Apparatus for performing a rescue run in an elevator system by selecting rescue functions to utilize to perform the rescue run and a method of performing same

• US 10,189,676 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Hovi, Antti, Kattainen, Ari, Ketonen, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/944,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20160068368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187380-388, 187391-393, 187288, 187290, 187313, 187316
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/06 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/343 Fault-tolerant or redundant control system configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/027 to permit passengers to leave an elevator car in case of failure, e.g. moving the car to a reference floor or unlocking the door

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for performing a rescue run with an elevator. In the method information is received from the sensors measuring the operation of the elevator about the points being measured with the sensors in question, one or more rescue run functions are selected on the basis of information received from the sensors, and also a rescue run, including the selected one or more rescue run functions, is performed.

Claims

1. A method for performing a rescue run, the method comprising:

receiving information from sensors measuring an operation of an elevator about points being measured with the sensors;

reading, from a non-volatile memory device, rescue run functions that are selectable to perform the rescue run;

automatically selecting one or more of the rescue run functions based on information received from the sensors; and

performing the rescue run including the selected one or more rescue run functions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information during the rescue run from one or more sensors measuring the operation of the elevator; and

interrupting the rescue run if the measured operation of the elevator differs from that desired.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensors include one or more safety contacts and/or a series circuit of the one or more safety contacts.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

bypassing the one or more safety contacts for a duration of the rescue run based on the information received from the sensors.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

recording a malfunction of the elevator relating to a bypassed safety contact in non-volatile memory; and

prevent, based on the malfunction of the elevator recorded in the non-volatile memory, a run with the elevator after the rescue run has been performed.

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring a presence of an object in a door opening of an elevator hoistway with the sensors measuring the operation of the elevator;

measuring, via the safety contact associated with a landing door, which door opening is open; and

bypassing the safety contact of the landing door that is open for a duration of the rescue run, if the door opening of the elevator hoistway is free.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

monitoring a presence of an object in a door opening of a car door with one or more sensors measuring the operation of the elevator

the safety contact of the car door that is open is bypassed for a duration of the rescue run, if the door opening of the car door is free.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

selecting a drive direction of an elevator car based on information received from the sensors.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

starting a run based on the information received from the sensors, for driving an elevator car with an elevator motor according to a speed reference to an exit floor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

starting a run for driving the elevator car by gravity to the exit floor, if a run in a direction of travel brought about by gravity is possible based on the information received from the sensors.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein:

starting a run for driving the elevator car by gravity to the exit floor, if the run with the elevator motor fails.

12. An apparatus for performing a rescue run in an elevator system including an elevator car, an electrically operated hoisting machine configured to drive the elevator car, one or more electromagnetic machinery brakes;

a brake controller configured to open the one or more electromagnetic machinery brakes by supplying current to the electromagnets of the machinery brakes, and to apply the electromagnetic machinery brakes to brake the electrically operated hoisting machine by disconnecting the current supply of electromagnets associated with the electromagnetic machinery brakes, a reserve power drive configured to supply electric power to the one or more electromagnetic machinery brakes during an electricity outage of the elevator, a drive unit configured to control movement of the elevator by supplying electric power from the main supply of the elevator to the electrically operated hoisting machine;

wherein the apparatus comprises;

sensors measuring an operation of the elevator; and

an electronic safety controller configured to,

receive information about points being measured from the sensors,

read, from a non-volatile memory device, rescue run functions that are selectable to perform the rescue run,

select one or more of the rescue run functions based on information received from the sensors, and

perform the rescue run including the selected one or more rescue run functions.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller comprises:

two safety outputs controllable independently of each other, the two safety outputs including,

a first safety output connected to,

the drive unit such that the first safety output is configured to disconnect the current supply from the main supply of the elevator to the electrically operated hoisting machine, and

a brake controller such that the first safety output is configured to disconnect the current supply from the main supply of the elevator to the electromagnets of the one or more machinery brakes, and

a second safety output connected to a brake controller, the second safety output configured to disconnect the current supply from the reserve power drive to the electromagnets of the one or more electromagnetic machinery brakes.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to,

select one or more of the rescue run functions based on the information received from the sensors, and

form a control command for performing the rescue run, including the selected one or more rescue run functions.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to,

receive information during the rescue run from one or more sensors measuring the operation of the elevator, and

interrupt the rescue run if the measured operation of the elevator differs from that desired.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises:

an elevator control unit configured to form a speed reference of the elevator car; and

wherein

the electronic safety controller is configured to form, based on the information received from the sensors, a control command for driving the elevator car with an elevator motor according to the speed reference to an exit floor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to form a control command for driving the elevator car by gravity to an exit floor, if a run in a direction of travel brought about by gravity is possible based on the information received from the sensors.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to form the control command for driving the elevator car by gravity to the exit floor, if the run with an elevator motor according to a speed reference has failed.

19. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sensors measuring the operation of the elevator comprise one or more safety contacts and/or a series circuit of the one or more safety contacts.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to bypass the one or more safety contacts for a duration of the rescue run on based on information received from the sensors.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to,

record in non-volatile memory a malfunction of the elevator relating to a bypassed safety contact, and

prevent, based on the malfunction of the elevator recorded in non-volatile memory, a run with the elevator after the rescue run has been performed.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to,

monitor with one or more sensors measuring the operation of the elevator a presence of an object in a door opening of an elevator hoistway, the one or more safety contacts associated with a landing door measuring which door opening is open, and also

bypass for a duration of the rescue run the one or more safety contacts of the landing door that is open, if the door opening of the elevator hoistway is free.

23. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to

measure with one or more sensors measuring the operation of the elevator a presence of an object in an open door opening of a car door, and

bypass, for a duration of the rescue run, one or more safety contacts of the car door that is open, if the door opening of the car door is free.

24. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electronic safety controller is configured to select a drive direction of the elevator car based on information received from the sensors.