Kone Corporation

Timo Syrman

Ari Kattainen

Sakari Korvenranta

Seppo Ketoviita

Kimmo Heikkilä

Tatu Mattila

Esko Aulanko

Antti Kallioniemi

Pekka Jahkonen

Risto Jokinen

Ari Härkönen

Hannu Ahrnberg

Tomi Torttila

Kimmo Heikkolä

The invention relates to a safety arrangement of an elevator system and to a method for ensuring safety in an elevator system. The safety arrangement comprises at least one mechanical stopping appliance and the control of the safety arrangement comprises at least one limit value that sets the speed, deceleration or permitted vertical distance from the door zone of the elevator car. In the method for ensuring safety in an elevator system at least one mechanical stopping appliance is fitted to the safety arrangement of the elevator system and at least one limit value that sets the speed, deceleration or permitted vertical distance from the door zone of the elevator car is set for the control of the safety arrangement.

Supplemental elevator safety system

The invention relates to a control () of the lighting of an elevator car () as well as to a method for controlling the lighting of an elevator car. The lighting of an elevator car according to the invention is controlled at least partly on the basis of information about a change in the speed of the elevator car.

Control of the lighting of an elevator car

The invention relates to a switch arrangement of an electric motor drive (). The electric motor drive comprises safety switches () determined by the safety of the drive, a controlled mechanical brake (), a power supply circuit () of the brake control, a power converter (), which power converter comprises a network rectifier () and a power rectifier () of the motor. The power rectifier of the motor is at least partly implemented with controlled semiconductor switches () arranged into a bridge. The power converter comprises an intermediate circuit () between the network rectifier and the power rectifier of the motor. The switch arrangement comprises normally-open switches () in the intermediate circuit of the power converter ().

Electric motor drive

An elevator safety arrangement and a method for implementing safety spaces in an elevator has a mechanical safety device which can be set to a working position to ensure a sufficient safety space in the elevator shaft and an electric safety system for identifying the operating state of the mechanical safety device. An electric safety controller comprises means for measuring the total resistance of a series circuit. The method includes reading the number of landing doors open by means of detectors fitted in conjunction with the landing doors, reading the number of elevator car doors open by means of detectors fitted in conjunction with the elevator car doors, and reading the position of a mechanical safety device by means of detectors fitted in conjunction with the mechanical safety device. If it is established that number of landing doors open is greater than the number of elevator car doors open, then setting the safety system into a 'person in shaft' state and preventing operation of the elevator. If it is established during the 'person in shaft' state of the safety system that the number of landing doors open is equal to the number of elevator car doors open and that the mechanical safety device has been set to a working position, then allowing maintenance operation.

Elevator safety arrangement having safety spaces

The invention concerns an arrangement and a method for controlling the power supply of the load of an elevator system. The arrangement has at least a monitoring unit and at least one controllable power source. The controllable power source is connected between the load of an elevator system and the monitoring unit such that the power supply of the load of the elevator system can be controlled by means of a control signal transmitted to the controllable power source by the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit according to the invention contains at least one input for determining the status of at least one safety switch of the elevator system. On the basis of the status of the safety switch a control signal either having pulses or being in a static state is sent with the monitoring unit to at least one controllable power source.

Elevator arrangement

A guide-rail brake () of an elevator and a method for controlling the brake are provided. The brake comprises a frame part fixed to the elevator car, a prong part, which contains turning jaws () that correspond to the guide rail () via the braking surfaces when braking, a spring () loading the prong part to press the braking surfaces to the guide rail, and a controllable mover, which is an electromagnet (), which contains two pulling core pieces (). The force effect of the electromagnet () on the prong part is opposed to the spring. In the guide-rail brake an air gap (ag) is structurally arranged between the center parts () of the pulling core pieces () of the electromagnet of the guide-rail brake when the brake is fully energized, and a damping circuit is arranged in the coil () of the electromagnet () of the guide-rail brake to speed up operation of the guide-rail brake.

Guide-rail brake

An elevator safety arrangement and a method for implementing safety spaces in an elevator has a mechanical safety device which can be set to a working position to ensure a sufficient safety space in the elevator shaft and an electric safety system for identifying the operating state of the mechanical safety device. According to the method of the invention, detectors in the electric safety system are read by an electric safety controller and, when a functional deviation is detected, one or more stopping devices are actuated to bring the elevator system into a safe operating state.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for braking a synchronous motor () used with a frequency converter (). The braking current of the motor () is controlled by connecting only the negative changeover contacts () of the inverter () of the frequency converter () or alternatively by connecting only the positive changeover contacts () of the inverter () of the frequency converter. The arrangement comprises a control (), which is arranged to control in a braking situation only the negative changeover contacts () of the frequency converter () or alternatively only the positive changeover contacts () of the frequency converter ().

Method and apparatus for braking a motor

A control circuit for controlling an electromechanical elevator brake is disclosed. The control circuit includes at least one brake coil (L), a direct-voltage source (BR), a semiconductor switch arrangement, a current measuring unit, at least two semiconductor switches, and a control unit (CO) for controlling operation of the circuit. The current measuring unit (Lm) produces current data that is passed to the control unit (CO). The at least two semiconductor switches (SW, SW) are controlled by the control unit (CO) such that operation is alternated between the two so that the working condition of each switch can be checked in its turn on the basis of feedback data obtained from the current measuring unit.

Elevator brake and brake control circuit

An elevator system and a method for reducing total power in an elevator system are provided. The elevator system includes at least one elevator without counterweight for moving people and/or goods. The elevator without counterweight comprises a power converter unit, an elevator motor, a traction sheave, a set of hoisting ropes and an elevator car. The elevator system also includes means for storing mechanical energy and discharging an energy storage.

Energy storage system for elevators

Method and system for detecting and stopping uncontrolled movement of the car () in an elevator. In the method movement of the car is detected with the first movement detection means () when the brake () of the drive machinery () is in the braking status with the purpose of holding the car in its position without moving. A first control signal is formed if the car moves in the aforementioned situation. Movement of the car is stopped on the basis of the first control signal with a separate stopping appliance () with respect to the brake of the drive machinery. The operating condition of the first movement detection means are tested with the second movement detection means () during driving of the car in order to detect a fault situation. A second control signal is formed for the elevator control when a fault situation is detected, in which case the elevator control drives the car to the next stopping floor and prevents the subsequent run of the car.

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Hyvinkää, Finland

Timo Syrman