Patents Assigned to Kone Corporation
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Publication number: 20240182261Abstract: An elevator system includes a device for obtaining an indication of a heavy object to be transported with the elevator system; a device for allocating an elevator car to transport the heavy object; and a device for activating, in response to the indication, at least one pre-emptive action associated with the allocated elevator car in an adjustment mode. The adjustment mode is configured to substantially maintain a vertical position of the elevator car in an elevator shaft when the heavy object is loaded into the elevator car.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2024Publication date: June 6, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Ari KATTAINEN, Henry SILVENNOINEN, Mika BELOV
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Publication number: 20240174484Abstract: An elevator system includes an elevator car, and a hoisting machine moving the elevator car in a hoistway. To simplify maintenance work of the hoisting machine, the elevator system includes an acceleration sensor connected to the hoisting machine, and a computing unit which is responsive to a signal provided by the acceleration sensor and which sends condition data based on a predetermined processing of the signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2024Publication date: May 30, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Henri WENLIN, Tapani TALONEN
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Patent number: 11993482Abstract: The invention relates to a method for transporting construction material and/or equipment inside a building under construction, wherein the building under construction comprises plurality of vertically displaced floors, the method comprising providing an elevator for transporting transport containers in the building under construction, said elevator comprising at least a load receiving unit vertically movable along one or more guide rail lines in an elevator shaft formed in the building under construction; and providing plurality of transport containers each comprising a container body, and an identification provided on the container body for identifying the container and/or its destination in the building, most preferably the destination floor in the building under construction; providing one or more detectors within the building under construction for detecting identifications of containers when they are within the detection ranges of the one or more detectors; moving a first transport container belonging tType: GrantFiled: January 5, 2022Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Markku Haapaniemi, Matti Rasanen, Sami Saarela, Anssi Venho, Janne Mikkonen, Otto Lanz, Tarvo Viita-Aho, Emil Hagstrom, Simo Makimattila, Kristian Viinikkala, Peter Eagling, Timo Rinne, Petri Kere
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Patent number: 11993479Abstract: An electrical converter unit and a method for reducing thermal stress of a power semiconductor switch, such as an IGBT, of an electrical converter unit, the electrical converter unit comprising at least a gate control circuit wherein the electrical converter unit controls an electrical motor. The method comprises determining load and estimating required motor current based on the determined load and/or a predetermined speed profile. The electrical converter unit has at least a first operating state and a second operating state. The second operating state is used if predetermined criteria is fulfilled, the predetermined criteria relating to at least one of the following: estimated required current, measured motor speed, temperature of the power semiconductor switch and/or electrical converter unit, temperature model of the power semiconductor switch and/or electrical converter unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2022Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: KONE CorporationInventors: Mikko Paakkinen, Lauri Stolt, Tuukka Kauppinen
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Patent number: 11993484Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator arrangement, comprising a hoistway one or more vertically oriented guide rail lines in the hoistway for guiding vertical movement of one or more movable elevator units, and one or more movable elevator units mounted in the hoistway vertically movably along one or more guide rail lines, including at least an elevator car, preferably also a counterweight, and a hoisting roping; a movable support structure mounted in the hoistway for supporting said one or more movable elevator units below it via said hoisting roping, and a hoisting machine on the movable support structure for moving the hoisting roping, for thereby moving said one or more movable elevator units. Said movable support structure comprises a body portion, and a shelf structure projecting laterally from the body portion, and the hoisting machine is mounted on the shelf structure. The invention also relates to a method for constructing an elevator implementing the arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2022Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: KONE CorporationInventors: Anssi Venho, Janne Mikkonen, Markku Haapaniemi, Matti Rasanen, Otto Lanz, Janne Laine
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Patent number: 11993487Abstract: Elevator components can be equipped with an electronic information plate. The electronic information plates are associated with a particular electronic information plate that can store different properties of the associated component. The content of each electronic information plate is read manually or automatically and transmitted to a controller. The controller analyzes the received content and launches a predetermined action if the content indicates a need for maintenance.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: May 28, 2024Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Markku Haapaniemi, Ari Kattainen, Matti Räsänen, Antti Hovi, Erkka Kiviaho, Petteri Valjus
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Publication number: 20240166471Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring operation of a locking mechanism applied for securing an elevator door to a closed position is provided, where said monitoring is carried out via monitoring operation of a door driving system arranged for driving movement of the elevator door between the closed position and an open position. The apparatus is arranged to: receive one or more parameters that are descriptive of movement of the elevator door from the closed position towards the open position; determine, based on said one or more parameters, a door movement profile that is descriptive of an aspect of movement of the elevator door in relation to the closed position of the elevator door; and detect compromised operation of the locking mechanism based on one or more characteristics of the door movement profile within a portion thereof that represents a predefined traveling distance in relation to the closed position of the elevator door.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2024Publication date: May 23, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Matti LIN, Petri KUISMA
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Patent number: 11981537Abstract: The arrangement comprises a self-climbing installation platform comprising two consecutive decks, a machine room deck suspended from the installation platform and an elevator car suspended from the machine room deck. Each deck, the machine room deck and the car are supported movably with guide means on guide rails and locked and unlocked with locking means to the guide rails and/or to guide rail fixing means. Lifting means powered by a power source move the two decks in relation to each other. The installation platform climbs stepwise along the guide rails by alternatingly locking and unlocking the lower deck and the upper deck to the guide rails and/or to the guide rail fixing means and thereafter raising the unlocked deck.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Otto Lanz, Matti Rasanen, Markku Haapaniemi, Jukka Turpeinen, Anssi Venho, Janne Laine, Janne Mikkonen, Aki Haikonen, Jari Osterman, Jori Hagg, Jorma Mustalahti, Petri Kere
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Patent number: 11975944Abstract: A method for diagnosis and/or maintenance of a brake configured to apply braking force to a hoisting machine of a transportation system includes controlling the brake to start a brake control action, e.g. an opening and/or a closing action of the brake; monitoring the brake to detect a response of the brake to the brake control action, wherein in case of the response the response is detected in a predefined manner; measuring a brake operating time interval from a first point in time of starting of the brake control action until a second point in time of monitoring the brake to detect the response; and, if either the response has not been detected until the brake operating time interval reaches and/or exceeds a predetermined threshold or the response has been detected after the brake operating time interval reaches and/or exceeds the predetermined threshold, establishing an information indicating that an operation of the brake should be modified.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2019Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Antti Saarelainen, Joni Lappalainen
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Publication number: 20240132325Abstract: A method includes monitoring position and/or movement of an elevator car in a standby mode of a braking arrangement, and activating the braking arrangement from the standby mode in response to a detection of a change in the position or of the movement. An elevator and an electric power converter are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2024Publication date: April 25, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Arto NAKARI, Olli POKKINEN, Teppo VUORIO
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Patent number: 11958721Abstract: A method monitors a plurality of elevators, in which at least two elevators are set into shuttle mode in which the corresponding elevator travels between two pre-defined floors. The method calculates at least one of an arrival time and a departure time of an elevator car of each of the at least two elevators in shuttle mode at a predetermined floor; determines a time required by a user for reaching each of the at least two elevators in shuttle mode from an operation terminal location; and calculates a preference order of the at least two elevators in shuttle mode on the basis of the time of arrival and/or departure of the elevator car of each of the at least two elevators in shuttle mode and the time required by the user for reaching each of the at least two elevators in the shuttle mode from the operation terminal location.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2019Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: KONE CorporationInventors: Juuso Auvinen, Otto Miettinen, Dipti Sonawane, Marju Kettunen-Vaittinen
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Patent number: 11958717Abstract: An elevator brake includes a frame part including an electromagnet; a moving armature movably supported on the frame part; at least one energy storage, such as a work spring, arranged between the frame part and the moving armature; a friction lining associated with the moving armature and fitted to engage a braking surface with a normal force originating from the at least one energy storage, to brake movement of an elevator car or to hold the elevator car standstill; and a sensor system including one or more sensors mounted into the elevator brake and adapted to sense one or more operational parameters of the elevator brake and/or to directly measure normal force of the friction lining.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2019Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Janne Rossi, Henri Wenlin, Asmo Tenhunen
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Publication number: 20240109751Abstract: In a method for allocating an elevator in an elevator system, the elevator system including elevator groups, each group including elevators, the elevator groups being formed based on a load unbalance of the elevators, the method includes: detecting received service calls in a predefined time window; evaluating a number of passengers requesting service based on the received number of service calls; selecting, based on the evaluated number of passengers, an elevator group to serve the floor; and allocating an elevator belonging to the selected elevator group to provide service. An apparatus, an elevator system, and a computer program are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2023Publication date: April 4, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Markku KAKKO, Janne SORSA, Salla MANNERJOKI
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Patent number: 11945687Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator system for observing a misoperation. The elevator system comprises an observation unit and a processing unit. The observation unit is configured to obtain data representing movement of an elevator car during a predetermined time interval and transmit the obtained data to the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to receive and store the data representing the movement of the elevator car, generate at least one statistical parameter from the received data, compare the at least one generated statistical parameter to at least one previously stored statistical parameter of the corresponding time interval, and generate a signal indicating a misoperation in response to a detection that the at least one generated statistical parameter deviates from the corresponding previously stored statistical parameter over a predetermined limit. The invention also relates to a method for observing a misoperation.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2019Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Kone CorporationInventors: Matti Laakso, Jouko Kinnari
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Publication number: 20240101390Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator drive unit for managing a regenerative power of an elevator system. The elevator drive unit comprises: first terminals for connecting the elevator drive unit to the mains; second terminals for connecting the elevator drive unit to an elevator hoisting motor; a frequency converter for enabling a bidirectional transfer of power between the mains and the elevator hoisting motor; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: obtain an indication representing a detection of a special operational situation of the elevator system, introduce a non-zero power limit specific to the detected special operational situation of the elevator system, and control the frequency converter to limit supply of the regenerative power from the elevator hoisting motor to the mains to the power limit. The invention relates also to an elevator system and a method for managing a regenerative power of an elevator system.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Tuukka KAUPPINEN, Mikko PAAKKINEN, Risto JOKINEN, Perttu KAIPIA
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Publication number: 20240092611Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring a people conveyor system. The monitoring system comprises a wireless mesh network comprising a plurality of node devices and one or more peripheral devices. A node device joining to the wireless mesh network is configured to: obtain connection data representing a connection of the node device to a peripheral device and assign itself a sink node role, if the obtained connection data indicates a connection to a gateway device, or otherwise provide the obtained connection data to the gateway device. The gateway device is configured to: assign an operation role to the node device based on the obtained connection data. The assigned role is: a sensor node role, if the obtained connection data indicates a connection to a people conveyor related sensor device, or a router node role, if the obtained connection data indicates that the node device is not connected to any peripheral device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventors: Davide LA CROCE, Matti LAAKSO, Otto PEKANDER
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Publication number: 20240083716Abstract: The method comprises measuring the position of two opposite guide rails in respect of the DGB direction and the BTF direction with a plumb line and a measurement device arranged at each guide rail. Each measurement device comprises a guide shoe being supported on at least two guide surfaces of the guide rail, a measurement frame connected to the guide shoe, and sensor means for sensing the position of the plumb line in respect of the measurement frame. The twist of the guide rails is measured with a wire extending between the two measurement devices and an edge sensor arranged in connection with at least one of the two measurement devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Applicant: Kone CorporationInventors: Harri MAKINEN, Mikael HAAG, Ville MALMIALA, Markku HAIVALA, Joonas JOKELA
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Publication number: 20240083715Abstract: The method comprises a measuring step and a separate aligning step. The alignment of guide rails supported with adjustable fastening means in the shaft is measured in several measurement points along the height of the guide rail line based on at least one reference line provided in the vicinity of the guide rails. The measurement results are stored into a memory. The guide rails are aligned based on the measurement results stored in the memory. The aligning step is carried out after the measurement results of all measurement points have been stored in the memory.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Applicant: Kone CorporationInventors: Harri MAKINEN, Mikael HAAG, Joonas JOKELA, Markku HAIVALA
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Publication number: 20240076160Abstract: An elevator system selects a wireless communication system. The elevator system includes: an elevator car, a car control unit, and an elevator control unit. The car control unit and the elevator control unit establishes at least two wireless communication systems for providing wireless communication between the elevator control unit and the car control unit. The elevator control unit is configured to obtain selection data representing at least one selection parameter. The at least one selection parameter includes at least one elevator related selection parameter and/or at least one wireless communication system related selection parameter. The elevator control unit selects based on the obtained selection data the most appropriate wireless communication system at each point of time to be used to provide the wireless communication connection between the elevator control unit and the car control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Applicant: KONE CorporationInventor: Mikko PURANEN
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Publication number: 20240076162Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (210, 120) for managing a maintenance of a conveyor system (110), the apparatus (210, 120) configured to: receive (410) data indicative of an access right to perform the maintenance; generate (430), in response to a detection (420) of an access right to perform the maintenance, a first control signal to disable communicatively reaching the sub-system (225); generate (450), in response to a receipt (440) of an acknowledgement signal indicative of a predefined state of the maintenance, a second control signal to enable the interface (215, 260) to communicatively reach the sub-system (225). The invention also relates to a method, a computer program, and a conveyor system.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2023Publication date: March 7, 2024Applicant: KONE CORPORATIONInventors: Mika Belov, Mikko Piironen