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

• US 6,367,587 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kone Corporation
• Inventors: Mustalahti, Jorma, Pajala, Tauno, Aulanko, Esko, Hakala, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Johnathan
• Application Number:
  US09/834,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 187/252, 187/256-258, 187/254
• US Class Current: 187/256
• 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, said elevator being movable in an elevator shaft and having a gearless drive machine that comprises:

a traction sheave; and

an electromechanical apparatus placed in a machine room above said elevator shaft to drive said traction sheave, said electromechanical apparatus having at least two electric motors mounted coaxially with an axis of rotation of the traction sheave, horizontal dimensions of the drive machine failing to extend beyond planes of said elevator shaft below said drive machine and said traction sheave being between two electric motors of said electromechanical apparatus.

2. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein the drive machine of the elevator comprises two electric motors.

3. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein the elevator shaft has at least one wall and wherein the drive machine is entirely contained in the space above the elevator, without extending over any of the walls of the elevator shaft.

4. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein a first electric motor of said electromechanical apparatus has a first rotor block and a first stator block, a second electric motor of said electromechanical apparatus has a second rotor block and a second stator block, and said first rotor block and said second rotor block are attached to opposite ends of said traction sheave coaxially with a center axis of revolution of said traction sheave.

5. The elevator as defined in claim 4, wherein a first air gap is provided between said first rotor block and said first stator block and a second air gap is provided between said second rotor block and said second stator block.

6. The elevator as defined in claim 4, wherein said first and second stator blocks are fitted in frame blocks forming the end plates of the drive machine and each of the first and second rotor blocks is supported by a bearing assembly mounted in the frame block of the corresponding stator block.

7. The elevator as defined in claim 4, wherein said drive machine further comprises rotor magnets and said 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.

8. The elevator as defined in claim 5, wherein

said drive machine further comprises bearings and an adjusting device,

said traction sheave and said first and second rotor blocks are attached to form a rotating part of said drive machine, said bearings supporting said rotating part on said first and second stator blocks, and

said adjusting device is provided in conjunction with said bearings to allow the air gaps to be adjusted to substantially the same size.

9. The elevator as defined in claim 4, wherein said first and second rotor blocks have permanent magnets and are provided with aligning elements by which said permanents magnets can be aligned with each other.

10. The elevator as defined in claim 8, wherein said rotating part is axially centered so that, when said rotating part revolves, an electromotive force of the same magnitude is obtained from said first stator block and said second stator block.