JP7586285B2 - Elevator Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to elevator systems .

Patent Document 1 describes an elevator device. In the elevator device described in Patent Document 1, if a passenger becomes trapped in the car, a remote operator collects information from the passenger through an intercom in the car and performs the necessary operations. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that the passenger in the car is asked to press a door open button, and if the door does not open, the car determines for itself whether the car is in a specific zone and cuts off the power supply to control the elevator's drive system.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-220075

In the elevator system described in Patent Document 1, a remote operator must collect information from passengers and then determine for himself whether the car is in a specific zone. This places a heavy burden on the operator. Furthermore, in this elevator system, if the operator makes an incorrect decision, the car door will be manually opened even if the car is not in the zone.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator system that can reduce the burden on an operator when rescuing a passenger trapped in the elevator car, and that allows the elevator car door to be manually opened under appropriate circumstances.

The elevator device according to the present disclosure includes a car having a first door and a motor for driving the first door, a sensor provided in the car for detecting a detectable object arranged in accordance with a stop position of a hall, a first detection means for detecting that a passenger is trapped in the car, a transmission means for transmitting a first signal to an information center where an operator is present when the first detection means detects the entrapment after it is determined that the car is arranged in the stop position of the hall based on the detection result of the sensor, and a cutoff means. If the sensor does not detect the detectable object, the transmission means does not transmit the first signal. If the first door is closed, the motor applies a force to the first door in a closing direction. When the cutoff means receives a second signal from the information center in response to the first signal, it cuts off the supply of power to the motor, causing the force to disappear.

The present disclosure reduces the burden on the operator in rescuing passengers trapped in the car, and allows the car doors to be manually opened under appropriate circumstances.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an elevator system. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining functions of a control device and a monitoring device. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the monitoring device. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the function of an information center. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware resources of a control device. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of hardware resources of a control device.

A detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the drawings. Duplicate explanations will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an elevator system. The elevator system shown in Fig. 1 includes an elevator device 1. The elevator device 1 is connected via a network 2 to a remote information center 4 where an operator 3 is located.

As an example, network 2 is an IP network. An IP network is a communication network that uses IP (Internet Protocol) as a communication protocol. Network 2 may be a closed network or an open network.

Information center 4 manages a large number of elevator devices. Elevator device 1 is an example of an elevator device managed by information center 4.

The elevator device 1 includes a car 5 and a counterweight 6. The car 5 moves up and down in a hoistway 7. The counterweight 6 moves up and down in a hoistway 7. The car 5 and the counterweight 6 are suspended in the hoistway 7 by a rope 8. The rope 8 is, for example, a wire rope.

The hoisting machine 9 drives the cage 5. The hoisting machine 9 includes a sheave 10, a motor 11, an encoder 12 (not shown in FIG. 1), and a brake device 13.

The sheave 10 is rotatably supported on the frame of the hoist 9. A rope 8 is wound around the sheave 10. The motor 11 generates a driving force for driving the sheave 10. That is, the motor 11 rotates the sheave 10. The encoder 12 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the sheave 10. The encoder 12 is, for example, a resolver. If the elevator device 1 is equipped with a speed governor, the function of the encoder 12 may be provided in the speed governor. The brake device 13 is a device for holding the sheave 10 stationary.

The hoist 9 is controlled by the control device 14. That is, the movement of the car 5 is controlled by the control device 14. A monitoring device 15 is connected to the control device 14. The monitoring device 15 communicates with the information center 4 via the network 2.

Figure 1 shows an example in which the hoisting machine 9 and the control device 14 are installed in a machine room 16 above the hoistway 7. The hoisting machine 9 and the control device 14 may also be installed in the hoistway 7. When the hoisting machine 9 is installed in the hoistway 7, the hoisting machine 9 may be installed at the top of the hoistway 7 or in a pit in the hoistway 7.

The cage 5 and the control device 14 are connected by a control cable 17. The equipment provided in the cage 5 is controlled by the control device 14. The cage 5 is equipped with a door 21, a motor 22, a weighing device 23, a camera 24, and an operation panel 25.

The entrance to the cage 5 is opened and closed by the door 21. The motor 22 generates a driving force for driving the door 21. When the door 21 is closed, the motor 22 applies a force to the door 21 in the closing direction. The weighing device 23 measures the load on the cage 5. Figure 1 shows an example in which the weighing device 23 is provided at the bottom of the cage 5. The weighing device 23 may also be provided at the end of the rope 8.

The operation panel 25 includes a display 26, an intercom 27, a speaker 28, and buttons 29. The intercom 27 is a device that enables passengers in the car 5 to talk to the operator 3 at the information center 4. The line that enables passengers in the car 5 to talk to the operator 3 via the intercom 27 may be a line separate from the line that is connected to the information center 4 via the monitoring device 15. The buttons 29 include a destination button for registering a car call, an open button for opening the door 21, and a close button for closing the door 21. The buttons 29 may also include other buttons.

A door 32 is provided at each landing 31 where the car 5 stops. The entrance and exit of the landing 31 is opened and closed by the door 32. In addition, a switch 33 is provided at each landing 31. The switch 33 is on when the door 32 is fully closed. The switch 33 is off when the door 32 is open. The switch 33 is an example of a detector that detects that the door 32 is open.

No device for driving the door 32 is provided at each landing 31. For example, when the car 5 stops at a certain landing 31, the door 21 faces the door 32 of that landing 31. The doors 21 and 32 are provided with devices for transmitting the movement of the door 21 to the door 32 when they face each other. When the car 5 stops at the landing 31, the door 32 is linked to the door 21. Therefore, when the car 5 stops at the landing 31, the door 32 is driven by the motor 22 via the door 21.

The elevator device 1 is equipped with a landing device for detecting that the car 5 is located in a specific landing zone Z. The landing zone Z is set in advance according to the height of each landing 31. In the following, as necessary, the landing zone set according to the height of the landing 31 on the Nth floor is referred to as the landing zone ZN. For example, the landing zone set according to the height of the landing 31 on the first floor is the landing zone Z1. The landing zone ZN includes the position (stop position) where the car 5 stops at the landing 31 on the Nth floor. The stop position of the landing 31 on the Nth floor is the position of the car 5 where the height of the floor surface of the landing 31 on the Nth floor is the same as the floor surface of the car 5.

As an example, the landing device includes a photoelectric sensor 34 and a plate 35. The photoelectric sensor 34 is provided on the car 5. The plate 35 is provided on the elevator shaft 7. The plate 35 is positioned to match the stopping position of each landing 31. For example, the range in which the photoelectric sensor 34 can detect the plate 35 positioned to match the height of the landing 31 on the Nth floor is the landing zone ZN. When the photoelectric sensor 34 detects the plate 35, a detection signal corresponding to the detected plate 35 is transmitted from the photoelectric sensor 34 to the control device 14. If the car 5 is positioned in the landing zone ZN, the door 32 of the landing 31 on the Nth floor is linked to the door 21.

Plate 35 is an example of a detectable object positioned in accordance with the stopping position of hall 31. Photoelectric sensor 34 is an example of a sensor that detects the detectable object. Elevator device 1 may be equipped with a device for detecting that car 5 is positioned in the landing zone by a method different from the above method.

Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the control device 14 and the monitoring device 15. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 14 includes an operation control unit 41, a confinement detection unit 42, a processing execution unit 43, an alarm control unit 44, a blocking unit 45, and a passenger detection unit 46. The monitoring device 15 includes a transmission unit 51 and a request unit 52.

The operation of this elevator system will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 14.

During normal elevator operation, the control device 14 causes the car 5 to respond sequentially to registered calls. For example, when a button (not shown) is pressed at the first floor hall 31, a hall call is registered. The operation control unit 41 stops the car 5 at the first floor hall 31 and opens the door 21. As described above, if the car 5 is stopped in the landing zone Z1, the door 32 on the first floor opens together with the door 21. This allows passengers to board the car 5 from the hall 31.

The control device 14 determines whether a car call has been registered (S101). When the button 29 of car 5 is pressed, the car call is registered (Yes in S101). For example, a passenger presses the destination button for the 5th floor while in car 5. This causes the operation control unit 41 to make car 5 respond to the registered car call (S102). That is, the operation control unit 41 moves car 5 toward the landing 31 on the 5th floor.

The control device 14 determines whether the car 5 is positioned at the stop position of the fifth floor platform 31 (S103). When the car 5 approaches the stop position of the fifth floor platform 31, the plate 35 positioned at the height of the fifth floor platform 31 is detected by the photoelectric sensor 34. Based on the detection result of the photoelectric sensor 34, the operation control unit 41 determines that the car 5 is positioned at the stop position of the fifth floor platform 31 (Yes in S103). If the determination in S103 is Yes, the operation control unit 41 stops the car 5 (S104).

Furthermore, the control device 14 judges whether or not a passenger is trapped in the car 5 ( S105 ). The fact that a passenger is trapped in the car 5 is detected by the trapping detection unit 42. The trapping detection unit 42 may detect the trapping of a passenger by utilizing the live load measured by the weighing device 23. The trapping detection unit 42 may detect the trapping of a passenger by utilizing an image captured by the camera 24.

As another example, when car 5 stops at the landing 31 in S104 in response to a registered car call, the entrapment detection unit 42 may detect entrapment if the switch 33 does not detect that the door 32 on that floor is open even after a certain time has passed. After car 5 stops at the landing 31 on the 5th floor in S104, if the switch 33 detects that the door 32 on the 5th floor is open before the certain time has passed, a No is determined in S105. In such a case, normal operation continues.

If the switch 33 does not detect that the door 32 on the fifth floor is open even after a certain time has elapsed after the car 5 has stopped at the landing 31 on the fifth floor in S104, the entrapment detection unit 42 detects entrapment (Yes in S105). For example, a circuit board for controlling the door 21 is provided in the car 5. If this circuit board breaks down, Yes is determined in S105. As another example, if a passenger in the car 5 mistakenly operates a switch that prohibits stopping at a specific floor, Yes is determined in S105.

As in the above example, if the trapped-in detection unit 42 detects trapped-in while the photoelectric sensor 34 detects the plate 35, the result of S105 is Yes. If the result of S105 is Yes, a request to issue an alert is sent from the control device 14 to the monitoring device 15 (S106).

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the monitoring device 15. The monitoring device 15 determines whether or not it has received an alert request from the control device 14 (S201). When the monitoring device 15 receives the alert request sent from the control device 14 in S106, it determines Yes in S201. When it determines Yes in S201, i.e., when it determines Yes in S105, the transmitting unit 51 transmits a specific first signal to the information center 4 (S202).

Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the information center 4. The information center 4 includes a communication device 61, a display 62, an input device 63, and a control device 64.

The communication device 61 is a device that allows the operator 3 at the information center 4 to communicate with passengers in the car 5. The operator 3 talks to the passengers in the car 5 using the communication device 61, and operates the input device 63 while looking at the display 62. As an example, the input device 63 includes a keyboard and a mouse. Other devices may also be provided as the input device 63.

In the example shown in Figure 5, image A, image B, mode selection field C, confirmation item field D, and execution button E are displayed on display 62.

Image A is an image captured by camera 24. By looking at image A, operator 3 can know the situation inside car 5. Image B is an image displayed on display 26. By looking at image B, operator 3 can know the image that the passengers inside car 5 are seeing.

The mode selection field C displays the selectable rescue operation modes. The operator 3 can select one of the rescue operation modes by operating the input device 63. The confirmation item field D displays the items that the operator 3 must confirm when executing the selected rescue operation mode. The execution button E is a button that the operator 3 presses to execute the selected rescue operation mode.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 64. The control device 64 determines whether or not a first signal has been received from the elevator device 1 (S301). When the control device 64 receives the first signal transmitted from the monitoring device 15 in S202, the determination in S301 is Yes.

If S301 is judged as Yes, the control device 64 adds "Door Closing Force Release" to one of the selectable rescue operation modes (S302). The control device 64 then judges whether or not "Door Closing Force Release" has been selected (S303). The operator 3 operates the pull-down menu displayed in the mode selection field C and selects "Door Closing Force Release". This results in a Yes judgment in S303.

If the control device 64 does not receive the first signal from the elevator device 1, "Release door closing force" is not displayed in the mode selection field C, or "Release door closing force" is displayed in an unselectable state. In the mode selection field C, "Release door closing force" becomes selectable when the control device 64 receives the first signal.

If S303 is judged as Yes, the control device 64 judges whether the execution button E has been pressed (S304). The operator 3 reads the contents displayed in the confirmation item column D, performs the necessary action, and then presses the execution button E (Yes in S304). For example, the operator 3 conveys the following items to the passenger in the car 5 before pressing the execution button E.
-Be able to open the door by hand from now on.
- Do not hang up until instructed to do so.
- There may be a step when getting off the car.
- If someone gets into the car, encourage them to get off.

If S304 is judged as Yes, a second signal is sent from the control device 64 to the elevator device 1 in response to the first signal (S305).

As shown in FIG. 4, when the monitoring device 15 transmits the first signal to the information center 4 in S202, it determines whether or not the second signal has been received from the information center 4 in response (S203). When the monitoring device 15 receives the second signal transmitted from the control device 64 in S305, it determines Yes in S203. For example, if there is no record of transmitting the first signal in S202, even if the second signal is received from the control device 64, it is not determined Yes in S203. As an example, even if the second signal is received from the control device 64, if the transmission unit 51 does not transmit the first signal for a certain period of time immediately before receiving the second signal, it is not determined Yes in S203. When it is determined Yes in S203, the request unit 52 transmits a rescue request to the control device 14 (S204). The rescue request may include the second signal. The request unit 52 may transfer the received second signal to the control device 14 as a rescue request.

As shown in Figure 3, when the control device 14 sends an alarm request to the monitoring device 15 in S106, it determines whether or not a rescue request has been received from the monitoring device 15 (S107). When the control device 14 receives the rescue request sent from the request unit 52 in S204, it determines Yes in S107. When it determines Yes in S107, that is, when the elevator device 1 receives a second signal from the information center 4 in response to the first signal, the processing execution unit 43 starts rescue processing (S108).

In the rescue process, first, the notification control unit 44 provides audio guidance to the passengers from the speaker 28 (S109). As an example, in S109, the notification control unit 44 issues a notification from the speaker 28 to notify the outside if any abnormality is sensed. In S109, the notification control unit 44 may also issue a notification from the speaker 28 to move away from the door 21. In S109, the notification control unit 44 may also issue a notification of other content from the speaker 28. After the audio guidance has ended, the notification control unit 44 may issue a warning sound from the speaker 28.

When the voice guidance in S109 ends, the cutoff unit 45 cuts off the supply of power to the motor 22. For example, the cutoff unit 45 performs base cutoff on the inverter of the motor 22 (S110). As described above, if the door 21 is closed, the motor 22 applies a force to the door 21 in the closing direction. Hereinafter, this force is also referred to as a door closing force. By performing base cutoff in S110, the cutoff unit 45 eliminates the door closing force.

When the base is blocked in S110, the notification control unit 44 provides audio guidance to passengers through the speaker 28 (S111). As an example, in S111, the notification control unit 44 notifies the passengers through the speaker 28 that the door 21 can now be opened manually. The notification control unit 44 may also notify other content through the speaker 28 in S111.

When the voice guidance is provided in S111, the control device 14 determines whether or not the cage 5 is unoccupied (S112). The passenger detection unit 46 detects that the cage 5 is unoccupied. The passenger detection unit 46 may detect that the cage 5 is unoccupied based on the load measured by the weighing device 23. The passenger detection unit 46 may detect that the cage 5 is unoccupied based on an image captured by the camera 24. When the passenger detection unit 46 detects that the cage 5 is unoccupied after the voice guidance is provided in S111, the rescue process ends (S113).

In S113, for example, restart of the elevator is prohibited until a specific manual operation is performed by a maintenance worker who arrives at the scene. In S113, a signal indicating that the rescue process has ended may be transmitted to the information center 4.

In the example shown in this embodiment, even if a failure occurs in the substrate for the door 21 in the elevator device 1, passengers trapped in the car 5 can be easily rescued. At this time, the operator 3 located remotely does not need to make the decision on his or her own responsibility as to whether or not it is OK to cut off the power supply to the motor 22. This reduces the burden on the operator 3. Furthermore, the cutoff unit 45 will not cut off the power supply to the motor 22 unless it receives the second signal in response to the first signal. This allows the door 21 to be opened manually under appropriate circumstances.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which a first signal is transmitted from the elevator device 1 to the information center 4 using a switch 33 for detecting that the door 32 of the hall 31 is open. As another example, the first signal may be transmitted using a switch 30 provided in the car 5.

The switch 30 is on if the door 21 is fully closed. The switch 30 is off if the door 21 is open. The switch 30 is an example of a detector that detects that the door 21 is open. When the car 5 stops at the landing 31 in response to a registered car call in S104, the entrapment detection unit 42 may detect entrapment if the switch 30 does not detect that the door 21 is open even after a certain time has passed. If the switch 30 detects that the door 21 is open before the certain time has passed after the car 5 stops at the landing 31 in S104, No is determined in S105. If Yes is determined in S105, an alert request is sent from the control device 14 to the monitoring device 15 (S106).

In this embodiment, the parts denoted by the reference numerals 41 to 46 indicate functions possessed by the control device 14. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of hardware resources of the control device 14. The control device 14 is provided with a processing circuit 70 including a processor 71 and a memory 72 as hardware resources. The control device 14 realizes the functions of the parts denoted by the reference numerals 41 to 46 by executing a program stored in the memory 72 by the processor 71. A semiconductor memory or the like can be adopted as the memory 72.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of hardware resources of the control device 14. In the example shown in Figure 8, the control device 14 has a processing circuit 70 including a processor 71, a memory 72, and dedicated hardware 73. Figure 8 shows an example in which some of the functions of the control device 14 are realized by the dedicated hardware 73. All of the functions of the control device 14 may be realized by the dedicated hardware 73. As the dedicated hardware 73, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination of these can be used.

The hardware resources of the monitoring device 15 are similar to those in the examples shown in Fig. 7 or 8. The monitoring device 15 has a processing circuit including a processor and memory as its hardware resources. The monitoring device 15 realizes the functions of each part indicated by the reference numerals 51 and 52 by executing a program stored in the memory with the processor. The monitoring device 15 may have a processing circuit including a processor, memory, and dedicated hardware as its hardware resources. Some or all of the functions of the monitoring device 15 may be realized by dedicated hardware.

The hardware resources of the control device 64 are similar to the examples shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8. The control device 64 has a processing circuit including a processor and memory as hardware resources. The control device 64 realizes the various functions described above by executing a program stored in the memory with the processor. The control device 64 may have a processing circuit including a processor, memory, and dedicated hardware as hardware resources. Some or all of the functions of the control device 64 may be realized by dedicated hardware.

The elevator device disclosed herein can be applied to an elevator device equipped with a motor that drives the car doors.

1 elevator device, 2 network, 3 operator, 4 information center, 5 cage, 6 counterweight, 7 hoistway, 8 rope, 9 hoist, 10 sheave, 11 motor, 12 encoder, 13 brake device, 14 control device, 15 monitoring device, 16 machine room, 17 control cable, 21 door, 22 motor, 23 weighing device, 24 camera, 25 operation panel, 26 display, 27 intercom, 28 speaker, 29 button, 30 switch, 31 landing, 32 door, 33 switch, 34 photoelectric sensor, 35 plate, 41 operation control unit, 42 trapped-in detection unit, 43 processing execution unit, 44 notification control unit, 45 Interruption unit, 46 Passenger detection unit, 51 Transmission unit, 52 Request unit, 61 Communication device, 62 Display, 63 Input device, 64 Control device, 70 Processing circuit, 71 Processor, 72 Memory, 73 Dedicated hardware

Claims (4)

a car having a first door and a motor for driving the first door;
A sensor provided in the car and arranged in accordance with a stop position of a hall for detecting a detection object;
a first detection means for detecting when a passenger is trapped in the car;
a transmitting means for transmitting a first signal to an information center where an operator is present when the first detecting means detects a person being locked in after it is determined based on a detection result of the sensor that the car has been placed at a stop position of a hall;
A blocking means;
Equipped with
If the sensor does not detect the object to be detected, the first signal is not transmitted from the transmitting means.
The motor applies a force to the first door in a closing direction when the first door is closed,
The elevator apparatus, wherein the cut-off means, upon receiving a second signal from the information center in response to the first signal, cuts off the supply of power to the motor, thereby causing the force to disappear. The elevator device according to claim 1, wherein the cutoff means does not cut off the supply of power to the motor even if the cutoff means receives the second signal from the information center, unless the transmission means transmits the first signal for a certain period of time immediately prior to receiving the second signal. Further comprising a control means,
The car includes a speaker;
3. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means notifies the user through the speaker that the first door can now be opened manually when the cutoff means cuts off the supply of power to the motor in response to the second signal. Further comprising a second detection means for detecting that the car is unoccupied;
4. The elevator apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the second detection means detects that the car is unoccupied after the speaker notifies the user that the first door can be manually opened, restart of the elevator is prohibited until a specific manual operation is performed.

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