Elevator system and group management control device to improve elevator availability for disabled persons

• US 8,505,693 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Koba, Yoshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US12/992,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 187/247, 187380-399, 187/901
• US Class Current: 187/387
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/468 Call registering systems
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4615 Wherein the destination is registered before boarding
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/463 Wherein the call is registered through physical contact with the elevator system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 2201/4661 for priority users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 50/00 Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies

Abstract

In an elevator system, an elevator-hall-call/destination-floor-call registration device provided at an elevator hall includes, besides a destination floor registration button such as a numeric keypad, etc. formed by buttons having respective numbers of 0 to 9 for registering a destination floor, a disabled person button declaring that a customer is a disabled person. For example, in the elevator-hall-call/destination-floor-call registration device, when the disabled person button is pressed and the destination floor call is inputted, a group management control device registers the destination floor call, and determines a car to be assigned for the destination floor call, rings a chime and further turns on a hall lantern corresponding to the determined assigned car. Like the above, the group management control device rings the chime and turns on the hall lantern only when the disabled person button is pressed.

Claims

1. An elevator system comprising:

a call receiving device provided at an elevator hall having a destination floor receiving unit receiving a destination floor call for an elevator and a disabled-person-declaration receiving unit, when operated, receiving a declaration of being a disabled person and outputting a disabled person signal showing to be the disabled person; and

a group management control device registering the destination floor call received by the destination floor receiving unit, and as well, if the disabled person signal is outputted by the disabled-person-declaration receiving unit when the destination floor call is received by the destination floor receiving unit, the group management control device determines an elevator car to be assigned for the destination floor call registered out of a plurality of elevator cars,

wherein the group management control device operates a notifying device for notifying of a determined assignment of the elevator car provided that corresponds to a door of the elevator car determined at an elevator hall side, which is the door of the elevator hall at the elevator hall side at which the call receiving device is provided,

wherein when the destination floor call is received by the destination floor receiving unit, and if the disabled person signal is outputted by the disabled-person-declaration receiving unit, the group management control device determines the elevator car to be assigned for the destination floor call, and

wherein the plurality of elevator cars are separated into a group of cars that can be used for a disabled person, and a group of cars for able-bodied persons, wherein the elevator to be assigned is selected from the group of cars that can be used for a disabled person.

2. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the notifying device is a sound generating device generating predetermined sound as the notice.

3. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the notifying device is a light emitting device emitting light as the notice.

4. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the notifying device is a display device displaying predetermined information as the notice.

5. A group management control device comprising:

an inputting unit inputting a destination floor call and a disabled person signal from a call receiving device provided at an elevator hall, and the inputting unit having a destination floor receiving unit receiving and outputting the destination floor call for an elevator, and a disabled-person-declaration receiving unit, when operated, receiving a declaration of being a disabled person and outputting the disabled person signal indicating an elevator request by a disabled person; and

a call registering unit registering the destination floor call inputted by the inputting unit, and as well, if the disabled person signal is inputted when the destination floor call is inputted, determining an elevator car to be assigned for the destination floor call registered out of a plurality of elevator cars, and the call registering unit further operating a notifying device for notifying of a determined assignment of the elevator car provided that corresponds to a door of the elevator car determined at an elevator hall side, which is the door of the elevator hall at the elevator hall side at which the call receiving device is provided,

wherein the plurality of elevator cars are separated into a group of cars that can be used for a disabled person, and a group of cars for able-bodied persons, wherein the elevator to be assigned is selected from the group of cars that can be used for a disabled person.

6. An elevator system comprising:

a call receiving device provided at an elevator hall having a destination floor receiving unit receiving a destination floor call for an elevator, a disabled-person-declaration receiving unit, when operated, receiving a declaration of being a disabled person and outputting a disabled person signal showing to be the disabled person, and a display unit; and

a group management control device registering the destination floor call received by the destination floor receiving unit, and as well, if the disabled person signal is outputted by the disabled-person-declaration receiving unit when the destination floor call is received by the destination floor receiving unit, determining an elevator car to be assigned for the destination floor call registered out of a plurality of elevator cars, and further lighting a hall lantern notifying of a determined assignment of the elevator car provided corresponding to a door of the elevator car determined at an elevator hall side, which is the door of the elevator hall at the elevator hall side at which the call receiving device is provided, and

wherein the group management control device lights the hall lantern only when the disabled person signal is outputted by the disabled-person-declaration receiving unit;

wherein the group management control device, when the destination floor call is received by the destination floor receiving unit, registers the destination floor call regardless of whether the disabled person signal is outputted or not, and as well determines the elevator car to be assigned for the destination floor call registered out of the plurality of elevator cars, and

wherein the call receiving device, when the elevator car is determined by the group management control device, displays a number of the elevator car determined on the display unit.