elevator

Abstract

An elevator (10) comprises an imaging device (43) attached to a car (11) and capable of capturing an image of at least one of an upper region positioned above the car (11) and a lower region positioned below the car (11), a lighting device (40) attached to the car (11) and configured to irradiate at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region with light, and an earthquake detector (47) capable of detecting an earthquake. When the earthquake detector (47) detects an earthquake, the car (11) stops and, thereafter, the imaging device (43) captures an image of at least a portion of at least one long object. Connection of the long object is then determined on the basis of the image captured by the imaging device (43).

Description

Technical Field

[0006] ,

[0001] This disclosure relates to an elevator.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a countermeasure against earthquakes for elevators, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this technology, in the automatic diagnosis and recovery operation after an earthquake, the car is operated at a lower speed than normal, and entanglement of a long object is detected from the change in the torque of the hoist.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [[ID=X1]] [[ID=X2]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Using the above - mentioned technology, entanglement of a long object after an earthquake can be detected, and it is easy to perform safe automatic recovery of the elevator. However, in this technology, the entanglement of the long object is detected indirectly (suspiciously) and not directly, and it is preferable to be able to judge more directly and accurately whether there is entanglement of the long object.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator capable of directly and accurately judging whether there is entanglement of a long object after an earthquake.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] Note: There seem to be some incorrect tags in the original text like <000001X> and <00000X0> and <00000X1> and <00000X2>. I translated them as they are but they might need to be corrected in the original source.To solve the above problems, the elevator according to this disclosure comprises a car, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the car, a camera attached to the car and capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the car and a lower region located below the car, a lighting device attached to the car and illuminating at least a part of the upper region and the lower region with light, and an earthquake sensor capable of detecting earthquakes. When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the car stops, and after the car stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a part of at least one long object, and the camera determines whether the at least one long object is caught based on the image of the at least part taken by the camera.

[0007] According to this disclosure, the entanglement of an elongated object is determined based on images of at least a portion of at least one elongated object taken by the imaging device after the cage stops due to earthquake detection. Therefore, the entanglement of an elongated object can be determined directly and accurately.

[0008] Furthermore, for at least one of the long objects, a two-dimensional waveform defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the long object may be generated based on the image, and for at least one of the long objects, whether the long object is stuck may be determined based on the two-dimensional waveform. Note that when no earthquake is occurring, the amount of vibration at the reference point of the long object will be 0 (zero).

[0009] The two-dimensional waveform described above shows a significant difference before and after the time when the long object gets caught; for example, there is a sharp decrease in the amplitude of the two-dimensional waveform. With this configuration, the presence of a long object getting caught is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, and therefore, the presence of a long object getting caught can be accurately determined.

[0010] Furthermore, the at least one long object getting caught is determined based on a plurality of attenuation peaks that can be confirmed in the two-dimensional waveform, and the attenuation peak may be a maximum point in the two-dimensional waveform where there is no other maximum point of the amount of vibration greater than or equal to the attenuation peak at a time after the time when the attenuation peak occurred.

[0011] This configuration makes it easy and objective to evaluate localized and abrupt attenuation in a two-dimensional waveform. Therefore, it is easier to accurately determine if long objects are getting caught.

[0012] Furthermore, the reference point may include the point closest to the center of the image.

[0013] This configuration allows for automatic and easy image analysis.

[0014] Furthermore, the reference point may include the location of the long object that exhibits the greatest fluctuation in the image.

[0015] This configuration makes it easy to detect sudden attenuation. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect snagging of long objects.

[0016] Furthermore, the reference point may also be a location marked on the long object.

[0017] The mark mentioned above may be, for example, a light-reflecting component fixed to a reference point on a long object, or a paint such as fluorescent paint applied to a reference point on a long object.

[0018] This configuration makes it significantly easier to measure the displacement of a reference point and to perform image processing.

[0019] Furthermore, the system may include a storage unit that pre-stores multiple reference two-dimensional waveforms, and for at least one of the long objects, it may determine whether the long object is caught based on one of the multiple reference two-dimensional waveforms and the two-dimensional waveform.

[0020] Multiple standard two-dimensional waveforms (standard two-dimensional waveforms when no long objects are caught) may be pre-created for each floor landing and stored in the elevator's memory for several typical types of earthquakes, such as vertical shaking, horizontal shaking, long-period ground motion, and earthquakes of different magnitudes. Then, when an earthquake actually occurs, one standard two-dimensional waveform may be selected from the multiple standard two-dimensional waveforms based on the landing where the elevator car stopped and the type of earthquake identified based on the information detected by the earthquake sensor. The presence of a long object caught may then be determined by comparing this selected standard two-dimensional waveform with the two-dimensional waveform obtained from the image. This makes it easier to accurately determine if a long object is caught.

[0021] Furthermore, the imaging device may photograph a plurality of different elongated objects, generate a two-dimensional waveform for each elongated object, and determine whether one or more of the elongated objects are stuck based on the plurality of different two-dimensional waveforms generated for each elongated object.

[0022] If snagging does not occur in multiple long objects, multiple long objects may exhibit similar vibrational behavior in relation to the same earthquake. Therefore, it may be possible to identify snagging in long objects whose behavior is significantly different from other long objects and exhibits heterogeneous vibrational behavior. According to this configuration, multiple two-dimensional waveforms that are different from each other are generated for multiple long objects. Therefore, it may be possible to identify snagging in long objects exhibiting heterogeneous vibrational behavior.

[0023] Furthermore, it may be determined that there is no snagging of the long object if the local attenuation rate, which can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveform that is 10% or less, is less than or equal to a first threshold, while it may be determined that there is snagging of the long object if the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold.

[0024] Note that the portion of 10% or less of the two-dimensional waveform refers to the time portion of 10% or less in the overall waveform of the two-dimensional waveform, which is a function of the amount of vibration with respect to time. Also, the overall waveform is the waveform during the time from the start of shooting until the earthquake subsides. According to this configuration, it is easy to objectively determine the snagging of a long object.

[0025] Also, a case where the local attenuation rate that can be a measure of attenuation in the portion of 10% or less of the two-dimensional waveform is equal to or less than a first threshold value is defined as a first case, and a case where the local attenuation rate is equal to or greater than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value is defined as a 3 second case. Further, a case where the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold value and less than the second threshold value is defined as a 2 third case. When doing so, in the movement of the cage after the earthquake ends, the maximum speed of the cage in the first case is made greater than the maximum speed of the cage in the second case, and further, the maximum speed of the cage in the second case may be made greater than the maximum speed of the cage in the third case.

[0026] Note that the above movement of the first cage is defined as the movement of the cage from when the cage first starts moving after stopping due to the occurrence of an earthquake until it stops.

[0027] When a long object is snagged, moving the cage at a low speed in an automatic diagnostic operation for automatically diagnosing whether there is a problem with the elevator after an earthquake reduces the possibility of damage to the elevator in the automatic diagnostic operation.

[0028] According to this configuration, the maximum speed in the movement of the first cage is controlled in three stages according to the degree (size) of the possibility of snagging of a long object. Therefore, in an automatic diagnostic operation for automatically diagnosing whether there is a problem with the elevator after an earthquake, the possibility of damage due to snagging of a long object can be effectively suppressed.

[0029] Furthermore, multiple attenuation peaks that can be observed in the two-dimensional waveform are identified, and each attenuation peak is a location of maximum oscillation in the two-dimensional waveform, and is a location of maximum oscillation where there is no other location of maximum oscillation greater than or equal to the attenuation peak at a time later than the time when the attenuation peak occurred, and the local attenuation rate may be a value based on the smallest value of [(oscillation amount of the attenuation peak that occurs later than two adjacent attenuation peaks) / (oscillation amount of the attenuation peak that occurs earlier than two adjacent attenuation peaks)].

[0030] This configuration allows for objective and accurate evaluation of local attenuation in a two-dimensional waveform.

[0031] Furthermore, the local attenuation rate is a value based on the maximum value among [the value obtained by subtracting the minimum amount of the attenuation peak's oscillation from the maximum amount of the attenuation peak's oscillation during a predetermined time period], and each attenuation peak may be a maximum location of oscillation in the two-dimensional waveform, and a maximum location where there is no other maximum location of oscillation greater than or equal to the attenuation peak at a time after the time the attenuation peak occurred.

[0032] In this configuration as well, the local attenuation of the two-dimensional waveform can be evaluated objectively and accurately.

[0033] Furthermore, the imaging device may include an upper imaging device for imaging the upper region and a lower imaging device for imaging the lower region, and after the basket stops, imaging may be performed using only the imaging device that can image the region with a larger height among the upper and lower imaging devices.

[0034] This configuration makes it easier to photograph parts of long objects that are shaking significantly, and to accurately determine if a long object is getting caught.

[0035] Furthermore, the imaging device may photograph at least a portion of the at least one elongated object after it has stopped moving, and with respect to the at least one elongated object, it may determine whether the elongated object is stuck based on the image of at least a portion of the elongated object after it has stopped moving.

[0036] The elevator may store in the elevator's memory a pre-recorded image taken by the above-mentioned camera of at least one long object that is not caught while the elevator car is stopped at each landing floor. In this case, after an earthquake, the elevator car is stopped at one of the landings, and then the above-mentioned camera is used to photograph at least one long object that has stopped moving after the earthquake. By comparing the captured image with an image of the corresponding landing where no object is caught, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not at least one long object is caught. [Effects of the Invention]

[0037] According to the elevator described in this disclosure, it is possible to directly and accurately determine whether or not long objects are caught after an earthquake. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0038] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an elevator according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the related parts involved in the detection and control of whether long objects get caught. [Figure 3A] This flowchart shows an example of a procedure for detecting whether a long object is getting stuck, as performed by the control device. [Figure 3B] This flowchart shows an example of a procedure for detecting whether a long object is getting stuck, as performed by the control device. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a two-dimensional waveform in a wire rope that is free from snagging. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a two-dimensional waveform in a wire rope that is snagged. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0039] The embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that if multiple embodiments or modifications are included below, it is intended from the outset that new embodiments may be constructed by appropriately combining their characteristic features. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted. Also, in the following description, the wire rope 14, control cable, and compensating rope are long objects. Furthermore, as will be described in detail below, the reference point of a long object when no earthquake is occurring will have a deflection of 0 (zero). Also, in the following description, the portion of the two-dimensional waveform that is 10% or less refers to the time portion of the overall waveform of the two-dimensional waveform, which is a function of the deflection amount with respect to time. The overall waveform is the waveform from the start of imaging until the earthquake subsides. Furthermore, among the components described below, components not described in the independent claim indicating the highest-level concept are optional components and not essential components.

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the elevator 10 comprises a car 11, a hoisting machine 12, a counterweight 13, a wire rope 14, a car call button 15, a destination floor selection button 16, a landing detection sensor 17, an encoder 25, a car lifting mechanism 28, and a control device 18. The control device 18 is composed of, for example, a control panel, and in this embodiment, the control device 18 and the hoisting machine 12 are provided in a machine room 30 located above the hoistway 19. If the elevator does not have a machine room, the control panel and the hoisting machine may be provided in a pit located below the hoistway. The wire rope 14 is wound around the hoisting machine 12, one end of which is fixed to, for example, the top of the car 11, and the other end is fixed to the counterweight 13 via a deflection wheel (not shown). The elevator car call button 15 is located at the landing 22 to call the elevator car 11 and to specify the direction of movement for the elevator car 11. The destination floor selection button 16 is located inside the elevator car 11 to specify the destination floor for the elevator car 11.

[0041] The landing detection sensor 17 is installed in the hoistway 19 and detects when the elevator car 11 has landed on the landing 22. The landing detection sensor 17 consists of, for example, vanes 17a made of steel plates or the like, installed in the hoistway at positions corresponding to the landing positions on each floor, and a magnetic detector 17b that detects the vanes 17a. When the control device 18 receives a signal from the landing detection sensor 17 indicating that the elevator car 11 has landed on the landing 22 of any floor, it controls the elevator car door opening / closing motor 39, causing the elevator car door 32 to open and the landing door 31 to open in conjunction with the elevator car door 32, allowing people to get on and off the elevator car 11.

[0042] The encoder 25 is composed of, for example, an absolute type encoder, and detects the position of the basket 11 and the direction of movement of the basket 11 by detecting the rotational distance and rotational direction from the origin of the hoisting machine motor 12a of the hoisting machine 12. The encoder 25 may be composed of any of the following types: mechanical (contact type), optical type, magnetic type, or electromagnetic induction type.

[0043] The elevator 10 is further equipped with a lighting device 40, a camera 43, and an earthquake sensor 47. The lighting device 40 has an upper lighting device 41 and a lower lighting device 42, and the camera 43 has an upper camera 45 and a lower camera 46. The upper lighting device 41 is installed, for example, on the ceiling of the car 11 to illuminate the hoistway 19 above the car 11, and the lower lighting device 42 is installed on the hoistway 19 side of the bottom of the car 11 to illuminate the hoistway 19 below the car 11. The hoistway 19 is equipped with the car 11, a counterweight 13, a wire rope 14, rails (not shown) that guide the car 11 and the counterweight 13, a control cable connecting the car 11 and the control device 18, a landing detection sensor 17 that detects the position of the car 11, and the like. The upper lighting device 41 and the lower lighting device 42 are used to illuminate the inside of the elevator shaft 19 during maintenance of the equipment, and are also used when photographing long objects, as described later. Each of the upper lighting device 41 and the lower lighting device 42 is composed of lighting fixtures with an illuminance suitable for illuminating the area around the elevator car 11, such as fluorescent lamps, incandescent lamps, LEDs, etc.

[0044] The upper imaging device 45 is installed on the top of the cage 11, for example, so that the imaging device protrudes vertically upward from the top end of the cage 11. The upper imaging device 45 can preferably be configured as, for example, a 360° panoramic camera (an imaging device capable of taking 360° panoramic photos and 360° videos in all directions, up, down, left, and right). The upper imaging device 45 may be configured as any imaging device capable of imaging at least a portion of at least one long object located in a region above the cage 11. Regardless of the position of the cage 11, the upper imaging device is capable of imaging at least a portion of the wire rope 14 and at least a portion of the control cable.

[0045] The lower imaging device 46 is installed below the cage 11, for example, so that the imaging device protrudes vertically downward from the lower end of the cage 11. The lower imaging device 46 can preferably be configured as, for example, a 360° panoramic camera (an imaging device capable of taking 360° panoramic photos and 360° videos in all directions, up, down, left, and right). The lower imaging device 46 may be configured as any imaging device capable of imaging at least a portion of at least one long object located in a region below the cage 11. The lower imaging device 46 is capable of imaging at least a portion of the control cable regardless of the position of the cage 11, and if there is a compensating rope connecting the cage 11 and the counterweight 13, it is capable of imaging at least a portion of the compensating rope regardless of the position of the cage 11. In addition, the lower imaging device 46 is capable of imaging at least a portion of the wire rope 14 if the counterweight 13 is located below the cage 11 by a predetermined length or more. Here, the predetermined length is a length greater than zero (0).

[0046] The earthquake sensor 47 is installed, for example, in the machine room 30 or in the pit below the elevator shaft 19. When the earthquake sensor 47 detects the occurrence of an earthquake, it outputs a signal to the control device 18 indicating that an earthquake has been detected. The earthquake sensor 47 may consist of a mechanical earthquake sensor that does not require a power supply and detects earthquakes using magnetism, or it may consist of an electronic earthquake sensor that detects initial tremors (P-waves), main tremors (S-waves), and long-period ground motions using a capacitive sensor. For example, the earthquake sensor 47 is configured to automatically activate and turn on an electrical circuit when it detects ground motion (P-waves or S-waves) that exceeds a set acceleration (gal). The control device 18, upon receiving a signal from the earthquake sensor 47, then performs stopping control of the elevator car 11 and control for detecting when long objects get stuck, as detailed below.

[0047] A control device 18, which receives signals from the elevator call button 15, destination floor selection button 16, landing detection sensor 17, encoder 25, and earthquake sensor 47, controls the rotation speed and direction of the hoisting motor 12a, causing the elevator car 11 to move up and down within the elevator shaft 19. The wire rope 14, hoisting machine 12, deflection wheel, and counterweight 13 constitute the elevator car lifting mechanism 28.

[0048] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the relevant parts related to the control of detecting whether a long object gets stuck, which will be explained below. As shown in Figure 2, the control device 18 receives signals (information) from the landing detection sensor 17, encoder 25, seismic sensor 47, upper imaging device 45, and lower imaging device 46. The control device 18 also controls the hoisting motor 12a, cage door opening / closing motor 39, upper lighting device 41, lower lighting device 42, upper imaging device 45, and lower imaging device 46 based on the received signals.

[0049] The control device 18 is preferably configured as a computer, such as a microcomputer, and includes a control unit 60 and a storage unit 61. The control unit 60, i.e., the processor, includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 61 is composed of a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), etc., and may include non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 61 may consist of only one storage medium or multiple different storage mediums. The CPU reads and executes programs, etc., that are pre-stored in the storage unit 61. The non-volatile memory pre-stores control programs, predetermined thresholds, etc. The volatile memory temporarily stores the read programs and processing data. The storage unit 61 stores a stopwatch application. The stopwatch application starts and begins timing based on a time-start signal from the control unit 60, and ends timing based on a time-end signal from the control unit 60. The control unit 60 is capable of obtaining information from the stopwatch app that allows it to identify the time being measured.

[0050] The control unit 60 includes an earthquake determination unit 60a, a car stop floor identification unit 60b, a hoisting machine motor control unit 60c, a car door opening / closing motor control unit 60d, an imaging device control unit 60e, a reference position identification unit 60f, a two-dimensional waveform generation unit 60g, an attenuation peak calculation unit 60h, a local attenuation rate calculation unit 60i, and a threshold comparison unit 60j. The operation of the control unit 60 will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 3A to 5.

[0051] Figures 3A and 3B are flowcharts illustrating an example of the procedure for detecting and controlling the long object getting stuck, as performed by the control device 18. In Figures 3A and 3B, the explanation uses the example of a wire rope 14 as the long object, but the long object may also be a control cable or a compensating rope. When a new elevator 10 starts normal operation, such as the first drive or transition from maintenance mode to normal operation mode, and the car 11 begins transporting passengers, in step S1, the earthquake determination unit 60a determines whether or not an earthquake has occurred based on information from the earthquake sensor 47. If the determination in step S1 is negative, step S1 is repeated.

[0052] On the other hand, if a positive determination is made in step S1, the process moves to step S2, where the car stop floor identification unit 60b recognizes the position and direction of movement of the car 11 based on the information from the encoder 25, and if the car 11 is not stopped at the landing 22, it identifies the floor to which the car 11 will stop. The floor identified by the car stop floor identification unit 60b may be, for example, the nearest floor that is ahead in the direction of movement of the car 11 and is the closest in height from the car 11. Alternatively, the floor identified by the car stop floor identification unit 60b may be a floor where the wire rope 14 does not resonate.

[0053] More specifically, the earthquake sensor 47 can detect the direction of acceleration, allowing it to estimate the earthquake period, i.e., the vibration period of the building in which the elevator 10 is installed. Furthermore, information from the encoder 25 allows for the determination of the positions of the wire rope 14, the elevator car 11, and the counterweight 13 at each landing when the car 11 lands on that floor. Therefore, the vibration period of the building can be estimated using information from the earthquake sensor 47, and the resonant frequency of the wire rope 14 can be determined using information from the encoder 25, allowing for the estimation of floors where the wire rope 14 does not resonate.

[0054] In step S3, following step S2, the hoisting motor control unit 60c controls the hoisting motor 12a based on information from the encoder 25 and the landing detection sensor 17 to stop the elevator car 11 at the specified floor. Then, the elevator car door opening / closing motor control unit 60d controls the elevator car door opening / closing motor 39 to open the elevator car door 32 and the landing door 31. In this way, if there is a person inside the elevator car 11, that person is quickly evacuated from the elevator car 11.

[0055] In step S4, following step S3, the imaging device control unit 60e determines whether or not to perform imaging with the upper imaging device 45. Specifically, the imaging device control unit 60e determines, for example, whether the position where the cage 11 is stopped is located in the lower region below the center of the cage 11's height range of movement. If the cage 11 is located in the lower region, the imaging device control unit 60e determines to perform imaging with the upper imaging device 45. If the position where the cage 11 is stopped is located at or above the center of the cage 11's height range of movement, the imaging device control unit 60e determines to perform imaging with the lower imaging device 46.

[0056] If a positive determination is made in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, where the imaging device control unit 60e drives the upper illumination device 41 and the upper imaging device 45 to start imaging, and at the same time drives the stopwatch app to start timing using the stopwatch app. The elevator 10 may have any known clock mechanism other than the stopwatch app, and the control device 18 may obtain information from a clock mechanism other than the stopwatch app to acquire the time from the start to the end of imaging.

[0057] In step S5, the upper imaging device 45 images at least a portion of the wire rope 14 located above the elevator car 11 in the elevator shaft 19. Subsequently, in step S6, the earthquake determination unit 60a determines whether or not the earthquake has ended. If the determination in step S6 is negative, the process moves to step S7, where imaging of at least a portion of the wire rope 14 located above the elevator car 11 continues, and then steps S6 and below are repeated. On the other hand, if the determination in step S6 is positive, the process moves to step S8.

[0058] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S4, the process proceeds to step S9, where the imaging device control unit 60e drives the lower illumination device 42 and the lower imaging device 46 to start imaging, and at the same time drives the stopwatch app to start timing using the stopwatch app. In step S9, the lower imaging device 46 images at least a portion of the wire rope 14 located below the elevator car 11 in the elevator shaft 19, and then in step S10, the earthquake determination unit 60a determines whether the earthquake has ended or not. If a negative determination is made in step S10, in step S11, imaging of at least a portion of the wire rope 14 located below the elevator car 11 continues, and then steps S10 and below are repeated. On the other hand, if an affirmative determination is made in step S10, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0059] In step S8, the shooting device control unit 60e terminates the shooting by the shooting device 43 and simultaneously terminates the timing by the stopwatch app. In the following step S12, the reference position identification unit 60f identifies the reference position of the wire rope 14. For example, the reference position identification unit 60f identifies the point on the wire rope 14 closest to the center of the image captured by the shooting device 43 at the start of shooting as the reference position of the wire rope 14. The lighting device 40 is installed to illuminate the reference position. Next, in step S13, the two-dimensional waveform generation unit 60g generates a two-dimensional waveform based on the video captured by the shooting device 43.

[0060] More specifically, the two-dimensional waveform generation unit 60g generates a two-dimensional waveform based on the unidirectional displacement of the reference position of the wire rope 14 and time-series information from the stopwatch app. Hoistway equipment that is prone to snagging long objects (e.g., counterweight 13, vane (guide plate) 17a, guide rail, and members fixed to the guide rail (e.g., brackets supporting the guide rail)) are located on the front and back sides in the depth direction of the cage 11. Therefore, selecting the depth direction of the cage 11 as the unidirectional direction is preferable because it makes it easier to accurately determine whether or not long objects are snagged.

[0061] In the following step S14, the attenuation peak calculation unit 60h identifies multiple attenuation peaks 81a, 81b (see Figures 4 and 5). Figure 4 shows an example of a two-dimensional waveform in a wire rope 14 without snagging, and Figure 5 shows an example of a two-dimensional waveform in a wire rope 14 with snagging. As shown in Figure 4, the two-dimensional waveform of a wire rope 14 without snagging generally has a sinusoidal shape and attenuates gradually. In contrast, as shown in Figure 5, the two-dimensional waveform of a wire rope 14 with snagging has a rapid attenuation of amplitude near where the snagging occurred, and has a localized large attenuation portion.

[0062] The attenuation peak calculation unit 60h identifies a plurality of attenuation peaks 81a and 81b based on the two-dimensional waveform generated in step S13. Here, the attenuation peaks 81a and 81b are locations of maximum oscillation in the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b, and are locations where there are no other locations with a maximum oscillation amount greater than or equal to the attenuation peaks 81a and 81b at a time after the time when the attenuation peaks 81a and 81b occurred.

[0063] In the following step S15, the local attenuation rate calculation unit 60i calculates the attenuation rate for all pairs of different adjacent attenuation peaks 81a, 81b based on the identified attenuation peaks 81a, 81b, and identifies the local attenuation rate. Here, the local attenuation rate is defined as the smallest value of [(the amount of deflection of the later attenuation peak 81a, 81b among the two adjacent attenuation peaks 81a, 81b) / (the amount of deflection of the earlier attenuation peak 81a, 81b among the two adjacent attenuation peaks 81a, 81)]. By identifying the local attenuation rate, it is possible to accurately and objectively evaluate whether or not there is a localized large attenuation portion in the two-dimensional waveform, and to accurately and objectively determine whether or not the wire rope 14 is caught. Note that since the local attenuation rate can be calculated using only a very short local portion of the two-dimensional waveform, it can serve as a measure of attenuation in a portion of the two-dimensional waveform that is less than 10%.

[0064] In the following step S16, the threshold comparison unit 60j determines whether the local attenuation rate is below the first threshold. If the determination in step S16 is positive, it is determined that there is no snagging on the wire rope 14, and the process proceeds to step S17, where the elevator 10 is put into normal operation in which the car 11 moves up and down based on passenger operations using the car call button 15 and the destination floor selection button 16, and then steps S1 and below are repeated.

[0065] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in step S16, the process moves to step S18, where the threshold comparison unit 60j determines whether the local attenuation rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold, which is greater than the first threshold. If a negative determination is made in step S18, the process moves to step S19, where the hoisting machine motor control unit 60c, in the first movement of the car 11 after the earthquake has ended, limits the maximum speed of the car 11 to a speed slower than the maximum speed of the car 11's movement during normal operation, and then performs an automatic diagnostic operation of the car 11 to determine whether there is a malfunction in the elevator 10, after which the process moves to step S20.

[0066] On the other hand, if the determination in step S18 is positive, the process proceeds to step S21, where, during the initial movement of the car 11 after the earthquake has subsided, the maximum speed of the car 11 is limited to a speed slower than the maximum speed of the car 11 during the automatic diagnostic operation of the car 11 in step S19, and an automatic diagnostic operation of the car 11 is performed to determine whether or not there is a malfunction in the elevator 10, after which the process proceeds to step S20. Note that the initial movement of the car 11 in steps S19 and S21 refers to the movement of the car 11 from when it first starts moving after the earthquake has subsided until it stops. In step S20, the control device 18 determines whether or not there is a malfunction in the elevator 10 based on the automatic diagnostic operation described above. If the determination in step S20 is negative, the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if the determination in step S20 is positive, the process proceeds to step S22, where the car 11 is stopped, and then the control ends.

[0067] As described above, the elevator 10 includes a car 11, a car lifting mechanism 28 for raising and lowering the car 11, a camera 43 attached to the car 11 that can photograph at least one of an upper region located above the car 11 and a lower region located below the car 11, a lighting device 40 attached to the car 11 that illuminates at least a part of the upper region and the lower region, and an earthquake sensor 47 capable of detecting earthquakes. Furthermore, when the earthquake sensor 47 detects an earthquake, the car 11 stops, and after the car 11 stops, the camera 43 photographs at least a part of at least one long object (e.g., a wire rope 14, a control cable, a compensating rope, etc.), and based on the image of at least a part of the at least one long object (in the above embodiment, the wire rope 14) photographed by the camera 43, it is determined that the long object is caught.

[0068] According to this disclosure, after the cage 11 stops due to earthquake detection, the detection device 43 takes images of at least a portion of at least one long object to determine if the long object is caught. Therefore, the detection of the long object can be determined directly and accurately.

[0069] Alternatively, for at least one long object, two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the long object may be generated based on the image, and for at least one long object, whether the long object is stuck may be determined based on the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b.

[0070] When a long object gets caught, a significant difference occurs in the two-dimensional waveform 80b before and after the time the object gets caught. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, a localized and abrupt decrease occurs in the amplitude of the two-dimensional waveform 80b. With this configuration, the presence of a long object getting caught is determined based on the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b, and therefore, the presence of a long object getting caught can be accurately determined.

[0071] Furthermore, the presence of a long object caught is determined based on multiple attenuation peaks 81a, 81b that can be observed in the two-dimensional waveforms 80a, 80b. The attenuation peaks 81a, 81b may be the points of maximum oscillation in the two-dimensional waveforms 80a, 80, and may also be points of maximum oscillation where there are no other points of maximum oscillation greater than or equal to the attenuation peaks 81a, 81b at a time after the time when the attenuation peaks 81a, 81b occurred.

[0072] This configuration allows for easy and objective evaluation of localized and abrupt attenuation in a two-dimensional waveform. Therefore, it enables accurate detection of snagging of long objects.

[0073] Furthermore, the reference point may include the point closest to the center of the image in at least one long object. This configuration allows for automatic and easy image analysis. The reference point may also include the point of the long object with the greatest vibration in the image; in this case, it is easier to determine abrupt attenuation and accurately detect snagging of the long object.

[0074] Alternatively, the reference point may be a marked location on the long object. If the floor on which the elevator car will stop after an earthquake is not yet determined, multiple marks may be placed on the long object at intervals. The marks may also be, for example, light-reflecting members fixed to the reference point on the long object, or fluorescent paint or other coatings applied to the reference point on the long object. This configuration makes it significantly easier to measure the displacement of the reference point and to process the images.

[0075] Furthermore, the first case is defined as when the local attenuation rate, which can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b that is less than 10%, is below the first threshold, and the second case is defined as when the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold and is above the second threshold. 3 In this case, and furthermore, if the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, then 2 In this case, during the initial movement of the cage 11 after the earthquake has ended, the maximum speed of the cage 11 in the first case may be set to be greater than the maximum speed of the cage 11 in the second case, and furthermore, the maximum speed of the cage 11 in the second case may be set to be greater than the maximum speed of the cage 11 in the third case. Note that the initial movement of the cage 11 mentioned above refers to the movement of the cage 11 from the time it starts moving for the first time after the cage 11 has stopped due to the occurrence of the earthquake until it stops again.

[0076] If a long object is caught, moving the elevator car 11 at a low speed during the automatic diagnostic operation to automatically diagnose whether or not there is a malfunction in the elevator 10 after an earthquake will reduce the likelihood of the elevator 10 being damaged during the said automatic diagnostic operation.

[0077] According to this configuration, the maximum speed of the first elevator car 11 is controlled in three stages depending on the degree (size) of the possibility of long objects getting caught. Therefore, the possibility of damage due to long objects getting caught can be effectively suppressed during the automatic diagnostic operation to automatically diagnose whether or not there is a malfunction in the elevator 10 after an earthquake.

[0078] Alternatively, the above local attenuation rate may be a value based on the minimum value of [(the amount of oscillation of the later-time attenuation peak 81a, 81b among two adjacent attenuation peaks 81a, 81b) / (the amount of oscillation of the earlier-time attenuation peak 81a, 81b among two adjacent attenuation peaks 81a, 81b)]. Here, the value based on the minimum value includes, for example, the minimum value itself or a constant multiple of the minimum value.

[0079] This configuration allows for objective and accurate evaluation of the local attenuation of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b. The local attenuation rate may also be based on the maximum value obtained by subtracting the minimum attenuation peak fluctuation from the maximum attenuation peak fluctuation during a predetermined time period. Even in this case, the local attenuation of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b can be objectively and accurately evaluated. The value based on the maximum value includes, for example, the maximum value itself or a constant multiple of the maximum value. Furthermore, the predetermined time is 10% or less of the total time of the two-dimensional waveform.

[0080] Furthermore, the imaging device 43 may include an upper imaging device 45 for imaging the upper region and a lower imaging device 46 for imaging the lower region, and after the cage 11 has stopped, imaging may be performed using only the imaging device that can image the region with a larger height among the upper imaging device 45 and the lower imaging device 46.

[0081] This configuration makes it easier to photograph parts of long objects that are swinging significantly and to accurately determine if long objects are getting caught. The imaging device only needs to be able to photograph at least one of the upper and lower regions, and the imaging device may consist only of the upper imaging device 45 or only of the lower imaging device 46. Here, if the lower imaging device 46 is installed on the underside of the cage 11 to ensure the safety of maintenance workers working in the pit, if imaging is performed only by the lower imaging device 46, the lower imaging device 46 for the safety of maintenance workers can be repurposed to determine if long objects are getting caught, and the determination of whether long objects are getting caught can be made without making new capital investments. However, in this case, it is preferable that the floor to which the cage 11 is stopped after an earthquake is a floor above the center of the cage 11's height range of movement.

[0082] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and their modifications, and various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents.

[0083] For example, in the above embodiment, the possibility of snagging a long object was evaluated in three stages using the local attenuation rate, but the possibility of snagging a long object may be evaluated in two stages using the local attenuation rate. For example, if the local attenuation rate, which can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b that is 10% or less, is below the first threshold, it may be determined that there is no snagging of the corresponding long object, while if the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold, it may be determined that there is snagging of the corresponding long object.

[0084] Furthermore, the local attenuation rate was defined as a rate that can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b that is less than 10%. However, if the local attenuation rate were defined as a rate that can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveforms 80a and 80b that is less than 5%, it would be easier to more accurately determine whether or not long objects are getting caught.

[0085] Furthermore, while the determination of whether a long object is caught was made using a local attenuation rate, the determination may also be made without using a local attenuation rate. For example, the elevator may be equipped with a memory unit that pre-stores multiple reference two-dimensional waveforms. Then, for at least one long object, the determination of whether the long object is caught may be made based on a two-dimensional waveform corresponding to one of the multiple reference two-dimensional waveforms.

[0086] More specifically, multiple standard two-dimensional waveforms (standard two-dimensional waveforms when no long objects are caught) may be pre-created for each floor landing and stored in the elevator's memory for several typical types of earthquakes, such as vertical shaking, horizontal shaking, long-period ground motion, and earthquakes of different magnitudes. Then, when an earthquake actually occurs, one standard two-dimensional waveform may be selected from the multiple standard two-dimensional waveforms based on the landing where the elevator car stopped and the type of earthquake identified based on the information detected by the earthquake sensor. The presence of a long object caught may then be determined by comparing this selected standard two-dimensional waveform with the two-dimensional waveform obtained from the image. Here, the comparison may be performed, for example, by comparing the time it takes for the attenuation rate of the two-dimensional waveform to reach a predetermined value (e.g., 10%) or the average amplitude of the two-dimensional waveform. This method also makes it easier to accurately determine if a long object is caught.

[0087] Alternatively, the imaging device may photograph multiple long objects that are different from each other, generate a two-dimensional waveform for each long object, and determine whether one or more of the long objects are stuck based on the multiple different two-dimensional waveforms generated for each long object.

[0088] If multiple long objects are not caught, they may exhibit similar swing behavior in relation to the same earthquake. Therefore, it may be possible to identify a caught long object whose behavior is significantly different from other long objects and exhibits heterogeneous swing behavior. For example, if the time period when the amplitude decreases to its maximum differs for only one long object from that of the others, it may be determined that that one long object is caught in the elevator equipment. This configuration generates multiple two-dimensional waveforms that are different from each other for multiple long objects. Therefore, it may be possible to identify a caught long object exhibiting heterogeneous swing behavior.

[0089] Alternatively, when a curve smoothly connecting the decay peaks is defined as the convergence curve 90 (see Figure 4), the presence of a long object stuck may be determined based on the convergence curve 90. For example, the presence of a long object stuck may be determined when there are points where the slope per unit time of the convergence curve 90 exceeds a threshold.

[0090] Furthermore, the imaging device may photograph at least a portion of at least one long object after it has stopped moving, and with respect to at least one long object, it may determine whether the long object is stuck based on the image of at least a portion of the long object after it has stopped moving.

[0091] The elevator may store in the elevator's memory a pre-recorded image taken by the above-mentioned camera of at least one long object that is not caught while the elevator car is stopped at each landing floor. In this case, after an earthquake, the elevator car is stopped at one of the landings, and then the above-mentioned camera is used to photograph at least one long object that has stopped moving after the earthquake. By comparing the captured image with an image of the corresponding landing where no object is caught, the presence or absence of a catch in at least one long object can be determined accurately and with significantly easier ease. In this case as well, the comparison of the two images may be performed at a marked point on the long object, in which case the presence or absence of a catch in the long object can be determined instantaneously and accurately. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 10 Elevator, 11 Car, 12 Hoisting machine, 12a Hoisting machine motor, 13 Counterweight, 14 Wire rope, 15 Car call button, 16 Destination floor selection button, 17 Landing detection sensor, 17a Vane, 17b Detector, 18 Control device, 19 Hoistway, 22 Landing, 25 Encoder, 28 Car lifting mechanism, 30 Machine room, 31 Landing door, 32 Car door, 39 Car door opening / closing motor, 40 Lighting device, 41 Upper lighting device, 42 Lower lighting device, 43 Camera, 45 Upper camera, 46 Lower camera, 47 Earthquake sensor, 60 Control unit, 60a Earthquake determination unit, 60b Car stop floor identification unit, 60c Hoisting machine motor control unit, 60d Cage door opening / closing motor control unit, 60e Imaging device control unit, 60f Reference position identification unit, 60g Two-dimensional waveform generation unit, 60h Attenuation peak calculation unit, 60i Local attenuation rate calculation unit, 60j Threshold comparison unit, 61 Storage unit, 80a, 80b Two-dimensional waveform, 81a, 81b Attenuation peak, 90 Convergence curve.

Claims

1. A basket and A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit, Based on the images of at least a portion of the images captured by the aforementioned imaging device, the presence or absence of snagging of at least one long object is determined. With respect to the at least one elongated object, a two-dimensional waveform is generated based on the image, which is defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the elongated object. With respect to the at least one long object, the snagging of the long object is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, Based on the multiple attenuation peaks that can be observed in the two-dimensional waveform, the snagging of at least one long object is determined. The aforementioned attenuation peak is the point of maximum oscillation in the two-dimensional waveform, and is the point of maximum oscillation where there is no point of maximum oscillation exceeding the attenuation peak at a time after the time the attenuation peak occurred.

2. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the reference point includes the point in the at least one elongated object that is closest to the center of the image.

3. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the reference point includes the location of the long object that shows the greatest fluctuation in the image.

4. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the reference location is a location marked on the long object.

5. A basket and A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit, Based on the images of at least a portion of the images captured by the aforementioned imaging device, the presence or absence of snagging of at least one long object is determined. With respect to the at least one elongated object, a two-dimensional waveform is generated based on the image, which is defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the elongated object. With respect to the at least one long object, the snagging of the long object is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, It further includes a memory unit that pre-stores multiple reference two-dimensional waveforms, The control unit determines whether the long object is caught on the elevator based on one of the plurality of reference two-dimensional waveforms and the two-dimensional waveform, with respect to the at least one long object.

6. A basket and, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit, Based on the images of at least a portion of the images captured by the aforementioned imaging device, the presence or absence of snagging of at least one long object is determined. With respect to the at least one elongated object, a two-dimensional waveform is generated based on the image, which is defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the elongated object. With respect to the at least one long object, the snagging of the long object is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, The imaging device photographs a plurality of different elongated objects, the control unit generates a two-dimensional waveform for each elongated object, and based on the plurality of different two-dimensional waveforms generated for each of the plurality of elongated objects, it determines whether one or more of the elongated objects are caught. The control unit determines whether one or more long objects are caught in the elevator based on the difference in behavior of one or more of the two-dimensional waveforms derived by comparing the plurality of two-dimensional waveforms with respect to the other two-dimensional waveforms.

7. A basket and, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit, Based on the images of at least a portion of the images captured by the aforementioned imaging device, the presence or absence of snagging of at least one long object is determined. With respect to the at least one elongated object, a two-dimensional waveform is generated based on the image, which is defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the elongated object. With respect to the at least one long object, the snagging of the long object is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, An elevator that determines that there is no obstruction of the long object if the local attenuation rate, which can serve as a measure of attenuation in the portion of the two-dimensional waveform that is 10% or less, is below a first threshold, while determining that there is obstruction of the long object if the local attenuation rate is greater than the first threshold.

8. A basket and, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit, Based on the images of at least a portion of the images captured by the aforementioned imaging device, the presence or absence of snagging of at least one long object is determined. With respect to the at least one elongated object, a two-dimensional waveform is generated based on the image, which is defined by time and the amount of unidirectional vibration at a reference point of the elongated object. With respect to the at least one long object, the snagging of the long object is determined based on the two-dimensional waveform, An elevator in which, in the first movement of the elevator car after the earthquake has ended, the maximum speed of the car in the first case is greater than the maximum speed of the car in the second case, and the maximum speed of the car in the second case is greater than the maximum speed of the car in the third case.

9. A basket and, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the aforementioned cage, A photographing device attached to the basket, capable of photographing at least one of an upper region located above the basket and a lower region located below the basket, A lighting device attached to the basket, which irradiates light onto at least a portion of the upper region and the lower region, Earthquake detectors capable of detecting earthquakes, The system comprises a lifting mechanism, a photographing device, and a control unit for controlling the lighting device, When the earthquake sensor detects an earthquake, the cage stops, and after the cage stops, the camera takes a photograph of at least a portion of at least one long object. The control unit determines whether at least one long object is caught based on at least a portion of the images captured by the imaging device. The aforementioned imaging device photographs at least a portion of the at least one long object after its movement has stopped. The control unit determines whether the long object is stuck based on an image of at least a portion of the long object whose movement has stopped, with respect to the at least one long object. The system further includes a storage unit that stores images taken by the camera of at least one long object, at least a portion of it, while the elevator is stopped at the landing level and no snagging has occurred. The control unit determines whether or not at least a portion of the at least one long object is stuck by comparing the image captured by the imaging device with the stored image of the at least one long object that has stopped moving after the elevator car has stopped at the landing floor.

Images