Low profile drive unit for elevator system

• US 10,071,880 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Tutat, Andreas, Atalmis, Ibrahim Ia, Horbrugger, Herbert, Dehmlow, Marvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US14/768,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20160039633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187277, 187288, 187289, 187290, 187291, 187293, 187296, 187297, 187391-393, 318362, 318375, 318376, 318801-815, 363 34, 363 40, 363 50, 361600, 361627, 36167946, 361690, 361697, 361702, 361718, 361720, 361736
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/302 for energy saving
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/306 with DC powered elevator drive
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/308 with AC powered elevator drive
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/002 in the hoistway
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/10 Operating or release mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0206 by printed thermal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0265 characterized by the lay-out of or details of the printed conductors, e.g. reinforced conductors, redundant conductors, conductors having different cross-sections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10166 Transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10416 Metallic blocks or heatsinks completely inserted in a PCB metallic supports H05K3/0061
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 50/00 Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies

Abstract

A drive unit for an elevator system, the drive unit including a multilayer, power circuit board; a first DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board; a second DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board; a first switch having a first terminal, the first switch mounted to a surface of the power circuit board; a first via electrically coupling the first terminal to the first DC link; a second switch having a second terminal, the second switch mounted to the surface of the power circuit board; and a second via electrically coupling the second terminal to the second DC link; the first via conducting heat from the first switch to the first DC link; the second via conducting heat from the second switch to the second DC link.

Claims

1. A drive unit for an elevator system, the drive unit comprising:

a multilayer, power circuit board;

a first DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board;

a second DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board;

a first switch having a first terminal, the first switch mounted to a surface of the power circuit board;

a first via electrically coupling the first terminal to the first DC link;

a second switch having a second terminal, the second switch mounted to the surface of the power circuit board; and

a second via electrically coupling the second terminal to the second DC link;

the first via conducting heat from the first switch to the first DC link;

the second via conducting heat from the second switch to the second DC link.

2. The drive unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a first DC bus bar formed in the power circuit board, the first terminal connected to the first DC bus bar, the first via connecting the first DC bus bar and the first DC link; and

a second DC bus bar formed in the power circuit board, the second terminal connected to the second DC bus bar, the second via connecting the second DC bus bar and the second DC link.

3. The drive unit of claim 2 further comprising:

a DC link capacitor having a first terminal connected to the first DC bus bar and a second terminal connected to the second DC bus bar.

4. The drive unit of claim 2 wherein:

the first DC bus bar and the second DC bus bar are extendable to increase power capacity of the drive unit.

5. The drive unit of claim 2 further comprising:

a dynamic braking resistor and a dynamic braking switch mounted to the power circuit board.

6. The drive unit of claim 5 wherein:

the dynamic braking switch has a terminal electrically connected to the second DC link and the dynamic braking resistor has a terminal electrically connected to the first DC link.

7. The drive unit of claim 1 further comprising:

an AC terminal formed at an electrical junction of the first switch and the second switch, the AC terminal formed in at least one layer of the power circuit board.

8. The drive unit of claim 7 further comprising:

a current sensor positioned adjacent the AC terminal.

9. The drive unit of claim 7 further comprising:

an second AC terminal formed at an electrical junction of a third switch and a fourth switch, the second AC terminal formed in at least one layer of the power circuit board, the first AC terminal and second AC terminal being co-planar.

10. The drive unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a control board supporting a controller, the controller providing control signals to the first switch and second switch.

11. The drive unit of claim 1 wherein:

the first DC link formed is not co-planar with the second DC link.

12. The drive unit of claim 2 wherein:

the first DC bus bar is co-planar with the second DC bus bar.

13. The drive unit of claim 1 wherein:

the power circuit board includes a first bottom layer and a second bottom layer;

the first via conducting heat from the first switch to the first bottom layer;

the second via conducting heat from the second switch to the second bottom layer.

14. An elevator system comprising:

an elevator car to travel along a hoistway, the elevator car distanced from a hoistway wall by a gap;

a machine to impart motion to the elevator car;

a drive unit for providing drive signals to the machine, the drive unit being sized to fit within the gap between the elevator car and the hoistway wall; and

a battery for providing DC power to the drive unit;

wherein;

the drive unit includes;

a multilayer, power circuit board;

a first DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board;

a second DC link formed in a layer of the power circuit board;

a first switch having a first terminal, the first switch mounted to a surface of the power circuit board;

a first via electrically coupling the first terminal to the first DC link;

a second switch having a second terminal, the second switch mounted to the surface of the power circuit board; and

a second via electrically coupling the second terminal to the second DC link;

the first via conducting heat from the first switch to the first DC link;

the second via conducting heat from the second switch to the second DC link.

15. The elevator system of claim 14 further comprising:

a first DC bus bar formed in the power circuit board, the first terminal connected to the first DC bus bar, the first via connecting the first DC bus bar and the first DC link; and

a second DC bus bar formed in the power circuit board, the second terminal connected to the second DC bus bar, the second via connecting the second DC bus bar and the second DC link.

16. The elevator system of claim 15 further comprising:

a DC link capacitor having a first terminal connected to the first DC bus bar and a second terminal connected to the second DC bus bar.

17. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein:

the first DC bus bar and the second DC bus bar are extendable to increase power capacity of the drive unit.

18. The elevator system of claim 15 further comprising:

a dynamic braking resistor and a dynamic braking switch mounted to the power circuit board.

19. The elevator system of claim 18 wherein:

the dynamic braking switch has a terminal electrically connected to the second DC link and the dynamic braking resistor has a terminal electrically connected to the first DC link.

20. The elevator system of claim 14 further comprising:

an AC terminal formed at an electrical junction of the first switch and the second switch, the AC terminal formed in at least one layer of the power circuit board.

21. The elevator system of claim 20 further comprising:

a current sensor positioned adjacent the AC terminal.

22. The elevator system of claim 20 further comprising:

an second AC terminal formed at an electrical junction of a third switch and a fourth switch, the second AC terminal formed in at least one layer of the power circuit board, the first AC terminal and second AC terminal being co-planar.

23. The elevator system of claim 14 further comprising:

a control board supporting a controller, the controller providing control signals to the first switch and second switch.

24. The elevator system of claim 14 wherein:

the first DC link formed is not co-planar with the second DC link.

25. The elevator system of claim 15 wherein:

the first DC bus bar is co-planar with the second DC bus bar.

26. The elevator system of claim 14 wherein:

the power circuit board includes a first bottom layer and a second bottom layer;

the first via conducting heat from the first switch to the first bottom layer;

the second via conducting heat from the second switch to the second bottom layer.