Elevator Systems

Abstract

To provide an elevator system that can further improve safety when a car is allowed to run during maintenance work, even if an abnormality occurs in a system that detects the position of the car. [Solution] Each unit of the elevator system is equipped with a position detection system including a code tape and a reader. When an abnormality is detected in the position detection system 9a, the control device 10a stops the car's travel. The control device 10b of the normal unit 5b moves the car to the car's position read by the reader 13a immediately before the abnormality was detected. After alignment, the control device 10b makes the car travel in conjunction with the car. After alignment, the control device 10a controls the car's travel so as to suppress deviation from the limited range of the motion state based on the car's position read by the reader 13b.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to elevator systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an elevator. The elevator includes a car that travels in a hoistway and a system that detects the position of the car. The system that detects the position of the car includes a magnetic tape on which position information is recorded, and a magnetic sensor that reads the position information on the magnetic tape. The magnetic tape is adjusted by automatically running the car. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-113180 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the elevator of Patent Document 1, if an abnormality occurs in the system itself that detects the position of the car, including the magnetic tape and magnetic sensor, the car's motion information, such as its position and speed, cannot be obtained. Therefore, the car cannot be safely operated during maintenance work such as repairs or adjustments.

[0005] The present disclosure is directed to solving such problems, and provides an elevator system that can improve safety when running a car during maintenance work, even if an abnormality occurs in a system that detects the position of the car. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The elevator system according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of units, each of which comprises a car that travels vertically in a hoistway over an ascending and descending stroke, a code tape that is arranged with its longitudinal direction oriented vertically over the ascending and descending stroke of the hoistway and has vertical position information assigned along its longitudinal direction, and a position detection system that is provided on the car and includes a reading device that reads the vertical position from the code tape, and a control device that controls travel of the car based on the vertical position read by the reading device, wherein when an abnormality in the position detection system is detected in a first unit of the plurality of units, the control device of the first unit stops travel of the car of the first unit, and the control device of a second unit of the plurality of units in which no abnormality is detected in the position detection system When an alignment command is input, alignment is performed by moving the cage of the second unit to the vertical position read by the reading device of the first unit immediately before an abnormality in the position detection system is detected in the first unit, and after the alignment, the control device of the second unit causes the cage of the second unit to run in conjunction with the cage of the first unit and outputs the position read by the reading device of the second unit to the control device of the first unit, and after the alignment, the control device of the first unit controls the running of the cage of the first unit based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit so as to suppress deviation of the movement state from a preset limit range including at least either the vertical position or a first or more linear change in the vertical position over time. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the elevator system of the present disclosure, even if an abnormality occurs in the system that detects the position of the car, safety when running the car during maintenance work can be further improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]1 is a configuration diagram of an elevator system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of alignment in the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an elevator system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a main part of the elevator system according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The embodiments for carrying out the subject of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the subject of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and any component of the embodiment may be modified or omitted within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0011] The elevator system 1 is applied to, for example, a building having multiple floors. A hoistway 2 for the elevator system 1 is provided in the building. The hoistway 2 is a long space in the vertical direction spanning multiple floors. A hall 3 for the elevator system 1 is provided on each floor of the building. The hall 3 is a location adjacent to the hoistway 2. A hall operating panel 4 is provided at each hall 3. The hall operating panel 4 is a device that accepts operations such as registering hall calls from users at the hall 3. The elevator system 1 includes multiple units 5. Each unit 5 includes a hoisting machine 6, a main rope 7, a car 8, a position detection system 9, and a control device 10.

[0012] The hoisting machine 6 includes a motor and a sheave. The hoisting machine 6 is provided, for example, at the upper or lower part of the hoistway 2. For example, when a machine room is provided at the upper part of the hoistway 2, the hoisting machine 6 may be disposed in the machine room. The motor of the hoisting machine 6 is a device that generates a driving torque. The sheave of the hoisting machine 6 is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor of the hoisting machine 6. The sheave of the hoisting machine 6 rotates by the driving torque generated by the motor of the hoisting machine 6.

[0013] The main ropes 7 are wound around the sheaves of the hoisting machine 6. The main ropes 7 move so as to be wound up on either side of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 6 by the rotation of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 6. The main ropes 7 support the load of the car 8 on either side of the sheaves of the hoisting machine 6.

[0014] The car 8 is disposed in the hoistway 2. The hoist 6 moves the main rope 7, causing the car 8 to travel up and down in the hoistway 2 over the course of its ascent and descent. The ascent and descent course is the range over which the car 8 ascends and descends in the hoistway 2. In this example, the ascent and descent course of each unit 5 of the elevator system 1 is common to each other. The car 8 is a device that transports passengers and the like between multiple floors by traveling up and down the hoistway 2. The car 8 includes a car operation panel 11. The car operation panel 11 is a device that accepts operations such as registering a car call from a user inside the car 8. A landing position is set for each floor of the building to which the elevator system 1 is applied. The landing position of a floor of the building is a vertical position at which the car 8 stops at that floor.

[0015] The position detection system 9 corresponds to a car 8 of the same unit 5. The position detection system 9 is a system that detects the vertical position of the corresponding car 8. The position detection system 9 is, for example, an APS (Absolute Positioning System). The position detection system 9 includes a code tape 12 and a reader 13.

[0016] The code tape 12 is a tape-like device that is long in one direction. In the code tape 12, information representing the longitudinal position on the code tape 12 is provided along the longitudinal direction. For example, when the code tape 12 is a magnetic tape, the information representing the longitudinal position is provided to the code tape 12 as magnetic data. Alternatively, the information representing the longitudinal position may be provided on the surface of the code tape 12 as an encoded image including a two-dimensional code. The code tape 12 is placed in the hoistway 2 so that the longitudinal direction is directed vertically. One vertical end of the code tape 12 is fixed to the hoistway 2 as a fixed end 14. The other vertical end of the code tape 12 is set as an adjustable end 15 so that the vertical position can be adjusted movably with respect to the hoistway 2. In this example, the upper end of the code tape 12 is set as the fixed end 14. In this example, the fixed end 14 is directly attached to the structure of the building. The structure of the building includes, for example, the inner wall, pillar, or beam of the hoistway 2. Also, the lower end of the cord tape 12 is set as an adjustable end 15. The adjustable end 15 is set, for example, via a spring so as to apply tension to the cord tape 12. Alternatively, the adjustable end 15 may be supported by a slide bearing or the like so as to be slidable in the up and down direction.

[0017] The reading device 13 is a device that reads information indicating the longitudinal position given to the code tape 12. The reading device 13 is installed in the car 8 of the same unit 5. The reading device 13 is installed, for example, outside the car 8, such as on the car. The reading device 13 moves vertically in the elevator 2 together with the car 8. The reading device 13 reads the longitudinal position information from the code tape 12 as the vertical position information of the car 8, for example, by a magnetic sensor, a camera, or other equipment. The reading device 13 is connected to the control device 10 of the same unit 5 so as to be able to output the reading result.

[0018] The control device 10 corresponds to the car 8 of the same unit 5. The control device 10 is a device that controls the operation of the corresponding car 8. The control of the operation of the car 8 includes management of calls registered in the car 8, and control of running such as calling and stopping when responding to the call. The control device 10 is provided, for example, at the upper or lower part of the elevator shaft 2. For example, when a machine room is provided at the upper part of the elevator shaft 2, the control device 10 may be disposed in the machine room. The control device 10 controls the operation of the car 8 based on the position read by the reading device 13 provided in the corresponding car 8. The control device 10 controls the running of the car 8 based on, for example, the motion state of the car 8. The motion state of the car 8 is information including at least one of the vertical position of the car 8 or the linear or higher time change amount of the vertical position. The linear or higher time change amount of the position includes the speed, acceleration, jerk, and the like. In this example, the control device 10 sets a limit range for the operating state of the car 8. The limit range is, for example, a range of motion states that is set in advance as an allowable motion state. The limit range includes, for example, a range of positions of the car 8 and a range of speeds of the car 8. The control device 10 controls the running of the car 8 so as to suppress deviation of the operating state of the car 8 from the limit range.

[0019] The elevator system 1 includes a group control device 16. The group control device 16 is a device that controls the operation of the elevator system 1. The group control device 16 has, for example, a function of assigning a registered hall call to one of the units 5. The group control device 16 is connected to the control devices 10 of each unit 5 so as to be able to communicate information. The group control device 16 may have a function of relaying communication of control information and the like between the units 5.

[0020] The elevator system 1 may have a function of reporting information to the outside. For example, when the control device 10 or the group control device 16 detects an abnormality in the elevator system 1, information on the detected abnormality is reported. The report may be sent, for example, to a control room that manages the elevator system 1 in the building. The report may be sent, for example, via a communication network such as the Internet or a telephone line network to a manager that manages the building in a remote location or an information center that collects information on the elevator system 1.

[0021] In the elevator system 1, if an abnormality occurs in the position detection system 9 of any of the units 5, the control device 10 of that unit 5 stops the corresponding car 8. The unit 5 in which the abnormality occurred is an example of a first unit. Then, alignment is performed to move the car 8 of another normal unit 5 to the position of the car 8 in question. The normal unit 5 for which alignment is performed is an example of a second unit. After alignment, the car 8 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality occurred and the car 8 of the normal unit 5 run in conjunction with each other. At this time, the control device 10 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality occurred controls the running of the corresponding car 8 using information on the position detected by the position detection system 9 of the normal unit 5.

[0022] Next, an example of alignment in the elevator system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of alignment in the elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0023] In FIG. 2, among the multiple units 5, the units 5a and 5b are shown. Note that the main rope 7 and the like are omitted from the illustration of the units 5a and 5b. The unit 5a includes a hoist 6a, a car 8a, a position detection system 9a, and a control device 10a. The position detection system 9a includes a code tape 12a and a reading device 13a. The unit 5b includes a hoist 6b, a car 8b, a position detection system 9b, and a control device 10b. The position detection system 9b includes a code tape 12b and a reading device 13b. Note that when the units 5a and 5b are not particularly distinguished from each other, they may simply be referred to as the units 5. Similarly, the control devices 10a and 10b, and the car 8a and 8b may be referred to as the control device 10 and the car 8, and the like, when the devices of the units 5a and 5b are not particularly distinguished from each other.

[0024] In this example, an abnormality occurs in the position detection system 9a. The abnormality occurring in the position detection system 9a is, for example, a failure of the reading device 13a, or damage, misalignment, or stretching of the code tape 12a beyond a preset allowable range. When an abnormality occurs in the position detection system 9a, information on the position of the car 8a that was read immediately before by the reading device 13a is stored.

[0025] After that, in the normal unit 5b, a worker performing maintenance work gets into the car 8b. The worker performs an operation to start alignment inside the car 8b. The control device 10b then causes the car 8b to travel to the position of the car 8a that was previously read by the reading device 13a. Through this alignment, the car 8a and the car 8b are in the same position in the vertical direction.

[0026] After that, the car 8a and the car 8b run in conjunction so that their vertical positions remain the same. In this example, the group management device 16 relays control signals and the like between the units 5a and 5b so that the car 8a and the car 8b can run in conjunction. Because the car 8a and the car 8b run in conjunction, the control device 10a can control the running of the car 8a using information on the position detected by the position detection system 9b. A worker performing maintenance work moves, for example, onto the car 8a, runs the car 8a, and performs maintenance work such as replacing the position detection system 9a in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0027] Next, an example of maintenance work for the position detection system 9 in the elevator system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0028] In each unit 5, the control device 10 includes a travel control unit 17, a monitoring unit 18, an abnormality detection unit 19, and a cooperation unit 20.

[0029] The traveling control unit 17 is a part equipped with a function of controlling the traveling of the corresponding car 8, such as starting and stopping. The traveling control unit 17 controls the traveling of the car 8 by outputting a drive command and a stop command to the hoisting machine 6.

[0030] The monitoring unit 18 is a part equipped with a function of monitoring the motion state of the corresponding car 8. The monitoring unit 18 is connected to the reading device 13 so as to be able to acquire a detection signal indicating the position of the car 8 read from the code tape 12. The monitoring unit 18 acquires the motion state of the car 8 based on the position of the car 8 read by the reading device 13. The monitoring unit 18 may acquire the motion state of the car 8, for example, by performing a first-order or higher-order time differentiation of the position of the car 8. In this example, the monitoring unit 18 continuously stores the vertical position of the car 8 read by the reading device 13 while updating it every time it acquires a detection signal from the reading device 13. The monitoring unit 18 is an example of a storage unit. The monitoring unit 18 detects deviation of the acquired motion state from a limited range. When detecting deviation from the limited range, the monitoring unit 18 outputs the detection result to the traveling control unit 17. At this time, the traveling control unit 17 outputs, for example, a stop command to stop the traveling of the car 8 to the hoist 6.

[0031] The abnormality detection unit 19 is a part such as a circuit equipped with a function of detecting an abnormality in the corresponding position detection system 9. In this example, the reading device 13 outputs an abnormality signal when an abnormality is detected. The abnormality detection unit 19 detects an abnormality in the position detection system 9, for example, based on the output of an abnormality signal from the reading device 13. Note that the reading device 13 may continuously output a normal signal when operating normally. At this time, the abnormality detection unit 19 may detect an abnormality in the position detection system 9, for example, when the normal signal from the reading device 13 is interrupted. When the abnormality detection unit 19 detects an abnormality in the position detection system 9, it outputs a detection result to the traveling control unit 17. At this time, the traveling control unit 17 outputs a stop command to the hoist 6 to stop the traveling of the car 8, for example. When the detection signal from the reading device 13 is interrupted due to an abnormality in the position detection system 9, the position of the car 8 stored in the monitoring unit 18 is no longer updated from the information stored immediately before the abnormality in the reading device 13 was detected. At this time, if the car 8 stops due to the occurrence of an abnormality in the reading device 13, the position of the car 8 stored in the monitoring unit 18 corresponds to the position where the car 8 stopped.

[0032] The linking unit 20 is a part equipped with a function for processing linkage between its own unit 5 and other units 5. The processing for linkage between the units 5 includes, for example, processing for aligning the positions between the units 5. The linking unit 20 exchanges control signals and position information read by the reading device 13 between the units 5. The linking unit 20 exchanges signals via, for example, the group management device 16.

[0033] During normal operation, the reading device 13 reads information on the vertical position from the code tape 12. The reading device 13 outputs the read position information to the monitoring unit 18 as a detection signal. The monitoring unit 18 continuously stores the vertical position of the car 8 read by the reading device 13 while updating it every time it obtains a detection signal from the reading device 13. The monitoring unit 18 outputs the position information of the car 8 obtained from the reading device 13 to the traveling control unit 17. The traveling control unit 17 controls the traveling of the car 8 by outputting a drive command and a stop command based on the input information on the position of the car 8.

[0034] Here, an abnormality occurs in the reading device 13a. In this example, the reading device 13a stops outputting the detection signal. At this time, the information stored in the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a is the information on the vertical position of the car 8a that was read by the reading device 13a immediately before the abnormality of the reading device 13a was detected. The reading device 13a outputs an abnormality signal to the abnormality detection unit 19 of the control device 10a. The abnormality detection unit 19 detects the abnormality of the position detection system 9a. The abnormality detection unit 19 outputs information on the occurrence of the abnormality to the traveling control unit 17. The traveling control unit 17 outputs a stop signal to the hoisting machine 6a. At this time, the car 8a stops at the location. The control device 10a issues a report of information on the abnormality that has occurred in the position detection system 9a. During this time, the unit 5b in which no abnormality has occurred may continue normal operation.

[0035] After the control device 10a issues a report, a worker who performs maintenance work in response to an abnormality in the position detection system 9a arrives at the landing 3 of the building in which the elevator system 1 is installed. The worker gets into the car 8b of the unit 5b in which no abnormality is occurring from the landing 3 of any floor. The worker uses the command output device 21 to perform an operation to start alignment. The command output device 21 is a device equipped with a function to output a command for alignment. The command output device 21 may be, for example, provided on the car operating panel 11 of the car 8b, or may be provided on other equipment in the car 8b, or may be a maintenance work terminal device that the worker brings into the car 8b. The command output device 21 outputs an alignment command to the linking unit 20 of the control device 10b.

[0036] The cooperation unit 20 of the control device 10b requests information on the position of the car 8a acquired immediately before the occurrence of the abnormality from the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a of the unit 5a in which the abnormality occurred, via the group management device 16. Based on the information on the position of the car 8a acquired by the cooperation unit 20 from the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a, the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b automatically drives the car 8b carrying the worker to the relevant position.

[0037] Thereafter, the worker operates the car 8b to manually travel using the manual driving device 22b. The manual driving device 22b is a device provided in the car 8b and equipped with a function of accepting an operation of the manual travel of the car 8b. The manual driving device 22b is an example of a second manual operation unit. A plurality of manual driving devices 22b may be provided in the car 8b. The manual driving device 22b may be provided, for example, in the car operation panel 11 of the car 8b, in other equipment in the car 8b, or on the car of the car 8b. In this example, the worker operates the manual driving device 22b provided in the car 8b. The manual driving device 22b outputs the information of the accepted operation as a manual driving command to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b. The travel control unit 17 outputs a drive command or the like to the hoist 6b based on the input operation information, thereby causing the car 8b to travel. Furthermore, the manual operation device 22b outputs the received operation information to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a as a manual operation command. The operation information is input to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a through, for example, the linking unit 20 of the control device 10b, the group management device 16, and the linking unit 20 of the control device 10a. The travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a outputs a drive command or the like to the hoist 6a based on the input operation information, thereby causing the car 8a to travel. In this way, the operation information performed by the manual operation device 22b is output to both the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a and the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b, so that the car 8a and the car 8b travel in conjunction with each other.

[0038] When the car 8a travels in conjunction with the car 8b, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a acquires the position information read by the reading device 13b. The information is input to the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a through, for example, the monitoring unit 18 and the linking unit 20 of the control device 10b, the group management device 16, and the linking unit 20 of the control device 10a. The car 8a and the car 8b travel in conjunction with each other after their vertical positions are aligned to be the same, so the position of the car 8a corresponds to the position of the car 8b. Therefore, the control device 10a can acquire the motion state of the car 8a by treating the position of the car 8b as the position of the car 8a. When the motion state of the car 8a deviates from the limited range, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a outputs the detection result of the deviation to the manual driving device 22b. At this time, the manual driving device 22b restricts the operation of the manual driving received from the worker. This suppresses the deviation of the car 8a from the limited range. At the same time, the cage 8b is also prevented from departing from the restricted range.

[0039] Then, the worker stops the car 8b and the car 8a at the landing position of any floor using the manual driving device 22b. The worker then gets off the car 8b at the landing 3 of the floor.

[0040] Thereafter, the worker uses the manual driving device 22c to operate the car 8a and the car 8b for manual travel. The manual driving device 22c is provided separately from both the car 8a and the car 8b, and is equipped with a function for accepting the operation of the manual travel of the car 8a and the car 8b. The manual driving device 22c is an example of a third manual operation unit. The manual driving device 22c may be provided, for example, in the hall operating panel 4, in a machine room, or in the group management device 16, or may be a maintenance work terminal device brought in by a worker. The manual driving device 22c outputs the information of the accepted operation as a manual driving command to both the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a and the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b. The information of the operation is input to the travel control unit 17, for example, through the group management device 16 and the linking unit 20 of the control device 10. The traveling control unit 17 outputs a drive command or the like to the corresponding hoist 6 based on the input operation information, thereby causing the car 8 to travel. In this manner, information on the operation performed in the manual operation device 22c is output to both the traveling control unit 17 of the control device 10a and the traveling control unit 17 of the control device 10b, so that the car 8a and the car 8b travel in conjunction with each other.

[0041] When the car 8a is traveling in conjunction with the car 8b, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a acquires the motion state of the car 8a by treating the position of the car 8b read by the reading device 13b as the position of the car 8a. When the motion state of the car 8a deviates from the limited range, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a outputs the detection result of the deviation to the manual driving device 22c. At this time, the manual driving device 22c limits the manual driving operation received from the operator. This prevents the car 8a from deviating from the limited range. At this time, the car 8b is also prevented from deviating from the limited range at the same time.

[0042] Thereafter, the worker uses the manual driving device 22c to stop the car 8b and the car 8a at a position where the worker can get on from the landing 3. The worker then gets on to the car 8a from the landing 3. Note that, for example, the linking unit 20 of the unit 5b may automatically perform the processes from positioning to stopping the car 8b and the car 8a at a position where the worker can get on from the landing 3, without relying on the manual driving operation of the worker. When maintenance work is performed by multiple workers, one worker may get on to the car 8a from the landing 3 while the other worker gets on to the car 8a.

[0043] Thereafter, the worker operates the car 8a to manually travel using the manual driving device 22a. The manual driving device 22a is a device provided in the car 8a and equipped with a function of accepting an operation of the manual travel of the car 8a. The manual driving device 22a is an example of a first manual operation unit. A plurality of manual driving devices 22a may be provided in the car 8a. The manual driving device 22a may be provided, for example, in the car operation panel 11 of the car 8a, in other equipment in the car 8a, or on the car of the car 8a. In this example, the worker operates the manual driving device 22a provided on the car of the car 8a. The manual driving device 22a outputs the information of the accepted operation as a manual driving command to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a. The travel control unit 17 outputs a drive command or the like to the hoist 6a based on the input operation information, thereby causing the car 8a to travel. Furthermore, the manual operation device 22a outputs the received operation information to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b as a manual operation command. The operation information is input to the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b through, for example, the linking unit 20 of the control device 10a, the group management device 16, and the linking unit 20 of the control device 10b. The travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b outputs a drive command or the like to the hoist 6b based on the input operation information, thereby causing the car 8b to travel. In this way, the operation information performed by the manual operation device 22a is output to both the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10a and the travel control unit 17 of the control device 10b, so that the car 8a and the car 8b travel in conjunction with each other.

[0044] When the car 8a travels in conjunction with the car 8b, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a acquires the motion state of the car 8a by treating the position of the car 8b read by the reading device 13b as the position of the car 8a. When the motion state of the car 8a deviates from the limited range, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10a outputs the detection result of the deviation to the manual driving device 22a. At this time, the manual driving device 22a limits the manual driving operation received from the worker. This suppresses the deviation of the car 8a from the limited range. In addition, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10b acquires the motion state of the car 8b using the position of the car 8b read by the reading device 13b. When the motion state of the car 8b deviates from the limited range, the monitoring unit 18 of the control device 10b outputs the detection result of the deviation to the manual driving device 22a. At this time, the manual driving device 22a limits the manual driving operation received from the worker. This simultaneously suppresses the deviation of the car 8b from the limited range.

[0045] A worker performs maintenance work such as repairing or replacing the position detection system 9a while operating the manual driving on the car 8a. During this time, the motion state of the car 8a is grasped through the position of the car 8b detected by the position detection system 9b. This allows the car 8a to be manually driven while monitoring for deviation from the limit range, thereby further improving safety when driving the car 8a during maintenance work.

[0046] After restoring the position detection system 9a, the worker gets off the car 8a to the platform 3. After that, the worker returns the units 5a and 5b to normal operation. A command to return to normal operation is issued, for example, through the command output device 21. After that, the cars 8a and 8b run independently of each other and perform operations such as responding to calls from users.

[0047] In addition, the car 8a and the car 8b may be adjacent cars in the elevator shaft 2, or may be cars included in the same bank but not adjacent. When the elevator system 1 includes three or more units 5, an operator may select the unit 5b to be aligned from the other units 5 of the unit 5a. Alternatively, the selection of the unit 5 to be aligned may be automatically performed by the group management device 16 or other devices depending on the operating state of each unit 5. The elevator system 1 may receive an operation for manual travel of the car 8 from other devices such as the manual driving device 22a, the manual driving device 22b, and the manual driving device 22c. Here, when the manual driving device 22a, the manual driving device 22b, and the manual driving device 22c are not particularly distinguished from each other, they may be simply referred to as the manual driving device 22.

[0048] Next, an example of the operation of the elevator system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0049] In step S01, the abnormality detection unit 19 of each unit 5 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the code tape 12 of the corresponding position detection system 9. If no abnormality has occurred, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S02. On the other hand, if an abnormality has occurred, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S03.

[0050] In step S02, the abnormality detection unit 19 of each unit 5 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the reader 13 of the corresponding position detection system 9. If no abnormality has occurred, the elevator system 1 continues normal operation. On the other hand, if an abnormality has occurred, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S03.

[0051] In step S03, the travel control unit 17 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred outputs a stop command to the corresponding hoist 6. The hoist 6 stops the travel of the car 8. After that, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S04.

[0052] In step S04, the monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred stores the vertical position of the car 8 read by the corresponding reading device 13 immediately before the abnormality is detected as the stop position of the car 8. After that, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S05.

[0053] In step S05, the monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred outputs the stop position of the corresponding car 8 to the group control device 16. The group control device 16 stores the input information on the stop position. After that, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S06.

[0054] In step S06, the cooperation unit 20 of the normal unit 5 determines whether an alignment command has been input from the command output device 21. If an alignment command has been input, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S07. On the other hand, if an alignment command has not been input, the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred continues to be in the abnormal state. In this case, the processing of the elevator system 1 may then proceed to step S06 or the like again, for example.

[0055] In step S07, the coordination unit 20 of the normal unit 5 executes a position alignment process. The coordination unit 20 of the normal unit 5 acquires information on the stop position of the car 8 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred from the group management device 16. Thereafter, the coordination unit 20 of the normal unit 5 causes the corresponding car 8 to travel to the acquired stop position by the travel control unit 17. Thereafter, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S08.

[0056] In step S08, the cooperation unit 20 of the normal unit 5 determines whether the alignment process has been completed normally. For example, when the corresponding car 8 cannot be stopped at the stop position, the cooperation unit 20 determines that the alignment process has not been completed normally. When the alignment process has been completed normally, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S09. On the other hand, when the alignment process has not been completed normally, the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred continues to be in the abnormal state. In this case, the process of the elevator system 1 may then proceed to step S06 again, for example.

[0057] In step S09, the cooperation unit 20 of the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred determines whether a manual operation command has been input from the manual operation device 22. If a manual operation command has been input, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if a manual operation command has not been input, the unit 5 in which the abnormality has occurred continues to have the abnormality. In this case, the processing of the elevator system 1 may then proceed to step S09 or the like again, for example.

[0058] In step S10, the travel control units 17 of the unit 5 in which an abnormality has occurred and the normal unit 5 that has performed the alignment process each run the corresponding car 8 in response to a manual travel operation. At this time, the unit 5 in which an abnormality has occurred and the car 8 of the normal unit 5 run in conjunction with each other by exchanging control signals via, for example, the linking unit 20. Thereafter, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S11.

[0059] In step S11, the monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5 in which an abnormality has occurred starts monitoring the motion state of the corresponding car 8 by treating the position of the car 8 detected by the position detection system 9 of the normal unit 5 as the position of the corresponding car 8. Thereafter, the processing of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S12.

[0060] In step S12, the coordination unit 20 of the normal unit 5 determines whether the reading device 13 of the normal unit 5 has normally detected a change in the position of the corresponding car 8 in response to the manual travel operation for the unit 5 in which an abnormality has occurred. When a change in the position of the car 8 is not normally detected, the coordination unit 20 of the normal unit 5 determines that the linked manual travel has failed, and adds 1 to the number of retries, which indicates the number of times the process of starting manual travel is performed. Here, the initial value of the number of retries is set to 0, for example. After that, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, when a change in the position of the car 8 is normally detected, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S14.

[0061] In step S13, the linking unit 20 of the normal unit 5 determines whether the number of retries is equal to or greater than a preset specified value. If the number of retries is less than the specified value, the process of the elevator system 1 proceeds to step S09. On the other hand, if the number of retries is equal to or greater than the specified value, the elevator system 1 interrupts the process of manual travel with the car 8 interlocked. Also, the unit 5 in which the abnormality occurred continues to be in the abnormal state. At this time, the elevator system 1 may perform a process such as issuing a report to interrupt the process of manual travel.

[0062] In step S14, the travel control units 17 of the car 8 of the unit 5 in which an abnormality has occurred and of the normal units 5 that have performed the alignment process run the corresponding car 8 in response to the manual travel operation in the maintenance work. During this time, the monitoring units 18 of each unit 5 monitor the motion state of the corresponding car 8 based on the position of the car 8 detected by the position detection system 9 of the normal unit 5. Thereafter, the processing of the elevator system 1 for the maintenance work ends. At this time, the elevator system 1 returns to, for example, normal operation.

[0063] As described above, the elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of units 5. Each unit 5 includes a car 8, a position detection system 9, and a control device 10. The car 8 travels up and down in the hoistway 2 during the ascent and descent process. The position detection system 9 includes a code tape 12 and a reading device 13. The code tape 12 is arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the vertical direction during the ascent and descent process of the hoistway 2. The code tape 12 is provided with vertical position information along its longitudinal direction. The reading device 13 is provided in the car 8. The reading device 13 reads the vertical position from the code tape 12. The control device 10 controls the travel of the car 8 based on the vertical position read by the reading device 13. When an abnormality in the position detection system 9a is detected in the unit 5a, the control device 10a of the unit 5a stops the travel of the car 8a of the unit 5a. Here, no abnormality in the position detection system 9b is detected in the unit 5b. The control device 10b of the unit 5b aligns the position of the car 8b of the unit 5b when a command for alignment is input. The alignment of the car 8b of the unit 5b is a process of moving the car 8b of the unit 5b to the vertical position read by the reading device 13a of the unit 5a immediately before an abnormality in the position detection system 9a is detected in the unit 5a. After the alignment, the control device 10b of the unit 5b runs the car 8b of the unit 5b in conjunction with the car 8a of the unit 5a, and outputs the position read by the reading device 13b of the unit 5b to the control device 10a of the unit 5a. After the alignment, the control device 10a of the unit 5a controls the running of the car 8a of the unit 5a based on the position read by the reading device 13b of the unit 5b so as to suppress deviation from the limited range of the motion state. The motion state of the car 8 includes at least one of the vertical position of the car 8 or the amount of change in the vertical position of the car 8 with respect to time of first order or more. The limit range is a range that is set in advance for the motion state of the car 8.

[0064] With this configuration, the motion state of the car 8a of the unit 5a in which an abnormality has occurred is grasped through the position of the car 8b detected by the position detection system 9b of the normal unit 5b. This allows the car 8a to be manually driven while monitoring for deviation from the limit range, further improving safety when driving the car 8a during maintenance work.

[0065] The elevator system 1 also includes a monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5a. The monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5a stores the vertical position read by the reading device 13a of the unit 5a while updating it. In positioning, the control device 10b of the unit 5b moves the car 8b of the unit 5b to the vertical position stored by the monitoring unit 18 of the unit 5a immediately before an abnormality in the position detection system 9a of the unit 5a is detected. With this configuration, even if a signal from the reading device 13a cannot be obtained due to a communication abnormality or the like, the position of the car 8a immediately before the abnormality is detected is obtained. This allows the positioning process of the car 8b to be performed more accurately.

[0066] The elevator system 1 also includes a manual driving device 22. The manual driving device 22 accepts an operation for manual driving of at least one of the car 8a or the car 8b. The manual driving device 22 outputs information on the operation accepted by the manual driving device 22 after alignment, directly or indirectly, to both the control device 10a of the unit 5a and the control device 10b of the unit 5b. Each of the control devices 10 of the units 5a and 5b drives the corresponding car 8 based on the operation information accepted from the manual driving device 22. This configuration enables the car 8a of the unit 5a in which an abnormality has occurred and the car 8b of the unit 5b in which the normal operation is performed in a linked manner.

[0067] Furthermore, after alignment, each of the control devices 10 of the units 5a and 5b monitors the motion state of the corresponding car 8 based on the position read by the reading device 13b of the unit 5b. When the control device 10 detects that the motion state of the car 8 deviates from the limited range, it causes the manual driving device 22 to limit the operations it accepts. For example, the control device 10 causes the manual driving device 22 to limit the acceptance of operations so that it does not accept operations other than stopping. With this configuration, manual driving operations are limited when the motion state of the car 8 deviates from the limited range, so that safety is further improved when driving the car 8 during maintenance work even if an abnormality occurs in the position detection system 9a.

[0068] Next, an example of a hardware configuration of the elevator system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of a main part of the elevator system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0069] Each function of the elevator system 1 may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit includes at least one processor 100a and at least one memory 100b. The processing circuit may include at least one dedicated hardware 200 in addition to or in place of the processor 100a and the memory 100b.

[0070] When the processing circuit includes the processor 100a and the memory 100b, each function of the elevator system 1 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware is written as a program. The program is stored in the memory 100b. The processor 100a realizes each function of the elevator system 1 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 100b. The program may be a program package including multiple subprograms, modules, libraries, or the like. The program may be a product itself, such as a program product, or a program included in the product.

[0071] The processor 100a is also called a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP. The memory 100b is composed of a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM.

[0072] Where the processing circuitry comprises dedicated hardware 200, the processing circuitry may be implemented, for example, as a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0073] Each function of the elevator system 1 can be realized by a processing circuit. Alternatively, each function of the elevator system 1 can be realized collectively by a processing circuit. Some of the functions of the elevator system 1 may be realized by dedicated hardware 200, and the other parts may be realized by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit realizes each function of the elevator system 1 by dedicated hardware 200, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0074] To summarize the above explanation, possible configurations of the technology according to the present disclosure include the configurations listed below as appendices. (Appendix 1) With multiple units, Each of the plurality of units comprises: A car that travels up and down the hoistway throughout its ascent and descent, a code tape arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the vertical direction throughout the ascending and descending stroke of the elevator shaft and having vertical position information provided along the longitudinal direction; and A reading device provided on the car for reading the vertical position from the code tape. a position detection system including: A control device that controls the travel of the car based on the vertical position read by the reading device; Equipped with when an abnormality in the position detection system is detected in a first unit of the plurality of units, the control device of the first unit stops travel of the car of the first unit; When a position alignment command is input, the control device of a second unit in which no abnormality has been detected in the position detection system of the plurality of units performs position alignment by moving the car of the second unit to the vertical position read by the reading device of the first unit immediately before the abnormality in the position detection system of the first unit is detected, After the alignment, the control device of the second unit causes the car of the second unit to travel in conjunction with the car of the first unit, and outputs the position read by the reading device of the second unit to the control device of the first unit; The control device of the first unit controls, after the alignment, the travel of the car of the first unit based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit so as to suppress deviation of a motion state including at least one of a vertical position or a first or more temporal change in the vertical position from a preset limit range. Elevator system. (Appendix 2) a storage section for storing, while updating, the vertical position read by the reading device of the first unit; Equipped with In the position adjustment, the control device of the second unit moves the car of the second unit to the vertical position stored in the memory unit immediately before an abnormality in the position detection system of the first unit is detected. 2. The elevator system of claim 1. (Appendix 3) a first manual operation unit provided in the car of the first unit and configured to receive an operation for manually traveling the car of the first unit; Equipped with the first manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the first manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the first manual operation unit. 13. The elevator system of claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the control device of the first unit, when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the first unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit after the alignment, causes the first manual operation unit to limit the operation to be accepted; 4. The elevator system of claim 3. (Appendix 5) the control device of the second unit, after the alignment, limits operations accepted by the first manual operation unit when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the second unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit; 5. The elevator system of claim 3 or 4. (Appendix 6) a second manual operation unit provided in the car of the second unit and configured to receive an operation for manually traveling the car of the second unit; Equipped with the second manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the second manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the second manual operation unit. 6. An elevator system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) the control device of the first unit, when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the first unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit after the alignment, causes the second manual operation unit to limit the operation to be accepted; 7. The elevator system of claim 6. (Appendix 8) a third manual operation unit provided separately from both the car of the first unit and the car of the second unit, and configured to receive operations for manual traveling of the car of the first unit and the car of the second unit; Equipped with the third manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the third manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the third manual operation unit. 8. The elevator system of claim 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1 elevator system, 2 hoistway, 3 landing, 4 landing operation panel, 5, 5a, 5b unit, 6, 6a, 6b hoisting machine, 7 main rope, 8, 8a, 8b cage, 9, 9a, 9b position detection system, 10, 10a, 10b control device, 11 cage operation panel, 12, 12a, 12b code tape, 13, 13a, 13b reading device, 14 fixed end, 15 adjustment end, 16 group management device, 17 travel control unit, 18 monitoring unit, 19 abnormality detection unit, 20 linkage unit, 21 command output device, 22, 22a, 22b, 22c manual operation device, 100a processor, 100b memory, 200 dedicated hardware

Claims

1. With multiple units, Each of the plurality of units comprises: A car that travels up and down the hoistway throughout its ascent and descent, a code tape arranged with its longitudinal direction facing the vertical direction throughout the ascending and descending stroke of the elevator shaft and having vertical position information provided along the longitudinal direction; and A reading device provided on the car for reading the vertical position from the code tape. a position detection system including: A control device that controls the travel of the car based on the vertical position read by the reading device; Equipped with When an abnormality in the position detection system is detected in a first unit of the plurality of units, the control device of the first unit stops travel of the car of the first unit; When a position alignment command is input, the control device of a second unit in which no abnormality has been detected in the position detection system of the plurality of units performs position alignment by moving the car of the second unit to the vertical position read by the reading device of the first unit immediately before the abnormality in the position detection system of the first unit is detected, The control device of the second unit, after the alignment, causes the car of the second unit to travel in conjunction with the car of the first unit, and outputs the position read by the reading device of the second unit to the control device of the first unit; The control device of the first unit controls, after the alignment, the travel of the car of the first unit based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit so as to suppress deviation of a motion state including at least one of a vertical position or a linear or more time-dependent change in the vertical position from a preset limit range. Elevator system.

2. a storage section for storing, while updating, the vertical position read by the reading device of the first unit; Equipped with In the position adjustment, the control device of the second unit moves the car of the second unit to a vertical position stored in the memory unit immediately before an abnormality in the position detection system of the first unit is detected.

2. The elevator system of claim 1.

3. a first manual operation unit provided in the car of the first unit and configured to receive an operation for manually traveling the car of the first unit; Equipped with the first manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the first manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the first manual operation unit.

3. An elevator system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the control device of the first unit, when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the first unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit after the alignment, limits operations accepted by the first manual operation unit; 4. The elevator system of claim 3.

5. the control device of the second unit, after the alignment, limits operations accepted by the first manual operation unit when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the second unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit; 4. The elevator system of claim 3.

6. a second manual operation unit provided in the car of the second unit and configured to receive an operation for manually traveling the car of the second unit; Equipped with the second manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the second manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the second manual operation unit.

3. An elevator system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. the control device of the first unit, when detecting a deviation of the motion state of the car of the first unit from the limited range based on the position read by the reading device of the second unit after the alignment, causes the second manual operation unit to limit the operation to be accepted; 7. The elevator system of claim 6.

8. a third manual operation unit provided separately from both the cage of the first unit and the cage of the second unit, and configured to receive operations for manual traveling of the cage of the first unit and the cage of the second unit; Equipped with the third manual operation unit outputs information of the operation received by the third manual operation unit after the alignment to both the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit; Each of the control device of the first unit and the control device of the second unit causes the corresponding car to travel based on operation information received from the third manual operation unit.

3. An elevator system according to claim 1 or 2.

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