Elevator control apparatus controlling charging of a power source with regenerative power

Patent 6439347 Issued on August 27, 2002. Estimated Expiration Date:

January 30, 2021. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Elevator battery charging control
Patent #: 4456097
Issued on: 06/26/1984
Inventor: Salihi

Control apparatus for A.C. elevator
Patent #: 4554999
Issued on: 11/26/1985
Inventor: Kamaike

Device for driving elevator at service interruption
Patent #: 5285029
Issued on: 02/08/1994
Inventor: Araki

Method for consuming regenerated power for elevators
Patent #: 5420491
Issued on: 05/30/1995
Inventor: Kanzaki, et al.

Flywheel energy storage for operating elevators
Patent #: 5712456
Issued on: 01/27/1998
Inventor: McCarthy, et al.

Method for energy storage for load hoisting machinery
Patent #: 5936375
Issued on: 08/10/1999
Inventor: Enoki

Apparatus and method for controlling operation of elevator in power failure Patent #: 6315081
Issued on: 11/13/2001
Inventor: Yeo

Inventors

Application

No. 771931 filed on 01/30/2001

US Classes:

187/290, With auxiliary supply of electricity187/296, Limited to power source (i.e., motor) utilizing A.C. power318/376, Regenerative318/801Including inverter

Examiners

Primary: Salata, Jonathan

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Leydig Voit & Mayer, Ltd

Foreign Patent References

61-267675 JP. 11/13/1986
7-242376 JP. 09/13/1995
7-252040 JP. 10/13/1995
10-67469 JP. 03/13/1998
11-217193 JP. 08/13/1999
11-299275 JP. 10/13/1999

International Class

B66B 001/06

Foreign Application Priority Data

2000-02-28 JP

Abstract

An elevator control apparatus includes: a converter for rectifying AC power into DC power; an inverter for converting the DC power into AC power having a variable voltage and a variable frequency; a controller for controlling a motor based on the AC power having the variable voltage and the variable frequency, operating an elevator; a power storage unit for storing the DC power; a required power computing circuit for computing required power of the elevator based on a speed command of the controller; a charge/discharge control circuit for issuing a drive signal for changing charge current, supplied to the power storage unit, based on regenerative electric power so as to charge the power storage unit with the regenerative electric power if the required power of the elevator is negative, meaning that the regenerative electric power is available; and a charge/discharge circuit for charging the power storage unit with the regenerative electric power in accordance with the drive signal. Thus, regenerative electric power can be effectively used, contributing to energy savings.