Method for inspecting elevator apparatus, and device for inspecting elevator apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for inspecting an elevator apparatus with which it is possible to properly inspect the states of an electric operation device and a drive mechanism of an electric emergency stop device in a relatively short time. This inspection method is used in inspecting the state of a mechanical part in a drive mechanism or an electric operation device. The electric operation device (10) is provided with: a movable member (34) that is mechanically connected to the drive mechanism; an electromagnet unit (35) that operates the drive mechanism; and a return mechanism unit that, by moving the excited electromagnet unit using a feed screw (36), returns the movable member from the movement position of the movable member during operation of the drive mechanism to a standby position. In this inspection method, the feed screw is rotated by a motor, the electromagnet part is moved between the standby position and the movement position of the movable member during operation of the drive mechanism (301), a motor current flowing in the motor is measured during the movement of the electromagnet part (302), and the state of the mechanical part is inspected on the basis of the measured motor current.

Description

Elevator device inspection method and elevator device inspection device

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection method and an inspection device for an elevator system equipped with an electric safety device.

[0002] An elevator system is equipped with a governor and an emergency stop device that constantly monitors the ascending and descending speed of the car and brings the car to an emergency stop if it experiences a predetermined overspeed. Generally, the car and the governor are connected by a governor rope, and when an overspeed state is detected, the governor restrains the governor rope, activating the car's emergency stop device and bringing the car to an emergency stop.

[0003] In such elevator systems, the long governor rope is laid inside the hoistway, making it difficult to reduce space and costs. Furthermore, if the governor rope sways, it is likely to interfere with structures inside the hoistway.

[0004] In response to this, an electrically operated emergency stop device has been proposed that does not use a governor rope. A known prior art related to such an electrically operated emergency stop device is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0005] In this conventional technology, a drive shaft that drives the safety device and an electric actuator that operates the drive shaft are provided on the car. The electric actuator has a movable iron core that is mechanically connected to the drive shaft and an electromagnet that attracts the movable iron core. The drive shaft is biased by a drive spring, but under normal circumstances, the electromagnet is energized and the movable iron core is attracted, so the movement of the drive shaft is restricted by the electric actuator.

[0006] In an emergency, the electromagnet is demagnetized, releasing the drive shaft, and the drive shaft is driven by the biasing force of the drive spring, which activates the emergency stop device and brings the car to an emergency stop.

[0007] Furthermore, when returning the emergency stop device to its normal state, the electromagnet is moved closer to the movable iron core that moved in the emergency. The electromagnet is equipped with a feed nut that screws onto the feed screw shaft, and when the feed screw shaft is rotated by the motor, the electromagnet moves toward the movable iron core. When the electromagnet comes into contact with the movable iron core, the movable iron core is attracted to the electromagnet. Furthermore, with the movable iron core attracted to the electromagnet, the electromagnet is moved, returning the movable iron core and electromagnet to their normal standby positions.

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-130550

[0009] When friction increases in the mechanical parts, such as the sliding parts and threaded parts, of the drive mechanism and electric operating device of an electric emergency stop device, it becomes difficult to ensure the reliability of the operation of the electric emergency stop device. For this reason, it is required to periodically inspect the condition of the mechanical parts of the electric emergency stop device. However, obtaining accurate inspection results can take a long time.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides an elevator system inspection method and elevator system inspection device that can properly inspect the state of the drive mechanism and electric operating device of an electric safety device in a relatively short time.

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an elevator system inspection method for inspecting the condition of mechanical components in a drive mechanism for driving an emergency stop device installed in a car or in an electric actuator for operating the drive mechanism. The electric actuator includes a movable member mechanically connected to the drive mechanism, an electromagnet unit that attracts the movable member when the movable member is in a standby position, restricting movement of the drive mechanism, and is demagnetized when the car speed reaches a predetermined overspeed, thereby operating the drive mechanism, and a return mechanism unit that has a feed screw engaged with the electromagnet unit and rotates the feed screw using a motor to move the excited electromagnet unit, thereby returning the movable member from its position in operation of the drive mechanism to its standby position. In this inspection method, the motor rotates the feed screw to move the electromagnet unit between its standby position and its position in operation of the drive mechanism, and the motor current flowing through the motor is measured while the electromagnet unit is moving, and the condition of the mechanical components is inspected based on the measured motor current.

[0012] To solve the above problems, an elevator inspection device according to the present invention inspects the condition of mechanical components in a drive mechanism that drives a safety device installed in a car or in an electric actuator that operates the drive mechanism. The electric actuator includes a movable member mechanically connected to the drive mechanism, an electromagnet unit that attracts the movable member when the movable member is in a standby position, restricting movement of the drive mechanism, and is demagnetized when the car speed reaches a predetermined overspeed, thereby operating the drive mechanism, and a return mechanism unit that has a feed screw that engages with the electromagnet unit and rotates the feed screw using a motor to move the excited electromagnet unit, thereby returning the movable member from the position to which the movable member is moved when the drive mechanism is operating to the standby position. This inspection device also includes a motor drive control unit that drives the motor and a motor current measurement unit that measures the motor current flowing through the motor. When inspecting the condition of the mechanical components, the motor drive control unit drives the motor to rotate the feed screw, thereby moving the electromagnet unit between the standby position and the position to which the movable member is moved when the drive mechanism is operating. The motor current measuring unit measures the motor current while the electromagnet unit is moving, and the state of the mechanical part is inspected based on the measured motor current.

[0013] According to the present invention, the state of the drive mechanism and the electric operating device of an electric safety device can be properly inspected in a relatively short time.

[0014] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0015] 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the mechanical components of the electric operator 10 in the installed state of FIG. 1. The electric operator 10 is in a standby state. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the mechanical components of the electric operator 10 in the installed state of FIG. 1. The electric operator 10 is in an operating state. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the mechanical components of the electric operator 10 in the installed state of FIG. 1. The electric operator 10 is in the process of returning to the standby state (solid line in FIG. 2). FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10. FIG. 9 is a front view showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 when inspecting the state of the drive ｍ FIG. 10 is a waveform diagram showing an example of a change over time.

[0016] An elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same components or components having similar functions.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the elevator system includes a car 1, a position sensor 3, an electric operating device 10, a drive mechanism (12 to 20), a lifting rod 21, and a safety device 2.

[0019] The car 1 is suspended by a main rope (not shown) in a hoistway provided in a building, and is slidably engaged with a guide rail 4 via a guide device. When the main rope is frictionally driven by a drive device (hoisting machine: not shown), the car 1 moves up and down in the hoistway.

[0020] The position sensor 3 is provided in the car 1, detects the position of the car 1 in the elevator shaft, and constantly detects the ascent / descent speed of the car 1 from the detected position of the car 1. Therefore, the position sensor 3 can detect when the ascent / descent speed of the car exceeds a predetermined overspeed.

[0021] In this embodiment, the position sensor 3 includes an image sensor, and detects the position and speed of the car 1 based on image information of the surface condition of the guide rail 4 acquired by the image sensor. For example, the speed is calculated from the moving distance of the image feature over a predetermined time. In addition, the position of the car 1 is calculated by integrating the moving distance.

[0022] The position sensor may be a rotary encoder that is provided in the car and rotates as the car moves.

[0023] In this embodiment, the electric operator 10 is an electromagnetic operator and is disposed on the top of the car 1. The electromagnetic operator has a movable piece or movable rod that is operated by, for example, a solenoid or an electromagnet. The electric operator 10 is activated when the position sensor 3 detects that the car 1 is in a predetermined overspeed state. At this time, the lifting rod 21 is pulled up by the drive mechanism (12 to 20) connected to the operating lever 11. This causes the safety device 2 to enter a braking state.

[0024] The drive mechanisms (12 to 20) will be described later.

[0025] The safety devices 2 are arranged one on each side of the car 1. Each safety device 2 is provided with a pair of brake shoes (not shown), which are movable between a braking position and a non-braking position, and in the braking position they clamp the guide rail 4. Furthermore, when the pair of brake shoes rise relatively due to the descent of the car 1, a braking force is generated by the frictional force acting between the brake shoes and the guide rail 4. As a result, the safety devices 2 are activated when the car 1 enters an overspeed state, bringing the car 1 to an emergency stop.

[0026] The elevator system of this embodiment is equipped with a so-called ropeless governor system that does not use a governor rope, and when the ascent / descent speed of the car 1 exceeds the rated speed and reaches a first overspeed (for example, a speed not exceeding 1.3 times the rated speed), the power supply to the drive device (hoisting machine) and the power supply to the elevator control device that controls this drive device are cut off. Also, when the descent speed of the car 1 reaches a second overspeed (for example, a speed not exceeding 1.4 times the rated speed), the electric operating device 10 provided on the car 1 is electrically driven to activate the safety device 2, thereby bringing the car 1 to an emergency stop.

[0027] In this embodiment, the ropeless governor system is composed of the above-mentioned position sensor 3 and a safety control device that determines whether the car 1 is in an overspeed state based on the output signal of the position sensor 3. When the safety control device determines that the speed of the car 1 detected by the position sensor 3 has reached a first overspeed, it outputs a command signal to cut off the power supply to the drive device (hoisting machine) and the power supply to the elevator control device that controls this drive device. Furthermore, when the safety control device determines that the speed of the car 1 detected by the position sensor 3 has reached a second overspeed, it outputs a command signal to operate the electric operator 10.

[0028] As described above, when the pair of brake shoes provided in the safety device 2 are pulled up by the pulling-up rod 21, the pair of brake shoes clamp the guide rail 4. The pulling-up rod 21 is driven by a drive mechanism (12 to 20) connected to the electric actuator 10.

[0029] The configuration of this drive mechanism will be described below.

[0030] The operating lever 11 and first operating piece 16 of the electric actuator 10 are connected to form a substantially T-shaped first link member. The operating lever 11 and first operating piece 16 form the head and foot of the T, respectively. The substantially T-shaped first link member is rotatably supported on the crosshead 50 via a first operating shaft 19 at the connection between the operating lever 11 and the first operating piece 16. One end (left side in the figure) of a pair of lifting rods 21 is connected to the end of the first operating piece 16, which forms the foot of the T, on the opposite side from the connection between the operating lever 11 and the first operating piece 16.

[0031] The connecting piece 17 and the second operating piece 18 are connected to form a substantially T-shaped second link member. The connecting piece 17 and the second operating piece 18 form the head and foot of the T, respectively. The substantially T-shaped second link member is rotatably supported on the crosshead 50 via the second operating shaft 20 at the connection portion between the connecting piece 17 and the second operating piece 18. The other end (on the right side in the figure) of the pair of lifting rods 21 is connected to the end of the second operating piece 18, which forms the foot of the T, on the opposite side from the connection portion between the connecting piece 17 and the second operating piece 18.

[0032] An end of the operating lever 11 extending from the inside to the outside of the housing 30 and one of both ends of the connection piece 17, which is closer to the top of the car 1 than the second operating shaft 20, are connected to one end (left side in the figure) and the other end (right side in the figure) of a drive shaft 12 lying on the car 1. The drive shaft 12 slidably passes through a fixed part 14 fixed to the crosshead 50. The drive shaft 12 also passes through a pressing member 15, which is fixed to the drive shaft 12. The pressing member 15 is located on the second link member (connection piece 17, second operating piece 18) side of the fixed part 14. A drive spring 13, which is an elastic body, is located between the fixed part 14 and the pressing member 15, and the drive shaft 12 is inserted through the drive spring 13.

[0033] When the electric operator 10 is operated, that is, when the electromagnet is de-energized in this embodiment, the electromagnetic force that constrains the movement of the operating lever 11 against the biasing force of the drive spring 13 disappears, and the biasing force of the drive spring 13 applied to the pressing member 15 drives the drive shaft 12 along the longitudinal direction. As a result, the first link member (operating lever 11, first operating piece 16) rotates about the first operating shaft 19, and the second link member (connecting piece 17, second operating piece 18) rotates about the second operating shaft 20. As a result, one of the lifting rods 21 connected to the first operating piece 16 of the first link member is driven and pulled up, and the other lifting rod 21 connected to the second operating piece 18 of the second link member is driven and pulled up.

[0034] In this embodiment, a flexible cover member 32 is provided at the insertion portion of the operating lever 11 on the housing cover that forms the top surface of the housing 30. This prevents dust and foreign matter from entering the housing 30, which houses the mechanical parts of the electric actuator 10.

[0035] The configuration and operation of the electric actuator 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0036] Fig. 2 shows the mechanism housed in the housing 30 of the electric actuator 10 in this embodiment, and is a front view in the installed state shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 (solid lines), the safety device is in an inoperative state and the electric actuator 10 is in a standby state. In other words, the elevator system is in a normal operating state.

[0037] 2, in the standby state, the movable member 34 connected to the operating lever 11 is attracted to the excited electromagnet portion 35. This restricts the movement of the operating lever 11 against the biasing force of the drive spring 13 (compression spring). The operating lever 11 is rotatably connected to a bracket 34b provided on the movable member 34. An attraction portion 34a of the movable member 34 that attracts the electromagnet portion 35 is made of a magnetic material.

[0038] The other mechanisms (36, 37, 40-42) in Fig. 2 will be described later (Fig. 3), and the elevator control device 300 will also be described later.

[0039] Fig. 3 shows the mechanism housed in the housing 30 of the electric actuator 10 in this embodiment, and is a front view in the installed state shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, the safety device is in a braking state and the electric actuator 10 is in an operating state. In other words, the elevator system is stopped by the safety device.

[0040] When excitation of the electromagnet portion 35 is stopped by a command from a safety control device (not shown), the attractive force acting on the movable member 34 disappears, and the drive shaft 12 is driven by the biasing force of the drive spring 13. When the drive shaft 12 is driven, the operating lever 11 connected to the drive shaft 12 rotates around the first operating shaft 19, and in conjunction with this, the first operating piece 16 connected to the operating lever 11 rotates around the first operating shaft 19. As a result, the lifting rod 21 connected to the first operating piece is pulled up.

[0041] When the operating lever 11 rotates as described above, the movable member 34 connected to the operating lever 11 moves in the rotation direction of the operating lever 11. In order to return the electric operating device 10 to the standby state shown in Fig. 2, as will be described next, the movable member 34 is returned from the moving position (Fig. 3) to the standby position (Fig. 2) by a mechanism (36, 37, 40-42) whose description is omitted in Fig. 2. In other words, this mechanism (36, 37, 40-42) constitutes a return mechanism that returns the movable member 34 from the moving position (Fig. 3) to the standby position (Fig. 2).

[0042] 3 , the electric actuator 10 has a feed screw 36 (e.g., a trapezoidal screw) located on a flat surface of a substrate 40 to drive a movable member 34. The feed screw 36 is rotatably supported by a first support member 41 and a second support member 42 fixed on the flat surface of the substrate 40. The electromagnet unit 35 has a nut portion 31, which is threadedly engaged with the feed screw 36. The feed screw 36 is rotated by a motor 37.

[0043] A DC motor, for example, is used as the motor 37. The motor 37 is driven by a motor drive control unit 301 provided in the elevator control device 300. The motor drive control unit 301 has a control power supply, and controls the rotation direction (forward rotation, reverse rotation) of the motor 37, and also controls the rotation speed of the motor 37 to a predetermined value.

[0044] Fig. 4 shows the mechanism housed in the housing 30 of the electric actuator 10 in this embodiment, and is a front view in the installed state shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4, the electric actuator 10 is in the process of returning to the standby state (Fig. 2 (solid line)).

[0045] To return the electric actuator 10 to the standby state, first, while exciting the electromagnet portion 35 located in the position shown in Fig. 3, the motor 37 is rotated in the forward direction to rotate the feed screw 36. The rotating feed screw 36 and the nut portion 31 provided on the electromagnet portion 35 convert the rotation of the motor 37 into linear movement of the electromagnet portion 35 along the axial direction of the feed screw 36. As a result, the electromagnet portion 35 approaches the movement position of the movable member 34 shown in Fig. 3.

[0046] Next, a means for inspecting the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0047] As described above, the drive mechanism (12 to 20) that drives the safety device 2 has a sliding part (drive shaft 12 and fixed part 14) and a plurality of rotating sliding parts (first link members (11, 16) and operating shaft 19; second link members (17, 18) and operating shaft 20). If the frictional force or resistance force increases in the sliding parts or rotating sliding parts due to wear, corrosion, dust, aging, etc., it becomes difficult to ensure the reliability of the operation of the drive mechanism (12 to 20).

[0048] As described above, the electric actuator 10 has a screw portion (the feed screw 36 and the nut portion 31). If the frictional force or resistance force in the screw portion increases due to wear, corrosion, dust, aging, or the like, it becomes difficult to ensure the reliability of the return operation of the electric actuator 10.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10 is inspected based on the current flowing through the motor 37.

[0050] During the inspection, first, the motor 37 is rotated forward while the electric actuator 10 is in a standby state. At this time, the electromagnet unit 35 remains excited. Therefore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 , while the movable member 34 remains attracted to the electromagnet unit 35, the movable member and the electromagnet unit 35 move toward one end of the movable member 34's range of motion along the axial direction of the feed screw 36, the end opposite the standby position of the movable member 34 (solid line in FIG. 2 ), i.e., the same position as the position to which the movable member 34 moves when the electric actuator 10 is activated ( FIG. 3 ). When the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet unit 35 reaches one end of the movable member 34's range of motion, the motor 37 is rotated in the reverse direction.

[0051] When the motor 37 rotates in the reverse direction, the movable member 34 and the electromagnet portion 35 move from one end of the movable range of the movable member 34 toward the other end, i.e., the standby position of the movable member 34. When the movable member 34, attracted to the electromagnet portion 35, reaches the standby position, the end point detection switch 60 is operated (ON) by the attracting portion 34a of the movable member 34, as shown in Figure 2 (solid line). In response to the motor stop command signal generated by the operation of the end point detection switch 60, the motor 37 stops.

[0052] When the motor 37 rotates the feed screw 36 and moves the movable member 34 and the electromagnet unit 35, a motor current measuring unit 302 included in the elevator control device 300 measures the motor current flowing through the windings of the motor 37. The motor current measuring unit 302 measures the motor current using a current sensor such as a shunt resistor or a current transformer (CT).

[0053] The drive mechanism (12 to 20) that drives the safety device 2 and the electric actuator 10 that operates the drive mechanism are mechanical loads on the motor 37. Therefore, if frictional force or resistance force increases in one or more of the mechanical parts of the sliding part in the drive mechanism, the rotary sliding part in the drive mechanism, and the threaded part in the electric actuator 10, the mechanical load on the motor 37 increases, and therefore the motor current increases.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, the motor 37 rotates the feed screw 36, and while the movable member 34, the electromagnet portion 35, and the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 are moving, the states of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10 are inspected based on the magnitude of the motor current measured by the motor current measuring portion 302. This makes it possible to properly inspect the states of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism and the electric actuator in a relatively short time.

[0055] When the motor 37 rotates in the reverse direction and the movable member 34 and the electromagnet unit 35 move toward the standby position of the movable member 34, the drive spring 13 is compressed and stores elastic energy. Therefore, the biasing force of the drive spring 13 increases the effect of the increase in mechanical load on the magnitude of the motor current, resulting in a larger increment in the motor current. Therefore, inspection accuracy is improved by inspecting the condition of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the electric actuator 10 based on the magnitude of the motor current measured when the movable member 34 and the electromagnet unit 35 move toward the standby position of the movable member 34.

[0056] When the motor 37 starts rotating forward and backward, a large current flows transiently. Furthermore, when the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 reaches both ends of its movable range, the motor current increases suddenly. For this reason, the magnitude of the motor current measured in these cases is less likely to be affected by the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12-20) and the electric actuator 10. Therefore, inspection accuracy can be improved by inspecting the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12-20) and the electric actuator 10 based on the magnitude of the motor current measured during movement of the movable member 34 and the electromagnet portion 35, except in these cases.

[0057] Furthermore, by demagnetizing the electromagnet portion 35 and moving the electromagnet portion 35 without attracting the movable member 34, it is possible to inspect the condition of only the mechanical portion of the electric actuator 10, i.e., the condition of only the screw portion including the feed screw 36 and the nut portion 31, out of the mechanical portions of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the electric actuator 10, based on the motor current.

[0058] In this case, in this embodiment, while the condition of the threaded portion is being inspected, the movable member 34 is stopped in the same position (FIG. 3) as the position to which the movable member 34 moves when the electric actuator 10 is in operation. Therefore, in the operation of the electric actuator 10 during the above-described inspection, the motor 37 is rotated forward until the movable member 34, attracted to the electromagnet unit 35, reaches the same position (FIG. 3) as the position to which the movable member 34 moves when the electric actuator 10 is in operation, and then the electromagnet is demagnetized when the motor 37 starts to rotate in the reverse direction. Furthermore, with the electromagnet still demagnetized, the magnitude of the motor current is measured while the electromagnet unit 35 is moved toward the standby position.

[0059] In order to inspect the condition of only the screw portion, the electric actuator 10 may be operated in the standby state (solid line in Figure 2) to move the movable member 34, and then the motor current may be measured while the electromagnet is being demagnetized and the movable member 34 is being moved.

[0060] In the inspection of the drive mechanism and electric actuator based on the motor current, a current threshold is set for the inspection, and if the measured value of the motor current exceeds the current threshold, it is determined that the condition of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism and electric actuator is such that it is difficult to ensure the reliability of the operation of the electric emergency stop device. In this case, maintenance work is performed on the drive mechanism and electric actuator.

[0061] It should be noted that a plurality of current thresholds may be set depending on the degree of influence that the state of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism and the electric operating device have on reliability.

[0062] In addition, even if the measured value of the motor current is lower than the current threshold value, if it is determined from the inspection history that the degree of increase in the measured value of the motor current is excessive, maintenance work may be performed on the drive mechanism and the electric actuator.

[0063] In this embodiment, a display device (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display device, is provided to display the measurement value of the motor current measured by the motor current measurement unit 302. For example, such a display device is provided on a control panel including the elevator control device 300 or on a maintenance operation panel. The measurement value of the motor current may also be displayed on a display device provided in a portable maintenance tool.

[0064] When a portable maintenance tool is used, the measured values ​​of the motor current may be stored in the portable maintenance tool and the stored measured values ​​may be displayed on a display device provided in the portable maintenance tool. Furthermore, the portable maintenance tool may analyze the influence of the states of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism and the electric actuator on reliability based on the stored measured values.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the elevator control device 300 of this embodiment when inspecting the condition of the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the mechanical parts of the electric operator 10.

[0066] In this embodiment, the elevator control device 300 includes a computer system such as a microcomputer. The computer system executes a predetermined program to function as an inspection device including a motor drive control unit 301 and a motor current measurement unit 302 (FIGS. 2 to 4).

[0067] The operation mode of the car 1 is set to maintenance operation, and the car 1 is kept stopped by operating a switch on the maintenance control panel.

[0068] When the elevator control device 300 starts processing, first in step S1, it sets the operating mode to an inspection mode in response to the operation of a switch provided in the control panel or on the maintenance operation panel, and starts operation in the inspection mode to inspect the condition of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism (12-20) and the electric operator 10. Note that the electromagnet unit 35 is maintained in an excited state. After executing step S1, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S2.

[0069] In step S2, the elevator control device 300 starts measuring the motor current using the motor current measurement unit 302. After executing step S2, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S3.

[0070] In step S3, the elevator control device 300 causes the motor drive control unit 301 to rotate the motor 37 in the forward direction. As a result, the electromagnet unit 35 and the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet unit 35 move from the standby position toward one end of the movable range of the movable member 34 opposite the standby position of the movable member 34 (indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2), i.e., toward the same position as the movement position of the movable member 34 when the electric actuator 10 is activated (FIG. 3). After executing step S3, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S4.

[0071] In step S4, the elevator control device 300 determines whether the magnitude of the motor current measured by the motor current measurement unit 302 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. This allows the elevator control device 300 to determine whether the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet unit 35 has reached one end of its movable range. If the elevator control device 300 determines that the magnitude of the motor current is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold and that the movable member 34 has reached one end of its movable range (YES in step S4), it then executes step S5. If the elevator control device 300 determines that the magnitude of the motor current is less than the predetermined threshold and that the movable member 34 has not reached one end of its movable range (NO in step S4), it executes step S3 again.

[0072] In step S5, the elevator control device 300 reverses the rotation of the motor 37 using the motor drive control unit 301. As a result, the electromagnet unit 35 and the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet unit 35 move from one end of the movable range of the movable member 34 opposite the standby position (solid line in FIG. 2 ) of the movable member 34, i.e., the same position as the movement position of the movable member 34 when the electric operator 10 is activated ( FIG. 3 ), toward the standby position. After executing step S5, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S6.

[0073] In step S6, the elevator control device 300 determines whether the end point detection switch 60 (FIGS. 2 to 4) has been operated (ON). As a result, the elevator control device 300 determines whether the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 has reached the standby position. If the elevator control device 300 determines that the end point detection switch 60 has been operated (ON) and that the movable member 34 has reached the standby position (YES in step S6), the elevator control device 300 next executes step S7. If the elevator control device 300 determines that the end point detection switch 60 has not been operated (ON) and that the movable member 34 has not reached the standby position (NO in step S6), the elevator control device 300 executes step S5 again.

[0074] In step S7, the elevator control device 300 stops the motor 37 using the motor drive control unit 301. After executing step S7, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S8.

[0075] In step S8, the elevator control device 300 ends the measurement of the motor current by the motor current measurement unit 302. After executing step S8, the elevator control device 300 then executes step S9.

[0076] In step S9, the elevator control device 300 ends the operation in the inspection mode that started in step S1. After executing step S9, the elevator control device 300 ends the series of processes.

[0077] FIG. 6 shows the motor current I flowing through the motor 37 in response to the operation of the elevator control device 300 shown in FIG. ｍ FIG. 10 is a waveform diagram showing an example of a change over time.

[0078] In FIG. 6, the motor current when the motor 37 is rotating forward is indicated by a negative value, and the motor current when the motor 37 is rotating forward is indicated by a positive value.

[0079] Time t １ Then, the motor 37 starts rotating in the forward direction (step S3 (Figure 5)), and the movable member 34 and the electromagnet portion 35 that attracts the movable member 34 start moving from the standby position toward the same position as the moving position of the movable member 34 when the electric actuator 10 is operated (Figure 3).

[0080] Time t ３ When the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 reaches the same position as the moving position of the movable member 34 when the electric actuator 10 is operated (FIG. 3) (step S4 (FIG. 5)), at time t ３ The motor 37 rotates in the reverse direction (step S5 (FIG. 5)). When the motor 37 rotates in the reverse direction, the movable member 34 and the electromagnet portion 35 move toward the standby position.

[0081] Time t ６When the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 reaches the standby position, the end point detection switch 60 is operated by the movable member 34 (YES in step S6 (FIG. 5)). ７ Then, the motor 37 stops (step S7 (FIG. 5)).

[0082] As shown in FIG. 6, when the motor 37 starts to rotate in the forward direction (t １ ~t ２ ), and when the motor 37 starts to reverse (t ４ ~t ５ ), the motor current Im becomes transiently large. When the movable member 34 attracted to the electromagnet portion 35 reaches both ends of the movable range of the movable member 34, that is, the same position as the moving position of the movable member 34 when the electric actuator 10 is operated (FIG. 3), and the standby position (t ３ ~t ４ , t ６ ~t ７ ), the motor current increases suddenly.

[0083] Therefore, the period t １ ~t ２ , t ３ ~t ４ , t ４ ~t ５ , t ６ ~t ７ , the magnitude of the motor current Im is not easily affected by the state of the mechanical parts of the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, during the period t ２ ~t ３ Or period t ５ ~t ６ The motor current I measured at ｍ Based on the magnitude of the difference, the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10 is inspected. This improves the inspection accuracy.

[0084] period t ５ ~t ６ , the drive spring 13 is compressed and stores elastic energy. ５ ~t ６In this case, the influence of the increase in mechanical load on the magnitude of the motor current due to the biasing force of the drive spring 13 is ２ ~t ３ Therefore, the motor current increment becomes larger than the period t ５ ~t ６ The accuracy of the inspection is improved by inspecting the state of the mechanical parts in the drive mechanism (12 to 20) and the electric actuator 10 based on the magnitude of the motor current measured in (a).

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the embodiments with other configurations.

[0086] For example, the electric operating device 10 may be provided not only in the upper part of the car 1 but also in the lower part or side part thereof. The elevator device may be an elevator having a machine room, or may be a so-called machine room-less elevator that does not have a machine room.

[0087] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...car, 2...emergency stop device, 3...position sensor, 4...guide rail, 10...electric operator, 11...operating lever, 12...drive shaft, 13...drive spring, 14...fixing portion, 15...pressure member, 16...operating piece, 17...connecting piece, 18...operating piece, 19...operating shaft, 20...operating shaft, 21...pull-up rod, 30...casing, 31...nut portion, 32...cover member, 34...movable member, 34a...suction portion, 34b...bracket, 35...electromagnet portion, 36...feed screw, 37...motor, 40...board, 41...support member, 42...support member, 50...crosshead, 60...end point detection switch, 300...elevator control device, 301...motor drive control unit, 302...motor current measurement unit

Claims

1. An inspection method for an elevator system for inspecting the condition of mechanical parts in a drive mechanism that drives an emergency stop device provided in a car, or in an electric actuator that operates the drive mechanism, wherein the electric actuator comprises: a movable member that is mechanically connected to the drive mechanism; an electromagnet unit that attracts the movable member when the movable member is in its standby position, restricting the movement of the drive mechanism, and that is demagnetized when the speed of the car reaches a predetermined overspeed, thereby operating the drive mechanism; and a return mechanism unit that has a feed screw that screws into the electromagnet unit, and that rotates the feed screw with a motor to move the excited electromagnet unit, thereby returning the movable member from the position to which the movable member has been moved when the drive mechanism is in operation to the standby position; wherein the inspection method for an elevator system comprises: rotating the feed screw with the motor to move the electromagnet unit between the standby position and the moving position, measuring a motor current flowing in the motor while the electromagnet unit is moving, and inspecting the condition of the mechanical parts based on the measured motor current.

2. A method for inspecting an elevator device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electromagnet part is moved while the electromagnet part is attracting the movable member.

3. A method for inspecting an elevator apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electromagnet part is moved from the standby position towards the moving position.

4. An inspection method for an elevator device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the condition of the mechanical parts is inspected based on the motor current measured during the movement of the electromagnet part, except when the electromagnet part starts to move from the standby position towards the movement position and when it reaches the movement position.

5. A method for inspecting an elevator apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electromagnet part is moved from the moving position towards the waiting position.

6. A method for inspecting an elevator apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the state of the mechanical parts is inspected based on the motor current measured during the movement of the electromagnet section, except when the electromagnet section starts to move from the moving position towards the waiting position and when it reaches the waiting position.

7. An inspection method for an elevator device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the drive mechanism drives the emergency stop device by the biasing force of a spring, moves the electromagnet part from the moving position toward the standby position, and elastic energy is accumulated in the spring while the electromagnet part is moving.

8. A method for inspecting an elevator apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the electromagnet part starts moving from the standby position, and when it reaches the moving position, the motor is reversed to move it back to the standby position.

9. A method for inspecting an elevator apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the electromagnet section is moved in a state where the electromagnet section does not attract the movable member, and the condition of the mechanical parts of the electric operating device is inspected based on the motor current measured while the electromagnet section is moving.

10. An elevator inspection device for inspecting the condition of mechanical parts in a drive mechanism for driving an emergency stop device provided in a car, or in an electric operator for operating the drive mechanism, wherein the electric operator comprises: a movable member mechanically connected to the drive mechanism; an electromagnet unit that attracts the movable member when the movable member is in its standby position, restricting the movement of the drive mechanism, and that is demagnetized when the speed of the car reaches a predetermined overspeed, thereby operating the drive mechanism; and a return mechanism unit that has a feed screw that engages with the electromagnet unit, and that rotates the feed screw with a motor to move the excited electromagnet unit, thereby returning the movable member from the position to which the movable member was moved when the drive mechanism was operating to its standby position; a motor drive control unit that drives the motor; and a motor current measurement unit that measures the motor current flowing through the motor, and when inspecting the condition of the mechanical parts, an inspection device for an elevator system, characterized in that the motor drive control unit drives the motor to rotate the feed screw and move the electromagnet unit between the standby position and the moving position, the motor current measurement unit measures the motor current while the electromagnet unit is moving, and the condition of the mechanical part is inspected based on the measured motor current.

Images