An elevator drive system (40) includes a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous electric motor (34) including a plurality of phases and a plurality of motor drives (55, 58) electrically connected to the PM synchronous electric motor. Each of the plurality of motor drives is operatively connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of phases. The plurality of motor drives is configured and disposed to deliver a torque current divided equally between each of the plurality of phases and independently deliver flux current to the corresponding one of the plurality of phases.

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. According to the invention the side face of the stator beam facing the mover and/or the counter face of the mover facing the side face of the stator beam comprise(s) a brake surface which form(s) the brake interface of the elevator brake.

Elevator systems having a first guide rail and a second guide rail, an overtravel feature on at least one of the first or second guide rails, the overtravel feature located a first distance from a top surface of the respective guide rail, an elevator car moveable along the first and second guide rails, the elevator car including a car guidance element, and a control unit configured to perform an overtravel distance test. The control unit is configured to measure a second distance being a distance of travel of the elevator car between a landing position and a location of the overtravel feature, combine the first distance and the second distance to calculate a measured overtravel distance, and compare the measured overtravel distance with a predetermined overtravel setpoint.

An illustrative example elevator system includes at least one elevator car that is moveable along a hoistway. An elevator controller is configured to respond to a communication from a portable device indicating a desire for the at least one elevator car to be placed in a maintenance mode and indicating a location of desired hoistway access. The controller automatically moves the elevator car to a determined positon based on the communication. That position corresponds to the location of the desired hoistway access. The controller performs at least one automated procedure to place the elevator car in the maintenance mode. The controller provides an indication to the portable device that the elevator car is in the determined position and that the automated procedure has been completed.

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.

An elevator automatic rescue and energy-saving control method, the method comprising: when the power grid supplies power normally, selecting a single current in a three-phase power grid (9) as an AC power supply for an elevator control system (10); controlling a DC-DC converter (2) to charge the super capacitor module (1) connected to the DC-DC converter to a specified standby electric energy level; and when the power grid is suddenly interrupted, selecting to use the electric energy stored in the super capacitor module (1) as a rescue electric energy for a traction motor (7) and the elevator control system (10). The described method uses a super capacitor module, so that a stable and reliable elevator rescue power supply is provided when the power grid is suddenly interrupted, and the regenerative electric energy dissipated during elevator braking operation is stored and utilized during elevator operation, thereby conserving energy.

An illustrative elevator system includes an elevator car, a machine including a motor that provides a motive force for moving the elevator car along a travel path and a brake that resists movement of the elevator car, and a brake controller. The brake controller is configured to determine when the elevator car is within a selected range of at least one end of the travel path. The brake controller inhibits a delay in application of the brake when the elevator car is within the selected range and permits a delay in application of the brake when the elevator car is outside of the selected range.

An illustrative example elevator system includes an elevator car, a machine that selectively causes movement of the elevator car, and a drive that controls the machine to control movement of the elevator car at an intended elevator car speed. The drive is configured to use information regarding operation of the machine to determine whether an abnormal passenger behavior (APB) condition exists that affects movement of the elevator car. The drive is configured to alter the elevator car speed when the APB condition exists.

An elevator system is provided and includes a sensor assembly and a controller. The sensor assembly is disposable in or proximate to an elevator lobby and is configured to deduce an intent of an individual in the elevator lobby to board one of one or more elevators and to issue a call signal in response to deducing the intent of the individual to board the one of the elevators. The controller is configured to receive the call signal issued by the sensor assembly and to assign one or more of the elevators to serve the call signal at the elevator lobby.

A method of operating an elevator system (10) includes identifying one or more components (46, 48, 50, 52) in an elevator hoistway (14) requiring periodic maintenance and/or inspection and programming hoistway component locations of the one or more components into an elevator car control system. The elevator car (12) is driven to a programmed hoistway component location of a selected component of the one or more components utilizing the hoistway component location programmed into the elevator car control system. The selected component is accessed from inside the elevator car (12) to perform maintenance and/or inspection of the selected component.