JP7779078B2 - elevator equipment - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to elevator equipment.

Patent Document 1 describes an elevator system. In the elevator system described in Patent Document 1, a power storage device is provided in the car. The power storage device is placed under the car.

JP 2014-118277 A

In the elevator system described in Patent Document 1, the power storage device is permanently installed in the car. Therefore, the power storage device is used only to supply power to the equipment installed in the car.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above. The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an elevator device equipped with a battery that can be used outside the car.

The elevator device according to the present disclosure comprises a car having a charging device, a counterweight, a rope for suspending the car and the counterweight in the hoistway, a hoist around which the rope is wound, and a battery that is detachable from the charging device and can be carried outside the car, and that is charged by regenerative power from the hoist when attached to the charging device; the battery removed from the charging device can be detachably attached to a battery case arranged outside the car, and when the battery is attached to the battery case, power is supplied from the battery to a specific external device.

The elevator system disclosed herein allows batteries that can be recharged in the car to be used outside the car as well.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an elevator device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a car stopped at a platform as viewed from the platform. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the function of the elevator device. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of hardware resources of a control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of hardware resources of a control device.

A detailed description is provided below with reference to the drawings. Duplicate descriptions will be simplified or omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an elevator apparatus according to a first embodiment. The elevator apparatus includes a car 1 and a counterweight 2. The car 1 moves up and down in a hoistway 3. The hoistway 3 is a space extending up and down formed in a building A. The car 1 and the counterweight 2 are suspended from the hoistway 3 by a rope 4. The counterweight 2 moves up and down in the hoistway 3 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the car 1 moves. FIG. 1 shows an example of an elevator apparatus using a 1:1 roping system.

The rope 4 is wound around the hoist 5. The hoist 5 drives the car 1. The control device 6 controls the hoist 5. In other words, the movement of the car 1 is controlled by the control device 6.

Figure 1 shows an example in which the hoisting machine 5 and control device 6 are provided in a machine room 13 above the hoistway 3. The hoisting machine 5 and control device 6 may also be provided in the hoistway 3. The hoisting machine 5 may also be provided at the top of the hoistway 3 or in the pit of the hoistway 3.

Figure 1 shows car 1 stopped at hall 7 formed in building A. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of car 1 stopped at hall 7 as viewed from hall 7. Figure 2 shows the state in which the doors of hall 7 and car 1 are open.

A car chamber 8 is formed in the car 1. The car chamber 8 is a space for passengers to ride in. The car 1 also has a charging device 9. The charging device 9 is a device for charging batteries 10. Figures 1 and 2 show an example in which the charging device 9 is installed on the back wall of the car chamber 8. Figure 2 also shows an example in which the charging device 9 can charge multiple batteries 10 simultaneously.

The battery 10 is detachable from the charging device 9. A user can attach the battery 10 to the charging device 9 in the car room 8. In the example shown in Figure 2, three batteries 10 are attached to the charging device 9. In the example shown in Figure 2, another battery 10 can be attached to the charging device 9.

A user can remove the battery 10 from the charging device 9 while in the car room 8. The user can then carry the battery 10 removed from the charging device 9, i.e., the battery 10 charged by the charging device 9, out of the car 1. The battery 10 is portable and is large and heavy enough for a user to carry it through the entrance and exit of the car 1.

Figure 3 is a diagram explaining the functions of the elevator system. As shown in Figure 3, power to the control device 6 is basically supplied from a commercial power source 11. The control device 6 includes an operation control unit 21, a charge/discharge control unit 22, and an interruption detection unit 23. The operation control unit 21 controls automatic operation. Automatic operation is an operation that causes the car 1 to respond sequentially to registered calls. Calls include hall calls and car calls.

Automatic operation includes powered operation and regenerative operation. Powered operation is operation when the torque output direction of the hoisting machine 5 and the direction in which the sheave of the hoisting machine 5 rotate are the same. The weight of the counterweight 2 is set in advance to match the weight of car 1 when a load of 45 to 50% of the rated load is acting on car 1, for example. In other words, if there is no user in car 1, car 1 is lighter than counterweight 2. In such a case, operation to lower car 1 when there is no user in car 1 is powered operation.

On the other hand, regenerative operation is operation when the torque output direction of the hoisting machine 5 and the direction in which the sheave of the hoisting machine 5 rotate are different. For example, operation in which car 1 is raised when there is no user in car 1 is regenerative operation. In regenerative operation, the hoisting machine 5 functions as a generator. In the example shown in this embodiment, if battery 10 is attached to charging device 9, the battery 10 is charged by the power generated during regenerative operation, i.e., the regenerative power by the hoisting machine 5. The function of charging battery 10 is realized by the charge/discharge control unit 22.

The interruption detection unit 23 detects that power from the commercial power source 11 has been interrupted. For example, if a power outage occurs in building A or in an area including building A, the interruption detection unit 23 detects that power from the commercial power source 11 has been interrupted. A cable 14 is connected between the car 1 and the control device 6. When the interruption detection unit 23 detects that power from the commercial power source 11 has been interrupted, the charge/discharge control unit 22 supplies power from the battery 10 attached to the charging device 9 to equipment required for operation. This equipment includes the hoisting machine 5 and the control device 6. The battery 10 functions as an emergency power source for the elevator system in the event of a power outage.

Furthermore, as described above, the battery 10 is detachable from the charging device 9, and users can remove the battery 10 from the charging device 9 and carry it out of the car 1. Therefore, in the example shown in this embodiment, users can use the battery 10 for specific equipment other than the elevator device.

For example, the battery case 12 is placed outside the car 1. The battery case 12 is preferably provided in a location unrelated to the elevator device. The battery 10 is detachable from the battery case 12. When the battery 10 is attached to the battery case 12, power is supplied from the battery 10 to a specific device. Hereinafter, this device will also be referred to as an external device.

As an example, the external device is an electric bicycle. When a user goes out on the electric bicycle, they remove the battery 10 from the charging device 9 in the basket 8. The user then gets off the basket 1 while holding the battery 10 removed from the charging device 9, and attaches the battery 10 to the battery case 12 provided on the electric bicycle. This allows the power from the battery 10 to assist in the rotation of the electric bicycle's pedals.

When the user returns to building A on the electric bicycle, they remove the battery 10 from the battery case 12 of the electric bicycle. Then, they get into car 1 with the battery 10 removed from the electric bicycle. Once in car 1, the user attaches the battery 10 to the charging device 9 in the car room 8. The user then gets out of car 1 with the battery 10 still attached to the charging device 9. The next time the user uses the electric bicycle, they simply remove the battery 10 from the charging device 9 again.

As another example, the external device may be shared equipment installed in building A. Shared equipment is equipment that is used jointly by people using building A. Shared equipment includes a water pump, a lamp in the entrance hall, a lamp on the emergency staircase, etc. When power from battery 10 is supplied to shared equipment, battery case 12 is installed in building A.

In the example shown in this embodiment, the battery 10 can be charged using the charging device 9, and users can use the battery 10 outside the car 1.

If building A is an apartment building, the elevator system is often used by a small number of people. For example, if only one person is in car 1, car 1 will be lighter than counterweight 2. In other words, such elevator systems often operate with car 1 lighter than counterweight 2. In such elevator systems, charging device 9 may be used to increase the weight of car 1. In elevator systems installed in apartment buildings, etc., energy efficiency can also be improved by using charging device 9 as a virtual weight on the car 1 side.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of hardware resources of the control device 6. The control device 6 includes, as hardware resources, a processing circuit 30 including a processor 31 and a memory 32. The processing circuit 30 may include multiple processors 31. The processing circuit 30 may also include multiple memories 32.

In this embodiment, the components denoted by reference numerals 21 to 23 represent functions possessed by the control device 6. The functions of the components denoted by reference numerals 21 to 23 can be realized by software written as a program, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The program is stored in memory 32. The control device 6 realizes the functions of the components denoted by reference numerals 21 to 23 by executing the program stored in memory 32 using processor 31. A semiconductor memory or the like can be used as memory 32.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of the hardware resources of the control device 6. In the example shown in Figure 5, the control device 6 includes a processing circuit 30 including a processor 31, memory 32, and dedicated hardware 33. Figure 5 shows an example in which some of the functions of the control device 6 are realized by the dedicated hardware 33. All of the functions of the control device 6 may also be realized by the dedicated hardware 33. The dedicated hardware 33 may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a combination of these.

1. Cage, 2. Counterweight, 3. Hoistway, 4. Rope, 5. Hoisting machine, 6. Control device, 7. Landing area, 8. Cage room, 9. Charging device, 10. Battery, 11. Commercial power supply, 12. Battery case, 13. Machine room, 14. Cable, 21. Operation control unit, 22. Charging/discharging control unit, 23. Interruption detection unit, 30. Processing circuit, 31. Processor, 32. Memory, 33. Dedicated hardware

Claims (4)

a car having a charging device;
Counterweight and
a rope for suspending the car and the counterweight in the elevator shaft;
a hoist around which the rope is wound; and
a battery that is detachable from the charging device and can be carried outside the car, and that is charged by regenerative power generated by the hoist when attached to the charging device;
Equipped with
the battery removed from the charging device is detachably attached to a battery case disposed outside the car;
When the battery is attached to the battery case, power is supplied from the battery to a specific external device. Further comprising a control device that receives power from a commercial power source and controls the hoisting machine,
2. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when power from the commercial power source to the control device is cut off, power is supplied to the control device from the battery attached to the charging device. 3. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the external device is an electric bicycle. The battery case is provided in a building in which the elevator shaft is formed,
The elevator apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the external device is a shared facility provided in the building.