Elevator Derailment Detection Using Voltage-Switched Conductive Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
In high-rise building elevators, the long conductive wires used for derailment detection experience increased resistance due to length and aging, leading to unstable detection accuracy and potential failure to detect derailment with high precision.
Innovation Solution
The elevator derailment detection device employs a configuration with a first and second conductive wire, a power supply unit with different DC voltages, a contact member on the elevating body, and a controller to detect derailment by voltage changes and perform diagnosis processing to ensure accurate detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductive wires are stretched in parallel with guide rails for derailment detection, then derailment detection function is achieved, but resistance increases and detection accuracy becomes unstable due to wire length and aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional current-based detection system with a voltage-based detection system. Instead of measuring current flow through long conductive wires (which suffers from resistance issues), the system applies voltage to the wires and detects derailment based on voltage changes when contact members touch the wires. This substitution of the detection principle eliminates the impact of wire resistance and aging on detection accuracy.
2Device complexity
If a single DC voltage is applied to both conductive wires, then system simplicity is maintained, but detection stability deteriorates due to resistance variations in long wires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different DC voltages to different conductive wires based on their specific characteristics. The power supply unit is configured to apply a first DC voltage to the first conductive wire and a second DC voltage (different from the first) to the second conductive wire. This allows each wire to be optimized for its specific length, resistance, and installation environment, compensating for variations due to wire length and aging without increasing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves improved stability in derailment detection by mitigating the effects of wire resistance and aging, ensuring reliable detection even in high-rise elevators.
Implementation Method 1
a first DC power supply configured to output a first DC voltage to apply a voltage to the first conductive wire and a second DC power supply configured to output a second DC voltage, which is lower than the first DC voltage, to apply a voltage to the second conductive wire
Implementation Method 2
a contact member, which is provided to the elevating body, and is configured to be brought into contact with the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire when the derailment occurs, to thereby bring the first conductive wire and the second conductive wire into conduction with each other
Implementation Method 3
the derailment detector is configured to detect the derailment by detecting that the voltage applied to the second conductive wire has increased to a level higher than the voltage applied to the second conductive wire when the derailment has not occurred
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an elevator derailment detection device, which is configured to bring a first conductive wire and a second conductive wire, which are provided in a hoistway in parallel with an elevating direction of an elevating body, into conduction with each other when derailment occurs, to thereby increase a voltage applied to the second conductive wire to a level higher than a voltage applied to the second conductive wire when no derailment has occurred, and is configured to detect the derailment through detection of the increase in voltage. The elevator derailment detection device is configured to inspect the behavior of a diagnosis target by performing control to switch a state of connection between a power supply unit and the diagnosis target between a conductive state and a non-conductive state, to thereby diagnose soundness of the diagnosis target.