Unintended movement governor

• US 7,775,330 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Kattainen, Ari, Valjus, Petteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata; Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/536,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20090288920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 187/277, 187/284, 187/286, 187/287, 187/288, 187/289, 187/291, 187/305, 187391-393
• US Class Current: 187/393
• 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

An electronic unintended movement governor is disclosed, which includes an input for car position data, a device 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 provides 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 includes at least two separate controls for controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car. Additionally, a method for controlling the aforementioned electronic unintended movement governor is disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic unintended movement governor for an elevator system that includes an elevator car, a mechanical overspeed governor and at least one mechanical overspeed governor controlled stopping appliance, comprising:

an input for elevator car position data;

a device that determines the speed of the elevator car;

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

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, a timer, and 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 the mechanical overspeed governor to control 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 a machinery brake as well as a disconnection of a power input circuit of an elevator car drive 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 is activated 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 a service drive mode of the elevator system.

4. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises a signal output, 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 a signal output 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, which is adapted to record at least information about drive prevention of the elevator.

7. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, further comprising in connection with the unintended movement governor a manually-operated switch for setting a drive prevention mode 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 extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft in a service drive mode as well as second limit values for extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in the elevator shaft in a normal drive mode, and wherein 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 do the second limit values to ensure a service space in the elevator shaft in the service drive mode.

9. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, further comprising an input for car position data that comprises an input for an 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 extreme limits of movement of the elevator car in an 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 a mechanical overspeed governor.

13. The unintended movement governor according to claim 1, wherein the unintended movement governor comprises a device that controls a 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 a mode signal of the elevator system, which mode signal comprises at least information about a 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 a 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 for an elevator system that includes an elevator car, a mechanical overspeed governor and at least one mechanical overspeed governor controlled stopping appliance, said method comprising the steps of:

measuring position data of an elevator car and speed data of the elevator car;

comparing the speed data to a limit value for a maximum permitted elevator car speed;

when the measured elevator car speed exceeds the maximum permitted elevator car limit value, controlling at least one mechanical overspeed governor controlled stopping appliance of the elevator car;

controlling at least an elevator car brake and disconnecting a power input circuit for an elevator drive motor immediately when a first control for immediately controlling a stopping appliance of the elevator car is activated or when a second control for controlling the mechanical overspeed governor to control at least one mechanical governor controlled stopping appliance when the distance traveled by the elevator car and/or a time delay value exceeds a predefined limit value is activated determining the passage of the time delay and after the time;

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

controlling at least the elevator car 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 steps of:

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

in a normal drive mode comparing the position information of the elevator car to extreme limits for movement in the elevator shaft in a normal drive mode and,

when it is detected that the elevator car has arrived at an extreme limit, controlling at least one mechanical governor controlled stopping appliance of the elevator car according to the first control.

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

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

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

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

measuring position data of the elevator car and 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 a limit value for the maximum permitted speed;

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 appliance 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;

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

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

wherein the method comprises a non-volatile memory as well as a manually-operated switch and the method further comprises the steps of;

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

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