ELECTRICITY SUPPLY APPARATUS AND AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

• US 20130133987A1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: MANFREDI, Mirco, RUGGIERI, Sara Maria Rosaria, PILONE, Alessandro, DONGHI, Claudio, BURRONI, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 187/393
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/28 electrical detecting excessive speed B66B5/04 ; control of electrical motor H02P
• 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 1/302 for energy saving
• 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: H02M 5/12 for conversion of voltage or current amplitude only

Abstract

The invention relates to an electricity supply apparatus, an elevator system and a method for limiting the electricity consumption of an elevator system. The electricity supply apparatus according to the invention is fitted to supply electricity to one or more devices in an elevator system. The minimum value of the permitted supply voltage with which the apparatus still operates is determined for one or more appliances of the elevator system, and the electricity supply apparatus is equipped to change the supply voltage of the one or more appliances of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting electricity consumption of the elevator system.

Claims

1. Electricity supply apparatus, which is adapted to supply electricity to one or more devices in an elevator system;

wherein a minimum value of the permitted supply voltage with which the device still operates is determined for one or more devices of the elevator system;

and in that the electricity supply apparatus is configured to change the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.

2. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1, which apparatus comprises two outputs, and which electricity supply apparatus is configured to supply a constant voltage via the first output of said two outputs to one or more devices of the elevator system and also simultaneously to change the voltage to be supplied to one or more devices of the elevator system via the second output towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage.

3. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 comprising:

a transformer, which comprises a primary and a secondary, which secondary is connected to the electricity supply of one or more devices of the elevator system;

tap switches connected to the taps of the transformer;

a controller, which is arranged to use the tap switches for changing the supply voltage of one or more of the aforementioned devices of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage.

4. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the primary of the transformer is connected to the alternating electricity source of the elevator.

5. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tap switches are connected to the taps of the primary of the transformer.

6. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the tap switches are connected to the taps of the secondary of the transformer.

7. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the transformer also comprises a separate secondary, which is connected without tap switches to the electricity supply of one or more devices of the elevator system.

8. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an input for the control signal of the power-saving mode.

9. Electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1 comprising an input for data about the voltage of the alternating electricity source of the elevator.

10. Elevator system, which comprises means for setting the operating mode of the elevator system;

wherein the elevator system comprises an electricity supply apparatus according to claim 1;

and in that the electricity supply apparatus is arranged in a certain operating mode of the elevator system to change the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.

11. Elevator system according to claim 10, wherein the electricity supply apparatus is during a standstill of the elevator arranged to change the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.

12. Elevator system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the electricity supply apparatus (1) is during standby mode of the elevator arranged to change the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.

13. Elevator system according to claim 10, which system comprises an elevator control unit for controlling the operation of the elevator as a response to elevator calls, and in which elevator system the electricity supply apparatus is arranged to change the supply voltage of the elevator control unit towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.

14. Method for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system, in which method:

the operating mode of the elevator system is set

wherein

the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage with which the device still operates is determined for the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system;

the supply voltage of one or more devices of the elevator system is adjusted in a certain operating mode towards the minimum value of the permitted supply voltage for limiting the electricity consumption of the elevator system.