Elevator device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an elevator device capable of suppressing any change in a relative positional relationship between a suspension member, which has position information and suspends a car, and a detection device that detects the position information. An elevator device according to the present invention comprises: a car 104; a suspension member 107 that has an identifier indicating position information pertaining to the car 104, the suspension member 107 suspending the car 104; and a sensor 110 that reads the identifier of the suspension member 107. The sensor 110 is disposed on the car 104.

Description

elevator equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a resin rope equipped with detectable objects having information detectable by a detector, and an elevator position detection device that uses the resin rope to detect the position of a car ascending and descending in a hoistway. In this position detection device, the position information of multiple detectable objects attached to the resin rope suspending the car is read by a single detector installed in the hoistway so as to face the resin rope with a small gap between them, thereby detecting the car's position (see abstract).

[0003] International Publication No. 2005 / 082763

[0004] In the elevator of Patent Document 1, a detector installed in the elevator shaft reads the position information of the object to be detected attached to the resin rope. In this case, the position of the resin rope changes depending on the elevation position of the car, so the relative positional relationship between the resin rope and the detector may change. In order to read the positional information properly, it is preferable that the relative positional relationship between the resin rope and the detector does not change.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an elevator device that can suppress changes in the relative positional relationship between a suspension member that has position information and suspends a passenger car, and a detection device that detects the position information.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the elevator device of the present invention is an elevator device comprising a car, a suspension member for suspending the car having an identifier indicating the position information of the car, and a sensor for reading the identifier, wherein the sensor is arranged in the car.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an elevator system that can suppress changes in the relative positional relationship between a suspension member that suspends a passenger car and that has position information and a detection device that detects the position information. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiments.

[0008] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the vertical direction showing the configuration of an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view parallel to the horizontal direction showing the configuration of an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a part of a suspension member used in an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of position detection devices in an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing a modified example in which the suspension structure of the car is modified in the elevator apparatus of Fig. 5.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] An outline of the overall configuration of an elevator system 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an elevator system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an elevator system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are defined as shown in Figure 2. That is, when a passenger is in the elevator car 104 and facing the car door 104a, the front is the front side, the rear is the rear side, the left is the left side, and the right is the right side.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 , the elevator device 100 includes a car 104 and a counterweight 105 that move up and down within a hoistway 101, a hoist 102 around which main ropes (suspension members) 107A and 107B that connect the car 104 and the counterweight 105 are wound, guide rails 109A and 109B that are erected in the hoistway 101 and guide the car 104 and the counterweight 105 as they move up and down, and a control panel 103 that controls the elevator device 100.

[0012] The car 104 and counterweight 105 are provided inside a hoistway 101 provided in a building, and are suspended in a bucket-like manner by main ropes 107A and 107B. The car 104 is electrically connected to a control panel 103 by a tail cord (not shown), and receives a supply of power via the tail cord, and exchanges control signals and various other signals with the control panel 103.

[0013] The hoisting machine 102 is supported by a machine beam (not shown) and is disposed at the top of the hoistway 101, and the control panel 103 is disposed near the hoisting machine 102. That is, the control panel 103 is also disposed at the top of the hoistway 101. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the hoisting machine 102 and the control panel 103 are disposed at the top of the hoistway 101, but the positions of the hoisting machine 102 and the control panel 103 are not limited to the top of the hoistway 101. However, by disposing both the hoisting machine 102 and the control panel 103 at the top of the hoistway 101, maintenance can be easily performed.

[0014] The guide rail 109 is fixed to the inner wall (hoistway wall) 101a of the hoistway 101 by a rail bracket (not shown).

[0015] A pit 101b is formed at the bottom of the elevator shaft 101, and a shock absorber 114 is installed in the pit 101b. The shock absorber 114 receives the car 104 and reduces the impact on the car 104 when the car 104 passes through the elevator hall on the lowest floor BF and descends.

[0016] A final limit switch (FLS) 115A is provided on the guide rail 109A near the top floor TF of the hoistway 101. In addition, a final limit switch 115B is provided on the guide rail 109A near the bottom floor BF of the hoistway 101. The final limit switches 115A and 115B are switches that turn on to bring the car 104 to an emergency stop when the car 104 exceeds a specified operating range (when excessive elevation or descent occurs). When the car 104 is operating within the specified operating range, the final limit switches 115A and 115B are off, but when the car 104 exceeds the specified operating range, they turn on and send an FLS (final limit switch) set signal to the control panel 103.

[0017] 2, the car 104 has a car door 104a on the side facing the elevator hall 112, and an entrance door 101b facing the car door 104a is provided on the elevator hall side. A space is provided between the other sides of the car 104, excluding the side on which the car door 104a is provided, and the hoistway wall 101a, in which equipment (hoistway equipment) such as the hoisting machine 102 and the control panel 1 are arranged.

[0018] The hoist 102 has a sheave 102b, a motor 102a that rotates and drives the sheave 102b, and a brake 102c that brakes the sheave 102b.

[0019] The car 104 is provided with sensors (detection devices) 110A and 110B for detecting the position of the car 104. The sensors 110A and 110B are attached by sensor fixing brackets 112A and 112B to an upper part (ceiling) 104b of the car 104 or to equipment (on-car equipment) arranged on the upper part 104b. The sensors 110A and 110B read position information held by the main ropes 107A and 107B.

[0020] In this embodiment, the main ropes 107A, 107B having position information and the sensors 110A, 110B constitute a position detection device that detects the position of the car 104. This position detection device will be described in detail later.

[0021] The elevator system 100 of this embodiment is of a traction type, in which the hoist 102 frictionally drives the main ropes 107A, 107B to raise and lower the car 104 along the car guide rail 109A and also raise and lower the counterweight 105 along the counterweight guide rail 109B.

[0022] The guide rails 109 are erected in the up-down direction (vertical direction) along the elevator shaft wall 101a. The guide rails 109 include a car guide rail 109A and a counterweight guide rail 109B. The car guide rail 109A is a guide rail that guides the elevator car 104 as it ascends and descends, and includes a pair of guide rails. The counterweight guide rail 109B is a guide rail that guides the elevator car 104 as it ascends and descends, and includes a pair of guide rails.

[0023] When viewed from the elevator hall 112 side, the pair of car guide rails 109A are arranged separately on the hoistway walls 101a on both the left and right sides of the car 104. The pair of car guide rails 109A are arranged on both sides of the counterweight 105 in the same space on either the left or right side of the car 104, and are fixed to the hoistway wall 101a on which the hoisting machine 102 is arranged.

[0024] Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the car guide rail 109A and the counterweight guide rail 109B as "for the car" and "for the counterweight," the terms "for the car" and "for the counterweight" will be omitted and the explanation will be given by simply referring to the guide rail 109.

[0025] When viewed from the elevator hall side, the hoisting machine 102 is arranged in a space formed on the left side of the car 104. As explained in Fig. 1, the hoisting machine 102 is fixed to the hoistway wall 101a by a machine beam (not shown), and by installing the machine beam between the car guide rail 109A and the counterweight guide rail 109B, the hoisting machine 102 is fixed to the hoistway wall 101a via the car guide rail 109A and the counterweight guide rail 109B.

[0026] The control panel 103 is disposed in a space formed to the right of the car 104 when viewed from the elevator hall side. The control panel 103 is fixed to the hoistway wall 101a by a control panel bracket 103a. In this case, the control panel bracket 103a is fixed to the car guide rail 109A, and the control panel 103 is fixed to the hoistway wall 101a via the car guide rail 109A. A tail cord (not shown) is connected to the control panel 103. The tail cord is fixed to the car guide rail 109A, to which the control panel bracket 103a is fixed, near the control panel 103, by a tail cord support bracket (not shown).

[0027] 1 and 2, as well as Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a position detection device configured by main ropes 107A, 107B and sensors 110A, 110B will be described. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of suspension member 107 used in elevator system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of position detection devices 107, 110 in elevator system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, two main ropes 107A and 107B are provided as main ropes. Because the two main ropes 107A and 107B are configured in the same manner, when there is no need to distinguish between the two main ropes 107A and 107B, they will be referred to as "main ropes 107." Furthermore, a position detection device is provided for each of the two main ropes 107A and 107B, but it is not necessary to provide a position detection device for each of the two main ropes 107A and 107B; it is sufficient if a position detection device is provided for either one of the main ropes. For this reason, the sensors 110A and 110B provided for the two main ropes 107A and 107B will be described as "sensors 110" without any distinction being made.

[0029] In addition, one of the two (two systems) position detection devices may be used as a backup for the other position detection device, or the position information obtained from the two position detection devices may be constantly monitored, and if the two pieces of position information differ, an abnormality in the position detection device may be determined.

[0030] 3, the main rope 107 of this embodiment is provided with a detectable object having position information of the car 104. The position information is created using an identifier 107a such as a barcode. The position information may be provided on the detectable object and attached to the main rope 107, or, if the main rope 107 is a resin rope, may be printed directly on the resin rope.

[0031] As described above, elevator system 100 includes car 104, suspension member 107 that suspends car 104 and has identifier 107a indicating the position information of car 104, and sensor 110 that reads identifier 107a, and sensor 110 is disposed on car 104. In this case, sensor 110 is preferably disposed above car 104b of car 104. Furthermore, suspension member 107 is preferably formed of a resin rope.

[0032] The main rope 107 is not limited to a wire rope, but may be the resin rope described above. In this case, the resin rope includes a flat belt. That is, the suspension member 207 may be made of a flat resin rope.

[0033] A flat belt makes it easy to read the identifier 107a. Furthermore, a flat resin rope makes it easy to print. In this specification, the term "rope" should not be interpreted narrowly, but rather broadly as a suspension member (long body) including the aforementioned wire rope and belt.

[0034] The position information is composed of information about the floor at which the car 104 stops, and may be provided discretely corresponding to each floor. In this embodiment, the identifier 107a is provided continuously within the movable range of the car 104 as, for example, height information. In this case, the identifier 107a is a mark that identifies the height position of the car 104. This makes it possible to know the position at the middle of each floor, allowing for precise control of the position of the car 104, and improves the controllability of acceleration / deceleration control of the car 104 and position adjustment of the car top 104b during maintenance.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, car-side pulleys 111A and 111B are arranged under car 104c. That is, in elevator system 100 of this embodiment, car 104 includes a pair of car-side pulleys 111 between which suspension member 107 is hung, and the pair of car-side pulleys 111 (see Fig. 4) are arranged under car 104c of car 104.

[0036] 2 and 3, the pair of car-side pulleys 111A are arranged separately at both left and right ends of the car 104, and the main rope 107A is wound around the pair of car-side pulleys 111A. The pair of car-side pulleys 111B are arranged separately at both left and right ends of the car 104, and the main rope 107B is wound around the pair of car-side pulleys 111B. The car-side pulley 111A is arranged behind the car 104 with respect to the car-side pulley 111B, and the car-side pulley 111B is arranged in front of the car 104 with respect to the car-side pulley 111A.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4, the main rope 107 is stretched between a pair of car-side pulleys 111 and receives the load of the car 104. The sensor 110 is attached to the car top (ceiling) 104b of the car 104 by a sensor fixing bracket 112. The sensor 110 irradiates a laser beam 110a onto an identifier 107a of the main rope 107 and reads position information.

[0038] In this embodiment, the main rope 107 receives the load of the car 104, and its position relative to the car 104 is substantially fixed by the car-side pulley 111. This makes it possible to suppress changes in the relative positional relationship between the main rope (suspending member) 107, which has position information and suspends the car 104, and the sensor (detection device) 110, which detects the position information. As a result, the accuracy with which the sensor 110 detects the position information is improved.

[0039] When consideration is given to the ease of maintenance of the sensor 110, it is preferable to place the sensor 110 on the car 104b. If the sensor 110 is placed near the hoist 102, it is necessary to position the car 104b on the passenger car 104 at a floor near the hoist 102, and then move the passenger car 104 so that the car 104b approaches the sensor 110. If the sensor 110 is placed on the car 104b, maintenance of the sensor 110 can be performed simply by positioning the car 104b on any floor and getting on the passenger car.

[0040] The sensor 110 does not need to be attached directly to the ceiling of the car 104, and may be attached to equipment (car-mounted equipment) arranged above the car 104b. The sensor 110 is preferably arranged close to the car-side pulley 111. This is because the position of the main rope 107 relative to the car 104 is fixed by the car-side pulley 111. Therefore, when the car-side pulley 111 is arranged below the car 104c, the sensor 110 is preferably arranged close to the car-top (ceiling) 104b.

[0041] The sensor 110 can also be placed between a pair of car-side pulleys 111 arranged under the car. The main rope 107, which is stretched between the pair of car-side pulleys 111 under tension, has extremely small vibration in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main rope 107. In this case, it is possible to minimize changes in the relative positional relationship between the main rope 107 and the sensor 110. In this case, it is advisable to provide a closable opening in the floor 104c of the car to allow maintenance of the sensor 110.

[0042] 1, an example in which mechanical final limit switches 115A and 115B are provided has been described, but the function of the final limit switch can also be imparted to the identifier 107a of the main rope 107. That is, an identifier indicating the final limit can be provided on the main rope 107, and the sensor 110 can detect the identifier indicating the final limit.

[0043] A modified example in which the suspension structure of the car 104 is modified will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example in which the suspension structure of the car 104 is modified in the elevator system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] In this example, the pair of car-side pulleys 111 are arranged on the car top 104b.

[0045] That is, in the elevator device 100 of this example, the car 104 is provided with a pair of car-side pulleys 111 between which the suspension members 107 are hung, and the pair of car-side pulleys 111 are arranged on the car of the car 104.

[0046] The sensor 110 is attached to a car side pulley cover 113 that covers the car side pulley 111. In this example, position information is detected by irradiating the main rope 107 that enters between the pair of car side pulleys 111 or that comes out from between the pair of car side pulleys 111 with a laser beam 110a. By disposing the sensor 110 near the car side pulley 111, changes in the relative positional relationship between the main rope 107 and the sensor 110 are highly effectively suppressed.

[0047] With reference to Fig. 6, a further modified example of the modified example of Fig. 5 will be described. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example in which the arrangement of the position detection device is changed in the elevator apparatus 100 of Fig. 5.

[0048] Sensor 110 is arranged to irradiate laser light 110a onto main rope 107 between a pair of car-side pulleys 111 arranged above car 104b. That is, in elevator system 100 of this example, sensor 110 is a sensor that irradiates laser light 110a onto suspension member 107 to read identifier 107a, and sensor 110 is arranged to irradiate laser light onto suspension member 107 between the pair of car-side pulleys 111.

[0049] In this example, the sensor 110 is disposed at a location where the change in the relative positional relationship between the main rope 107 and the sensor 110 is minimal. The sensor 110 is also protected by being covered with a car-side pulley cover 113.

[0050] In the elevator system 100 according to the above-described embodiment and its modified example, the sensor 110 is disposed in the car 104, so that the power supply to the sensor 110 and the communication of position information can be performed via the car 104. This allows the power supply line and communication line of the car 104 to be used, and there is no need to separately wire these. Furthermore, the wiring to the sensor 110 can be shortened, which can suppress noise from entering the communication line.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments are intended to provide a detailed and easy-to-understand explanation of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, or to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0052] 100... elevator device, 104... passenger car, 104b... car top, 104c... car bottom, 107... suspension member (main rope), 107a... identifier, 110... sensor, 110a... laser light, 111... car side pulley.

Claims

1. An elevator apparatus comprising a car, a suspension member for suspending the car having an identifier indicating position information of the car, and a sensor for reading the identifier, wherein the sensor is disposed in the car.

2. An elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed on the car of the elevator.

3. An elevator apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the passenger car is provided with a pair of car side pulleys between which the suspension member is hung, and the pair of car side pulleys are arranged under the passenger car.

4. An elevator apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the passenger car is provided with a pair of car side pulleys between which the suspension member is suspended, and the pair of car side pulleys are arranged on the passenger car.

5. In the elevator device described in claim 4, the sensor is a sensor that irradiates the suspension member with laser light to read the identifier, and the sensor is positioned so as to irradiate the laser light to the suspension member between the pair of car side pulleys.

6. An elevator apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the suspension member is made of a resin rope.

7. An elevator apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the suspension member is constituted by a flat belt-shaped resin rope.