SLIDE DOOR DEVICE AND ELEVATOR

Abstract

 In a sliding door apparatus, a first lower frame is disposed on a lower portion of a first doorway, and a second lower frame is disposed on a lower portion of a second doorway. A light emitter that illuminates an illuminated surface that is a surface of the second lower frame that faces the first lower frame is disposed on a first portion of either an upper portion or a lower portion of the first doorway. A light receiver that receives light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface is disposed on a second portion of the upper portion or the lower portion of the first doorway. A determination controlling portion determines presence or absence of an obstruction by detecting whether or not the light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface is received by the light receiver.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding door apparatus that automatically moves a door horizontally, and to an elevator that makes use thereof.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In conventional elevator door safety apparatuses, light-emitting photoelectric tubes are mounted to an upper portion of a car doorway. An opening portion is disposed on a doorsill of the car doorway, and a transparent cover is mounted onto that opening portion. Light-receiving photoelectric tubes that receive light from the light-emitting photoelectric tubes are disposed under the transparent cover, and an obstruction is detected by the light from the photoemissive photoelectric tubes being blocked (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

CITATION LIST

PATENT LITERATURE

[0003] 

[Patent Literature 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 6-227781 (Gazette)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] In conventional door safety apparatuses such as that described above, since the light-receiving photoelectric tubes are disposed so as to face upward inside the opening portion that is disposed on the doorsill, opaque rubbish and dust adhere easily onto the transparent cover, and one problem has been that that rubbish and dust block the light from the light-emitting photoelectric tubes, increasing the likelihood of malfunction.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door apparatus that can reduce occurrence of malfunctions due to adhering of rubbish, dust, etc., to detect obstructions stably that might be sandwiched in a door, and to an elevator that makes use thereof.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sliding door apparatus including: a first doorway frame that has a first lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of a first doorway; a second doorway frame that has a second lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of a second doorway, and that faces the first lower frame so as to have a clearance interposed; a first door that opens and closes the first doorway by being slid horizontally; a second door that opens and closes the second doorway by being slid horizontally together with the first door; a light emitter that is disposed on a first portion of either an upper portion or a lower portion of the first doorway, and that illuminates an illuminated surface that is a surface of the second lower frame that faces the first lower frame; a light receiver that is disposed on a second portion of the upper portion or the lower portion of the first doorway, and that receives light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface; and a determination controlling portion that determines presence or absence of an obstruction by detecting whether or not the light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface is received by the light receiver.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In a sliding door apparatus according to the present invention, because light from a light emitter illuminates an illuminated surface that is a surface of a second lower frame that faces a first lower frame, and the light that is reflected by the illuminated surface is received by a light receiver, and presence or absence of an obstruction is determined based on whether or not light is received by the light receiver, the light emitter and the light receiver can be disposed in a state in which rubbish, dust, etc., is less likely to adhere, thereby reducing the occurrence of malfunctions due to adhesion of rubbish, dust, etc., and enabling obstructions that might be sandwiched by the doors to be detected stably.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] 

Figure 1 is a side elevation that shows an elevator sliding door apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a car door apparatus from Figure 1 when viewed from a landing side;

Figure 3 is a side elevation that shows a light emitter from Figure 1 enlarged;

Figure 4 is a plan that shows the light emitter from Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a block diagram that shows a controlling circuit of the car door apparatus from Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a flowchart that shows operation of a car controlling portion from Figure 5 during door closing;

Figure 7 is a front elevation that shows a car door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a side elevation that shows an elevator sliding door apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; and

Figure 9 is a front elevation of a car door apparatus from Figure 8 when viewed from a landing side.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Embodiments for implementing the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

[0010] Figure 1 is a side elevation that shows an elevator sliding door apparatus (a car door apparatus and a landing door apparatus) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a front elevation of the car door apparatus from Figure 1 when viewed from a landing side.

[0011]  A car 1 is suspended inside a hoistway by a main rope (a suspending means), and is raised and lowered inside the hoistway by a driving force from a hoisting machine. A car doorway 1a that functions as a first doorway is disposed on a front surface of the car 1. A car doorway upper frame 2 that functions as a first upper frame is disposed horizontal on an upper portion of the car doorway 1a. A car doorway lower frame 3 that functions as a first lower frame is disposed horizontally on a lower portion (a floor portion) of the car doorway 1 a. A pair of car doorway vertical frames 4 that function as a first vertical frame are disposed vertically on the left and right of the car doorway 1 a.

[0012] The car doorway upper frame 2 links upper end portions of the car doorway vertical frames 4. The car doorway lower frame 3 links lower end portions of the car doorway vertical frames 4. A car doorway frame 5 that functions as a first doorway frame is constituted by the car doorway upper frame 2, the car doorway lower frame 3, and the car doorway vertical frames 4. The car doorway 1 a is formed inside the car doorway frame 5.

[0013] A landing doorway 6a that functions as a second doorway is disposed on landings 6 on respective floors. A landing doorway upper frame 7 that functions as a second upper frame is disposed horizontally on an upper portion of the landing doorway 6a. A landing doorway lower frame 8 that functions as a second lower frame is disposed horizontally on a lower portion (a floor portion) of the landing doorway 6a. A pair of landing doorway vertical frames 9 that function as a second vertical frame are disposed vertically on the left and right of the landing doorway 6a.

[0014] The landing doorway upper frame 7 links upper end portions of the landing doorway vertical frames 9. The landing doorway lower frame 8 links lower end portions of the landing doorway vertical frames 9. A landing doorway frame 1 D that functions as a second doorway frame is constituted by the landing doorway upper frame 7, the landing doorway lower frame 8, and the landing doorway vertical frames 9. The landing doorway 6a is formed inside the landing doorway frame 10.

[0015]  The landing doorway frame 10 faces the car doorway frame 5 when the car 1 is at a floor. At that time, the landing doorway lower frame 8 faces the car doorway lower frame 3 so as to have a predetermined clearance interposed. The landing doorway lower frame 8 has a landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a that functions as an illuminated surface that faces the car doorway lower frame 3. The car doorway lower frame 3 has a car doorway lower frame vertical surface 3a that faces the landing doorway lower frame 8.

[0016] A pair of car doors 11 that function as a first door that opens and closes the car doorway 1a by being slid horizontally are disposed on the car 1. A pair of landing doors 12 that function as a second door that opens and closes the landing doorway 6a by being slid horizontally together with the car doors 11 when the car 1 is at a floor are disposed on the landing 6.

[0017] A light emitter 13 that illuminates the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is mounted to the car doorway lower frame vertical surface 3a. A vertical light output window 13a that outputs light is disposed on the light emitter 13.

[0018] A light receiver 14 that receives light that is emitted by the light emitter 13 and that is reflected by the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is mounted to a surface of the car doorway upper frame 2 that faces the landing doorway upper frame 7. The light receiver 14 is mounted to the car doorway upper frame 2 by means of a supporting fitting 15 so as to face downward. The light receiver 14 is thereby disposed so as to protrude from the car doorway upper frame 2 toward the landing 6. A horizontal light input window 14a into which light is inputted is disposed on a lower end portion of the light receiver 14.

[0019] The car door apparatus (and the landing door apparatus) according to Embodiment 1 is bidirectionally opening (centrally opening), and when fully closed, the two car doors 11 are placed in contact with each other at a center line C in the width direction of the car doorway 1 a when viewed from the front. The light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14 are also disposed on the center line C when viewed from the front.

[0020] Figure 3 is a side elevation that shows the light emitter 13 from Figure 1 enlarged, and Figure 4 is a plan that shows the light emitter 13 from Figure 3. A circuit board 16 is disposed inside a housing of the light emitter 13. A plurality of (in this case, five) light-emitting elements 17a through 17e are disposed on the circuit board 16. Light-emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers, or lamps, for example, can be used as the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e.

[0021] The light-emitting elements 17a through 17e output light obliquely upward. Because of this, the circuit board 16 is inclined relative to the car doorway lower frame vertical surface 3a. The light-emitting elements 17a through 17e are arranged in a single row in a straight line that is parallel to a width direction of the car doorway 1a and the landing doorway 6a (a vertical direction in Figure 4).

[0022] Condenser lenses 18a through 18e that are equal in number to the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e are disposed between the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e and the light output window 13a, that is, obliquely above the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e. The condenser lenses 18a through 18e respectively face the corresponding light-emitting elements 17a through 17e, and constitute an optical system.

[0023] The light from the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e is condensed onto the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a by the condenser lenses 18a through 18e to form light spots P1 through P5. Specifically, the light spot P1 is formed by the light-emitting element 17a and the condenser lens 18a, the light spot P2 by the light-emitting element 17b and the condenser lens 18b, the light spot P3 by the light-emitting element 17c and the condenser lens 18c, the light spot P4 by the light-emitting element 17d and the condenser lens 18d, and the light spot P5 by the light-emitting element 17e and the condenser lens 18e, respectively.

[0024] The light spots P1 through P5 are formed in a straight line that is parallel to the width direction of the car doorway 1a and the landing doorway 6a (horizontal). It is desirable for sizes of the respective light spots P1 through P5 to be as small as possible, preferably to have diameters of less than or equal to 10 mm, and even more preferably to have diameters of less than or equal to 2 mm.

[0025] Now, the front surface of the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is not a mirror finished surface, and has diffuse reflective characteristics with respect to the light. Because of this, the light from the light emitter 13 is diffusely reflected by the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a. Reflected light from the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is inputted into the light receiver 14 through the light input window 14a. An optical axis is formed between the light spots P1 through P5 and the light input window 14a by this kind of configuration.

[0026] An object detecting apparatus includes the light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14, and detects objects (obstructions) on the optical axis between the light spots P1 through P5 and the light input window 14a.

[0027] Figure 5 is a block diagram that shows a controlling circuit of the car door apparatus from Figure 1. A light-receiving element 19 and an object detecting controlling portion 20 that functions as a determination controlling portion are disposed on the light receiver 14. The light-receiving element 19 outputs an electrical signal in response to the optical intensity of the received light. The light-receiving element 19 is disposed inside the housing of the light receiver 14 so as to receive the light from below through the light input window 14a.

[0028] An object detecting controlling portion 20 determines whether or not objects (obstructions) are present between the light spots P1 through P5 and the light input window 14a based on the electrical signal that is inputted from the light-receiving element 19. When it determines that an object is present, the object detecting controlling portion 20 outputs a detection signal to a car controlling portion 21.

[0029] A driving portion 22 that makes the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e emit light and switch off in response to the control signals from the object detecting controlling portion 20 is disposed on the light emitter 13. The car controlling portion 21 outputs opening and closing commands in response to the detection signal from the object detecting controlling portion 20 to an opening and closing controlling portion 23 that drives opening and closing of the car doors 11.

[0030] Moreover, the object detecting controlling portion 20, the car controlling portion 21, and the opening and closing controlling portion 23 each have microcomputers, and can execute their respective functions based on programs that are stored in the microcomputers.

[0031] Next, an object detecting operation will be explained. First, among the light-emitting elements 17a through 17e, only the light-emitting element 17a is switched on to form the light spot P1. At that point, if no object is present between the light spot P1 and the light receiver 14, the reflected light from the light spot P1 is received by the light-receiving element 19 of the light receiver 14, and the object detecting controlling portion 20 determines that no object is present.

[0032] If an object is present between the light spot P1 and the light receiver 14, the object detecting controlling portion 20 determines that an object is present because the reflected light from the light spot P1 is blocked by the object, and outputs the detection signal to the car controlling portion 21.

[0033] Next, a similar determination is performed with only the light-emitting element 17b switched on. Thereafter, switching on and determination are performed sequentially in order of the light-emitting element 17c, the light-emitting element 17d, the light-emitting element 17e, and then switching on and determination returns to the light-emitting element 17a, and these operations are repeated. In other words, the light emitter 13 changes an illuminated position of the light spots horizontally. Using an operation of this kind, if an object is present between at least one of the light spots P1 through P5 and the light receiver 14, that object can be detected.

[0034] Figure 6 is a flowchart that shows operation of a car controlling portion from Figure 5 during door closing. First, in the fully open state in which door closing is commenced, presence or absence of an object is determined by the object detecting apparatus (Step S1), and if an object is detected, the fully open state is maintained. If no object is detected, the door closing operation is commenced (Step S2).

[0035] Even after the door closing operation is commenced, presence or absence of an object is determined by the object detecting apparatus (Step S3), the door closing operation is continued if there are no objects (Step S4), and whether the car doors 11 have reached the fully closed position or not is checked (Step S5). If the car doors 11 are not in the fully closed position, return to Step S3, and repeat Steps S3 and S4. If an object is detected during door closing, perform a door reversing operation (Step S6), and return to Step S1 when fully open. If the car doors 11 are in the fully closed position at Step S5, door closing is completed.

[0036] In a sliding door apparatus of this kind, because the light emitter 13 outputs light through the vertical light output window 13a, and the light receiver 14 receives the light through the light input window 14a, which faces downward, the light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14 can be disposed in states in which rubbish, dust, etc., is less likely to adhere and accumulate, thereby reducing the occurrence of malfunctions due to adhesion of rubbish, dust, etc., and enabling obstructions that might be sandwiched by the car doors 11 and the landing doors 12 to be detected stably.

[0037] Since the light spots are formed so as to be small, and light interruption between the light spots and the light receiver 14 is detected, even small objects and slender objects can be detected if they are opaque, enabling detecting precision to be improved.

[0038] In addition, by forming the light spots sequentially at different positions, the optical axis between the light spots and the light receiver 14 can be moved, enabling the range in which objects are detected to be widened.
Still furthermore, in bidirectionally opening sliding door apparatuses, because the light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14 are disposed in the vicinity of the center line C of the car doorway 1 a, object detection is enabled until the car doors 11 are almost fully closed.

Embodiment 2

[0039] Next, Figure 7 is a front elevation that shows a car door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. A bidirectionally opening sliding door apparatus was shown in Embodiment 1, but a sliding door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 is unidirectionally opening. A light emitter 13 and a light receiver 14 are disposed near a car doorway vertical frame 4 on a side which the car doors 11 contact when fully closed. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.

[0040] In a unidirectionally opening sliding door apparatus of this kind, because the light emitter 13 outputs light through the vertical light output window 13a, and the light receiver 14 receives the light through the light input window 14a, which faces downward, similar effects to those in Embodiment 1 above can also be achieved.

Embodiment 3

[0041] Next, Figure 8 is a side elevation that shows an elevator sliding door apparatus (a car door apparatus and a landing door apparatus) according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a front elevation of a car door apparatus from Figure 8 when viewed from a landing side. In the figure, a light emitter 13 that illuminates a landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is mounted onto a surface of a car doorway upper frame 2 that faces a landing doorway upper frame 7. The light emitter 13 is mounted to the car doorway upper frame 2 by means of a supporting fitting 15 so as to face downward. The light emitter 13 is thereby disposed so as to protrude from the car doorway upper frame 2 toward the landing 6. A horizontal light output window 13a that outputs light is disposed on a lower end portion of the light emitter 13.

[0042] A light receiver 14 that receives light that is emitted by the light emitter 13 and that is reflected by the landing doorway lower frame vertical surface 8a is mounted to a car doorway lower frame vertical surface 3a. A vertical light input window 14a into which light is inputted is disposed on the light receiver 14. The rest of the configuration is similar to that of Embodiment 1.

[0043] Even if the light emitter 13 is disposed on the upper portion of the car doorway 1a, and the light receiver 14 on the lower portion in this manner, because the light emitter 13 outputs light through the light output window 13a, which faces downward, and the light receiver 14 receives the light through the vertical light input window 14a, similar effects to those in Embodiment 1 above can also be achieved.

[0044] Moreover, in Embodiments 1 through 3, examples in which there were five of each of the light-emitting element 17a through 17e and the condenser lenses 18a through 18e in the light emitter 13 were shown, but the number may also be greater or fewer.
In Embodiments 1 through 3, the light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14 were mounted to the car 1, but may also be mounted to the landings 6. In other words, the first doorway may also be the landing doorway, and the second doorway the car doorway.
In addition, in Embodiments 1 through 3, the present invention was applied to elevator sliding door apparatuses, but the present invention can also be applied to doorways that are disposed in buildings, to boarding gates of passenger vehicles such as trains, etc., or to boarding gates on train platforms, for example.

Claims

1. A sliding door apparatus comprising:

a first doorway frame that has a first lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of a first doorway;

a second doorway frame that has a second lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of a second doorway, and that faces the first lower frame so as to have a clearance interposed;

a first door that opens and closes the first doorway by being slid horizontally;

a second door that opens and closes the second doorway by being slid horizontally together with the first doors;

a light emitter that is disposed on a first portion of either an upper portion or a lower portion of the first doorway, and that illuminates an illuminated surface that is a surface of the second lower frame that faces the first lower frame;

a light receiver that is disposed on a second portion of the upper portion or the lower portion of the first doorway, and that receives light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface; and

a determination controlling portion that determines presence or absence of an obstruction by detecting whether or not the light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface is received by the light receiver.

2. A sliding door apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:

the light emitter is mounted to the first lower frame, and comprises a vertical light output window that outputs the light;

the first doorway frame further comprises a first upper frame that is disposed on an upper portion of the first doorway; and

the light receiver is mounted to the first upper frame so as to face downward.

3. A sliding door apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein:

the first doorway frame further comprises a first upper frame that is disposed on an upper portion of the first doorway;

the light emitter is mounted to the first upper frame so as to face downward; and

the light receiver is mounted to the first lower frame, and comprises a vertical light input window into which the light is inputted.

4. A sliding door apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the light emitter comprises an optical system that forms a light spot on the illuminated surface.

5. A sliding door apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the light emitter changes an illuminated position of the light spot horizontally.

6. An elevator comprising:

a car comprising:

a car doorway lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of a car doorway; and

a car door that opens and closes the car doorway by being slid horizontally,

the car being raised and lowered inside a hoistway;

a landing door that is disposed on a landing, and that opens and closes a landing doorway by being slid horizontally together with the car door when the car is at a floor;
a landing doorway lower frame that is disposed on a lower portion of the landing doorway, and that faces the car doorway lower frame when the car is at the floor so as to have a clearance interposed;
a light emitter that is disposed on a first portion of either an upper portion or a lower portion of the car doorway, and that illuminates an illuminated surface that is a surface of the landing doorway lower frame that faces the car doorway lower frame;
a light receiver that is disposed on a second portion of the upper portion or the lower portion of the car doorway, and that receives light that is emitted from the light emitter and reflected by the illuminated surface;
a determination controlling portion that determines presence or absence of an obstruction by detecting whether or not the light that is emitted from the light emitter is received by the light receiver; and
a car controlling portion that controls opening and closing of the car door based on a result determined by the determination controlling portion.

Drawing