Elevator system with a brake control circuit using a controllable switch switched with short pulses

• US 8,235,180 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Kattainen, Ari, Laaksonheimo, Jyrki
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US13/188,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20110278099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 187/277, 187/286, 187/287, 187/288, 187/289, 187/293, 187/296, 187/297, 187391-393, 218/376, 218799-815
• US Class Current: 187/288
• 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 5/02 responsive to abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 5/06 electrical

Abstract

An elevator system and a brake control circuit include a first switch that controls the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, which switch is connected in a controlled manner with the control of the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, and thus the braking function is controlled.

Claims

1. A brake control circuit, comprising:

a first controllable switch that controls electricity supply of a winding of a brake, wherein the first controllable switch is switched in a controlled manner with short pulses by a control circuit of the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, and thus the braking function is controlled; and

a second controllable switch, wherein the first controllable switch, the winding of the brake and the second controllable switch are electrically connected in series, and the first controllable switch and the second controllable switch are electrically connected to opposite ends of the winding of the brake, respectively.

5. The brake control circuit according to claim 1, wherein a current of the brake is adjusted towards a set reference current by switching the first controllable switch with the short pulses.

6. The brake control circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the second controllable switch, when controlling the brake, is kept continuously closed at the same time as the first controllable switch is switched with the short pulses;

and

the electricity supply from an intermediate circuit to the winding of the brake is arranged to be disconnected by opening the second controllable switch.

7. The brake control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second controllable switches are arranged to be controlled based on status data of a safety circuit of the elevator.

8. The brake control circuit according to claim 1, wherein when detecting a line-to-earth short-circuit of the brake only the first switch is closed, and the line-to-earth short-circuit is in this case determined based on a current flowing through the first switch.

9. A elevator system, comprising:

a movement control system, which adjusts movement of the elevator car according to a set reference current, and

a brake control circuit according to claim 1, for controlling the brake of the elevator.

10. The elevator system according to claim 9, further comprising a safety circuit, wherein the safety circuit detects an operating condition of the movement control system and initiates an emergency stop based on the detected operating condition of the movement control system.

11. The elevator system according to claim 10, wherein when the detected operating condition of the movement control system is abnormal, the safety circuit disconnects the electricity supply to the winding of the brake by opening the first controllable switch and the second controllable switch.

12. The elevator system according to claim 10, wherein when the detected operating condition of the movement control system is normal, the safety circuit permits electricity supply to the winding of the brake with the control of the first controllable switch and the second controllable switch;

and

the movement control system regulates by the brake control circuit the movement of the elevator car during the emergency stop by adjusting the current of the winding of the brake and thus a braking force of the brake of the elevator so that a speed of the elevator car approaches a set reference speed.

13. The elevator system according to claim 9, wherein the motor control unit of the elevator comprises a non-volatile memory, in which the parameters of the brake are stored, wherein the parameters include at least a set reference current of the winding of the brake, and a limit value for a voltage of the winding of the brake that corresponds to the set reference current of the winding of the brake, and

wherein the parameters are transferred from a motor control unit to the brake control circuit via a communications channel between the motor control unit and the brake control circuit.

14. The elevator system according to claim 13, wherein the voltage of the winding of the brake is limited to the limit value for the voltage of the winding of the brake at any given time with the control of the first controllable switch.

19. A method for controlling the brake of the elevator, comprising the steps of:

providing a movement control system into the elevator;

adjusting a speed of the elevator car according to a set reference speed;

providing a brake control circuit according to claim 1 into the elevator system; and

controlling the brake of the elevator with the brake control circuit.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether the operating condition of the movement control system is normal or abnormal, and

initiating an emergency stop when it is determined that the operating condition of the movement control system is abnormal,

wherein the movement of the elevator car during the emergency stop is regulated with the movement control system by the brake control circuit by adjusting the current of the winding of the brake and thus a braking force of the brake of the elevator so that a speed of the elevator car approaches a set reference speed.

2. A brake control circuit, comprising:

a first controllable switch that controls electricity supply of a winding of the brake, wherein the first controllable switch is switched in a controlled manner with short pulses by a control circuit of the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, and thus the braking function is controlled,

wherein after the electricity supply of the winding of the brake has been disconnected, the energy stored in the winding is discharged into an intermediate circuit of the brake control circuit via release branch.

3. A brake control circuit, comprising:

a first controllable switch that controls electricity supply of a winding of the brake, wherein the first controllable switch is switched in a controlled manner with short pulses by a control circuit of the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, and thus the braking function is controlled,

wherein when voltage of the intermediate circuit exceeds a set limit value, energy is discharged into an attenuation circuit electrically connected in parallel with the winding of the brake.

4. A brake control circuit, comprising:

a first controllable switch that controls electricity supply of a winding of the brake, wherein the first controllable switch is switched in a controlled manner with short pulses by a control circuit of the electricity supply of the winding of the brake, and thus the braking function is controlled,

wherein a capacitor is connected between two rails that transfer output current and return current to an intermediate circuit of the brake control circuit.

15. A elevator system, comprising:

a movement control system, which adjusts movement of the elevator car according to a set reference current,

at least a first brake and a second brake, wherein both the first brake and the second brake a moving part of the elevator machine; and

a brake control circuit for controlling the first brake and the second brake, wherein the brake control circuit includes a first controllable switch that controls electricity supply of a winding of the first brake, wherein the first controllable switch is switched in a controlled manner with short pulses by a control circuit of the electricity supply of the winding of the first brake, and thus the braking function is controlled.

16. The elevator system according to claim 15, wherein the electricity supply to the winding of the first brake is controlled with the first controllable switch,

wherein the brake control circuit further comprises a third controllable switch electrically connected in series with the winding of the second brake, and

wherein the electricity supply to the winding of the second brake is controlled by switching the third controllable switch with short pulses.

17. The elevator system according to claim 15, wherein the brake control circuit further comprises a fourth controllable switch;

wherein the electricity supply from the intermediate circuit to the winding of the first brake is arranged to be disconnected by opening a second controllable switch, and

wherein the electricity supply from the intermediate circuit to the winding of the second brake is arranged to be disconnected by opening the fourth controllable switch.

18. The elevator system according to claim 15, wherein when an emergency stop is initiated, the brake control circuit is arranged to close at first only the first brake;

and

the brake control circuit is arranged to further close the second brake, if a speed of the elevator car determined by the movement control system during the emergency stop decelerates by less than a minimum deceleration.