Charger for elevator call devices

• US 6,408,986 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2001
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Inaba, Hiromi, Fujino, Atsuya, Ayano, Hideki, Hokari, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/791,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 187/290, 187/380, 187/391, 187/393, 187/394, 187/413, 187/414, 320/2, 320/12, 320/21
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/461 characterised by their shape or profile

Abstract

An elevator capable of supplying electric power to accessory hall devices such as up/down elevator buttons and position indicators without requiring power supply lines between the cage and each hall. A drive battery which supplies electric power to hall devices provided in each hall and a receptor connected to the battery are provided on the hall. A feeder contactable with the respective receptors, a charging device that charges the battery via the feeder and receptor are provided on the top of the cage. When the charging voltage, for example, used in a hall of the floor drops below a predetermined voltage value, the cage stops automatically at the floor and the charger charges the drive battery in the hall of the floor via the receptors and feeder.

Claims

1. An elevator comprising:

a cage for moving up and down through a shaft;

a plurality of groups of accessory hall devices each group provided near the elevator in an elevator hall formed on a respective one of floors of a building;

a plurality of drive batteries each provided in a respective one of the halls for providing electric power to the plurality of groups of accessory hall devices provided in the hall;

a charging device provided on said cage for charging each of said plurality of drive batteries.

2. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein each said group of accessory hall device provided in the hall concerned comprise at least one of a up/down elevator button for outputting a call command to said cage and a position indicator for indicating a position and a moving direction of said cage.

3. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein when said cage is at a stop at one of the halls, the drive battery in the hall is charged.

4. The elevator according to claim 3, wherein a charge command is outputted to said charging device based on a sensed value outputted from a position sensor used for control of the position of said cage.

5. The elevator according to claim 1, comprising a controller for outputting an operation command for said cage when a predetermined time is reached, for moving said cage to a predetermined position in accordance with the operation command, and for charging the drive battery at the predetermined position.

6. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein in response to the charging voltage of the drive battery dropping below a predetermined reference voltage value, said cage is automatically operated to thereby charge said drive battery.

7. The elevator according to claim 6, wherein said cage is started up in accordance with wireless communication performed within said accessory hall devices on the floor concerned.

8. The elevator according to claim 6, wherein the reference voltage value is high enough to continue to operate until said cage reaches a hall of a floor where a call for said cage has originated.

9. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein each said group of hall devices provided in the hall comprises a wireless device for sending/receiving input/output information.

10. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein electric power is supplied to said charging device in a hall of a predetermined floor.

11. The elevator according to claim 10, wherein the hall of the predetermined floor comprises a predetermined reference floor.

12. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein said drive battery is charged in a non-contact manner.

13. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the drive battery is set between a floor side surface of said cage and a floor side surface of a an outer elevator wall adjacent to a door for a hall of each floor.

14. The elevator according to claim 13, comprising a door for the drive battery provided on the floor side of the wall so that when the door is opened the drive battery can be replaced with another.

15. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein a voltage of the drive battery or information on whether the battery should be replaced with another is indicated.

16. The elevator according to claim 10, wherein said charging device provided on said cage includes a battery.

17. The elevator according to claim 16, wherein said battery which said charging device includes is installed at a position where the battery can be replaced with another from the inside of said cage.