Abstract: It is desired that elevators are not operated when the brake is not completely released. Thus, the disengaging of brakes must be monitored or guaranteed otherwise. For providing guaranteed opening, the current for opening the brake is determined and then an additional current is provided to the brakes in order to guarantee the opening. The current for opening the brake is determined by doing a test sequence for each brake individually. In the test sequence, one brake is used to hold the elevator. Then, a momentum is applied to the elevator for moving the elevator car. The current is determined by increasing the current to the engaged brake gradually until the elevator moves. When the movement is detected, the current value is stored. When the elevator is operated regularly, the additional current is added to the stored value.

Abstract: A sensor connecting unit includes a safety input for connecting with a sensor; a power supply that is controllable through a controllable power switch; and a first I/O processing unit and a second I/O processing unit being connected to each other through a reciprocal comparison communication channel. The first I/O processing unit and the second I/O processing unit are both connected through a measurement circuit to measure voltage, current or power between a reference input and the safety input, and connected to a safety bus. The first I/O processing unit informs the second I/O processing unit about switching off of the controllable power supply, the second I/O processing unit commands the first I/O processing unit to switch off the controllable power supply, and/or the second I/O processing unit measures an output of the controllable power switch to detect switching of the power switch.

Abstract: An elevator arrangement including an elevator with an elevator control system, a safety system and an inspection or maintenance mode, which elevator having an elevator car arranged to run up and down in an elevator shaft along guide rails, and which elevator car is equipped with a roof. The roof of the elevator car is arranged to uncover upper part of the elevator car in order to form a natural safe working space inside the elevator car, and that the arrangement includes a control mechanism in order to control the position of the roof.

Abstract: The invention concerns a rescue apparatus, an elevator as well as a retrofit kit. The rescue apparatus comprises a brake control unit having input terminals for connecting to a power supply, output terminals for connecting to a magnetizing coil of an electromagnetic brake, at least one controllable brake opening switch associated with at least one of the input terminals and adapted, in an open state, to prevent supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil and, in a closed state, to allow supply of current from the power supply to the magnetizing coil. The rescue apparatus further comprises a control cable comprising one or more control signal wires and a remote control panel coupled via the control cable to the brake control unit.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a method for setting up an elevator safety system, the elevator safety system comprising an elevator system component, an actuator for causing a change in the status of the elevator system component, a data bus, a safety controller configured to communicate via the data bus, a sensor configured to indicate a change in the status of the elevator system component, and an elevator system node associated with the sensor configured to communicate via the data bus, wherein the elevator system node is configured to communicate a change in the status of the elevator system component to the safety controller via the data bus.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator communication system. The system comprises an ethernet bus, at least one message forwarding element connected to the ethernet bus and being configured to communicate with a control entity that is external to the elevator system, and at least one elevator system component configured to communicate via the ethernet bus and being provided with an ethernet medium access control address. The at least one elevator system component is configured to at least one of receive an ethernet frame from the control entity and to send an ethernet frame to the control entity.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator communication system. The system comprises an ethernet bus, a safety master node communicatively connected to the ethernet bus and configured to communicate via the ethernet bus, and safety slave nodes communicatively connected to the ethernet bus and configured to communicate via the ethernet bus. The safety master node and the safety slave nodes are configured to communicate by using a time-triggered communication protocol. In the time-triggered communication protocol the safety master node is configured to send a polling diagnostic request message to the safety slave nodes by using a predetermined polling cycle.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator communication system. The system comprises an elevator controller, a multi-drop ethernet bus segment reachable by the elevator controller, and a plurality of elevator system nodes connected to the at least one multi-drop ethernet bus segment configured to communicate via the multi-drop ethernet bus, wherein the elevator controller is reachable by the elevator system nodes via the multi-drop ethernet bus segment.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided an elevator communication system. The system comprises an ethernet bus; a controller communicatively connected to the ethernet bus and being configured to communicate via the ethernet bus; a plurality of elevator system nodes communicatively connected to the ethernet bus and being configured to communicate via the ethernet bus, wherein each elevator system node is associated with a respective landing; a landing bus segment at each landing, the landing bus segment being connected to the elevator system node associated with the landing; landings nodes at each landing connected to a respective landing bus segment. Each elevator system node of the plurality of elevator system nodes is provided with a connecting unit to enable communication between the ethernet bus and the respective landing bus segment.

Abstract: The method for testing safety characteristics of an elevator comprises performing a balance check of the elevator according to a request.

Abstract: The elevator comprising a car moving upwards and downwards in a well, a controller controlling the elevator, and a well lighting. The method comprises detecting a manual unlocking or a manual opening of a landing door, activating the well lighting automatically when the controller detects a manual unlocking or a manual opening of a landing door.

Abstract: The arrangement comprises a drive driving an electric motor, a contactor and a control circuit connecting a control coil of the contactor to a power supply. The control circuit comprises a manual control part provided with a manually operated first switch, and an electronical control part provided with an electronically operated second switch and a processor controlling the second switch. The first switch and the second switch are connected in series in the control circuit with the power supply and the control coil of the contactor so that de-energization of the control coil of the contactor may be done either by the first switch or by the second switch.

Abstract: The invention relates to an elevator comprising an electric linear motor comprising at least one linear stator designed to be located in a fixed correlation to an environment, particularly building, and at least one mover designed for connection with an elevator car to be moved and co-acting with the stator to move the car, which motor comprises a stator beam supporting said at least one stator, which stator beam has at least one side face carrying ferromagnetic poles of said stator spaced apart by a pitch, and which mover comprises at least one counter-face facing said side face(s) of the stator beam, in which counter-face electro-magnetic components of the mover are arranged to co-act with the ferromagnetic poles mounted on the stator beam, which elevator comprises an elevator brake.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a method for remote operation of a plurality of elevators in a centralized manner by a remote service system, the remote service system comprising a remote communication computer and wherein each of the plurality of elevators comprises an elevator controller associated with a communication computer. The method comprises receiving, by a remote service system from the communication computer associated with an elevator, a rescue request associated with the elevator; providing, by the remote service system, a verification to distinguish the elevator associated with the rescue request among the plurality of elevators; enabling, by the remote communication computer, a data connection with the communication computer associated with the elevator to control the verified elevator; and performing, by the remote service system, at least one remote operation associated with the verified elevator using the enabled data connection.

Abstract: Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.

Abstract: According to an aspect, there is provided a method for remote operation of a plurality of elevators, each of the plurality of elevators being coupled with a communication computer. The method comprises receiving, by a remote service system from the communication computer, a rescue request associated with an elevator; providing, by the remote service system, a verification to distinguish the elevator associated with the rescue request among the plurality of elevators; enabling, by the remote service system, a data connection with the communication computer to control the verified elevator; and performing, by the remote service system, a remote operation associated with the verified elevator via the enabled data connection.

Abstract: In a method for performing a manual drive in an elevator after mains power-off, the frequency converter of the motor is separated from mains, any safety blocking of the brake drive and/or motor drive is disabled, current is supplied from the battery to the brake drive to open the elevator brake and current is supplied from the battery to the drive control to allow regulation of the motor speed via the inverter bridge, the manual drive control observes the motor speed via the speed sensor and starts a speed feedback loop to regulate the motor speed to a manual drive reference value by feeding a three phase-AC current to the motor windings via the semiconductors of the inverter bridge, which manual drive speed reference is lower than the speed reference for normal elevator operation, when the car reaches a floor level the floor level indicator is activated, and the actuator is released whereafter the current supply from the battery to the elevator brake is interrupted and the previous disabled safety blocking o

Abstract: An elevator includes a car, a counterweight, and a hoisting member connecting the car with the counterweight over a traction sheave. A free fall protection system includes a free fall protection controller, a free fall protection member connecting the car with the counterweight over the traction sheave or over a separate free fall sheave. The car and the counterweight are supported by the hoisting member in normal operation and by the free fall protection member only in a situation in which the hoisting member support fails. At least one free fall protection brake is arranged to stop the movement of the free fall protection member and thereby also the movement of the car and/or the counterweight, when being activated by the free fall protection controller.

Abstract: A method includes calculating a motor torque estimate for an electric motor of an elevator in an elevator run, determining a difference between the calculated motor torque estimate and a realized motor torque during the elevator run, and generating a signal indicating possible brake dragging based on the difference between the motor torque estimate and the realized motor torque.

Abstract: Brake release sensors for an elevator can be replaced by an arrangement wherein the brake release is determined from the force caused by the brake. This is achieved by providing measuring device for measuring the weight of an elevator car between the brake and the motor body so that the weight of the elevator car is measured only when the brake is on.