Frequency converter

• US 8,179,077 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abb Oy (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Abb Oy (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Kangas, Jani
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Rina
• Application Number:
  US12/245,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20090096408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 318/569, 318/600, 318/632, 318/461
• US Class Current: 318/632
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/00 Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a frequency converter comprising electric power supply devices for supplying electric power to an electric motor (26) to be connected to the frequency converter, a controller configured to control the electric power supply. In order to control the electric power supply, the frequency converter comprises a joystick (22) for conveying control signals to the controller, the joystick (22) comprising an acceleration sensor for registering movements of the joystick (22) and for generating control signals representing the movements, and a switch (24) for triggering a control cycle during which the controller receives the control signals generated by the joystick (22) for utilizing the control signals in controlling of the electric power supply.

Claims

1. A frequency converter comprising:

electric power supply devices for supplying electric power to an electric motor to be connected to the frequency converter;

a controller configured to control the electric power supply;

a joystick for conveying control signals to the controller, the joystick comprising an acceleration sensor for registering movements of the joystick and for generating control signals representing the movements;

a switch for triggering a control cycle during which the controller receives the control signals generated by the joystick and stores the control signals in a memory; and

a display and a keypad for browsing and modifying the control signals stored in the memory for utilizing the modified control signals later in controlling of the electric power supply.

2. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller utilizes the control signals for changing the electric power supply in real-time in a manner indicated by the control signals.

3. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide a user with a user interface, by using the display and the keypad, to browse and modify the control signals for multiplying a speed of a sequence of movements indicated by the control signals.

4. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 3, wherein the switch has an alternative position for triggering utilization of the control signals stored in the memory in controlling the electric power supply.

5. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predetermined trigger condition is stored in the memory, and the frequency converter is configured to control the electric power supply in accordance with a sequence of movements formed by such control signals and stored in the memory when the controller identifies the trigger condition by control signals conveyed from the joystick.

6. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is a three-axle acceleration sensor which three-dimensionally registers the movements of the joystick.

7. A frequency controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the joystick comprises a transmitter which, via a wireless connection, transmits control signals to a receiver arranged in connection with the controller.