Elevator power system having plural storage apparatuses

• US 7,896,137 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Junichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US11/909,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187/288, 187/290, 187/293, 187391-393, 320/104, 320107-110
• US Class Current: 187/290
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/005 on the car

Abstract

A power supplying system for an elevator includes: a first electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power derived from a commercial power supply; a charging apparatus for charging the electric power derived from the commercial power supply to the first electric storage apparatus and for controlling a current when the electric power is charged into the first electric storage apparatus; a second electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power used to operate an appliance of an elevator; and a power supplying apparatus for supplying the electric power derived from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus.

Claims

1. A power supplying system for an elevator having an elevator car capable of stopping at two vertically spaced locations, comprising:

a first electric storage apparatus provided at each of said vertically spaced locations for storing thereinto electric power derived from a commercial power supply;

a charging apparatus for charging the electric power derived from the commercial power supply to each of the first electric storage apparatuses and for controlling a current when the electric power is charged into each of the first electric storage apparatuses;

a second electric storage apparatus mounted at the elevator car for storing thereinto electric power used to operate an appliance of the elevator car; and

a power supplying apparatus for supplying the electric power derived from one of the first electric storage apparatuses to the second electric storage apparatus when the elevator car is stopped at one of the vertically spaced locations corresponding to the one of the first electric storage apparatuses.

2. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 1, wherein the power supplying apparatus includes a supply current control apparatus for controlling a current from the one of the first electric storage apparatuses to the second electric storage apparatus.

3. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 1, wherein further comprising a power converting apparatus capable of converting an electric power mode between an electric power mode for operating the appliance of the elevator car and an electric power mode to be stored in the second electric storage apparatus.

4. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 2, wherein:

the supply current control apparatus controls the current from the one of the first electric storage apparatuses to the second electric storage apparatus so that a current value keeps a constant value for a predetermined time.

5. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 1,

further comprising an electric connecting apparatus including a car-side connecting unit provided in the elevator car and a hoistway-side connecting unit provided in the hoistway capable of supplying electric power to the car-side connecting unit.

8. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of hoistway-side connecting units are arranged in the hoistway with an interval therebetween in a height direction of the hoistway; and

each of the hoistway-side connecting units are electrically connected to the first electric storage apparatus which is commonly used.

9. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 5, wherein when the car is stopped at the predetermined power supplying position, the electric power can be supplied to the car-side connecting unit from the plurality of hoistway-side connecting units which are electrically connected to the first electric storage apparatuses.

12. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 5, wherein:

an operation control apparatus for controlling an operation of the elevator is mounted on the car; and

information derived from appliances which are provided to the hoistway and the elevator hall is transmitted to the operation control apparatus by wireless communication.

6. A power supplying system for an elevator, comprising:

a first electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power derived from a commercial power supply;

a charging apparatus for charging the electric power derived from the commercial power supply to the first electric storage apparatus and for controlling a current when the electric power is charged into the first electric storage apparatus;

a second electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power used to operate an appliance of an elevator; and

a power supplying apparatus for supplying the electric power derived from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus,

wherein the power supplying apparatus includes an electric connecting apparatus capable of supplying the electric power from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus only when the car is stopped at a predetermined power supplying position within the hoistway; and

the electric connecting apparatus includes a car-side connecting unit provided in the car and a hoistway-side connecting unit provided in the hoistway capable of supplying electric power to the car-side connecting unit when the car is stopped at the predetermined power supplying position, wherein;

the power supplying system for an elevator further comprises a supply current calculating apparatus for calculating a current value to be supplied to the second electric storage apparatus based upon a stored electric power amount which has been stored in the second electric storage apparatus, a stopping time during which the car is kept stopped at the predetermined power supplying position, and a travel distance of the car to a destination floor; and

further comprising a supply current control apparatus that controls a current when the current is supplied from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus based upon the information derived from the supply current calculating apparatus.

7. A power supplying system for an elevator according to claim 6, wherein the supply current control apparatus controls the current so that the current value supplied during the stopping time keeps a constant value.

10. A power supplying system for an elevator, comprising:

a first electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power derived from a commercial power supply;

a charging apparatus for charging the electric power derived from the commercial power supply to the first electric storage apparatus and for controlling a current when the electric power is charged into the first electric storage apparatus;

a second electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power used to operate an appliance of an elevator; and

a power supplying apparatus for supplying the electric power derived from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus,

wherein the power supplying apparatus includes an electric connecting apparatus capable of supplying the electric power from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus only when the car is stopped at a predetermined power supplying position within the hoistway; and

the electric connecting apparatus includes a car-side connecting unit provided in the car and a hoistway-side connecting unit provided in the hoistway capable of supplying electric power to the car-side connecting unit when the car is stopped at the predetermined power supplying position, wherein;

the predetermined power supplying positions are defined as landing positions where the car lands on a plurality of elevator halls; and

the power supplying system for an elevator further comprises;

a power distribution calculating apparatus for calculating a distribution of electric power amounts which are respectively stored in the plurality of first electric storage apparatuses based upon information on a hall call registration derived by operating an operating panel provided in at least one of the car and the elevator hall; and

a power distributing apparatus for supplying/receiving electric power to/from the respective first electric storage apparatuses based upon the information derived from the power distribution calculating apparatus.

11. A power supplying system for an elevator, comprising:

a first electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power derived from a commercial power supply;

a charging apparatus for charging the electric power derived from the commercial power supply to the first electric storage apparatus and for controlling a current when the electric power is charged into the first electric storage apparatus;

a second electric storage apparatus for storing thereinto electric power used to operate an appliance of an elevator; and

a power supplying apparatus for supplying the electric power derived from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus,

wherein the power supplying apparatus includes an electric connecting apparatus capable of supplying the electric power from the first electric storage apparatus to the second electric storage apparatus only when the car is stopped at a predetermined power supplying position within the hoistway; and

the electric connecting apparatus includes a car-side connecting unit provided in the car and a hoistway-side connecting unit provided in the hoistway capable of supplying electric power to the car-side connecting unit when the car is stopped at the predetermined power supplying position, wherein;

the plurality of hoistway-side connecting units are arranged in the hoistway with an interval therebetween in the height direction of the hoistway; and

a capacity of the first electric storage apparatus which is electrically connected to the hoistway-side connecting unit arranged at an intermediate portion of the hoistway is made smaller than a capacity of the first electric storage apparatus which is electrically connected to the hoistway-side connecting unit arranged at an end portion of the hoistway.