The present invention relates to an elevator apparatus that improves convenience in a case that a button in a car is stuck. Background Art
[0002]
An operation panel in a car of an elevator apparatus has a plurality of buttons . For some reason, the buttons might fall in a state of being kept at ON without returning to OFF
(hereinafter, referred to as "stuck").
[0003]
ABSTRACT in PTL 1 discloses a conventional technique for detecting such a stuck button. Specifically, a configuration disclosed includes an in-car camera that captures an image of a button in a car, a determination unit that determines whether a button is lit for more than a predetermined period of time based on the image of the button captured by the in-car camera, and a communication device that issues a notification indicating the occurrence of the stuck button to a monitoring center outside the elevator when the determination unit

determines that the button is lit for more than the
predetermined period of time.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0004]
PTL 1: JP 2016-60565 A
Summary of Invention Technical Problems [0005]
The operation panel in the car is provided with a car call button, open and close buttons for the door, and the like. For the sake of ensuring safety, the open button is generally given the highest priority. For example, when the open button and another button are pressed at the same time, a door opening operation is performed with the open button being active and the other button being ignored. [0006]
Due to this setting, if the open button is stuck, the door
would not close even when a passenger in the car having stopped
at a certain floor presses the close button, and the car stays
at the floor. Thus, the elevator is practically out of service.
[0007]
The detection device of PTL1 only detects the stuck button and notifies the external monitoring center of the situation.

Thus, in the above case, the elevator is out of service for a long period of time until a worker dispatched from the monitoring center fixes the stuck button.
[0008]
In addition, the stuck button results not only from mischief and poor product accuracy, and the open button might be stuck temporarily as a result of a system problem due to noise or the like. Such an abnormality is difficult to determine and solve, with the technique described in PTL 1 described above.
[0009]
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator apparatus with the out-of-service condition being prevented from occurring as much as possible while ensuring safety when the open button is stuck.
Solution to Problem [0010]
To achieve the above-described object, an elevator apparatus according to the present invention includes a door opening/closing unit that opens/closes a door at an entrance/exit of a car, an open button that is provided in the car and outputs a door open command, a close button that is provided in the car and outputs a door close command, and a control device that controls the door opening/closing unit based on the door open command or the door close command received,

in which the control device opens the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, before the door open command is received for more than a predetermined period of time, and closes the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, after the door open command has been received for more than the predetermined period of time. [0011]
An elevator apparatus includes a door opening/closing unit that opens/closes a door at an entrance/exit of a car, an open button that is provided in the car and outputs a door open command, a close button that is provided in the car and outputs a door close command, a control device that controls the door opening/closing unit based on the door open command or the door close command received, and a passenger detecting unit that detects whether any passenger is present in the car, in which when there is no one in the car, the control device opens the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, before the door open command is received for more than a predetermined period of time, and closes the door, after the door open command has been received for more than the predetermined period of time.
Advantageous Effects of Invention [0012]

With the elevator apparatus according to the present invention, the out-of-service condition can be prevented from occurring as much as possible while ensuring safety when the open button is stuck. Problems, configurations, and advantageous effects other than those described above will be apparent from the following description on embodiments.
Brief Description of Drawings [0013]
[FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an elevator apparatus according to an embodiment.
[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by an elevator control device according to the embodiment.
Description of Embodiment [0014]
An elevator apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS 1 and 2. [0015]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of an elevator apparatus 100 according to an embodiment, extracting and illustrating a car

1 and an elevator control device 3. Note that known configurations in the technical field of elevator apparatuses, such as a hoistway, a winch, a main rope, a counterweight, and a guide rail are provided for the elevator apparatus 100 but will be omitted in the figure.
[0016]
As illustrated in the figure, the car 1 is provided with a passenger detection device 2 that detects whether any passenger is present in the car, an in-car operation panel 7 operated by the passenger, a door 8 that is provided at an entrance/exit of the car 1 to be openable/closable, and a door motor 9 that opens/closes the door 8. The in-car operation panel 7 is provided with an open button 4 for outputting a door open command, a close button 5 for outputting a door close command, and a car call button 6 for registering a destination floor. Here, a weighting device that measures the weight in the car 1 is described as an example of the passenger detection device 2. Alternatively, an in-car camera may be used for detecting whether any passenger is present.
[0017]
The elevator control device 3 controls the door motor 9 and a winch (not illustrated) according to signals from the passenger detection device 2 and the in-car operation panel 7. A transmission/reception unit 11, a stuck open button detecting unit 12, a timer 12a, a passenger presence/absence determining

unit 13, a forcibly door closing unit 14, a door closing speed changing unit 15, and a door open/close command priority changing unit 16 are provided inside the elevator control device 3. The elevator control device 3 implements functions of the stuck open button detecting unit 12 and the like, with a calculation device (CPU) executing a program, stored in a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and corresponding to the stuck open button detecting unit 12 and the like. However, the calculation device, the storage unit, and the like are omitted in FIG. 1. [0018]
Here, the stuck open button detecting unit 12 detects that the door open command has been continuously received for a predetermined period of time or more by using the timer 12a. The passenger presence/absence determining unit 13 determines whether any passenger is present in the car 1 based on a signal from the passenger detection device 2. The forcibly door closing unit 14 outputs a forcible door close command to forcibly close the door 8 when the open button is detected to be stuck with no passenger in the car 1. The door closing speed changing unit 15 makes the door closing speed of the door 8 slower than the rated speed when the door is forcibly closed. The door open/close command priority changing unit 16 raises the priority of the door close command over that of the door open command in a case that the open button is detected to be stuck

with a passenger in the car 1. [0019]
Next, a procedure of processing for preventing the out-of-service condition from occurring as much as possible while ensuring safety when the open button 4 is stuck will be described with reference to a flowchart in FIG. 2. [0020]
First of all, when the open button 4 becomes stuck for a certain reason (step SI) , the stuck open button detecting unit 12 uses the timer 12a to determine whether the door open command has been continuously received for a predetermined period of time (for example, one minute) or more. Until the open button 4 has continued to be stuck for the predetermined period of time (step S2 : NO) , the door open command is prioritized over other commands, like in conventional techniques, whereby the door open state is maintained. [0021]
On the other hand, when it is determined that the door open command has been continuously received for the predetermined period of time or more (step S2: YES), the passenger presence/absence determining unit 13 determines whether any passenger is present in the car 1 based on the signal from the passenger detection device 2 (step S3). [0022]
Then, when it is determined that no one is present in the

car 1 (step S3: NO), the forcibly door closing unit 14 outputs the forcible door close command in a state where the door closing speed of the door 8 is made slower than the rated speed through the door closing speed changing unit 15, to forcibly close the door 8 (step S4). During this forced door closing operation, a sensor around a door such as a safety shoe (not illustrated) is monitored (step S5) . When the sensor operates (step S5: YES) , such as in a case where, for example, a passenger who has rushed into the car 1 contacts the safety shoe, the door 8 is reversely operated to be opened (step S7) . Then, forced door closing is retried with the door closing speed of the door 8 made slower than the rated speed (step S4). On the other hand, when the sensor around the door does not operate (step S5: NO) , the door closing is completed (step S6) , the normal operation is resumed, and the car 1 is moved to the floor where a hall call has been made. [0023]
In this way, when the open button 4 has continued to be stuck for the predetermined period of time and there is no one in the car 1, the door is forcibly closed. Thus, the door can be closed with no worker dispatched from the monitoring center when the open button 4 is stuck due to a temporary factor such as noise. Thus, the elevator can be prevented from going out of service for a long period of time. Furthermore, the door is forcibly closed with the door closing speed of the door 8

made slower than the rated speed and the sensor around the door activated. Thus, necessary safety can be ensured even in a case where a passenger rushes in. Furthermore, even when the open button 4 is stuck due to factors such as mischief and poor product accuracy, it is possible to respond to calls and maintain predetermined serviceability.
[0024]
On the other hand, when the open button 4 has continued to be stuck for a predetermined period of time and there is a passenger in the car 1 (step S3: YES), the door open/close command priority changing unit 16 raises the priority of the door close command over that of the door open command, and activates the close button 5 (step S8) . At this time, the door 8 is in the door open state, but when the passenger in the car 1 presses the close button 5 (step S9: YES), the door closing is completed in response to the door close command output from the close button 5 (step S6). Thus, the normal operation is resumed, and the car 1 is moved to the floor designated by a car call.
[0025]
As described above, when an abnormality that the open button 4 continues to be stuck occurs, if a passenger is present in the car 1, the door is closed in response to an instruction from the passenger. As a result, a predetermined level of safety can be ensured. Thus, by enabling the passenger to close

the door with the priority of the close button 5 temporarily raised, the door can be closed with no worker dispatched from the monitoring center when the open button 4 is stuck due to a temporary factor such as noise. Thus, the elevator can be prevented from going out of service for a long period of time. Furthermore, even when the open button 4 is stuck due to factors such as mischief and poor product accuracy, it is possible to respond to calls and maintain predetermined serviceability. [0026]
According to the embodiment described above, the elevator control device 3 includes the stuck open button detecting unit 12 that detects that the door open command has been continuously received for a predetermined period of time or more, the forcibly door closing unit 14 that outputs the forcible door close command to forcibly close the door 8 when the open button is detected to be stuck with no passenger in the car 1, and the door open/close command priority changing unit 16 that raises the priority of the door close command over that of the door open command when the open button is detected to be stuck with a passenger in the car 1. Thus, the door is forcibly closed when the open button 4 is detected to be stuck with no passenger in the car 1. Furthermore, the close button 5 is activated when there is a passenger in the car 1. Thus, the stuck open button 4 due to a temporary factor such as noise can be fixed without a manual operation. Thus, the elevator apparatus can be

prevented from going out of service for a long period of time.
[0027]
Furthermore, even when the open button 4 is stuck due to factors such as mischief and poor product accuracy, it is possible to respond to calls and maintain predetermined serviceability. Thus, the out-of-service condition can be prevented from occurring as much as possible while ensuring safety when the open button 4 is stuck, whereby a higher serviceability can be achieved.
[0028]
The elevator control device 3 further includes the door closing speed changing unit 15 that makes the door closing speed of the door 8 slower than the rated speed when the door is forcibly closed. Thus, safety can be ensured when the door is forcibly closed.
[0029]
The embodiment of the elevator apparatus according to the present invention has been described above, together with its operations and effects. However, the elevator apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention described in the claims. Reference Signs List
[0030]

100 elevator apparatus
1 car
2 passenger detection device
3 elevator control device
4 open button
5 close button
6 car call button
7 in-car operation panel
8 door
9 door motor

11 transmission/reception unit
12 stuck open button detecting unit 12a timer
13 passenger presence/absence determining unit
14 forcibly door closing unit
15 door closing speed changing unit
16 door open/close command priority changing unit

WE CLAIM:

An elevator apparatus comprising:
a door opening/closing unit that opens/closes a door at an entrance/exit of a car;
an open button that is provided in the car and outputs a door open command;
a close button that is provided in the car and outputs a door close command; and
a control device that controls the door opening/closing unit based on the door open command or the door close command received, wherein
the control device
opens the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, before the door open command is received for more than a predetermined period of time, and
closes the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, after the door open command has been received for more than the predetermined period of time. [Claim 2]
An elevator apparatus comprising:
a door opening/closing unit that opens/closes a door at an entrance/exit of a car;

an open button that is provided in the car and outputs a door open command;
a close button that is provided in the car and outputs a door close command;
a control device that controls the door opening/closing unit based on the door open command or the door close command received; and
a passenger detecting unit that detects whether any passenger is present in the car, wherein
when there is no one in the car, the control device
opens the door when the door close command is received in addition to the door open command, before the door open command is received for more than a predetermined period of time, and
closes the door, after the door open command has been received for more than the predetermined period of time. [Claim 3]
The elevator apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a door closing speed of the door after the door open command has been received for more than the predetermined period of time is slower than a door closing speed of the door in a normal state. [Claim 4]
An elevator apparatus comprising:
an open button that is provided in a car and outputs a

door open command;
a close button that is provided in the car and outputs a door close command; and
an elevator control device that performs open/close control on a door provided at an entrance/exit, wherein
priority of the door open command is set to be higher than priority of the door close command in a normal operation state, and
the elevator control device includes
a stuck open button detecting unit that detects that the door open command has been continuously received for a predetermined period of time or more;
a forcibly door closing unit that outputs a forcible door close command to forcibly close the door when the open button is detected to be stuck with no passenger in the car; and
a door open/close command priority changing unit that raises the priority of the door close command over the priority of the door open command when the open button is detected to be stuck with a passenger in the car.