Abstract:
An elevator system (20) includes a cab (22) supported for movement within a hoistway. A plurality of cab-supported sheaves (36, 42) moves with the cab through the hoistway. A first hoistway sheave (38) is located near a first end of the hoistway, and a second hoistway sheave (40) is located near a second end of the hoistway. A load bearing member (30) is provided, which (i) extends from near the first end of the hoistway toward the cab, where the load bearing member is redirected by one of the plurality of cab-supported sheaves toward the first end of the hoistway, (ii) at least partially wraps around each of the first hoistway sheave and the second hoistway sheave, and (iii) extends from near the second end of the hoistway toward the cab, where the load bearing member is redirected by another of the plurality of cab-supported sheaves toward the second end of the hoistway. A tension device (44) maintains tension in the load bearing member.
Abstract:
A metal oxide dielectric dense body, comprising (I) grains having a predominant crystalline phase (a) a primary metal oxide selected from the group consisting of silicon and magnesium oxide and (b) optionally a secondary metal oxide selected from the group consisting of aluminum and zinc oxide and (II) between about 1 and about 20 atom % bismuth, vanadium, or boron oxide or combinations thereof, discontinuously located at the boundaries of the crystalline grains or as inclusions in the crystalline grains, the atom %'s based on the total atoms of bismuth, vanadium, boron, silicon, magnesium, aluminum, and zinc. The dense body has a density which is at least 95 % of theoretical.
Abstract:
An elevator safety apparatus includes a deformable member (18) configured to buffer a mass (14, 26) in a hoistway (12) of an elevator system (10) and one or more sensors (20) configured to sense degradation of the deformable member (18).
Abstract:
An elevator drive assembly (20) includes a motor (28), drive (32) and a capacitive energy storage device (50). In a disclosed example, the capacitive energy storage device (50) comprises at least one nano-gate capacitor (52). The disclosed example has unique energy storage capabilities provided by the presence of the at least one nano-gate capacitor.
Abstract:
A power system (10) operates a plurality of hoist motors (18a, 18b, 18c), each of which controls movement of one of a plurality of elevators (12a, 12b, 12c). The power system (10) includes a power bus (11) and a converter (22) connected across the power bus (11) for converting alternating current (AC) power from an AC power source (20) to direct current (DC) power and delivering the DC power to the power bus (11). The power system (10) also includes a plurality of inverters (26a, 26b, 26c) connected across the power bus (11). Each inverter (26a, 26b, 26c) is connected to a hoist motor (18a, 18b, 18c) and is operable to drive the hoist motor (18a, 18b, 18c) when the hoist motor (18a, 18b, 18c) is motoring by converting the DC power from the power bus (11) into AC power. Each inverter (26a, 26b, 26c) is further operable to convert AC power produced by the hoist motor (18a, 18b, 18c) when the motor is generating to DC power and to deliver the DC power to the power bus (11) . A controller (31) manages power on the power bus (11) by controlling operation of the converter (22) and the inverters (26a, 26b, 26c) to drive a motoring hoist motor with power delivered to the power bus (11) by the converter (22) and generating hoist motors.
Abstract:
An elevator system (20) includes a cab (22) supported for movement within a hoistway. A tension device (44) remains close to one end (26) of the hoistway. The tension device (44) maintains a desired tension on a load bearing member (30) that supports a weight of the cab (22) and moves to achieve a desired placement of the cab within the hoistway. The load bearing member (30) extends from the first end of the hoistway toward the cab, wraps at least partially around a first sheave (36) supported for movement with the cab, extends from the first sheave (36) toward the first end (24) of the hoistway, wraps at least partially around a second sheave (38) supported near the first end of the hoistway, extends from the second sheave toward a second end (26) of the hoistway, wraps at least partially about a third sheave (40) supported near the second end of the hoistway, extends toward the cab from the third sheave, wraps at least partially around a fourth sheave (42) supported for movement with the cab, and extends from the fourth sheave toward the second end of the hoistway where it is secured to the tension device (44).
Abstract:
An elevator load bearing assembly (30) includes a jacket (34) having different portions comprising different polymer compositions. In a disclosed example, a plurality of tension members (32) are at least partially surrounded by a first portion (36) comprising a first polymer composition. A second portion (38) establishes at least one exterior surface (40) of the jacket (34) and comprises a second polymer composition. In one example, a surface-modifying agent is added to alter the composition of at least a portion of the jacket (34). In another example, co-extrusion techniques using different polymer compositions establish different portions of the jacket (34).
Abstract:
An elevator sheave (20) includes a belt guiding surface (26) having a surface profile along at least a portion of the belt guiding surface. The surface profile preferably is defined by an n th order polynomial equation where n is a number greater than 2. In one example, the reference point (40) is a central point along the width of the belt guiding surface (26). In one example, a central portion (42) of the surface profile preferably is aligned to be generally parallel with the central axis (34) of the sheave body. Some examples have curvilinear side portions (44, 46) between the central portion (42) and the edges (28, 30) of the sheave. Other examples also include second side portions (48, 50) that have linear profiles.
Abstract:
An elevator load bearing member assembly includes at least one traction enhancing surface (46) on a jacket (44). In one example, a mechanical removal process is used to strip away at least some of an amide-rich layer from the surface (46) after the jacket has been extruded onto tension members (42). In another example, a chemical removal process is used. Another disclosed example includes disrupting the surface.
Abstract:
An elevator load bearing member assembly includes at least one roughened surface (46) on a polyurethane jacket (44). In one example, mechanical roughening is used to roughen the surface (46) after the jacket has been extruded onto tension members (42). In another example, the temperatures used for molding a jacket (44) are controlled to induce melt fracture and roughen the surface (46) during the forming process. Other examples include chemically roughening the jacket surface and using localized heating to roughen the surface. The roughened jacket surface improves friction characteristics of a load bearing member assembly.