Drive unit for an elevator

• US 7,422,089 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2004
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Cholinski, Andrzej, Luthi, Christian, Ammon, Urs
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan; Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US10/801,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 187/277, 187/391, 187/256, 187/258
• US Class Current: 187/277
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 11/043 actuated by rotating motor; Details, e.g. ventilation roping on drum, sheave, winch or pulley B66B11/0065; power supply or control B66B1/28, H02P; motor construction H02K
• 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: 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 7/1004 with pulleys
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06

Abstract

An elevator drive unit including a traction sheave supported by a shaft rotatably supported by a pair of bearings. Mounted on opposite free ends of the shaft are rotors of a pair of electric motors. Cage-housings on a pair of spaced bearing end-plates retain the stators of the motors. A plurality of frequency converters operating in a master/slave mode to supply electrical power to the motors.

Claims

1. A drive unit for an elevator comprising:

a pair of spaced apart bearing end-plates mounted on a machine frame, each of said bearing end-plates retaining an associated bearing;

a pair of electric motors, each said motor supported by an associated one of said bearing end-plates;

a shaft having opposed free ends, said shaft being rotatably supported by both of said bearings, each of said free ends of said shaft being drivingly connected to an associated one of said motors; and

a traction sheave supported by said shaft for rotation by said motors.

2. The drive unit according to claim 1 wherein each of said motors has a rotor arranged on said associated free-end of said shaft and a stator mounted on said associated bearing end-plate by an associated cage-housing.

3. The drive unit according to claim 1 including at least one brake disk attached to said traction sheave and at least one disk brake acting on said at least one brake disk.

4. The drive unit according to claim 1 wherein said motors are connected to a plurality of frequency converters operating in a master/slave mode.

5. The drive unit according to claim 4 wherein one of said frequency converters is a master frequency converter that specifies a total current distributed among said frequency converters, and each of said frequency converters includes a current regulator for regulating a current based upon a reference current value and an actual current value.

6. The drive unit according to claim 4 including at least one bus system connecting said frequency converters for communicating at least one of reference-current signals, synchronization signals and identification signals.

7. The drive unit according to claim 4 including a tachogenerator coupled to said shaft and connected to said frequency converters for generating a signal representing an actual rotational speed of said shaft.

8. The drive unit according to claim 1 including a secondary-sheave mounting attached to said machine frame and a secondary sheave rotatably mounted on said secondary-sheave mounting.

9. A drive unit for an elevator comprising:

a pair of spaced apart bearing end-plates mounted on a machine frame, each of said bearing end-plates retaining an associated bearing;

a pair of electric motors, each said motor supported by an associated one of said bearing end-plates;

a shaft having opposed free ends, said shaft being rotatably supported by both of said bearings, each of said free ends of said shaft being drivingly connected to an associated one of said motors;

a traction sheave supported by said shaft for rotation by said motors; and

a plurality of frequency converters connected to said motors and operating in a master/slave mode.

10. The drive unit according to claim 9 wherein one of said frequency converters is a master frequency converter that specifies a total current distributed among said frequency converters, and each of said frequency converters includes a current regulator for regulating a current based upon a reference current value and an actual current value for said associated motor.

11. The drive unit according to claim 10 wherein said master frequency converter generates said reference current value.

12. The drive unit according to claim 9 including at least one bus system connecting said frequency converters for communicating at least one of reference-current signals, synchronization signals and identification signals.

13. The drive unit according to claim 9 including a control connected to a one of said frequency converters operating as a master frequency converter, said control generating a signal representing a reference rotational speed of said shaft, and a tachogenerator coupled to said shaft and connected to said control for generating a signal representing an actual rotational speed of said shaft.

14. The drive unit according to claim 9 including a secondary-sheave mounting attached to said machine frame and a secondary sheave rotatably mounted on said secondary-sheave mounting.

15. A drive unit for an elevator comprising:

a pair of spaced apart bearing end-plates mounted on a machine frame, each of said bearing end-plates retaining an associated bearing;

a pair of electric motors, each said motor having a stator mounted on an associated one of said bearing end-plates;

a shaft having opposed free ends, said shaft being rotatably supported by both of said bearings, each of said free ends of said shalt extending beyond an associated one of said bearings and having mounted thereon a rotor of an associated one of said motors; and

a traction sheave supported by said shaft between said bearing end-plates for rotation by said motors.

16. The drive unit according to claim 15 wherein each of said stators is mounted on said associated bearing end-plate by an associated cage-housing.

17. The drive unit according to claim 15 including at least one brake disk attached to said traction sheave and at least one disk brake acting on said at least one brake disk.