Elevator apparatus

• US 7,669,697 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Shibata, Masunori, Okamoto, Ken-Ichi, Takahashi, Satoru, Ueda, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/791,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20090133964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 187/277, 187/287, 187/288, 187291-293, 187/351, 187391-393
• US Class Current: 187/391
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/32 effective on braking devices , e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/02 responsive to abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/22 by means of linearly-movable wedges B66B5/24 takes precedence

Abstract

In an elevator apparatus, a brake control device has a first brake control portion, a second brake control portion, and a third brake control portion. The first brake control portion operates a hoisting machine brake to stop a ascending/descending body as an emergency measure when an abnormality is detected. The second brake control portion reduces a braking force of the hoisting machine brake when a deceleration of the ascending/descending body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value during an emergency braking operation of the hoisting machine brake. The third brake control portion monitors a slip speed of a main rope with respect to a drive sheave during emergency braking operation of the hoisting machine brake, and reduces a braking force of the hoisting machine brake when the slip speed of the main rope becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

Claims

1. An elevator apparatus, comprising:

a hoisting machine having a drive sheave and a hoisting machine brake for braking rotation of the drive sheave;

a main rope wound around the drive sheave;

a ascending/descending body suspended by the main rope to be raised and lowered by the hoisting machine; and

a brake control device for controlling the hoisting machine brake, wherein;

the brake control device has;

a first brake control portion for stopping the ascending/descending body as an emergency measure by operating the hoisting machine brake when an abnormality is detected;

a second brake control portion for reducing a braking force of the hoisting machine brake when a deceleration of the ascending/descending body becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value during emergency braking operation of the hoisting machine brake; and

a third brake control portion for monitoring a slip speed of the main rope with respect to the drive sheave during emergency braking operation of the hoisting machine brake and reducing a braking force of the hoisting machine brake when the slip speed of the main rope becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value; and

the second brake control portion and the third brake control portion control the hoisting machine brake independently of the first brake control portion.

2. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guide rail for guiding raising and lowering of the ascending/descending body; and

a safety device mounted on the ascending/descending body, which engages with the guide rail, for braking the ascending/descending body when a speed of the ascending/descending body reaches a preset overspeed,

wherein the brake control device further has a fourth brake control portion for outputting a command signal for reducing a braking operation time of the safety device when the slip speed of the main rope becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

3. The elevator apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the safety device is provided with a braking member that is pressed against the guide rail during a braking operation; and

the braking member and the guide rail are spaced apart from each other, before start of braking operation, by a clearance that is narrowed when the command signal from the fourth brake control portion is input to the safety device.

4. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third brake control portion calculates the slip speed of the main rope based on a signal from a sheave speed detector for detecting a rotational speed of the drive sheave and a signal from a ascending/descending body speed detector for detecting a speed of the ascending/descending body.

5. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the hoisting machine brake has a brake coil for generating an electromagnetic force for canceling the braking force; and

the second brake control portion and the third brake control portion have a switch for energizing and deenergizing the brake coil independently of the first brake control portion.

6. The elevator apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the switch has connected thereto a current limiting resistor for limiting an amount of a current flowing through the brake coil.

7. The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second brake control portion and the third brake control portion perform control that is invalidated when the ascending/descending body reaches a vicinity of a terminal floor during an emergency braking operation of the hoisting machine brake.