SG189633A1

SG189633A1 - Lighting apparatus of elevator

Info

Publication number: SG189633A1
Application number: SG2012074597A
Authority: SG
Inventors: Namba Yasuyuki; Kaku Yasutaka; Tani Kenji; Kuwano Toshiyuki; Nouchi Satoshi
Original assignee: Hitachi Building Sys Co Ltd
Priority date: 2011-10-14
Filing date: 2012-10-05
Publication date: 2013-05-31
Also published as: CN103052208B; CN103052208A; JP5706292B2; JP2013086888A

Abstract

A lighting on pattern storage portion which stores a plurality of lighting on patterns each indicating a ratio between turned-on LEDs and turned-off LEDs of an LED lighting device of an elevator cage, and a power failure time measuring portion which measures elapsed time for which power has been supplied from a storage battery and selects one of the lighting on patterns from the lighting on pattern storage portion in accordance with the elapsed time are provided in a monitoring device for monitoring the building facilities. The lighting on pattern selected from the lighting on pattern storage portion by the power failure time measuring portion has a tendency for the number of turned-on LEDs to decrease in accordance with the elapsed time of power supply from the storage battery. Thus, it is possible to provide a lighting apparatus of an elevator by which the operating time of building facilities including the elevator can be extended as long as possible after the occurrence of power failure.Fig.1

Description

LIGETING APPARATUS OF ELEVATOR

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a lighting apparatus of an elevator. Particularly, it relates to a lighting apparatus of an elevator suitably driven by a storage battery during power failure. 2. Description of the Background Art

[0002]

A technique has been disclosed as follows (JP-A-2007-238316). That is, when power failure occurs in a building in which an elevator is installed, a power source for driving the elevator is switched to a storage battery placed in a site of the building, while the elevator is operated at a lower speed than an ordinary speed to reduce the power consumption of the storage battery so that the elevator can be operated for a long time by the storage battery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

{0004]

However, a cage and a balancing weight of the elevator are hung like a can hoisting system on a sheave by use of a main rope. In such a circumstance that there is no passenger in the cage, the cage can be pulled by the balancing weight when the cage moves upward, but an electric motor needs to be rotated to pull up the balancing weight when the cage moves downward. Little power is consumed when the cage moves up with no passenger. Even when the speed of the elevator is switched to a low speed as in JP-A-2007-238316, the power consumption still cannot be suppressed on a large scale because the driving time of the electric motor increases. Thus, a measure to save power of alightingapparatus inthe cage is regardedaseffective in reducing the power consumption in the elevator.

[0005]

In addition, it takes time to call the cage to come or forthecagetoarriveat adestinationfloorbecausetheelevator is switchedtoa low-speed runningmode when the power is supplied fromthe storage battery due to the occurrence of power failure.

Since the operation efficiency is lowered, there is a problem that inconvenience may be given to elevator users.

[0006]

An object of the invention is to provide a lighting apparatus of an elevator by which the operating time of building facilities including the elevator can be extended as long as possible after the occurrence of power failure.

[0007]

In order to attain the foregoing cbject, according to the invention, there is provided a lighting apparatus of an elevator, including: a storage battery which drives at least an elevator in building facilities of a building when power failure occurs; a power source changeover unit which changes over a power source for driving the elevator to the storage battery when the power failure is detected; amonitoring device which monitors occurrence of abnormality of the building facilities including the power failure, and reports the occurrence of the abnormality of the building facilities to amonitoring center connected remotely through a communication line while sending information about the occurrence of the abnormality to a display device placed in a cage of the elevator or each landing zone of the elevator; and an LED lighting device which includes a plurality of LEDs placed in a ceiling portion of the cage; wherein: the monitoring device is provided with a lighting on pattern storage portion which stores a plurality of lightingonpatternseachindicatingaratiobetweenturned-on

LEDs and turned-off LEDs of the LED lighting device, and a power failure time measuring portion which measures elapsed time for which power has been supplied from the storage battery and selects a lighting on pattern from the lighting on pattern storage portion in accordance with the elapsed time; and the lightingonpatternselected fromthe lightingonpatternstorage portion by the power failure time measuring portion has a tendency for the number of turned-on LEDs to decrease in accordance with the elapsed time for which power has been supplied from the storage battery.

[0008]

According to the invention, the number of turned-on LEDs in the cage of the elevator is reduced in accordance with the elapsed time of the power failure so that the operating time of thebuildingfacilitiesincludingtheelevator canbeextended.

Thus, convenience given to residents canbe prevented frombeing lowered.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting apparatus of an elevator according to an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the lighting apparatus of the elevator according to the embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the lighting apparatus of the elevator according to the embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lighting apparatus of the elevator according to the embodiment of the invention, and a table showing lighting on patterns of a cage lighting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010]

An embodiment of a lighting apparatus of an elevator accordingtotheinventionwill bedescribedbelowwith reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

[0011]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a lighting apparatus of an elevator according to an embodiment of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are flow charts for explaining theoperationofthelightingapparatusoftheelevatoraccording to the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lighting apparatus of the elevator according to the embodiment of the invention, and a table showing lighting on patterns of a cage lighting.

[0012]

In Fig. 1, an elevator is generally constituted by an incoming panel 2, an elevator control panel 4, a cage 6 and a balancing weight 7. The incoming panel 2 receives power from a three-phase AC commercial power source 1 which is a commercial power source. In the elevator contrel panel 4, at least a not~shown elevator control apparatus is placed to perform elevator control including the control of an electric motor 5. The cage 6 and the balancing weight 7 are disposed in a hoistway 24 provided in a not-shown building. Here, the cage 6 and the balancing weight 7 are attached to the opposite ends of a plurality of wire ropes 25 like a can hoisting system.

The wire ropes 25 are wound around a not-shown sheave which rotates in sync with the electric motor 5.

[0013]

In addition, power from the three-phase AC commercial power source lis suppliedtotheelevator control panel 4 through the incoming panel 2 and a power source changeover panel 3 so that the elevator control panel 4 can make control to rotate the electric motor 5 forward and backward to move the cage © and the balancing weight 7 up and down by means of the wire ropes 25. Thus, not-shown passengers riding on the cage 6 can be transported.

[0014]

In addition, a power-failure rescue operation apparatus 17 is connected to the elevator control panel 4. When power failure occurs so that no power is supplied from the three-phase

AC commercial power source 1 to the incoming panel 2, the cage 6 of the elevator stops running. The power-failure rescue operation apparatus 17 makes contrecl to stop the cage 6 at a nearest floor and open a not-shown door so that not-shown passengers locked in the cage 6 can be helped out. Here, the power—-fallure rescue operation apparatus 17 includes a not-shown storage battery. The power failure of the three-phase AC commercial power source 1 is detected by a power failure detection portion 14 of the moniteoring apparatus 23 which is connected to the incoming panel 2 and which will be described later. In accordance with a signal from the monitoring apparatus 23, the elevator control panel 4 gives an instruction to start up the power-failure rescue operation apparatus 17.

[0015]

In addition, a storage battery 9 is provided in a site of the not-shown building in order to operate facilities and equipment of the building even during the power failure. The facilitiesandequipment includeanelevatorprovidedinapublic area of the not-shown building, waterworks, public area lightings 22 in corridors and stairs, an access control system provided in an exit/entrance of a public area or a private area, a security system, etc.

[0016]

The storage battery 9 is connected to a charger 8 and an inverter 18. The charger 8 charges the storage battery 9 with power from the three-phase AC commercial power source 1.

DC power outputted from the storage battery 9 is converted to three-phase AC power by the inverter 18. The power is supplied from the inverter 18 to the elevator control panel 4 through the power source changeover panel 3 which changes over a power source from the three-phase AC commercial power scurce 1 to the storage battery 9 when power failure occurs.

[0017]

Next, the monitoring apparatus 23 detects the situation of abnormality in the facilities and equipment and reports the abnormality toanot-shownmonitoring center connected remotely through a communication line. The monitoring apparatus 23 is constituted by an input/output unit 16, a control unit 15, a power failuredetectionportionld, alightingonpatternstorage portion 20, and a power failure time measuring portion 21,

Signals are inputted/outputted from/to the facilities and equipment through the input/output unit 16. The control unit detects change of an input signal from the input/output unit 16, and performs control on the BEniLoring apparatus 23 in accordance with a predetermined built-in program. When the control unit 15 acquires power failure information or power resumption information from the incoming panel 2 through the input/output unit 16, the power failure detection portion 14 outputs a power source changeover instruction signal to the power scurce changeover panel 3 to selectively change over the power source to the three-phase AC commercial power scurce 1 or the storage battery 9. The lighting on pattern storage portion 20 is provided in a storage unit 19 connected to the control unit 15. The lighting on pattern storage portion 20 stores a plurality of lighting on patterns for a cage lighting 13 in association with elapsed time since power failure or the like. The lighting on patterns will be described later. When the control unit 15 acquires power failure information or power resumption information from the incoming panel 2 through the input/output unit 16, the power failure time measuring portion

21 uses a not-shown internal clock to measure the time which haselapsedsince the power failuredetectionportion ld detected the power failure, and outputs a lighting on pattern changeover instruction signal to the cage lighting 13 to selectively change over a lighting on pattern.

[0018]

In addition, a single-phase AC commercial power source is supplied to the cage lighting 13 and the public area lightings 22 through a distribution panel 11 and a single-phase power source changeover panel 12 so that power can be supplied to the cage lighting 13 and the public area lightings 22 through the elevator control panel 4.

[0019]

In addition, the inverter 18 supplies power to the cage lighting 13 and the public area lightings 22 through the single-phase power source changeover panel 12 which changes over a power source from the single-phase AC commercial power source 10 to the storage battery 9 when power failure occurs.

[0020]

Next, in Fig. 4, a plurality of LED lightings 13A as the cage lighting 13 are disposed on a ceiling board 45 of the cage 6 and covered with a shield 46 to form point emission and surface emission based on the LED lightings 13A.

[0021]

When the lighting on ratio is 100%, all the LED lightings 13A are brought into a turned-on state 13Aa as shown in an LED lighting on pattern Tl. When the lighting on ratio is 50%, the number of LED lightings 13A in the turned-on state 13Aa is set to be equal to the number of LED lightings 13A in a turned-off state 13Ab as shown in an LED lighting on pattern

TZ. When the lighting on ratio is 25%, the number of LED lightings 13A in the turned-off state 13Ab is set to be three times as large as the number of LED lightings 132A in the turned-on state 13Aa, as shown in an LED lighting on pattern T3. Such

LED lighting on patterns are stored in the lighting on pattern storage portion 20 in the storage unit 19 of the monitoring apparatus 23 in advance.

[0022]

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0023]

First, the power failure detection portion 14 of the monitoring apparatus 23 monitors the incoming panel 2 through the control unit 15 and the input/output unit 16, detects power failure of the three-phase AC commercial power source 1 (Step 1). As long as the power failure detection portion 14 detects no power failure, the elevator runs normally (Step S52).

[0024]

When the power failure detection portion 14 detects the ocourrence of the power failure of the incoming panel 2 in Step

S1, the control unit 15 confirms the operating condition of the elevator with the elevator control panel 4 through the input/output unit 16 (Step S3). When the power failure occurs during the running of the elevator, the power~failure rescue operation apparatus 17 starts up to perform a power-failure rescue operation to stop the cage 6 at a nearest floor and open a door 47 so that passengers locked in the cage 6 can be helped out (Step S4). Here, whenthepower failureoccursinthe running elevator, the elevator stops on the spot. The cage lighting 13 is turned off while a not-shown power failure lamp to which power is supplied from a not-shown battery provided in the cage © 1s turned on, and the elevator waits for the start-up of the power-failure rescue operation apparatus 17. Here, the not-shown power failure lamp is turned on with predetermined illuminance for a predetermined time in response to the failure in power supply to the elevator. In the Building Standard Law,

installation of the power failure lamp is compulsory.

[0025]

Next, when the cage 6 arrives at the nearest floor and stops there (Step S5) or when the power failure occurs during the stoppage of the elevator in Step S3, the control unit 15 operates the power source changeoverpanel 3 andthe single-phase power source changeover panel 12 through the input/output unit 16 so that the power supply to the elevator control panel 4, the cage lighting 13 and the public area lightings 22 is switched to the storage battery 9 and the inverter 18 (Step $7).

[0026]

After the power supply is switched to the storage battery 9, the control unit 15 confirms the stoppage condition of the elevator, the existence of a call from a landing zone and the existence of a call from the cage (Step S8). When there is no call from any landing zone or the cage under the stoppage condition of the elevator, the cage lighting 13 is turned off (Step S9), and the routine of processing goes back to Step $8, in which the control unit 15 waits till a call from a landing zone or the cage occurs.

[0027]

When the occurrence of a call from a landing zone is detected in Step S8, the power failure time measuring portion 21 selects the LED lighting on pattern T2 from the lighting on pattern storage portion 20, and outputs a lighting pattern changeover instruction signal to the control unit 15 so that 50% of the cage lighting 13 is turned on. Thus, the control unit 15 controls the LED lightings 13A in accordance with the lighting pattern changeover instruction signal (Step S10), and outputs an elevator running instruction (Step S11}.

[0028]

Next, the power failure time measuring portion 21 counts the time which has elapsed since the power failure occurred, and determines whether the elapsed time is within two hours or not (Step S12). When the elapsed time is within two hours, the lighting on ratio is kept at 50% which is the LED lighting on pattern TZ, and determination is made as to whether the elevator stops or not (Step S513). When the elevator stops, the cage lighting 13 1s turned off (Step S514).

[0029]

Next, the power failure detection portion 14 monitors the incoming panel 2 through the control unit 15 and the input/output unit 16 so as to acquire information about whether the commercial power source is resumed or not (Step S15). When the commercial power source is resumed, the routine of processing gees back to Step S81.

[0030]

When the power failure is continuing in Step S15, the routine of processing goes back to Step $8.

[0031]

Next, when the time which has elapsed since the power failure occurred exceeds two hours in Step S12, the power failure time measuring portion 21 determines whether the time which has elapsed since the power failure occurred is within four hours or not (Step S16). When the elapsed time is within four hours, the LED lighting on pattern T3 is selected from the lighting on pattern storage portion 20, and the control unit controls the LED lightings 132A so that 25% of the cage lighting 13 is turned on (Step S17). Then, the routine of processing goes back to Step S13.

[0032]

On the contrary, when conclusion is made in Step S16 that the time which has elapsed since the power failure occurred exceeds four hours, the control unit 15 turns off the cage lighting 13, and turns on the not-shown power failure lamp provided in the cage 6 (Step S18). The control unit 15 confirms whether there is a call from a landing zone of the elevator or the cage of the elevator or not (Step 519). When there is a call, the elevator is moved (Step S20). Then, the routine of processing goes back to Step S19. When there is no call in Step S19, the elevator is stopped (Step S21), and the stoppage condition of the elevator is kept till the power is resumed.

[0033]

According to the embodiment, the number of turned-on ones of the LED lightings 13A as the cage lighting 13 is reduced inaccordance with the time whichhaselapsed since power failure occurred. Thus, the power consumption of the storage battery 9 on the elevator equipment can be suppressed.

[0034]

In addition, since the number of turned-on ones of the

LED lightings 13A in the cage 6 is reduced in accordance with the time which has elapsed since power failure occurred, the residual capacity of the storage battery 9 canbe grasped roughly, so that residents can prepare themselves against the power failure rapidly.

[0035]

The embodiment has been described in the case where the number of turned-on ones of the LED lightings 132 is reduced inaccordancewith the time which haselapsed since power failure occurred. However, a similar effect may be obtained when the number of turned-on ones of the LED lightings 132A is reduced in accordance with the accumulated total time for which the elevator has traveled since the power failure occurred or the measured numerical value of the residual capacity of the storage battery 9. {0036]

The embodiment has been described in the case where the number of turned-on ones of the LED lightings 13A in the cage 6 of the elevator is reduced. However, a similar effect may be obtained when the number of turned-on ones of the public area lightings 22 is reduced.

[0037]

The embodiment has been described in the case where there are three kinds of lighting on patterns of the LED lightings 13A which are the LED lighting on pattern T1 with the lighting on ratio 100%, the LED lighting on pattern T2 with the lighting onratio 50%, and the LED lightingonpattern T3with the lighting onratio25%. However, it is apparent that the kinds of lighting on patterns may be increased or decreased in accordance with the size of the cage 6, the capacity of the storage battery

9, etc.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus of an elevator, comprising: a storage battery which drives at least an elevator in building facilities of a building when power failure occurs; a power source changeover unit which changes over a power source for driving the elevator to the storage battery when the power failure is detected; a monitoring device which monitors occurrence of abnormality of the building facilities including the power failure, and reports the occurrence of the abnormality of the building facilities to a monitoring center connected remotely through a communication line while sending information about the occurrence of the abnormality to a display device placed in a cage of the elevator or at each landing zone of the elevator; and an LED lighting device which includes a plurality of LEDs placed in a ceiling portion of the cage; wherein: the monitoring device is provided with a lighting on pattern storage portion which stores a plurality of lighting on patterns each indicating a ratio between turned-on LEDs and turned-off LEDs of the LED lighting device, and a power failure time measuring portion which measures elapsed time for which power has been supplied from the storage battery and selects a lighting on pattern from the lighting on pattern storage portion in accordance with the elapsed time.

2. A lighting apparatus of an elevator according to Claim 1, wherein: the lighting on pattern selected from the lighting on pattern storage portion by the power failure time measuring portion has a tendency for the number of turned-on LEDs to decrease in accordance with the elapsed time for which power has been supplied from the storage battery.