Elevator car door apparatus

In an elevator car door apparatus, a locking member is disposed on a blade-carrying car door, and is displaceable between an unlocked position and a locked position interdependently with movement of a doorstop-side blade. A guiding portion is disposed on the locking member. A guiding cam is disposed outside the blade-carrying car door. When the car is positioned outside an appropriate floor alignment position, the blade-carrying car door moves in an opening direction, the guiding portion moves along the guiding cam, the locking member displaces to the locked position, and the doorstop-side blade also displaces to a locking accommodating position, the locking member catches in a fixed latch, and movement of the blade-carrying car door in the opening direction is prevented.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an elevator car door apparatus that has a car door opening preventing function.

BACKGROUND ART

In conventional elevators, a car door locking apparatus that locks a car door is disposed on a car to prevent passengers inside the car from forcing the car doors open and falling into a hoistway if the car has stopped between floors. In conventional car door locking apparatuses, unlocking cams are installed on a landing side so as to unlock mechanically only when the car arrives at positions that have unlocking cams (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

In conventional car door locking apparatuses such as that described above, it is necessary to install unlocking cams on all floors, increasing manufacturing costs and installation burden if the number of floors is large.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator car door apparatus that can prevent opening of a car door between floors by a simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problem

An elevator car door apparatus according to the present invention includes: a blade-carrying car door that opens and closes a car doorway by sliding horizontally; a doorstop-side blade that is disposed on the blade-carrying car door, and that is displaceable horizontally relative to the blade-carrying car door between an unlocking accommodating position, and a locking accommodating position that is closer to a door pocket side than the unlocking accommodating position; a locking member that is disposed on the blade-carrying car door, and that is displaceable between an unlocked position and a locked position interdependently with movement of the doorstop-side blade; a fixed latch that is disposed outside the blade-carrying car door, and that stops movement of the blade-carrying car door in an opening direction by the locking member catching thereon when the locking member is in the locked position; a guiding cam that is disposed on an external portion of the blade-carrying car door; and a guiding portion that is disposed on the locking member, wherein: the doorstop-side blade is constantly subjected to a force toward the locking accommodating position; the locking member is held in the unlocked position, and the doorstop-side blade is also held in the unlocking accommodating position, by the guiding portion contacting the guiding cam when the blade-carrying car door is in a fully closed state; if the blade-carrying car door moves in the opening direction when a car is positioned in an appropriate floor alignment position, a landing engaging portion that is disposed on a landing door makes contact such that displacement of the doorstop-side blade to the locking accommodating position is prevented, and such that displacement of the locking member to the locked position is also prevented; and when the car is positioned outside the appropriate floor alignment position, the blade-carrying car door moves in the opening direction, the guiding portion moves along the guiding cam, the locking member displaces to the locked position, and the doorstop-side blade also displaces to the locking accommodating position, the locking member catches in the fixed latch, and movement of the blade-carrying car door in the opening direction is prevented.

Effects of the Invention

In an elevator car door apparatus according to the present invention, because, when the car is positioned outside an appropriate floor alignment position, the blade-carrying car door moves in the opening direction, the guiding portion moves along the guiding cam, the locking member displaces to the locked position, and the doorstop-side blade also displaces to the locking accommodating position, the locking member catches in the fixed latch, and movement of the blade-carrying car door in the opening direction is prevented, opening of car doors between floors can be prevented by a simple configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1is a schematic configuration diagram that shows an elevator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, a machine room2is disposed in an upper portion of a hoistway1. A hoisting machine (a driving apparatus)3, a deflecting sheave4, and an elevator controlling apparatus (a controlling board)5are installed in the machine room2. The hoisting machine3has: a driving sheave6; a hoisting machine motor (not shown) that rotates the driving sheave6; and a hoisting machine brake (not shown) that brakes rotation of the driving sheave6.

A suspending body7is wound onto the driving sheave6and the deflecting sheave4. A plurality of ropes or a plurality of belts are used as the suspending body7. A car8is connected to a first end portion of the suspending body7. A counterweight9is connected to a second end portion of the suspending body7.

The car8and the counterweight9are suspended inside the hoistway1by the suspending body7so as to be raised and lowered inside the hoistway1by a driving force from the hoisting machine3. The elevator controlling apparatus5controls operation of the car8by controlling the hoisting machine3.

A pair of car guide rails (not shown) that guide raising and lowering of the car8and a pair of counterweight guide rails (not shown) that guide raising and lowering of the counterweight9are installed inside the hoistway1.

The car8has: a car frame10to which the suspending body7is connected; and a cage11that is supported by the car frame10. A pair of car doors12that open and close a car doorway by sliding horizontally in opposite directions to each other are disposed on a front surface of the cage11. A door controller13that controls opening and closing operations of the car doors12is disposed on the car8.

Pairs of landing doors14that open and close landing doorways by sliding horizontally in opposite directions to each other are respectively disposed on landings of a plurality of floors. The landing doors14are operated so as to perform opening and closing operations interdependently with the car doors12when the car8is at a floor.

FIG. 2is a front elevation of landing doors14fromFIG. 1when viewed from the hoistway1side. A landing door frame15is fixed to an upper portion of the landing doorway. A landing door rail16that is parallel to a width direction of the landing doorway is disposed on the landing door frame15.

A first landing door pulley17is disposed on a first longitudinal end portion of the landing door frame15. A second landing door pulley18is disposed on a second longitudinal end portion of the landing door frame15. An endless coupling rope19is wound onto the first and second landing door pulleys17and18.

Each of the landing doors14has: a landing door panel20; and a landing door hanger21that is fixed to an upper portion of the landing door panel20. A plurality of landing door rollers22that roll while moving along the landing door rail16are disposed on each of the landing door hangers21. Each of the landing doors14is suspended by the landing door rail16, and performs the opening and closing operations parallel to the landing door rail16.

A first landing door14a, which is one of the landing doors14, is connected to the coupling rope19by means of a first landing door linking fitting23. A second landing door14b, which is the other of the landing doors14, is connected to the coupling rope19by means of a second landing door linking fitting24.

When the coupling rope19cycles due to the opening and closing operations of the first landing door14a, the second landing door14bmoves in an opposite direction to the first landing door14a. The landing door interlocking mechanism25includes the landing door pulleys17and18, the coupling rope19, and the landing door linking fittings23and24, and interlocks the second landing door14bto the opening and closing operations of the first landing door14a.

An interlocking apparatus26for preventing the landing doors14from being opened from the landing when the car8is not at that floor is disposed between the first landing door14aand the landing door frame15. The interlocking apparatus26has: a catch27; an interlocking latch28; a fixed interlocking roller29; and a movable interlocking roller30. A landing engaging portion according to Embodiment 1 includes the interlocking rollers29and30.

The catch27is fixed to the landing door frame15. The interlocking latch28is mounted rotatably to the landing door hanger21of the first landing door14a. When the landing doors14are in a fully closed state, movement of the landing doors14in the opening direction is prevented by a tip end portion of the interlocking latch28catching on the catch27.

The fixed interlocking roller29is disposed so as to be coaxial with a rotating shaft of the interlocking clutch28. The movable interlocking roller30is mounted to the interlocking latch28, and is rotatable together with the interlocking latch28.

FIG. 3is a front elevation of car doors12fromFIG. 1when viewed from a landing side. A car door frame31is fixed to an upper portion of the car doorway. A car door rail32that is parallel to a width direction of the car doorway is disposed on the car door frame31.

A driving pulley33is disposed on a first longitudinal end portion of the car door frame31. A driven pulley34is disposed on a second longitudinal end portion of the car door frame31. An endless car door driving rope35is wound onto the driving pulley33and the driven pulley34.

Each of the car doors12has: a car door panel36; and a car door hanger37that is fixed to an upper portion of the car door panel36. Each of the car doors12is suspended by the car door rail32, and performs the opening and closing operations parallel to the car door rail32.

A first car door12a, which is one of the car doors12, is connected to the car door driving rope35by means of a first car door linking fitting38. A second car door12b, which is the other of the car doors12, is connected to the car door driving rope35by means of a second car door linking fitting39.

A door motor40is fixed above the car door frame31. Rotation of the door motor40is transmitted to the driving pulley33. When the driving pulley33is rotated by the door motor40, the car door driving rope35cycles and the driven pulley34rotates. The first and second car doors12aand12bperform the opening and closing operations thereby.

A supporting plate44is fixed to the first car door12a. A doorstop-side blade46that has an L-shaped cross section is mounted to the supporting plate44by means of a first parallel linking mechanism45. Specifically, the first car door12aconstitutes a blade-carrying car door according to Embodiment 1. The doorstop-side blade46is disposed vertically. The first parallel linking mechanism45has a rod-shaped first upper portion link47and an L-shaped first lower portion link48.

A first end portion (an upper end portion) of the first upper portion link47is mounted to the supporting plate44so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft47a. A second end portion (a lower end portion) of the first upper portion link47is rotatably linked to an intermediate portion of the doorstop-side blade46.

An intermediate portion of the first lower portion link48is mounted to the supporting plate44so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft48a. A first end portion of the first lower portion link48is rotatably linked to a lower end portion of the doorstop-side blade46.

A portion of the first lower portion link48from the intermediate portion to a second end portion crosses with the doorstop-side blade46. The second end portion of the first lower portion link48thereby protrudes on an opposite side of the doorstop-side blade46from the rotating shaft48a.

A hook-shaped locking portion48bis disposed on the second end portion of the first lower portion link48. A guiding roller41is rotatably mounted between the first lower portion link48that crosses the doorstop-side blade46and the locking portion48b. The first lower portion link48is able to displace rotationally between an unlocked position (FIG. 3) and a locked position (FIG. 10) interdependently with the movement of the doorstop-side blade46.

A fixed latch42and a guiding cam49are fixed to the second car door12b. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the fixed latch42and the guiding cam49are fixed to the second car door12b, which is outside the blade-carrying car door. The second car door12bconstitutes a guiding cam-carrying car door according to Embodiment 1.

A horizontal guiding surface is formed on an upper surface of the guiding cam49. When the car doors12are in a fully closed state, the guiding roller41is positioned on the guiding surface of the guiding cam49, and the locking portion48bis positioned in the unlocked position that is shown inFIG. 3.

If an attempt is made to open the car doors12without imparting an external force to the link48, the guiding roller41is separated from the guiding cam49, and the locking portion48bmoves to the locked position, as shown inFIG. 10. In this state, the locking portion48bcatches on the fixed latch42, preventing movement of the car doors12in the opening direction. In other words, in Embodiment 1, the first lower portion link48also serves as a locking member.

The doorstop-side blade46is displaceable in a horizontal direction (the opening and closing direction of the car doors12) relative to the first car door12aby the rotation of the links47and48between an unlocking accommodating position (FIG. 3), and a locking accommodating position (FIG. 10) that is closer to a door pocket than the unlocking accommodating position.

The doorstop-side blade46is constantly subjected to a force toward the door pocket, i.e., toward the locking accommodating position by the action of gravity or a spring force. However, when the car doors12are in the fully closed state, the first lower portion link48is held in the unlocked position, and the doorstop-side blade46is also held toward the doorstop, i.e., toward the unlocking accommodating position by the guiding roller41being positioned on the guiding cam49.

A stopper50that limits a range of available movement of the doorstop-side blade46toward the doorstop is disposed on the supporting plate44. The stopper50is disposed so as to ensure some clearance from the doorstop-side blade46when the car doors12are in a fully closed state. Because of that, a slight gap arises between the guiding cam49and the guiding roller41when the doorstop-side blade46is placed in contact with the stopper50.

A door pocket-side blade53that has an L-shaped cross section is mounted to the supporting plate44by means of a second parallel linking mechanism52. The second parallel linking mechanism52has a second upper portion link54and a second lower portion link55.

An intermediate portion of the second upper portion link54is mounted to the supporting plate44so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft54a. A first end portion of the second upper portion link54is rotatably linked to an intermediate portion of the door pocket-side blade53.

A first end portion of the second lower portion link55is mounted to the supporting plate44so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft55a. A second end portion of the second lower portion link55is rotatably linked to a lower end portion of the door pocket-side blade53.

The door pocket-side blade53is disposed parallel to the doorstop-side blade46, i.e., vertically. The door pocket-side blade53is displaceable in a horizontal direction (the opening and closing direction of the car doors12) by the rotation of the links54and55.

A lever56that is rotatable around a rotating shaft56ais disposed on an upper portion of the first car door12a. The rotating shaft56ais disposed on an intermediate portion of the lever56. A lever roller57is disposed on a first end portion of the lever56. A guiding member58that the lever roller57contacts when the first car door12ais in the closed position is fixed to the car door frame31.

A linking rod59is linked between a second end portion of the lever56and a second end portion of the second upper portion link54. The door pocket-side blade53is constantly pressed toward a doorstop side by the action of gravity or a spring force.

When the first car door12ais in the closed position, the lever roller57is in contact with the guiding member58, and the door pocket-side blade53is separated from the interlocking rollers29and30.

In contrast to that, when the first car door12amoves in the opening direction, the lever56rotates clockwise inFIG. 3, and the door pocket-side blade53also displaces toward the doorstop-side blade46, reducing spacing between the blades46and53, and the interlocking rollers29and30are gripped between the blades46and53.

Moreover, a configuration that makes the door pocket-side blade53displaceable horizontally is not required, and the door pocket-side blade53may alternatively be fixed to the car doors12.

FIG. 4is a cross section that is taken along Line IV-IV inFIG. 3, andFIG. 5is a cross section that is taken along Line V-V inFIG. 3. When the car8is at a floor, the doorstop-side blade46is disposed closer to the doorstop side than the interlocking rollers29and30, and the door pocket-side blade53is disposed closer to the door pocket side than the interlocking rollers29and30.

The interlocking rollers29and30are disposed between a car doorsill line (a landing-side end surface of the car doorsill) L1and a landing doorsill line (a car-side end surface of the landing doorsill) L2when viewed from directly above. In addition, the links47,48,54, and55, the linking portions between the links47and48of the doorstop-side blade46, and the linking portions between the links54and55of the door pocket-side blade53are disposed inside (on the car8side of) the car doorsill line L1when viewed from directly above.

Using a configuration of this kind, if the first car door12ais moved in the opening direction when the car8is positioned at an appropriate floor alignment position, the interlocking rollers29and30contact each other, preventing displacement of the doorstop-side blade46toward the locking accommodating position, and also preventing displacement of the first lower portion link48toward the locked position.

When the car8is positioned outside an appropriate floor alignment position, the first car door12amove in the opening direction, the guiding roller41moves parallel to the guiding cam49, the guiding roller41separates from the guiding cam49, and the first lower portion link48displaces to the locked position, and the doorstop-side blade46also displaces to the locking accommodating position, and the locking portion48bcatches on the fixed latch42, preventing movement of the first car door12ain the opening direction.

Next, operation will be explained. When the car doors12are in the fully closed position, the guiding roller41that is fixed to the link48contacts the guiding cam49, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 5. The locking portion48band the doorstop-side blade46are positioned on an unlocked side. In addition, the doorstop-side blade46and the door pocket-side blade53are separated from the interlocking rollers29and30.

FIG. 6is a front elevation that shows a state in which the car doors12inFIG. 3have moved slightly in an opening direction, andFIG. 7is a cross section that is taken along Line VII-VII inFIG. 6. When the car doors12begin to move in the opening direction and the guiding roller41moves to the end portion of the guiding cam49, the first link48rotates clockwise and the doorstop-side blade46starts to move in the door pocket direction. However, a roller contacting surface of the doorstop-side blade46(a surface that is perpendicular to the front surface of the first car door12a) contacts the interlocking rollers29and30, preventing movement of the doorstop-side blade46in the door pocket direction. Thus, the locking portion48bof the first lower portion link48will not move to the locked position. The interlocking latch28is rotated, also placing the interlocking apparatus26of the landing doors14in the unlocked state.

FIG. 8is a front elevation that shows a state in which the car doors12inFIG. 6have moved further in the opening direction, andFIG. 9is a cross section that is taken along Line IX-IX inFIG. 8. When the car doors12move further in the opening direction, the door pocket-side blade53moves in a doorstop direction relative to the first car door12a, and the doorstop-side blade46is moved in the doorstop direction by means of the interlocking rollers29and30. The doorstop-side blade46thereby contacts the stopper50.

The first lower portion link48rotates counterclockwise inFIG. 8, such that the locking portion48bis positioned in a position that is further separated from the locked position. The interlocking rollers29and30are gripped between the blades46and53, and the first car door12aand the first landing door14aperform the opening operation together. The second car door12band the second landing door14balso perform the opening operation in synchrony.

If, on the other hand, the car8is in a stopped state outside the door zone due to some abnormality, and a passenger inside the cage11attempts to force the car doors12open, then because the interlocking rollers29and30do not contact the doorstop-side blade46, as shown inFIG. 10, movement of the doorstop-side blade46in the door pocket direction is not obstructed. Because of that, when the guiding roller41moves to the end portion of the guiding cam49, the first lower portion link48rotates clockwise inFIG. 10, and the locking portion48bdisplaces to the locked position and catches in the fixed latch42, preventing movement of the car doors12in the opening direction.

In an elevator car door apparatus of this kind, because a door opening preventing function functions only when interlocking rollers29and30are not present within a vertical range of a doorstop-side blade46, it is not necessary to separately prepare unlocking cams on landings. Consequently, opening of car doors12between floors can be prevented by a simple configuration.

Because a first lower portion link48that constitutes a locking member is disposed on a first car door12a, and a fixed latch42and a guiding cam49are disposed on a second car door12b, relative positions between the first lower portion link48and the guiding cam49change at twice the door opening speed. Because of that, it becomes possible to design the first and second car doors12aand12bsuch that dimensions of gaps that are openable by force are reduced.

In addition, because a locking portion48bis formed on the first lower portion link48such that the first lower portion link48also serves as a locking member, the number of parts can be reduced.

Furthermore, because the locking portion48band a guiding roller41are disposed closer to a doorstop than the doorstop-side blade46, a position at which the guiding roller41contacts the guiding cam49, and a position at which the locking portion48bcatches in the fixed latch42can be easily designed.

Next,FIG. 11is a front elevation that shows an elevator car door apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and corresponds toFIG. 3in Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 2, a first lower portion link48is rod-shaped, and a locking portion48bis not disposed on the first lower portion link48. A locking lever63that functions as a locking member is instead disposed on a first car door linking fitting38that is fixed to a car door hanger37of a first car door12a.

An intermediate portion of the locking lever63is mounted to the first car door linking fitting38so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft63a. A locking portion63bthat is similar or identical to the locking portion48baccording to Embodiment 1 is formed on a first end portion of the locking lever63. A guiding roller41that is similar or identical to that of Embodiment 1 is also rotatably mounted between the rotating shaft63aand the locking portion63bof the locking lever63.

A guiding cam49that is similar or identical to that of Embodiment 1 is fixed to a car door hanger37of a second car door12b. A fixed latch42is disposed on the guiding cam49. When the car doors12are in a fully closed state, the guiding roller41is positioned on the guiding surface of the guiding cam49, and the locking portion48bis positioned in the unlocked position that is shown inFIG. 11.

An intermediate portion of the first upper portion link47is mounted to the supporting plate44so as to be rotatable around a rotating shaft47a. A first end portion (a lower end portion) of the first upper portion link47is rotatably linked to the doorstop-side blade46. A second end portion of the first upper portion link47is linked to the second end portion of the locking lever63by means of a linking rod61that functions as a linking member.

A second end portion of the locking lever63is positioned closer to the door pocket side than the rotating shaft63a. A parallel link is configured by the first upper portion link47, the linking rod61, and the locking lever63, such that the first upper portion link47and the locking lever63constantly maintain an identical angle while rotating. The locking lever63is able to displace rotationally between an unlocked position and a locked position interdependently with the movement of the doorstop-side blade46.

If an attempt is made to open the car doors12without imparting an external force to the link47, the guiding roller41is separated from the guiding cam49, and the locking portion63bmoves to the locked position. In this state, the locking portion63bcatches on the fixed latch42, preventing movement of the car doors12in the opening direction. The rest of the configuration and operation are similar or identical to those of Embodiment 1.

Using a configuration of this kind, opening of car doors12between floors can also be prevented by a simple configuration.

Furthermore, if the ceiling of the cage11is high, the car doors12may be elongated vertically relative to the car doorway and the car door opening and closing apparatus disposed higher in order to avoid interference with the cage11. In such cases, the distance between the doorstop-side blade46and the car door opening and closing apparatus, which are fixed to constant positions relative to the car doorway, will be further apart, but this can also be accommodated, simply by changing the length of the linking rod61.

Moreover, in apparatuses of this kind a force of inertia in the doorstop direction arises in the doorstop-side blade46due to acceleration in the door opening direction due to the opening operation of the car doors12. Because this force of inertia works to cancel out the force that the doorstop-side blade46exerts in the door pocket direction due to the action of gravity and spring forces, it hinders the locking action of the entire apparatus.

In answer to that, the force of inertia that acts on the doorstop-side blade46can be suppressed by configuring the doorstop-side blade46using a nonferrous metal that has a specific gravity that is less than that of iron such as an aluminum alloy, for example. Forced opening due to tampering and malfunctions due to mechanical shock (abnormal unlocking operations) can thereby be made less likely to occur.

In the above examples, centrally opening car door apparatuses are shown, but the present invention can also be applied to unidirectionally opening car door apparatuses. In that case, the fixed latch42and the guiding cam49should be disposed on a portion of the car8in a circumference of the car doorway which is outside the blade-carrying car door.

In addition, the type of elevator to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the type inFIG. 1. For example, the present invention can also be applied to machine-room less elevators, to elevators that use two-to-one (2:1) roping methods, to multi-car elevators, or to double-deck elevators.