The present invention relates to an elevator apparatus in which a car is made to perform emergency stopping using a safety device if a suspending body that suspends the car breaks.
In conventional elevator apparatus speed governors, a first overspeed Vos (an activating speed of an operation stopping switch) is set to approximately 1.3 times a rated speed Vr, and a second overspeed Vtr (a safety tripping speed) is set to approximately 1.4 times the rated speed Vr. If it is detected that the car has exceeded the rated speed and reached the first overspeed Vos, due to an abnormality in the controlling apparatus, for example, power supply to a hoisting machine is interrupted to stop the car urgently. If the car is falling due to breakage of a main rope, etc., the second overspeed Vtr is detected by the speed governor, and a safety device is activated to make the car perform emergency stopping.
However, if the car is positioned in a vicinity of a terminal floor of a hoistway, the car may reach a bottom portion of the hoistway before the car speed increases to the first overspeed Vos and the second overspeed Vtr, and in that case the car is decelerated and stopped by a buffer. For this purpose, the buffer requires a longer buffering stroke as the speed that must be decelerated increases, and the length of the buffer is determined by the first overspeed Vos and the second overspeed Vtr.
In answer to that, a method has also been proposed in which a car position switch is disposed in a vicinity of the terminal floor to detect an abnormality and shut off the power supply to the hoisting machine at a terminal overspeed Vts that is lower than the first overspeed Vos when the car position switch is operated.
Thus, provided that the main rope is still connected to the car, the car speed will not exceed the terminal overspeed Vts. If, on the other hand, the main rope breaks when the car is positioned in a vicinity of a lower terminal floor of the hoistway, it is not possible to brake the car using the hoisting machine even if the terminal overspeed Vts is detected.
In that case, if Ts is the time from when the main rope breaks until the car collides with the buffer, then the impact speed Vs is:
Vs=Vts+g×Ts.
If this impact speed Vs is lower than the second overspeed Vtr of the speed governor, then it is possible to shorten the buffering stroke of the buffer proportionately.
However, in recent years, there is demand for additional space saving and cost saving, and there has been demand for buffer dimensions to be shortened further, and speed governors have been proposed in which the first overspeed Vos and the second overspeed Vtr are reduced in the vicinity of terminal floors (see Patent Literature 1 and 2, for example).
[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-104646 (Gazette)
[Patent Literature 2]
International Publication No. WO 2009/093330
In conventional elevator apparatuses such as those described above, the construction of the speed governors becomes complicated in order to lower the first overspeed Vos and the second overspeed Vtr in the vicinity of the terminal floors.
The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator apparatus that enables space saving in a hoistway by a simple configuration.
An elevator apparatus according to the present invention includes: a car that ascends and descends inside a hoistway; a suspending body that suspends the car; a hoisting machine that raises and lowers the car; a safety device that is mounted to the car, and that makes the car perform emergency stopping; a car buffer that alleviates mechanical shock from a collision of the car into a bottom portion of the hoistway; a rope that is installed in a loop inside the hoistway, and that is connected to the car; a tensioning sheave that is disposed in a lower portion of the hoistway, and around which the rope is wound; and a tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion that detects downward displacement of the tensioning sheave that accompanies dropping of the car due to breakage of the suspending body, and that activates the safety device.
In an elevator apparatus according to the present invention, because the tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion detects downward displacement of the tensioning sheave that accompanies dropping of the car due to breakage of the suspending body and activates the safety device, the buffering stroke of the buffer can be shortened by a simple configuration, enabling space saving to be achieved in the hoistway.
Embodiments for implementing the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.
The hoisting machine brake 7 has: a brake wheel (a drum or a disk) that is coupled coaxially to the driving sheave 6; a brake shoe that is placed in contact with and separated from the brake wheel; a brake spring that presses the brake shoe against the brake wheel to apply a braking force; and an electromagnet that separates the brake shoe from the brake wheel in opposition to the brake spring to release the braking force.
A suspending body 8 is wound around the driving sheave 6 and the deflecting sheave 4. A plurality of ropes or a plurality of belts are used as the suspending body 8. A car 9 is connected to a first end portion of the suspending body 8. A counterweight 10 is connected to a second end portion of the suspending body 8.
The car 9 and the counterweight 10 are suspended inside the hoistway 1 by the suspending body 8, and are raised and lowered inside the hoistway 1 by a driving force from the hoisting machine 3. The controlling apparatus 5 raises and lowers the car 9 at a set speed by controlling rotation of the hoisting machine 3.
A pair of car guide rails 11 that guide raising and lowering of the car 9 and a pair of counterweight guide rails 12 that guide raising and lowering of the counterweight 10 are installed inside the hoistway 1. A car buffer 13 and a counterweight buffer 14 are installed on a bottom portion of the hoistway 1. The car buffer 13 alleviates mechanical shock of a collision of the car 9 into the bottom portion of the hoistway 1. The counterweight buffer 14 similarly alleviates mechanical shock of a collision of the counterweight 10 into the bottom portion of the hoistway 1.
A safety device 15 that makes the car 9 perform emergency stopping by gripping a car guide rail 11 is mounted onto a lower portion of the car 9. An activating lever 16 that activates the safety device 15 is disposed on the safety device 15.
A speed governor 17 that monitors for overspeed traveling of the car 9 is disposed in the machine room 2. The speed governor 17 has: a speed governor sheave 18; an overspeed detecting switch; a rope catch, etc. A speed governor rope 19 is wound around the speed governor sheave 18.
The speed governor rope 19 is installed in a loop inside the hoistway 1, and is connected to the activating lever 16. In other words, the speed governor rope 19 is connected to the car 9 by means of the safety device 15. The speed governor rope 19 is wound around a tensioning sheave 20 that is disposed in a lower portion of the hoistway 1. The speed governor rope 19 moves cyclically when the car 9 ascends and descends, rotating the speed governor sheave 18 at a rotational speed that corresponds to the traveling speed of the car 9.
The traveling speed of the car 9 reaching the overspeeds is detected mechanically by the speed governor 17. A first overspeed Vos that is higher than a rated speed Vr and a second overspeed Vtr that is higher than the first overspeed are set as detected overspeeds.
The overspeed detecting switch is operated if the traveling speed of the car 9 reaches the first overspeed Vos. Power supply to the hoisting machine 3 is interrupted thereby to stop the car 9 urgently.
If the descent speed of the car 9 reaches the second overspeed Vtr, the speed governor rope 19 is gripped by the rope catch, stopping the cycling of the speed governor rope 19. The activating lever 16 is operated thereby, tripping the safety device 15 to make the car 9 to perform emergency stopping.
First and second tensioning sheave rails 22a and 22b that guide vertical movement of the tensioning sheave frame 21 are installed in a bottom portion inside the hoistway 1. A plurality of guiding members 23 that slide along the tensioning sheave rails 22a and 22b are fixed to the tensioning sheave frame 21.
A tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 is disposed between the first tensioning sheave rail 22a and the tensioning sheave frame 21. The tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 detects downward displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 that accompanies dropping of the car 9 due to breakage of the suspending body 8 and activates the safety device 15. The tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 according to Embodiment 1 stops movement of the speed governor rope 19 to activate the safety device 15 if the tensioning sheave 20 descends greater than or equal to a predetermined distance from a normal position (a position when the suspending body 8 is not broken).
The tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 has: a rope gripping mechanism 25 that is fixed inside the hoistway 1; and an L-shaped switch member 26 that is connected to the tensioning sheave 20. The rope gripping mechanism 25 is mounted to the first tensioning sheave rail 22a. The switch member 26 is mounted to an upper portion of the tensioning sheave frame 21. The rope gripping mechanism 25 grips the speed governor rope 19 to activate the safety device 15 when the switch member 26 is displaced downward and operates the rope gripping mechanism 25 mechanically due to the downward displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 that accompanies dropping of the car 9 due to breakage of the suspending body 8.
The rail holding member 27 is fixed to the first tensioning sheave rail 22a above the tensioning sheave 20. The speed governor rope 19 passes through a space that is formed between the first tensioning sheave rail 22a and the rail holding member 27.
The first and second pins 28a and 28b are disposed on the rail holding member 27 so as to be parallel to the speed governor rope 19. The first gripping member 29a is able to rotate around the first pin 28a. The second gripping member 29b is able to rotate around the second pin 28b.
The gripping members 29a and 29b each include: a first end portion that faces the speed governor rope 19; and a second end portion that is positioned on an opposite side from the first end portion. The spring 30 is disposed between the second end portions of the gripping members 29a and 29b. Furthermore, the spring 30 pushes the second end portions in directions in which the first end portions grip the speed governor rope 19.
The wedge 31, as shown in
When the wedge 31 dislodges from between the gripping members 29a and 29b, the spring 30 expands, and the speed governor rope 19 is gripped by the first end portions of the gripping members 29a and 29b. Movement of the speed governor rope 19 is stopped thereby, activating the safety device 15.
Now, if the hoisting zone of the car 9 is long (100 m or more, for example), then the length of the speed governor rope 19 is longer, and a model in which the total mass of the governor mechanism, including the speed governor sheave 18, the speed governor rope 19, and the tensioning sheave 20, moves as one body no longer holds. Consequently, if the hoisting zone is long, it is necessary to consider a vibrational model that has three degrees of freedom, as shown in
When acceleration arises in the car 9, the tensioning sheave 20 displaces vertically due to the first mode of vibration of the governor mechanism. In particular, if a constant acceleration d2xo/dt2 is applied downward, the amount of descent x1 of the tensioning sheave 20 is given by the following expressions:
Here, M is the inertial mass of the governor mechanism, and has a fixed value. K is rigidity that is determined by the speed governor rope 19, and also has a fixed value. Furthermore, a is a variable that changes depending on car position, and has a value between zero and one, zero representing the lowermost floor, and one the uppermost floor.
Thus, if the suspending body 8 breaks when the car position is in the vicinity of the lowermost floor (a has a value that is close to zero), the amount of descent of the tensioning sheave 20 is given by the following expression:
x1g=MG/K (2)
Moreover, G is gravitational acceleration.
If the car 9 is stopped suddenly using an emergency brake (the hoisting machine brake 7) when the car position is in the vicinity of the lowermost floor, on the other hand, then the deceleration rate of the car 9 due to the emergency brake is approximately 0.3 G. Because of that, the amount of descent of the tensioning sheave 20 in that case is given by the following expression:
x1b=βx1g (3)
where β is approximately 0.3.
If the average deceleration of the car 9 due to emergency braking is 0.3 G, then, as shown in
In that case, from Expression (1), x1s=0.8x1g.
Consequently, a switching distance x1s in
During emergency brake operation, on the other hand, because the tensioning sheave 20 does not descend up to 0.8x1g, the speed governor rope 19 is not gripped, and the safety device 15 is not activated.
If the car 9 is positioned at an intermediate floor or the uppermost floor, then the amount of displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 is reduced because a approaches one, as indicated by Expression (1). Because of that, malfunction of the safety device 15 due to emergency brake operation is less likely to occur at intermediate floors and the uppermost floor than in a vicinity of the lowermost floor.
Similarly, if the car 9 is positioned at an intermediate floor or the uppermost floor, then the tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 also ceases to operate for breakage of the suspending body 8. However, in that case, there is no problem because the car 9 can be stopped by normal detection of overspeed by the speed governor 17.
In an elevator apparatus of this kind, because the tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 detects downward displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 that accompanies dropping of the car 9 due to breakage of the suspending body 8, and activates the safety device 15, the buffering stroke of the buffer 13 can be shortened by a simple configuration, enabling space saving to be achieved in the hoistway 1.
Because breakage of the suspending body 8 is detected using an existing speed governor rope 19 and tensioning sheave 20, the configuration can be simplified further.
In addition, because a switch member 26 that moves vertically together with the tensioning sheave 20, and a rope gripping mechanism 25 that is actuated mechanically by the switch member 26 to grip the speed governor rope 19, are used, the safety device 15 can be activated more reliably by a simple configuration.
Furthermore, the judgment criterion for breakage of the suspending body 8 can be adjusted simply by adjusting the switching distance.
Next,
During emergency brake operation using the hoisting machine brake 7, the car 9 vibrates while settling down to a constant deceleration rate as indicated by a solid line in
In contrast to that, by connecting the vibration suppressing damper 34 to the tensioning sheave 20 to suppress vertical vibration of the tensioning sheave 20 due to fluctuation in the car deceleration rate, displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 at a constant deceleration rate can be evaluated by the switching operation, enabling malfunction of the tensioning sheave displacement detecting portion 24 to be more reliably prevented.
Now, if the attenuation coefficient of the vibration suppressing damper 34 is too large, then the time taken to reach the fixed value that is indicated by the broken line in
Next,
The expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 absorbs vertical displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 due to expansion and contraction of a speed governor rope 19 during normal conditions, not when a suspending body 8 is broken, by expanding and contracting. The switch member supporting spring 36 holds the position of the switch member 26 relative to a rope gripping mechanism 25 in opposition to the expansion and contraction of the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35. The rest of the configuration and operation are similar or identical to those of Embodiment 1 or 2.
Stretching occurs in the speed governor rope 19 due to aging. The speed governor rope 19 also expands and contracts due to temperature changes inside the hoistway 1. When the speed governor rope 19 stretches due to aging, for example, the position of the tensioning sheave 20 becomes lower, making spacing between the switch member 26 and the wedge 31 narrower.
In answer to that, in Embodiment 3, the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 is connected to the switch member 26 in series, and the switch member 26 is also supported by the switch member supporting spring 36, which has low rigidity.
In such a construction, the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 accommodates the expansion and contraction of the suspending body 8 by expanding and contracting in response, without functioning as a resistance force. Here, the distance between the switch member 26 and the wedge 31 does not change because the switch member 26 is supported by the switch member supporting spring 36.
When the suspending body 8 is broken, on the other hand, the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 operates almost as a rigid body because the tensioning sheave 20 moves faster vertically. Because of that, the switch member 26 operates normally, and the speed governor rope 19 is gripped by the rope gripping mechanism 25 at a stage when the tensioning sheave 20 is displaced by a set distance. Furthermore, the rigidity of the switch member supporting spring 36 does not affect the operation of the switch member 26 because it is sufficiently low.
Now, the equation of motion of the switch member 26, when derived using y as the displacement of the switch member 26, is given by the following expression:
mÿ+c{dot over (y)}+ky=0 (4)
Here, m represents the mass of the switch member 26, k the switch member supporting spring 36, and c the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35. Because the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 maintains the position of the switch member 26 by slow movement, the inertial term in the first item on the left-hand side of Expression (4) can be ignored. Because of that, the movement of the switch member 26 can be represented by the following expression:
c{dot over (y)}+=0→y=Ae−(k/c)t=Ae−t/τ (5)
Here, τ=c/k is a time constant, and represents the time taken to decrease from an initial value A to thirty-seven percent. If a large attenuation coefficient c is set as τ, so as to take from tens of minutes to several hours, then stretching of the suspending body 8 can be tracked slowly, and the switch member 26 and the tensioning sheave 20 can be moved together when the suspending body 8 is broken.
In an elevator apparatus of this kind, because an expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 and a switch member supporting spring 36 are used, breakage of the suspending body 8 can be detected more reliably to activate the safety device 15, while accommodating expansion and contraction of the speed governor rope 19 during normal operation.
Next,
The signal generating portion 42 has: a switch member 26 that is similar or identical to that of Embodiment 1; a contact portion 44 that is fixed relative to a first tensioning sheave rail 22a; and a contact signal processing portion 45 that is connected to the contact portion 44. When the switch member 26 contacts the contact portion 44 due to downward displacement of the tensioning sheave 20, the activating command signal is outputted from the contact signal processing portion 45.
The rope brake 43 is disposed on a speed governor 17. The activating command signal from the contact signal processing portion 45 is inputted into the rope brake 43. The rope brake 43 grips the speed governor rope 19 to stop the movement of the speed governor rope 19 when the activating command signal from the contact signal processing portion 45 is received. The rest of the configuration and operation are similar or identical to those of Embodiment 1.
In an elevator apparatus of this kind, because the safety device 15 is activated using an electrical activating command signal, mechanical operating mechanisms can be omitted, enabling the construction to be simplified.
Moreover, in Embodiment 4, a rope brake 43 is shown as the emergency safety activating portion, but the emergency safety activating portion is not limited to this, and may be an actuator that drives a rope catch of an existing speed governor 17, or an actuator that is mounted directly to the safety device 15 to activate the safety device 15, for example.
Furthermore, the vibration suppressing damper 34 according to Embodiment 2 may be connected to the tensioning sheave 20 according to Embodiment 4.
In addition, the expansion and contraction absorbing damper 35 and the switch member supporting spring 36 according to Embodiment 3 may be connected to the switch member 26 according to Embodiment 4.
Furthermore, in the above examples, breakage of the suspending body 8 is detected by displacement of the tensioning sheave 20 onto which the speed governor rope 19 is wound, but a rope may be installed separately from the speed governor rope 19 in a loop inside the hoistway 1, that rope connected to a car, and breakage of the suspending body 8 detected from displacement of a tensioning sheave onto which a lower end of that rope is wound.
In the above examples, the safety device 15 is mounted to a lower portion of the car 9, but may be mounted to an upper portion, or may be mounted both top and bottom.
In addition, a car buffer may be mounted to a lower portion of the car.
Furthermore, the overall elevator apparatus equipment layout and roping method, etc., are not limited to the example in
The present invention can be applied to various types of elevator apparatus, such as elevator apparatuses that have no machine room, double-deck elevators, or single-shaft multi-car elevators, for example.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2014/060291 | 4/9/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2015/155854 | 10/15/2015 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20120105242 | Pereira | May 2012 | A1 |
20120205198 | Okada | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20120292136 | Washio | Nov 2012 | A1 |
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Entry |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170008732 A1 | Jan 2017 | US |