Elevator drive machine having rotating traction sheave between rotors of multiple motors along the axis of rotation

• US 6,234,275 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Mustalahti, Jorma, Aulanko, Esko, Hakala, Harri, Pajala, Tauno
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US09/359,311
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 187/256, 187/258, 187/250, 310/114, 310/118, 318/48
• US Class Current: 187/277
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/0438 with a gearless driving, e.g. integrated sheave, drum or winch in the stator or rotor of the cage motor
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/08 with hoisting rope or cable operated by frictional engagement with a winding drum or sheave B66B11/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1008 structurally associated with the machine rotor H02K7/1012 takes precedence

Abstract

An elevator drive machine includes multiple electric motors and a traction sheave. The traction sheave is placed between the motors. With this arrangement, a higher torque is generated by the drive machine as compared to conventional solutions. Furthermore, an elevator arrangement in which such a drive is utilized exhibits efficient space utilization.

Claims

1. An elevator drive machine, comprising:

a traction sheave; and

an electric motor for driving the traction sheave, the electric motor having at least a first and a second rotor block and a first and second stator block, the rotor blocks being attached to opposite ends of the traction sheave coaxially with a center axis of revolution of the traction sheave, and a stator block being provided for each rotor block, with an air gap between each stator block and rotor block, such that substantially all the torque generated by the first rotor block and the first stator block and substantially all the torque generated by the second rotor block and the second stator block is transmitted directly to said traction sheave.

2. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the air gap between the first rotor block and the first stator block is substantially the same as the air gap between the second rotor block and the second stator block.

3. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second stator blocks are fitted in frame blocks forming the end plates of the drive machine and the first and second rotor blocks are supported by bearings mounted in the frame block of the corresponding stator block, one bearing being provided for each rotor block.

4. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising rotor magnets and wherein the first and second rotor blocks are of a substantially symmetric structure and are attached to each other via junctures located inside a circle formed by the rotor magnets.

5. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a braking surface and brake shoes, the braking surface being disposed on an outer edge of the rotor, the brake shoes being engageable with the braking surface.

6. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising bearings and an adjusting device and wherein the traction sheave and the rotor blocks are attached to each other to form a rotating part of the machine, the bearings supporting the rotating part on the stator blocks, and the adjusting device being provided in conjunction with the bearing elements to allow the air gaps of the motor blocks to be adjusted to substantially the same size.

7. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising bearings and an adjusting device and wherein the traction sheave and the rotor blocks are attached to each other to form a rotating part of the machine, the bearings supporting the rotating part on the stator blocks, and the adjusting device being provided in conjuction with the bearing elements to allow the motor blocks to be moved in the axial direction, and the rotating part being axially centered so that, when the rotating part is revolved, an electromotive force of a same magnitude is obtained from the first stator block and from the second stator block.

8. The drive machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second rotors have permanent magnets and wherein the rotor blocks are provided with aligning elements by which the permanent magnets of the first and second rotors can be aligned with each other.

10. An elevator drive machine comprising:

a traction sheave; and

an electromechanical drive apparatus including a first electromagnetic drive element and a second electromagnetic drive element, each having a rotor and a stator, for driving rotation of said traction sheave, such that substantially all the torque generated by the first electromagnetic drive element and the second electromagnetic drive element is transmitted directly to a single traction sheave, said traction sheave being positioned between the rotor of the first electromagnetic drive element and the rotor of the second electromagnetic drive element along an axis of rotation of said traction sheave, such that a first air gap is located on one side of said traction sheave between the rotor and stator of the first electromagnetic drive element and a second air gap is located on the other side of said traction sheave between the rotor and stator of the second electromagnetic drive.

9. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the elevator drive machine has horizontal dimensions which are contained within vertical planes formed by an elevator shaft, the drive machine being located within an area defined by the vertical planes of the elevator shaft.

11. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the first electromagnetic drive element and the second electromagnetic drive elements are each motors.

12. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the rotors of the first and second electromagnetic drive elements are mechanically coupled together by the traction sheave.

13. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the direction of the first and second air gaps is substantially axial.

14. The drive machine as defined in claim 13, wherein the directions of the first and second air gaps from stator to rotor are substantially opposite to each other.

15. The drive machine as defined in claim 11, wherein said drive machine utilizes an even number of electric motors.

16. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the drive machine is substantially shorter in a direction of the axis of rotation of the traction sheave than a diameter of the drive machine in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

17. The drive machine as defined in claim 16, wherein a length of the drive machine in the direction of the axis of rotation of the traction sheave equals about half the diameter of the drive machine.

18. The drive machine as defined in claim 16, wherein the drive machine is substantially shorter in the direction of the axis of rotation of the traction sheave than the diameter of the traction sheave.

19. The drive machine as defined in claim 10, wherein the elevator drive machine has horizontal dimensions which are contained within vertical planes formed by an elevator shaft, the drive machine being located within an area defined by the vertical planes of the elevator shaft.