UNINTENDED MOVEMENT GOVERNOR

• US 20090288920A1
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Kattainen, Ari, Valjus, Petteri
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/287
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/32 effective on braking devices , e.g. acting on electrically controlled brakes brake control H02P, lift brakes per se B66B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/0293 Suspension locking or inhibiting means to avoid movement when car is stopped at a floor locking car to building while loading to avoid movement B66B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 19/007 method for modernisation of elevators
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0031 for safety reasons
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/04 for detecting excessive speed
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/06 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/18 and applying frictional retarding forces

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic unintended movement governor, which comprises an input for car position data, means for determining the speed of the elevator car, a plurality of limit values for permitted movement of the elevator car, such as the limit value of the maximum permitted speed of the elevator car, and which unintended movement governor also comprises overspeed monitoring for controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car when the speed of the elevator car exceeds the limit value of the maximum permitted speed. The unintended movement governor comprises at least two separate controls for controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car. Additionally, the invention relates to a method for controlling the aforementioned electronic unintended movement governor.

Claims

1. An electronic unintended movement governor, comprising:

an input for car position data;

a device that determines the speed of the elevator;

a plurality of limit values for permitted movement of the elevator car, including a limit value of the maximum permitted speed of the elevator;

an overspeed monitoring device that controls at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car when the speed of the elevator car exceeds the limit value of the maximum permitted speed,

wherein the limit values for the permitted movement of the elevator car comprise a limit value for the distance traveled by the elevator car as well as a time delay, and the electronic unintended movement governor further comprises a device that determines the distance traveled by the elevator car as well as at least two separate controls that control a stopping appliance of the elevator car, said at least two separate controls comprising;

a first control for immediately controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car; and

a second control for controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car when the distance traveled by the elevator car and/or the time delay exceeds a predefined limit value,

and wherein the control of the stopping appliance of the elevator car comprises a control of the machinery brake as well as the disconnection of the power input circuit of the motor.

2. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises a first input for a first activation signal, with which the first control for immediately controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car is activated, and a second input for a second activation signal, with which the second control for controlling the stopping appliance of the elevator car when the distance traveled by the elevator car and/or the time delay exceeds a predefined limit value.

3. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an input for the mode signal of the elevator system, which mode signal comprises at least information about the service drive mode of the elevator system.

4. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an output for the signal, which indicates the elevator car speed data and/or the elevator car position data.

5. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an output for the signal indicating the operating status of the unintended movement governor.

6. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises a non-volatile memory, in which at least information about drive prevention of the elevator is recorded.

7. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein in connection with the unintended movement governor is a manually-operated switch for resetting drive prevention of the elevator.

8. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the limit values for permitted movement of the elevator shaft comprise first limit values for the extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft in service drive mode as well as second limit values for the extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft in normal drive mode, and in that the first limit values restrict the extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft farther from the ends of the shaft than the second limit values to ensure an adequate and safe service space in the elevator shaft in service drive mode.

9. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the input for car position data comprises an input for the end limit identifier data of the elevator shaft.

10. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the limit values for permitted movement comprise limit values for the extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft during construction-time use.

11. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an input for two car position data that are independent of each other and/or for two car speed data that are independent of each other.

12. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises a device that locks the wheel of the mechanical overspeed governor.

13. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises means a device that controls the braking appliance connected to the guide rail.

19. The unintended movement governor according to claim 2, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an input for the mode signal of the elevator system, which mode signal comprises at least information about the service drive mode of the elevator system.

20. The unintended movement governor according to claim 2, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises an output for the signal, which indicates the elevator car speed data and/or the elevator car position data.

14. A method for controlling an electronic unintended movement governor, said method comprising the steps of:

measuring the position data of the elevator car and possibly the speed data of the elevator car,

determining the speed data of the elevator car on the basis of the measurement and comparing the speed data to the limit value for the maximum permitted speeds when the speed exceeds the maximum permitted limit value controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car;

controlling at least the machinery brake and disconnecting the power input circuit immediately when the first control is activated or when the second control is activated determining the passage of the time delay and after the time;

determining the distance traveled by the elevator car by measuring the change in the car position data; and

controlling at least the machinery brake and disconnecting the power input circuit when the distance traveled exceeds the predefined limit value for distance.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the phases steps of:

reading the first and the second activation signal;

activating a first control for immediately controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator according to the first activation signal;

or

activating a second control for controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car according to the second activation signal; and

controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car when the distance traveled by the elevator car and a possible time delay exceed the predefined limit values.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

reading information about the position of the elevator car in the elevator shaft;

reading a mode signal of the elevator system and on the basis of the signal deducing the mode of the elevator system;

controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car as follows;

in service drive mode comparing the position data of the elevator car to the extreme limits for movement in the elevator shaft in service drive mode and when it is detected that the elevator car has arrived at the extreme limit controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car according to, optionally, the first control or the second control; and

in normal drive mode comparing the position data of the elevator car is to the extreme limits for movement in the elevator shaft in normal drive mode and when it is detected that the elevator car has arrived at the extreme limit controlling at least one stopping appliance of the elevator car according to the first control.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the method comprises a non-volatile memory as well as a manually-operated switch and the method further comprises the steps of:

after the control of the stopping appliance of the elevator car preventing the next run by switching to the drive prevented mode of the unintended movement governor and by recording this information in the non-volatile memory of the unintended movement governor and

reading the manually-operated switch and when the position of the switch is changed to allow cancellation of prevention mode cancelling the drive prevented mode.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

when the unintended movement governor has switched to drive prevented mode sending information about the drive prevented mode as an output signal, which indicates the operating status of the unintended movement governor and

when the unintended movement governor has switched to drive permitted mode sending information about the drive permitted mode as an output signal, which indicates the operating status of the unintended movement governor.