Title of Invention

"DOOR APPARATUS OF ELEVATOR"

Abstract

A detector arranged above a doorway of elevator to detect an object passing the doorway is a beam sensor 11 of reflection type having a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center of the doorway to emit and receive infrared ray so that the object is detected by the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, an detecting range 12 for detecting the object extends on a moving range of the doors in a width direction of the doorway by 100-300 mm, and an optical axis of the emitted infrared ray is inclined toward an elevator hall by a predetermined angle so that the passenger moving onto the cage 6 can be detected at a side of the hall just before the doors are fully closed.

Full Text

Background of the Invention The invention relates to a door apparatus of elevator for detecting a passenger or object moving toward a doorway of elevator. As controlling opening and closing operations of a door in response to detecting a passenger moving toward a doorway for preventing an accident of collision between the door and the passenger moving onto or out of a cage, it is conventionally proposed that a detecting range of detector for detecting the passenger is made narrow in a moving direction of the passenger moving onto or out of the cage, and is made wide in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction so that the passenger on an elevator hall side can be detected at any position along a width direction of the doorway of the cage when the passenger moves onto or out of the cage. (For example, refer to JP-A-6-16373 (paragraphs 0013-0015, fig. 1).) Brief Summary of the Invention In the conventional controlling as described above, the passenger at any position along the width direction of the doorway on the hall can be detected without detecting the passenger in the cage, but since the detecting range is wide, there is a probability of detecting the door during close motion thereof. Therefore, the detector needs to be activated when the door is fully opened after the cage reaches a floor while the detector needs to be deactivated in response 5 to the close motion of the door, to cause a problem of that the passenger moving onto the cage during the close motion of the door cannot be detected. The invention is for the above actual problem of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a 10 door apparatus of elevator capable of detecting a passenger moving onto a cage during close motion of a door. For achieving the object, the invention according to claim 1, in a door apparatus of elevator, 15 comprising doors being arranged at a doorway of a cage and movable in respective left and right directions with respect to a central position thereof to close and open the doorway, a door opening and closing device arranged above the doors to drive the doors to close 2 0 and open the doorway, and a detector arranged above the doorway to detect an object passing the doorway, is characterized in that the detector is a beam sensor of reflection type including a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center in width direction 25 of the doorway to emit and receive an infrared ray so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, a range for detecting the object extends on a moving range of the doors in the width direction of the doorway by 100-3 00 mm, and an optical axis of the emitted infrared ray is inclined toward a hall by a predetermined angle. In the invention according to claim 1, since the detecting range of the beam sensor of reflection type extends on the moving range of the doors in the width direction of the doorway by 100-300 mm, the beam sensor as the detector can be activated just before the doors are fully closed. Further, since the optical axis of the emitted infrared ray is inclined toward the hall by the predetermined angle, the passenger in the cage is prevented from being detected undesirably, so that the passenger on the loading range can be detected securely. Therefore, the passenger moving onto the cage can be detected on the hall just before the doors are fully closed. Incidentally, a reason for making the detecting range of the beam sensor not less than 10 0 mm on the moving range of the doors in the width direction of the doorway is that it is difficult for a width of beam of the infrared ray to be made not more than 100 mm. Further, a reason for making the detecting range of the beam sensor not more than 300 mm on the moving range of the doors in the width direction of the doorway is that it is intended that the passenger moving onto the cage is detected in a possible range just before the doors are fully closed. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the detector is arranged so that a central axis of the range for detecting the object overlaps the center of the doorway. In the invention according to claim 2, since the detector is arranged so that the central axis of the range for detecting the object overlaps the center of the doorway, the passenger can be detected evenly in both left and right directions of the door way. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the detector is arranged so that a central axis of the range for detecting the object is distant from the center of the doorway in one of the left and right directions. In the invention according to claim 3, since the central axis of the range for detecting the object is made distant from the center of the doorway in one of the left and right directions in accordance with a using condition of the elevator so that a detecting efficiency is improved. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the detector changes the range for detecting the object in accordance with opening and closing movement of the doors so that the range for detecting the object is substantially equal to a width of the doorway through which the object is capable of passing. In the invention according to claim 4, a dead angle of the range for detecting the object is decreased to improve the detecting efficiency. The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the detector has a plurality of the ranges for detecting the object different from each other so that the detector stops in accordance with opening and closing movement of the doors an operation of the range for detecting the object wider than a width of the doorway through which width the object is capable of passing. In the invention according to claim 5, the dead angle of the range for detecting the object is decreased. The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the detector has a plurality of sensors having respective ranges for detecting the object different from each other. In the invention according to claim 6, the dead angle of the range for detecting the object is decreased, and the passenger moving onto the cage during the closing movement of the doors can be detected. The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the detector is arranged at an upper portion of a door contact side of the doors. In the invention according to claim 7, similarly to claim 6, the dead angle of the range for detecting the object is decreased, and the passenger moving onto the cage during the closing movement of the doors can be detected. - 6 -According to the invention, since the passenger moving onto the cage can be detected on the hall side even just before the doors are fully closed, an accident of collision between the passenger and the doors is restrained from occurring to improve a safety of elevator. Brief Description of the Several Views of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention. Fig. 2 is an upper view of the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention. Fig. 4 is an upper view of the second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a front view of a third embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention to show doors fully opened. Fig. 6 is a front view of the third embodiment to show the doors closed partway. Fig. 7 is a front view of a fourth embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention to show doors fully opened. Fig. 8 is a front view of the fourth embodiment to show the doors closed partway. Fig. 9 is a front view of a fifth embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention. Fig. 10 is an upper view of the fifth embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view of a sixth embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator of the invention. Fig. 12 is an upper view of the sixth embodiment. Detailed Description of the Invention Hereafter, embodiments of door apparatus of elevator according to the invention will be described with making reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a door apparatus of elevator according to the invention, and fig. 2 is an upper view of the first embodiment. In the door apparatus of elevator as the first embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, cage doors la, lb are supported by a door rail 4 mounted on a door rail frame 3 with hangers 2a, 2b, are opened and closed by rolling of hanger rollers 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d on the door rail 4 to close and open the doors, and are driven to open and close a doorway of a cage 6 by a door opening and closing device including the door rail frame 3, the door rail 4, a motor not shown and so forth. Further, at least one of the cage doors la, lb, for example, the cage door lb has a door safety 7, and the cage door la has a cover 8 at a position thereof to be opposed to the door safety 7, so that a safety device for keeping a fully opened condition of the cage doors la, lb or a reverse operation toward the opening thereof in response to that the door safety 7 contacts the object to be moved in a reverse direction against closing doors is formed. Further, as shown in fig. 2, hall doors 9a, 9b to be opposed to the cage doors la, lb are arranged on a side of a hall 13 to be opened and closed synchronously with the cage doors la, lb. The door apparatus as the first embodiment has a beam sensor 11 of reflection type as a detecting device for detecting an object passing the doorway, including a light emitting and receiving part (not-shown) arranged at a center in width direction of the door way, for example, a center of the door rail 4 to emit and receive an infrared ray 11a so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object. Further, a detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 is set to extend in the width direction of the door way along a door moving range (hi) by 20 0 mm, and an optical axis of the emitted infrared ray is inclined toward the doorway 13 by a predetermined angle. Further, a central axis of the detecting range 12 overlaps the center of the doorway so that the passenger is detected evenly in left and right directions of the doorway. In the first embodiment, the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b are opened in response to that the cage 6 reaches a floor, and the beam sensor 11 is brought into a detecting condition to emit the infrared light from the light emitting part in response to that each of a clearance between the cage doors la and lb and a clearance between the hall doors 9a and 9b exceeds 200 mm, that is, the clearance becomes greater than the detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 at the door moving range. The detecting condition is kept until the doors are closed to make each of the clearance between the cage doors la and lb and the clearance between the hall doors 9a and 9b equal to 200 mm after the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b are fully opened. When the passenger moves into the detecting range 12 under the detecting condition of the beam sensor 11, the infrared ray reflected by the passenger is received by the light receiving part of the beam sensor 11 to output a detecting signal. In response to the detecting signal, a controlling device not shown performs the reverse operation toward the opening of the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b. The predetermined degree by which the optical axis of the infrared ray emitted from the beam sensor is inclined toward the hall is important for a detecting performance. For example, when the inclination toward the hall 13 is small, since the passenger cannot be detected until approaching the cage doors 9a, 9b closely, there is a probability of that the reverse operation toward the opening of the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b is late for preventing a collision between the passenger and the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b although the passenger moving onto the cage is detected. On the contrary, when the inclination toward the hall 13 is great, an ordinary person passing a front side of the elevator or the passenger waiting next arrival of the cage is detected to repeat unnecessarily the reverse operation toward the opening of the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b. Therefore, the predetermined angle by which the optical axis of the emitted infrared light is inclined needs to have a degree for increasing the detecting efficiency and restraining the malfunction. In the first embodiment, since the passenger moving onto the cage 6 can be detected at the side of the hall even just before the doors are fully closed, the accident of collision between the passenger and the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b is restrained to improve the safety of the elevator. Incidentally, although the detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 has 200 mm along the door moving range in the width direction of the doorway in the first embodiment, the invention is not restricted to such value, and the detecting range may have a desired value of 100-300 mm in accordance with a using condition of the elevator. Since it is difficult for a beam width of the infrared ray to be decreased to not more than 100 mm, and it is difficult for the passenger moving onto the cage 6 to be detected just before the doors are fully closed when the beam width is not less than 3 00 mm, the detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 along the door moving range in the width direction of the doorway is made 100-300 mm. Although it has been described regarding the first embodiment that the detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 is made 200 mm along the door moving range in the width direction of the doorway, the beam sensor is brought into the detecting condition in response to that the clearance between the cage doors la and lb exceeds 2 00 mm after the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b are started to be opened, and the beam sensor is brought out of the detecting condition in response to that the clearance between the cage doors la and lb becomes 20 0 mm after the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b are started to be closed, actually the beam sensor 11 is deactivated and activated with a predetermined difference between the clearance between the cage doors la and lb and the detecting range 12 to prevent the beam sensor 11 from detecting erroneously the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b. Fig. 3 is an front view of a door apparatus of elevator as a second embodiment of the invention, and fig. 4 is an upper view of the second embodiment. Incidentally, the same reference numerals is attached to an element of the second embodiment and the element of the first embodiment corresponding to each other. In the door apparatus as the second embodiment, as shown in figs. 3 and 4, the central axis of the detecting range 12 of the beam sensor 11 is distant from the center of the doorway in one of the left and right directions. For example, in the elevator shown in figs. 3 and 4, since the passenger knows that the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b perform the reverse motion toward the opening thereof when a door safety 7 is pushed, and a probability of that the passenger moves onto the cage 6 through a position closer to the doors lb, 9b is high, the central axis of the detecting range 12a is made closer to the doors lb, 9b adjacent to the door safety 7. Alternatively, when a probability of that a dominant hand, that is, typically a right hand contacts the doors la, 9a is high, the central axis of the detecting range 12a is made closer to the doors la, 9a although not shown in the drawing. In the second embodiment, by inclining the detecting range 12a toward one of left and right pairs of the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b which one is contacted in a relatively higher statistical probability, the detecting efficiency is improved. Incidentally, since the second embodiment is substantially equal to the first embodiment when the distance of the detecting range 12 from the center of the doorway in the one of the left and right directions is small, and the passenger can be detected only just before the doors finally come to be fully closed similarly to the prior art when the distance of the detecting range 12 from the center of the doorway in the one of the left and right directions is great, the distance of the detecting range 12 from the center of the doorway in the one of the left and right directions is determined to improve the detecting efficiency and to achieve the object of the invention, that is, a capability of detecting the passenger even just before the doors are fully closed, from being deteriorated. Therefore, a degree of the inclination of the detecting range 12 in the one of the left and right directions needs to be determined to enable the passenger on the hall to be detected similarly to the first embodiment. Figs. 5 and 6 are front views of the door apparatus as a third embodiment of the invention, fig. 5 shows a condition obtained when the doors are fully opened, and fig. 6 shows a condition obtained when the doors are closed midway. As shown in figs. 5 and 6, by using the detecting sensor 11 whose detecting range 12 is variable, the detecting efficiency is further improved. That is, using the detecting sensor 11 whose detecting range 12 is wide as shown in fig. 5 when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are opened widely, and is narrow according to a width of the door way through which the passenger can pass when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are closed midway, a dead angle of the detecting range is made narrow to improve the detecting efficiency. Figs. 7 and 8 are front views of the door apparatus as a fourth embodiment of the invention, fig. 4 shows a condition obtained when the doors are fully-opened, and fig. 8 shows a condition obtained when the doors are closed midway. As shown in figs. 7 and 8, by using the detecting sensor 11 including a plurality of the detecting ranges 12, the effect is obtained similarly to the third embodiment of the invention. That is, by activating the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of wide area and the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of narrow area as shown in fig. 7 when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are opened widely, and deactivating the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of wide area while activating only the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of narrow area according to the width of the door way through which the passenger can pass when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are closed midway as shown in fig. 8, the dead angle of the detecting range is made narrow. Incidentally, by activating only the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of wide area when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are opened widely, and deactivating the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of wide area while activating only the detecting sensor 11 having the detecting range 12 of narrow area according to the width of the door way through which the passenger can pass when the doors la, lb, 9a, 9b of the elevator are closed midway, similar effect is obtainable. The detecting sensor 11 may have the plurality of the detecting ranges, or may include a plurality of sensors having the respective detecting ranges different from each other. Fig. 9 is a front view of the door apparatus as a fifth embodiment of the invention, and fig. 10 is an upper view of the fifth embodiment. As shown in figs. 9 and 10, a plurality of the detecting sensors 11 may be used to decrease the dead angle to detect the passenger moving onto the cage during the closing motion of the doors. Fig. 11 is a front view of the door apparatus as a sixth embodiment of the invention, and fig. 12 is an upper view of the sixth embodiment. The similar effect is obtainable by the detecting sensors mounted on the doors as shown in figs. 11 and 12. Incidentally, the invention is applicable to not only the elevator including the doors movable in the left and right directions respectively from the center of the doorway to be opened and closed, but also the elevator including the door movable in either of the left and right directions from one of left and right sides of the doorway toward the other one thereof to be opened and closed. Claims: 1. A door apparatus of elevator, comprising doors being arranged at a doorway of a cage and movable in respective left and right directions with respect to a central position thereof to close and open the doorway, a door opening and closing device arranged above the doors to drive the doors to close and open the doorway, and a detector arranged above the doorway to detect an object passing the doorway, wherein the detector is a beam sensor of reflection type including a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center in width direction of the doorway to emit and receive an infrared ray so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, a range for detecting the object extends on a moving range of the doors in the width direction of the doorway by 100-300 mm, and an optical axis of the emitted infrared ray is inclined toward a hall by a predetermined angle. 2. The door apparatus of elevator according to claim 1, wherein the detector is arranged so that a central axis of the range for detecting the object overlaps the center of the doorway. 3. The door apparatus of elevator according to claim 1, wherein the detector is arranged so that a central axis of the range for detecting the object is distant from the center of the doorway in one of the horizontal directions. 4. A door apparatus of elevator, comprising doors being arranged at a doorway of a cage and movable in respective left and right directions with respect to a central position thereof to close and open the doorway, a door opening and closing device arranged above the doors to drive the doors to close and open the doorway, and a detector arranged above the doorway to detect an object passing the doorway, wherein the detector is a beam sensor of reflection type including a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center in width direction of the doorway to emit and receive an infrared ray so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, and the detector changes the range for detecting the object in accordance with opening and closing movement of the doors so that the range for detecting the object is substantially equal to a width of the doorway through which the object is capable of passing. 5. A door apparatus of elevator, comprising doors being arranged at a doorway of a cage and movable in respective left and right directions with respect to a central position thereof to close and open the doorway, a door opening and closing device arranged above the doors to drive the doors to close and open the doorway, and a detector arranged above the doorway to detect an object passing the doorway, wherein the detector is a beam sensor of reflection type including a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center in width direction of the doorway to emit and receive an infrared ray so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, and the detector has a plurality of the ranges for detecting the object different from each other so that the detector stops in accordance with opening and closing movement of the doors an operation of the range for detecting the object wider than a width of the doorway through which width the object is capable of passing. 6. A door apparatus of elevator, comprising doors being arranged at a doorway of a cage and movable in respective left and right directions with respect to a central position thereof to close and open the doorway, a door opening and closing device arranged above the doors to drive the doors to close and open the doorway, and a detector arranged above the doorway to detect an object passing the doorway, wherein the detector is a beam sensor of reflection type including a light emitting and receiving part arranged at a center in width direction of the doorway to emit and receive an infrared ray so that the object is detected from the emitted infrared ray reflected by the object, and the detector has a plurality of sensors having respective ranges for detecting the object different from each other. 7. The door apparatus of elevator according to claim 6, wherein the detector is arranged at an upper portion of a door contact side of the doors.

Documents:

1050-del-2008-Abstract-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-abstract.pdf

1050-del-2008-Claims-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Claims-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-claims.pdf

1050-del-2008-Correspondance Others-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Correspondence Others-(08-04-2013).pdf

1050-del-2008-Correspondence Others-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Correspondence Others-(29-11-2013).pdf

1050-del-2008-correspondence-others.pdf

1050-del-2008-Description (Complete)-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Description Complete-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-description(complete).pdf

1050-del-2008-Drawings-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-drawings.pdf

1050-del-2008-form-1.pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-13-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-13-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-form-18.pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-2-(20-01-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-2-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-form-2.pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-3-(08-04-2013).pdf

1050-del-2008-Form-3-(29-11-2013).pdf

1050-del-2008-form-3.pdf

1050-del-2008-form-5.pdf

1050-del-2008-Marked Claims-(24-12-2014).pdf

1050-del-2008-Petition-137-(29-11-2013)-1.pdf

1050-del-2008-Petition-137-(29-11-2013).pdf

Form 1.pdf

Form 13.pdf