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EP-4737376-A1 - GEARLESS ELEVATOR DRIVE SYSTEM AND ELEVATOR SYSTEM COMPRISING A GEARLESS ELEVATOR DRIVE SYSTEM

EP4737376A1EP 4737376 A1EP4737376 A1EP 4737376A1EP-4737376-A1

Abstract

A gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) comprises a rotatable shaft (12) extending in an axial direction (A) between a first end (12a) and a second end (12b) of the shaft (12); an electric motor (9) provided at a side adjacent to the first end (12a) of the shaft (12) and coupled to the shaft (12) for rotatably driving the shaft (12); at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) provided at a side adjacent to the second end (12b) of the shaft (12) and configured for coupling the shaft (12) with a tension member (3; 3a, 3b) that is provided for suspending and driving an elevator car (6); a brake disc (48) provided at the shaft (12) between the electric motor (9) and the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) and configured for rotating concurrently with the shaft (12); and at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) comprising at least one brake shoe (52a, 52b) and configured for selectively urging the at least one brake shoe (52a, 52b) against the brake disc (48) for braking the brake disc (48). When viewed along the axial direction (A), the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) is arranged at a side adjacent to the second end (12b) of the shaft (12). The at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) is also arranged radially outside the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b).

Inventors

  • GIL, SANTIAGO

Assignees

  • Otis Elevator Company

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241030

Claims (15)

  1. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) comprising: a rotatable shaft (12) extending in an axial direction (A) between a first end (12a) and a second end (12b) of the shaft (12); an electric motor (9) provided at a side adjacent to the first end (12a) of the shaft (12) and coupled to the shaft (12) for rotatably driving the shaft (12); at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) provided at a side adjacent to the second end (12b) of the shaft (12) and configured for coupling the shaft (12) with a tension member (3; 3a, 3b) that is provided for suspending and driving an elevator car (6); a brake disc (48) provided at the shaft (12) between the electric motor (9) and the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) and configured for rotating concurrently with the shaft (12); and at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) comprising at least one brake shoe (52a, 52b) and configured for selectively urging the at least one brake shoe (52a, 52b) against the brake disc (48) for braking the brake disc (48); wherein, when viewed along the axial direction (A), the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) is arranged at a side adjacent to the second end (12b) of the shaft (12), and wherein the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) is arranged radially outside of the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b).
  2. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) does not extend along the axial direction (A) into an area that is located radially outside of the electric motor (9); wherein the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) does in particular not extend onto an opposite side of the brake disc (48).
  3. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising at least one machine frame (30; 30a, 30b) and at least one bearing (40; 40a, 40b) that is configured for rotatably supporting the shaft (12), in particular for rotatably supporting a central portion of the shaft (12) that is located between the electric motor (9) and the brake disc (48) when viewed along the axial direction (A).
  4. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the shaft (12) comprises at least two tension member coupling portions (46a, 46b).
  5. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) is configured for coupling the shaft (12) with a tension member (3; 3a, 3b) having the form of a belt; wherein the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) has in particular a diameter (d) in the range of between 80 mm and 90 mm.
  6. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising an encoder that is configured for detecting a rotational position and/or a rotation of the shaft (12).
  7. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to claim 6, wherein the encoder comprises an encoder pattern (64), in particular an encoder ring (64) that is configured for rotating concurrently with the shaft (12), and at least one stationary detector (62a, 62b) that is configured for detecting the encoder pattern (64).
  8. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gearless elevator drive system (5) has a length (L) along the axial direction (A) and a diameter (D) along a radial direction that is oriented perpendicularly to the axial direction (A), wherein the length (L) is equal to or smaller than the diameter (D); wherein the length (L) is in particular in the range of between 200 mm and 290 mm, more particularly in the range of between 210 mm and 280 mm, for example of 220 mm; and/or wherein the diameter (D) is in particular in the range of between 200 mm and 250 mm, more particularly in the range of between 210 mm and 230 mm, for example of 220 mm.
  9. Gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one brake actuator (50a, 50b) comprises a housing (60a, 60b); wherein the housing (60a, 60b) is in particular formed so that it provides a tension member retainer for retaining a tension member (3; 3a, 3b) that is coupled to the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) formed on the shaft (12).
  10. Elevator system comprising: at least one elevator car (6) that is configured for traveling in a hoistway (4) between a plurality of landings (8); at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) that is coupled to the at least one elevator car (6) for suspending and driving the elevator car (6); and at least one gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) according to any of the preceding claims; wherein the at least one tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) of the at least one gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) is coupled to the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) for supporting and driving the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b); wherein the shaft (12) of the at least one gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b) extends in particular perpendicularly to an adjacent side wall of the elevator car (6) and orthogonally to an adjacent sidewall of the hoistway (4) .
  11. Elevator system according to claim 10 comprising at least two tension members (3a, 3b) that are coupled to the same gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b).
  12. Elevator system according to claim 10 or 11 comprising at least two gearless elevator drive systems (5, 5a, 5b) and at least two tension members (3a, 3b), wherein each of the at least two tension members (3a, 3b) is coupled to a tension member coupling portion (46; 46a, 46b) of one of the at least two gearless elevator drive systems (5, 5a, 5b), respectively.
  13. Elevator system according to claim 12, wherein the at least two gearless elevator drive systems (5, 5a, 5b) are arranged on opposite sides of the elevator car (6); or wherein the at least two gearless elevator drive systems (5, 5a, 5b) are arranged on the same side of the elevator car (6), wherein the at least two gearless elevator drive systems (5, 5a, 5b) are in particular arranged on a common bedplate (32).
  14. Elevator system according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) is coupled to the at least one elevator car (6) forming a 2:1 roping, or wherein the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) is coupled to the elevator car (6) forming a 4:1 roping; wherein the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) is in particular not underslung below the elevator car (6).
  15. Elevator system according to any of claims 10 or 14, further comprising at least one deflection pulley (25; 25a, 25b) that is provided at a stationary support (33) in the hoistway (4) for deflecting the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b); and/or at least one elevator car pulley (26a, 26b) that is provided at the elevator car (6) for deflecting the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b); and/or at least one counterweight (16) that is coupled to the at least one tension member (3; 3a, 3b) and configured for moving in the hoistway (4) concurrently and opposite direction with respect to the elevator car (6) wherein the axes of the at least one deflection pulley (25; 25a, 25b) and/or of the at least one elevator car pulley (26a, 26b) extend in particular parallel to the axis of the shaft (12) of the at least one gearless elevator drive system (5, 5a, 5b).

Description

The invention relates to a gearless elevator drive system, in particular to a compact gearless elevator system, and to an elevator system comprising such a gearless elevator drive system. An elevator system comprises at least one elevator car that is configured for moving along a hoistway extending between a plurality of landings and an elevator drive system that is configured for driving the at least one elevator car. The elevator system further comprises at least one tension member for suspending the at least one elevator car and for mechanically coupling the at least one elevator car with the elevator drive system. The drive system may be installed in a machine room that is separated from the hoistway. Alternatively, in order to reduce the space occupied by the elevator system, the elevator system may be a machine room-less elevator system in which the elevator drive system is located in the hoistway. It would be beneficial to provide a compact elevator drive system that occupies less space in the hoistway than a conventional elevator drive. Exemplary embodiments of the invention include a gearless elevator drive system that comprises a rotatable shaft extending in an axial direction between a first end and a second end of the shaft; an electric motor provided at a side adjacent to the first end of the shaft and coupled to the shaft for rotatably driving the shaft; and at least one tension member coupling portion provided at a side adjacent to the second end of the shaft for coupling the shaft with a tension member that is configured for suspending and driving an elevator car. In a gearless elevator drive system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a brake disc is provided at the shaft at a position between the electric motor and the at least one tension member coupling portion. The brake disc is configured for rotating concurrently with the shaft. The gearless elevator drive system further comprises at least one brake actuator that includes at least one brake shoe and that is configured for selectively urging the at least one brake shoe against the brake disc for braking rotation of the brake disc and the shaft. When viewed along the axial direction of the shaft, the at least one brake actuator is arranged at a side adjacent to the second end of the shaft and radially outside of the at least one tension member coupling portion. Exemplary embodiments of the invention also include an elevator system comprising at least one elevator car that is configured for traveling in a hoistway between a plurality of landings; at least one tension member that is coupled to the at least one elevator car for suspending and driving the elevator car; and at least one gearless elevator drive system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The at least one tension member coupling portion of the at least one gearless elevator drive system is coupled to the at least one tension member for supporting and driving the at least one tension member. Arranging the at least one brake actuator at a side adjacent to the second end of the shaft and radially outside of the at least one tension member coupling portion allows for providing a compact elevator drive system that occupies less space than a conventional elevator drive system. As a result, the space that is available in the hoistway of an elevator system may be used more efficiently, e.g. for increasing the size of the elevator car. Alternatively, the size of the elevator car may remain constant and the dimensions of the hoistway may be reduced so that the elevator system occupies less space in the building in which it is installed. By providing the elevator drive system as a gearless elevator drive system that does not comprise a gearing, the complexity, the volume, the weight and/or the costs of the elevator drive system may be reduced over an elevator drive system comprising a gearing. In the following, a number of optional features of an elevator system according to exemplary embodiments of the invention are set out. These features may be realized in particular embodiments, alone or in combination with any of the other features, unless explicitly stated otherwise. The gearless elevator drive system may comprise at least one machine frame and at least one bearing that is supported by the machine frame and configured for rotatably supporting the shaft. The at least one bearing may in particular be configured for rotatably supporting a central portion of the shaft that is located between the electric motor and the brake disc when viewed along the axial direction. The machine frame may be mounted to a stationary structure in the hoistway, for example to a side wall of the hoistway or to a bedplate that is provided in the hoistway. Arranging the at least one bearing between the electric motor and the brake disc of the gearless elevator drive system allows for reducing the dimension of the gearless elevator drive system along the axial direction of