The present invention relates to an elevator position detecting apparatus for detecting a position of a car.

In order to detect a floor alignment position of a car, conventional elevator floor alignment position detecting apparatuses have been proposed in which two detection plates that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other horizontally are mounted to a hoistway wall, and two floor alignment detectors for detecting one of the detection plates and one floor alignment detector for detecting the other detection plate are mounted to the car. In these conventional elevator floor alignment position detecting apparatuses, each of the floor alignment detectors faces each of the respective detection plates when a floor of the elevator car and a floor of a landing are aligned. Each of the floor alignment detectors is thereby activated, and the floor alignment position of the car is detected (See Patent Literature 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. SHO 53-52772 (Gazette). A further elevator position detecting apparatus is disclosed in GB 2201656 A.

However, because the detection plates are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other horizontally, installation space for the detection plates is increased relative to the horizontal cross-sectional area of the hoistway. Thus, the degree of layout freedom for machinery that is disposed inside the hoistway is limited.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator position detecting apparatus that enables reductions in occupied area relative to a horizontal cross section of a hoistway.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elevator position detecting apparatus including: a first detected body that is disposed at a first position that is either inside a hoistway or on a car that is moved through the hoistway; a second detected body that is disposed at the first position at which the first detected body is disposed, and that is disposed so as to be spaced apart from the first detected body in a direction of movement of the car; a first detector that has a magnetic sensor on which is disposed a first detecting region through which each of the first and second detected bodies can pass due to movement of the car, that is disposed at a second position that is either inside the hoistway or on the car, and in which the first detected body is inserted into the first detecting region when the car is within a predetermined door opening and closing enabled zone; and a second detector that has an optical sensor on which is disposed a second detecting region through which each of the first and second detected bodies can pass due to the movement of the car, that is disposed at the second position at which the first detector is disposed, and in which the second detected body is inserted into the second detecting region when the car is within a predetermined car floor alignment zone that is set within the door opening and closing enabled zone, the elevator position detecting apparatus being characterized in that: the magnetic sensor can detect only presence or absence of insertion of the first detected body into the first detecting region among the first and second detected bodies; and the optical sensor can detect presence or absence of insertion of either of the first and second detected bodies into the second detecting region.

In an elevator position detecting apparatus according to the present invention, because a first detected body and a second detected body that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a direction of movement of a car are disposed at a first position that is either inside a hoistway or on a car, and a first detector that can only detect the first detected body and a second detector that can detect either the first detected body or the second detected body are disposed at a second position that is either inside a hoistway or on a car, the first detected body and the second detected body can be detected distinctly when the first detected body and the second detected body are arranged in a single column in the direction of movement of the car. Thus, reductions in area occupied by the position detecting apparatus in a horizontal cross section of the hoistway can be achieved.

• Figure 1 is a horizontal cross section that shows an elevator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a perspective that shows an elevator position detecting apparatus from Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a circuit configuration diagram that shows the position detecting apparatus from Figure 2; and
• Figure 4 is a timing chart that shows respective temporal changes of signals from each of the sensors, a door opening and closing enable signal, an upper floor alignment enable signal, and a lower floor alignment enable signal when a car from Figure 1 is ascending.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a horizontal cross section that shows an elevator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, a car 2 and a counterweight 3 are hoistably disposed inside a hoistway 1. A pair of car guide rails 4 that guide the car 2 and a pair of counterweight guide rails 5 that guide the counterweight 3 are also disposed inside the hoistway 1. The car 2 and the counterweight 3 are raised and lowered inside the hoistway 1 by a driving force from a hoisting machine (a driving machine) (not shown). When the car 2 and the counterweight 3 are raised and lowered inside the hoistway 1, the car 2 is guided by each of the car guide rails 4, and the counterweight 3 is guided by each of the counterweight guide rails 5. Moreover, each of the car guide rails 4 is fixed to a bracket 6 that is fixed to an inner wall surface of the hoistway 1.

A car doorway 8 that is openable and closable by a pair of car doors 7 is disposed on the car 2. A door driving apparatus (not shown) for moving each of the car doors 7 horizontally is also mounted to the car 2. The car doorway 8 is opened and closed by the horizontal movement of each of the car doors 7.

A landing doorway 10 that communicates between the hoistway 1 and a landing 9 is disposed on each building floor. A pair of landing doors 11 that can open and close the landing doorway 10 are disposed on the landing doorway 10. The landing doorway 10 is opened and closed by horizontal movement of each of the landing doors 11.

Engaging devices (not shown) for engaging the car doors 7 and the landing doors 11 with each other in a horizontal direction are disposed on the car doors 7 and the landing doors 11, respectively. The car doors 7 and the landing doors 11 are engaged with each other by the engaging devices only when the car 2 is within a predetermined door opening and closing enabled zone. Consequently, the car doors 7 and the landing doors 11 are engaged with each other in a horizontal direction any time that the car 2 is in any position within the door opening and closing enabled zone.

When the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone, each of the car doors 7 and each of the landing doors 11 face each other approximately. Each of the landing doors 11 is moved together with each of the car doors 7 while being engaged with the car doors 7 due to the horizontal movement of each of the car doors 7 when the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone. The car doorway 8 and the landing doorway 10 are opened and closed simultaneously by the movement of each of the car doors 7 and each of the landing doors 11.

Operation of the elevator is controlled by a control device (not shown). Floor alignment position of the car 2 is adjusted to within a predetermined car floor alignment zone by control of the hoisting machine by the control device. The car floor alignment zone is set so as to be within the door opening and closing enabled zone. A length of the car floor alignment zone is shorter than a length of the door opening and closing enabled zone. Thus, a floor of the car 2 is prevented from being significantly misaligned relative to a floor of the landing 9 when the floor of the car 2 is aligned at each of the building floors.

A position detecting apparatus 12 for detecting presence or absence of the car 2 in the door opening and closing enabled zone and in the car floor alignment zone is disposed on the car 2 and a first car guide rail 4. Information from the position detecting apparatus 12 is transmitted to the control device. The control device controls the hoisting machine based on the information from the position detecting apparatus 12 to adjust the position of the car 2.

Figure 2 is a perspective that shows the elevator position detecting apparatus 12 from Figure 1. Figure 3 is a circuit configuration diagram that shows the position detecting apparatus 12 from Figure 2. In the figures, the position detecting apparatus 12 has: a door opening and closing zone plate (a first detected body) 13 and a car floor alignment zone plate (a second detected body) 14 that are respectively disposed on the first car guide rail 4; a door opening and closing zone detector (a first detector) 15 that is disposed on the car 2, and that faces the door opening and closing zone plate 13 when the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone; and a car floor alignment zone detector (a second detector) 16 that is disposed on the car 2, and that faces the car floor alignment zone plate 14 when the car 2 is within the car floor alignment zone.

The door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a direction of movement of the car 2 (a vertical direction). In this example, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is disposed below the car floor alignment zone plate 14.

The door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are each disposed so as to be parallel to the direction of movement of the car 2. The door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are each mounted to the car guide rail 4 by means of a plurality of mounting members 17 that are disposed so as to be oriented in a horizontal direction. Thus, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are disposed so as to be separated horizontally from the car guide rail 4.

A length of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is made longer than a length of the car floor alignment zone plate 14. The door opening and closing zone plate 13 is constituted by a magnetic material such as a metal, for example. The car floor alignment zone plate 14 is constituted by a nonmagnetic material such as a resin, for example.

The door opening and closing zone detector 15 and the car floor alignment zone detector 16 are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the car 2. In this example, the door opening and closing zone detector 15 is disposed below the car floor alignment zone detector 16.

The door opening and closing zone detector 15 has: a pair of magnetic sensors (an upper magnetic sensor 18 and a lower magnetic sensor 19) that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the car 2; and a door opening and closing zone AND circuit portion (a first processing portion) 22 (Figure 3) for processing information from each of the magnetic sensors 18 and 19. The car floor alignment zone detector 16 has: a pair of optical sensors (an upper photoelectric sensor 20 and a lower photoelectric sensor 21) that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the car 2; an upper floor alignment AND circuit portion (a second processing portion) 23 (Figure 3) for processing respective information from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the door opening and closing zone AND circuit portion 22; and a lower floor alignment AND circuit portion (a second processing portion) 24 (Figure 3) for processing respective information from the lower photoelectric sensor 21 and the door opening and closing zone AND circuit portion 22.

The upper magnetic sensor 18, the lower magnetic sensor 19, the upper photoelectric sensor 20, and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a single column in the direction of movement of the car 2. The distance between the lower magnetic sensor 19 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 is longer than the length of the door opening and closing zone plate 13. In other words, the configuration is such that the upper magnetic sensor 18, the lower magnetic sensor 19, and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 are prevented from simultaneously detecting a shared door opening and closing zone plate 13. The distance between the upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19 is shorter than the length of the door opening and closing zone plate 13. In addition, the distance between the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 is shorter than the length of the car floor alignment zone plate 14.

The upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19 each have a pair of facing portions that face each other in a horizontal direction. An upper magnetic detecting region (a first detecting region) 25 that constitutes a detecting region of the upper magnetic sensor 18 is disposed between each of the facing portions of the upper magnetic sensor 18. A lower magnetic detecting region (a first detecting region) 26 that constitutes a detecting region of the lower magnetic sensor 19 is also disposed between each of the facing portions of the lower magnetic sensor 19. In other words, the upper magnetic detecting region 25 is disposed on the upper magnetic sensor 18, and the lower magnetic detecting region 26 is disposed on the lower magnetic sensor 19. The door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 can both pass through the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26 due to movement of the car 2.

When the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone, the shared door opening and closing zone plate 13 is inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26. If the position of the car 2 is too far above the door opening and closing enabled zone, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 will not be inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25. If the position of the car 2 is too far below the door opening and closing enabled zone, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 will not be inserted into the lower magnetic detecting region 26.

A magnetic field is formed inside the upper magnetic detecting region 25 by the upper magnetic sensor 18. The upper magnetic sensor 18 detects the presence or absence of an inserted member inside the upper magnetic detecting region 25 due to magnetic flux being interrupted by the inserted member that has been inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25, and an internal contact performing a closing action (an On action). Consequently, the upper magnetic sensor 18 detects the presence of the inserted member only if the inserted member that has been inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25 is made of a magnetic material. In other words, among the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14, the upper magnetic sensor 18 can detect only the presence or absence of insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 into the upper magnetic detecting region 25.

In this example, when the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is outside the upper magnetic detecting region 25, the contact of the upper magnetic sensor 18 opens and an off signal is output from the upper magnetic sensor 18. When the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25, the contact of the upper magnetic sensor 18 performs the closing action (the on action), and an on signal is output from the upper magnetic sensor 18. In addition, when the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted into the upper magnetic detecting region 25, the contact of the upper magnetic sensor 18 remains open, and output of the off signal from the upper magnetic sensor 18 is maintained.

A magnetic field is formed inside the lower magnetic detecting region 26 by the lower magnetic sensor 19. The configuration and function of the lower magnetic sensor 19 are similar to the configuration and function of the upper magnetic sensor 18. Consequently, among the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14, the lower magnetic sensor 19 can detect only the presence or absence of insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 into the lower magnetic detecting region 26.

In this example, when the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is outside the lower magnetic detecting region 26, the contact of the lower magnetic sensor 19 opens and an off signal is output from the lower magnetic sensor 19. When the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is inserted into the lower magnetic detecting region 26, the contact of the lower magnetic sensor 19 performs a closing action (an on action), and an on signal is output from the lower magnetic sensor 19. In addition, when the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted into the lower magnetic detecting region 26, the contact of the lower magnetic sensor 19 remains open, and output of the off signal from the lower magnetic sensor 19 is maintained.

The door opening and closing zone AND circuit portion 22 outputs a door opening and closing enable signal 29 only when on signals are received from both the upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19. In other words, the door opening and closing zone AND circuit portion 22 outputs the door opening and closing enable signal 29 only when the door opening and closing zone detector 15 detects that the door opening and closing zone plate 13 has been inserted into both the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26. The door opening and closing enable signal 29 is transmitted to the upper floor alignment AND circuit portion 23, the lower floor alignment AND circuit portion 24, and the control device, respectively.

The upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 each have a pair of facing portions that face each other in a horizontal direction. An upper optical detecting region (a second detecting region) 27 that constitutes a detecting region of the upper photoelectric sensor 20 is disposed between each of the facing portions of the upper photoelectric sensor 20. A lower optical detecting region (a second detecting region) 28 that constitutes a detecting region of the lower photoelectric sensor 21 is also disposed between each of the facing portions of the lower photoelectric sensor 21. In other words, the upper optical detecting region 27 is disposed on the upper photoelectric sensor 20, and the lower optical detecting region 28 is disposed on the lower photoelectric sensor 21. The door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 can both pass through the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28 due to movement of the car 2.

When the car 2 is within the car floor alignment zone, the shared car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28. If the position of the car 2 is too far above the car floor alignment enabled zone, the car floor alignment zone plate 14 will not be inserted into the upper optical detecting region 27. If the position of the car 2 is too far below the car floor alignment enabled zone, the car floor alignment zone plate 14 will not be inserted into the lower optical detecting region 28.

A light-emitting portion is disposed on one of the facing portions of the upper portion photoelectric sensor 20, and a light-receiving portion that receives the light from the light-emitting portion is disposed on the other facing portion. The upper photoelectric sensor 20 detects the presence or absence of an inserted member inside the upper optical detecting region 27 by detecting whether or not the light from the light-emitting portion has been received by the light-receiving portion. Consequently, the upper photoelectric sensor 20 detects the presence of the inserted member if the inserted member that has been inserted into the upper optical detecting region 27 is constituted by a material that interrupts the light from the light-emitting portion. In other words, the upper photoelectric sensor 20 can detect the presence or absence of both insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and insertion of the car floor alignment zone plate 14 into the upper optical detecting region 27.

In this example, when both the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are outside the upper optical detecting region 27, the contact of the upper photoelectric sensor 20 opens and an off signal is output from the upper photoelectric sensor 20. When either the door opening and closing zone plate 13 or the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted into the upper optical detecting region 27, the contact of the upper photoelectric sensor 20 performs a closing action (an on action), and an on signal is output from the upper photoelectric sensor 20.

The configuration and function of the lower photoelectric sensor 21 are similar to the configuration and function of the upper photoelectric sensor 20. Consequently, the lower photoelectric sensor 21 can detect the presence or absence of both insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and insertion of the car floor alignment zone plate 14 into the lower optical detecting region 28.

In this example, when both the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are outside the lower optical detecting region 28, the contact of the lower photoelectric sensor 21 opens and an off signal is output from the lower photoelectric sensor 21. When either the door opening and closing zone plate 13 or the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted into the lower optical detecting region 28, the contact of the lower photoelectric sensor 21 performs a closing action (an On action), and an on signal is output from the lower photoelectric sensor 21.

The upper floor alignment AND circuit portion 23 outputs an upper floor alignment enable signal 30 only when both the on signal from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the door opening and closing enable signal 29 are received. In other words, the upper floor alignment AND circuit portion 23 outputs the upper floor alignment enable signal 30 only when the door opening and closing zone detector 15 detects that the door opening and closing zone plate 13 has been inserted into both the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26, and the upper photoelectric sensor 20 detects that the car floor alignment zone plate 14 has been inserted into the upper optical detecting region 27.

The lower floor alignment AND circuit portion 24 outputs a lower floor alignment enable signal 31 only when both the on signal from the lower photoelectric sensor 21 and the door opening and closing enable signal 29 are received. In other words, the lower floor alignment AND circuit portion 24 outputs the lower floor alignment enable signal 31 only when the door opening and closing zone detector 15 detects that the door opening and closing zone plate 13 has been inserted into both the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26, and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 detects that the car floor alignment zone plate 14 has been inserted into the lower optical detecting region 28.

In other words, the car floor alignment zone detector 16 detects the presence or absence of insertion of the car floor alignment zone plate 14 into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the presence or absence of insertion of the car floor alignment zone plate 14 into the lower optical detecting region 28 only when the door opening and closing zone detector 15 detects that the door opening and closing zone plate 13 has been inserted into both the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26.

The control apparatus is able to receive the door opening and closing enable signal 29, the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30, and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31, respectively (information from the position detecting apparatus 12). The control apparatus determines the presence or absence of the car 2 in the door opening and closing enabled zone and the car floor alignment zone, respectively, by detecting the presence or absence of receipt of the door opening and closing enable signal 29, the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30, and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31, respectively.

Specifically, the control apparatus determines that the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone if the door opening and closing enable signal 29 is being received, and determines that the car 2 is outside the door opening and closing enabled zone if receipt of the door opening and closing enable signal 29 is stopped. The control apparatus determines that the car 2 is within the car floor alignment zone if the door opening and closing enable signal 29, the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30, and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31 are all being received. In addition, the control apparatus determines that the position of the car 2 is too far below the car floor alignment zone if only the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 is received among the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31. Furthermore, the control apparatus determines that the position of the car 2 is too far above the car floor alignment zone if only the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31 is received among the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31.

The control apparatus performs control to move the car 2 into the car floor alignment zone using the hoisting machine if the position of the car 2 is outside the car floor alignment zone when the car 2 is stopped at each building floor.

Next, action will be explained. Figure 4 is a timing chart that shows respective temporal changes of signals from each of the sensors 18 through 21, the door opening and closing enable signal 29, the upper floor alignment enable signal 30, and the lower floor alignment enable signal 31 when the car 2 from Figure 1 is ascending. As shown in the chart, as the car 2 approaches a floor from below, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is first inserted sequentially into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28. Thus, on signals are output sequentially from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21. At this point, the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31 will not be output by the car floor alignment zone detector 16 because output of the door opening and closing enable signal 29 from the door opening and closing zone detector 15 is stopped. Consequently, a determination that the car 2 is within the car floor alignment zone will not be performed by the control device.

As the car 2 subsequently ascends further, insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28, respectively, is sequentially removed, and the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is inserted sequentially into the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26. Thus, the output of the on signals from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 is stopped sequentially, and on signals from the upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19 are output sequentially. When the on signals are output from both the upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19, the door opening and closing enable signal 29 is output from the door opening and closing zone detector 15. Thus, a determination that the car 2 is within the door opening and closing enabled zone is performed by the control device, and the stopped position of the car 2 is decided by the control device.

The car 2 subsequently ascends further, and when the car 2 is stopped by control from the control device, the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is inserted sequentially into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28. Thus, on signals are again output sequentially from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21. At this point, the door opening and closing enable signal 29 is still being output from the door opening and closing zone detector 15. Consequently, the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 and the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31 are output sequentially by the car floor alignment zone detector 16. Thus, a determination that the car 2 is within the car floor alignment zone is performed by the control device, and the floor alignment position of the car 2 is confirmed.

When the car 2 is stopped, the stopped position of the car 2 may be outside the car floor alignment zone due to passengers boarding and leaving the car 2, or expansion and contraction of the main rope that suspends the car 2, etc. In other words, a large misalignment may arise between the position of the floor of the car 2 and the position of the floor of the landing 9. If the car 2 is outside the car floor alignment zone, the stopped position of the car 2 is adjusted by control of the hoisting machine by the control device so as to be displaced to within the car floor alignment zone.

Specifically, if receipt of the upper portion floor alignment enable signal 30 by the control device has stopped, a determination is made by the control device that the car 2 is too far above the car floor alignment zone, and the car 2 is displaced downward. If receipt of the lower portion floor alignment enable signal 31 by the control device has stopped, a determination is made by the control device that the car 2 is too far below the car floor alignment zone, and the car 2 is displaced upward.

If the car 2 subsequently ascends further from the floor, insertion of the car floor alignment zone plate 14 into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the lower optical detecting region 28, respectively, will be removed sequentially. Output of the on signals from the upper photoelectric sensor 20 and the lower photoelectric sensor 21 will thereby be stopped sequentially. The car floor alignment zone plate 14 is subsequently inserted sequentially into the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26, but the car floor alignment zone plate 14 is not detected by the upper magnetic sensor 18 and the lower magnetic sensor 19, and on signals will not be output from each of the magnetic sensors 18 and 19.

In an elevator position detecting apparatus of this kind, because a door opening and closing zone plate 13 and a car floor alignment zone plate 14 that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a direction of movement of a car 2 are disposed inside a hoistway 1, and a door opening and closing zone detector 15 that can only detect the door opening and closing zone plate 13, and a car floor alignment zone detector 16 that can detect both the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are disposed on the car 2, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 can be detected distinctly with the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 arranged in a single column in the direction of movement of the car 2. Thus, reductions in area occupied by the position detecting apparatus 12 in a horizontal cross section of the hoistway 1 can be achieved.

Because the door opening and closing zone detector 15 has a pair of magnetic sensors 18 and 19 that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the car 2, the direction that the car 2 has deviated from the door opening and closing enabled zone can be determined. Consequently, adjustment of the position of the car 2 can be performed more reliably.

Because the car floor alignment zone detector 16 has a pair of photoelectric sensors 20 and 21 that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of movement of the car 2, the direction that the car 2 has deviated from the car floor alignment zone can be determined. Consequently, adjustment of the position of the car 2 can be performed more reliably.

Because the car arrival zone detector 16 detects the presence or absence of insertion of the car arrival zone plate 14 into the upper optical detecting region 27 and the presence or absence of insertion of the car arrival zone plate 14 into the lower optical detecting region 28 only when the door opening and closing zone detector 15 detects insertion of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 into the upper magnetic detecting region 25 and the lower magnetic detecting region 26, the control device can be prevented from performing an erroneous determination that the car floor alignment zone detector 16 has detected the car floor alignment zone plate 14 due to detection of the door opening and closing zone plate 13 by the car floor alignment zone detector 16.

Moreover, in the above example, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 is disposed below the car floor alignment zone plate 14, but the door opening and closing zone plate 13 may also be disposed above the car floor alignment zone plate 14. In that case, the door opening and closing zone detector 15 will be disposed above the car floor alignment zone detector 16.

In the above example, the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 are disposed inside the hoistway 1, and the door opening and closing zone detector 15 and the car floor alignment zone detector 16 are disposed on the car 2, but the door opening and closing zone plate 13 and the car floor alignment zone plate 14 may also be disposed on the car 2 and the door opening and closing zone detector 15 and the car floor alignment zone detector 16 disposed inside the hoistway 1.