Passenger conveyor with deep sleep mode

• US 10,167,172 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Raassina, Pasi, Jokinen, Risto, Vairio, Olavi, Lahtinen, Ari-Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Harp, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/653,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20180086606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/34 Details , e.g. call counting devices, data transmission from car to control system, devices giving information to the control system
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 25/00 Control of escalators or moving walkways walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26; of general application G05
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 27/00 Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways of general application G08
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/12 using one transmitter and one receiver

Abstract

A passenger conveyor may include a conveyor motor controlled by a conveyor control via a motor drive, the motor drive including a frequency converter with a rectifier bridge, an intermediate DC circuit and a converter bridge connected with the conveyor motor. The rectifier bridge is configured to be connected to mains via at least one relay, which relay is controlled by the conveyor control, the conveyor comprises a deep sleep mode, in which the frequency converter as well as at least a major part of conveyor control is switched off. The intermediate DC circuit forms the power supply for the conveyor control. During the activation of the deep sleep mode, the conveyor control is configured to open the relay, whereby at least one signal circuit of the conveyor is configured to remain powered at least during the deep sleep mode.

Claims

1. A passenger conveyor comprising:

a conveyor motor;

a motor drive configured to drive the conveying motor, the motor drive including,

a frequency converter with a rectifier bridge, the rectifier bridge connected to mains via at least one relay,

an intermediate DC circuit, and

a converter bridge connected with the conveyor motor;

a conveying controller configured to control the passenger conveyor by setting the passenger conveyor to a deep sleep mode by opening a main relay and a charging relay of the at least one relay to switch off the frequency converter and at least a portion of the conveying controller;

a signaling circuit configured to remain powered during the deep sleep mode; and

a wake-up circuit connected to the signaling circuit, the wake-up circuit configured to remain powered at least during the deep sleep mode, the wake-up circuit configured to close the charging relay in response to a signal from the signaling circuit.

2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein

the charging relay is configured to charge a capacitor associated with the intermediate DC circuit, the charging relay including at least one current limiting component connected to a charging relay switch.

3. The passenger conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the current limiting component is a PTC thermistor connected in series with the charging relay switch.

4. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor controller is configured to automatically re-start and to close the main relay after the charging relay is closed.

5. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the wake-up circuit comprises:

a power supply.

6. The passenger conveyor according to claim 5, wherein the power supply is a transformer connected to the mains.

7. The passenger conveyor according to claim 6, wherein the transformer has a power consumption of less than 10 W.

8. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the signaling circuit is connected to one or more call giving devices of the passenger conveyor.

9. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the signaling circuit is connected to a remote monitoring center of the passenger conveyor.

10. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the signaling circuit is connected with a signal generating device.

11. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor controller is configured to activate the deep sleep mode after no call has been issued for a set time period.

12. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor controller is configured to activate the deep sleep mode based on the prevailing time.

13. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the charging relay is connected in parallel to the main relay.

14. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the passenger conveyor is configured to automatically restart the conveyor controller by closing the main relay connecting the rectifier bridge with the mains after charging up the intermediate DC circuit.

15. A method for operating a passenger conveyor comprising:

setting, via a conveying controller, the passenger conveyor to a deep sleep mode by opening a main relay and a charging relay to switch off a frequency converter and at least a portion of the conveying controller while continuing to supply power to at least one signaling circuit of the passenger conveyor;

receiving a wake-up signal from the signaling circuit; and

charging an intermediate DC circuit by closing the charging relay to charge the intermediate DC circuit in response to receipt of the wake-up signal from the signaling circuit.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the charging relay includes a current limiting component.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating the wake-up signal in response to one or more of,

issuance of a call by a call giving device,

receipt of a remote monitoring signal, and

issuance of an operation anomaly signal by a monitoring circuit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the passenger conveyor includes a conveyor motor, a motor drive, the conveying controller, the signaling circuit and a wake-up circuit, the motor drive including the frequency converter with a rectifier bridge, an intermediate DC circuit, and a converter bridge connected with the conveyor motor, the rectifier bridge connected to mains via the main relay.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

automatically restarting the conveyor controller by closing the main relay connecting a rectifier bridge with mains after charging up the intermediate DC circuit.