Elevator arrangement

• US 20090120725A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Kattainen, Ari, Syrman, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 7,896,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/276
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/30 effective on driving gear , e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons

Abstract

The present invention discloses an arrangement and a method for controlling the power supply of the load of an elevator system. The arrangement comprises at least a monitoring unit (40) and at least one controllable power source (41), which controllable power source (41) is fitted between the load (2, 12, 13) of the elevator system and the monitoring unit (40) such that the power supply of the load (2, 12, 13) of the elevator system can be controlled by means of a control signal transmitted to the controllable power source (41) by the monitoring unit (40). The monitoring unit (40) according to the invention contains at least one input for determining the status of at least one safety switch (11) of the elevator system. On the basis of the status of the safety switch a control signal (47) either comprised of pulses or in a static state is sent with the monitoring unit (40) to at least one controllable power source (41).

Claims

1. Arrangement for controlling the power supply of the load of an elevator system, which arrangement comprises at least a monitoring unit and at least one controllable power source, which controllable power source is fitted between the load of the elevator system and the monitoring unit such that the power supply of the load of the elevator system can be controlled by means of a control signal transmitted to the controllable power source by the monitoring unit, wherein the monitoring unit contains at least one input for determining the status of the safety switch of the elevator system and in that the monitoring unit is fitted to send to at least one controllable power source on the basis of the status of the safety switch either a control signal comprised of pulses for supplying power to at least one load or a control signal in a static state for preventing the power supply of at least one load.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the load referred to is the coil of the holding brake of the elevator.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit contains an input for the first channel for monitoring the safety switches of the elevator shaft and an input for the second channel for monitoring the safety switches of the elevator car.

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the means for transmitting power to the load are arranged to transmit power only when the power source receives a control signal, which is comprised of a sequence of pulses possessing a certain pulse frequency.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit comprises means for producing a control signal comprised of pulses in a programmed manner.

6. Arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the power supplied to the load can be controlled by means of the pulse ratio of the control signal.

7. Arrangement according to 1, wherein the arrangement comprises means for monitoring the power supply of the load.

8. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement comprises means for regulating the power of the load.

9. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement further comprises a second monitoring unit (40B).

10. Arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the monitoring units comprise means for monitoring the operation of the other monitoring unit.

19. Arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring unit contains an input for the first channel for monitoring the safety switches of the elevator shaft and an input for the second channel for monitoring the safety switches of the elevator car.

20. Arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the means for transmitting power to the load are arranged to transmit power only when the power source receives a control signal, which is comprised of a sequence of pulses possessing a certain pulse frequency.

11. Method for controlling the power supply of a load in an elevator system, which elevator system comprises at least a monitoring unit and at least one controllable power source, which controllable power source is fitted between the load of the elevator system and the monitoring unit, according to which method the power supply of the load of the elevator system is controlled by means of a control signal transmitted to the controllable power source by the monitoring unit, wherein

with the monitoring unit the status of at least one safety switch of the elevator system is determined.

on the basis of the status of the safety switch either a control signal comprised of pulses for supplying power to at least one load is sent with the monitoring unit to at least one controllable power source or

on the basis of the status of the safety switch a control signal in a static state for preventing the power supply of at least one load is sent with the monitoring unit to at least one controllable power source.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein power is supplied to the load only when the control signal is composed of a sequence of pulses possessing a certain pulse frequency.

13. Method according to claim 11, wherein the power supplied to the load is controlled by means of the pulse ratio of the control signal.

14. Method according to claim 11, wherein the method further includes the phase:

the power supplied to the load is monitored.

15. Method according to claim 11, wherein the method further includes the phases:

the status of the load is monitored and

the status of the load is compared to the status required by the control

16. Method according to claim 15, wherein the method further includes the phase:

the power supplied to the load is regulated.

17. Method according to claim 11, wherein the method further includes the phase:

the status of the safety circuit is monitored with two monitoring units.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein the monitoring units are arranged to monitor the operation of each other.