Monitoring device for drive equipment for elevators

• US 6,422,350 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Erker, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/677,253
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 187/277-299, 187/391-394, 318/565, 318/434, 361/23-34
• US Class Current: 187/277
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/308 with AC powered elevator drive
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0006 Monitoring devices or performance analysers B66B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/0037 Performance analysers

Abstract

A definite switching-off of drive equipment for elevators is accomplished with a control at an input side external of a frequency changer power unit that ascertains the presence or the absence of monitoring signals which are derived from the mains voltage at the input of the frequency changer power unit. Upon ascertaining the presence of one or more such signals when the drive is at standstill, the input side control interrupts the energy flow to the frequency changer power unit by generating a switching-off signal to a switching device to disconnect the mains voltage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring elevator drive equipment, the drive equipment including a switching device having an input for connection to a plural phase alternating current power source, an elevator drive motor and a power supply unit connected between the switching device and the drive motor for providing electrical power to the drive motor, comprising:

a monitoring means for sensing a condition representing current flow in an output of a switching device and in an input of a power supply unit connected to the switching device output; and

an input side control having an input for receiving said monitoring signals generated by said monitoring means, and having an output for generating switching-off signals when an elevator drive motor connected to the power supply unit is in a standstill condition whereby when said output of said input side control is connected to the switching device, the switching device responds to said switching-off signals by disconnecting the switching device from the power supply unit.

2. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 including a separate one of said monitoring signals for each phase of an alternating current power source connected to the input of the switching device and a separate one of said switching-off signals corresponding to each of said monitoring signals wherein the switching device disconnects each of the phases in response to a corresponding one of said switching-off signals.

3. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 the switching device includes a single-phase relay for each of the power source phases and said monitoring means includes an answering-back means associated with each of the relays for generating said monitoring signals.

4. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the switching device includes an intrinsically safe semiconductor relay for each of the power source phases and said monitoring means includes a signaling output of each of the relays for generating said monitoring signals.

5. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the switching device includes controlled direct current rectifier diodes for each of the power source phase integrated with direct current rectifier diodes in an active bridge in the power supply unit and said monitoring means includes a sensor in each branch of the bridge for generating said monitoring signals.

6. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said sensors are current sensors.

7. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said current sensors are one of a Hall sensor and a current measuring coil.

8. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said input side control is included in an elevator control.

9. An elevator drive apparatus comprising:

a switching device having an input for connection to a plural phase alternating current power source and having an output and being responsive to switching-off signals for disconnecting said input from said output;

a power supply unit having an input connected to said switching device output and having an output for connection to an elevator drive motor;

a monitoring means connected to at least one of said switching device and said power supply unit for sensing a condition representing current flow in said switching device output and in said power supply unit input; and

an input side control connected to said monitoring means and to said switching device for switching on and off said switching device, said input side control generating said switching-off signals in response to receiving monitoring signals when an elevator drive motor connected to said power supply unit is in a standstill condition.

10. The elevator drive apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said power supply unit includes one of frequency changer power unit and a static transformer connected to said switching device output.

11. The elevator drive apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said monitoring signals each represent an individual phase of power source at said switching device input and said input side control switches off said switching device by phase in response to corresponding ones of said monitoring signals.

12. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said switching device includes a single-phase relay for each of the power source phases and said monitoring means includes an answering-back means associated with each of the relays for generating said monitoring signals.

13. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said switching device includes an intrinsically safe semiconductor relay for each of the power source phases and said monitoring means includes a signaling output of each of the relays for generating said monitoring signals.

14. The monitoring apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said switching device includes controlled direct current rectifier diodes for each of the power source phase integrated with direct current rectifier diodes in an active bridge in said power supply unit and said monitoring means includes a sensor in each branch of said bridge for generating said monitoring signals.