitting and receiving antenna 18. The tag reader 15 supplies electric power to the wireless tag 17 by subjecting it to an inductive electromotive force. The wireless tag 17 transmits a signal that includes a prestored data value to the tag reader 15 using the electric power that has been supplied by the tag reader 15. The signal processing portion 19 extracts the data value from the signal that is received by the signal transmitting and receiving antenna 18. Here, a dielectric magnetic flux number that is issued by the signal transmitting and receiving antenna 18 determines whether the wireless tag 17 is activated or not.
In this kind of elevator door control apparatus, as the car doors 3 are opened and closed, the wireless tag apparatus 14 is moved relative to the tag reader 15 together with the car doors 3. Thus, the data from the wireless tags 17 are read sequentially by the tag reader 15. The detection signals from the tag reader 15 are sent to the control apparatus main body 13. The control apparatus main body 13 detects absolute position and velocity of the car doors 3 based on the signals from the tag reader 15. The control apparatus main body 13 also performs speed control of the car doors 3 using absolute position information from the tag reader 15 as a trigger.
Consequently, with an door control apparatus according to Embodiment 1, complex signal analysis is unnecessary, enabling the position of the car doors 3 to be detected precisely using a simple configuration. Mounting and positioning on the door apparatus is also facilitated compared to when an encoder is mounted to a door motor 11, improving installation. In addition, velocity of the car doors 3 can be detected easily.

Embodiment 2

Next, Figure 4 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the figure, a wireless tag apparatus 21 is fixed to an upper surface of a drive belt 9 that constitutes a first mount portion. The wireless tag apparatus 21 has a plurality of wireless tags 17 that are disposed at a distance from each other in a longitudinal direction of the drive belt 9. The wireless tags 17 are disposed at least at positions corresponding to a fully-open position, a fully-closed position,a constantvelocity position,an acceleration terminating position, and a deceleration commencing position of car doors 3. A tag reader 15 that detects the wireless tags 17 is fixed to a spar 1 that constitutes a second mount portion. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.
Thus, if the wireless tag apparatus 21 is mounted to a drive belt 9, complex signal analysis is also unnecessary, enabling the position of the car doors 3 to be detected precisely using a simple configuration. Mounting and positioning on the door apparatus is also facilitated, improving installation. In addition, velocity of the car doors 3 can be detected easily.
Moreover, by using a toothed belt for the drive belt 9 and also using toothed pulleys that intermesh with the toothed belt for the pulleys 7 and 8, slippage can be prevented from arising between the drive belt 9 and the pulleys 7 and 8, enabling the control of opening and closing of the car doors 3 to be performed more accurately.

Embodiment 3

Next, Figure 5 is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the figure, a wireless tag apparatus 14 is fixed to a spar 1 that constitutes a first mount portion. A tag reader 15 that detects the wireless tag apparatus 14 is fixed to an upper portion of a door hanger 5 that constitutes a second mount portion so as to face the wireless tag apparatus 14. In other words, in Embodiment 3, the disposition of the wireless tag apparatus 14 and the tag reader 15 is reversed from that of Embodiment 1. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.
Thus, even if the tag reader 15 is disposed on a movable portion, complex signal analysis is unnecessary, enabling the position of the car doors 3 to be detected precisely using a simple configuration. Mounting and positioning on the door apparatus is also facilitated, improving installation. In addition, velocity of the car doors 3 can be detected easily.
Moreover, it goes without saying that the tag reader may also be a tag reader/writer.
In the above examples, position and velocity of the car doors 3 were detected, but the wireless tag apparatus and the tag reader may also be used only for position detection, and velocity may be detected using a different method.
The mounted positions of the wireless tag apparatus and the tag reader are not limited to the above examples. The wireless tag apparatus and the tag reader may also both be disposed on movable portions, for example. Either one of the wireless tag apparatus and the tag reader may also be disposed on a lower portion of an elevator door and its counterpart disposed on a doorsill.
A wireless tag apparatus and a tag reader may also be installed on a landing door apparatus to detect the position of landing doors independently.
In addition, the present invention can also be applied to either side-opening or centrally-opening door apparatuses. The number of doors is also not particularly limited.

Claims

An elevator door control apparatus comprising:
a wireless tag apparatus that is mounted to a first mount portion of an elevator;

a tag reader that is mounted to a second mount portion that can be moved relative to the first mount portion by opening and closing an elevator door and that detects the wireless tag apparatus; and

a control apparatus main body that detects a position of the elevator door by means of signals from the tag reader and that controls opening and closing of the elevator door.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:
the wireless tag apparatus has a plurality of wireless tags that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a closing and opening direction of the elevator door; and

the tag reader can detect the wireless tags individually.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the control apparatus main body detects a velocity of the elevator door from detection time intervals between the wireless tags.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the wireless tags are disposed so as to correspond to a fully-open position and a fully-closed position of the elevator door.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the wireless tags are disposed so as to correspond to an acceleration terminating position and a deceleration commencing position of the elevator door.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:
the first mount portion is an upper portion of the elevator door; and

the second mount portion is a supporting member that is fixed to an upper portion of an entrance that can be opened and closed by means of the elevator door and that supports the elevator door.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:
the first mount portion is a drive belt that transmits to the elevator door a driving force from a door motor that opens and closes the elevator door; and

the second mount portion is a supporting member that is fixed to an upper portion of an entrance that can be opened and closed by means of the elevator door and that supports the elevator door.
The elevator door control apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:
the first mount portion is a supporting member that is fixed to an upper portion of an entrance that can be opened and closed by means of the elevator door and that supports the elevator door; and

the second mount portion is an upper portion of the elevator door.