Abstract: An elevator machine (10) includes a motor (12) that rotationally drives a machine shaft (14). An elevator machine brake (20) applies braking force to a disk (22) that is coupled to the machine shaft (14) to slow or stop the rotation of the machine shaft (14). In one example, the elevator machine brake (20) includes a bias member (38) that applies a bias force to a caliper arrangement (32) to provide a braking force on the disk (22). A brake actuator (48) having a shape-changing material moves against the bias force to control engagement between the caliper arrangement (32) and the disk (22). A controller (26) selectively varies the braking force applied to the disk (22) by controlling an electric input to the shape-changing material of the brake actuator (48).

Abstract: An elevator brake assembly includes a braking fluid for providing a braking force. A first magnet provides a first magnetic field that influences the braking fluid to provide the braking force. The second magnet selectively provides a second magnetic field that controls how the first magnetic field influences the braking fluid to control the braking force.

Abstract: An example elevator machine frame assembly (30) includes a plurality of support plates (32) configured to support at least selected portions of an elevator machine including a traction sheave (24). The support plates each comprise a plurality of mounting surfaces (50) that are aligned within a plane that intersects with an axis of rotation (56) of a traction sheave that is supported by the frame assembly. A plurality of support rods (36) are connected to the support plates (32). The support rods maintain a desired spacing between the plates and a desired alignment of the plates relative to each other. In a disclosed example, the support rods include a sound dampening material (44) such as sand in an interior of the rods.

Abstract: Heat in a drive system including a motor and a drive is removed using heat pipes in heat exchanging contact with the motor and the drive. The heat conducting element have at least one portion for receiving heat from the motor or the drive, and another portion to transfer heat to a heat exchange device that is spaced from the motor and drive. The heat conducting element may be a heat pipe or a heat spreader element.

Abstract: An elevator door coupler includes a vane member adapted to be supported on one of a hoistway door or an elevator car door. A magnetic coupler device (500) is adapted to be supported on the other of the hoistway door or the elevator car door to be selectively magnetically coupled with the vane member. The magnetic coupler device includes a plurality of modules (520) each having a core and at least one coil associated with the core. An insulation material (528) occupies a space between the modules for substantially insulating adjacent coils from each other and for maintaining a desired alignment of the modules relative to each other.

Abstract: An exemplary elevator brake device includes a permanent magnet. A core supports the permanent magnet. A first plate is positioned near one side of the core with a first gap between the first plate and the core. A second plate is positioned near another side of the core with a second gap between the second plate and the core. The first and second plates remain fixed relative to each other and are arranged such that relative movement is possible between the core and the plates. An electromagnet selectively influences an amount of magnetic flux across the first and second gaps, respectively, to control a braking force of the brake.

Abstract: A guide device (26) for use in an elevator system includes an elevator guide roller (30) having a hardness that varies depending on a speed of rotation of the guide roller (30). In a disclosed example, a magnetorheological fluid within the guide roller (30) changes viscosity depending on the speed of rotation. One example includes varying an influence of a first magnetic field on the magnetorheological fluid to change the viscosity.

Abstract: Transverse flux electric motors are made using a unique process where individual components are premade and then assembled together. A stator portion is made by nesting a coil between two stator core portions. In a disclosed example, distinct first and second stator core portions are formed. The stator core portions in disclosed examples are made from laminations or sintered powder materials. In a disclosed arrangement, a coil is supported between the core portions of the stator such that the core portions enclose at least part of axial surfaces on the coil. A rotor that has a core and a plurality of magnets is supported relative to the stator for relative rotary motion such that the plurality of magnets of the rotor interact with the stator core portions during the relative rotary motion.

Abstract: An elevator machine (12) has a plurality of identical transverse flux rotor/stator modules (28-30) of a generally cylindrical configuration arranged contiguously on a common shaft (21) to provide torque to the shaft equal to the torque capability of the modules times the number of modules. A disc brake (49) is integrated with the motor; a two-sided brake disc (49) has friction pads (92, 93) on both sides, braking force being applied to motor end plate (14) and through the brake disc to a stator (60) of one phase (30) of the motor. A process (113) forms variously-sized motors from identically sized modular components, in various configurations (12, 100, 110).

Abstract: Transverse flux electric motors are made using a unique process where individual components are premade and then assembled together. A stator portion is made by nesting a coil between two stator core portions. The stator core portions are made from laminations or sintered powder materials. A separate rotor portion is provided with a core and two permanent magnets that interact with projections on the stator core portions. In one example, the stator includes support members that support additional magnetic core portions to magnify the magnet flux density in the air gap between the stator and the rotor.

Abstract: Transverse flux electric motors are made using a unique process where individual components are premade and then assembled together. A stator portion is made by nesting a coil between two stator core portions. The stator core portions are made from laminations or sintered powder materials. A separate rotor portion is provided with a core and two permanent magnets that interact with projections on the stator core portions. In one example, the stator includes support members that support additional magnetic core portions to magnify the magnet flux density in the air gap between the stator and the rotor.

Abstract: A permanent magnet design includes a magnetic field that is skewed relative to a center line of the magnet body. One surface of the magnet is adapted to be mounted or supported on a motor assembly component such as the rotor. The other side of the magnet body includes at least one surface that is not aligned with the center line of the magnet body. When the magnet is supported on a motor component so that the magnet center line is aligned with the axis of rotation of the motor rotor, the magnetic field of the magnet is not aligned with the rotor axis.

Abstract: A permanent magnet design includes a magnetic field that is skewed relative to a center line of the magnet body. One surface of the magnet is adapted to be mounted or supported on a motor assembly component such as the rotor. The other side of the magnet body includes at least one surface that is not aligned with the center line of the magnet body. When the magnet is supported on a motor component so that the magnet center line is aligned with the axis of rotation of the motor rotor, the magnetic field of the magnet is not aligned with the rotor axis.

Abstract: Transverse flux electric motors are made using a unique process where individual components are premade and then assembled together. A stator portion is made by nesting a coil between two stator core portions. The stator core portions are made from laminations or sintered powder materials. A separate rotor portion is provided with a core and two permanent magnets that interact with projections on the stator core portions. In one example, the stator includes support members that support additional magnetic core portions to magnify the magnet flux density in the air gap between the stator and the rotor.

Abstract: An elevator system includes a magnetic guide that dampens vibration of a flat rope that move the car and counterweight up and down in the hoistway. The flat rope is guided through an opening in the magnetic guide between a pair of ferromagnetic flux concentrators having a set of teeth. The flux concentrators concentrate a centralizing magnetic flux that centers the ferromagnetic wires of the rope between each tooth. As the centralizing force acts on each ferromagnetic wire, the flat rope will be magnetically laterally centered within the opening of the magnetic guide and vibration of the flat rope is accordingly dampened. In one example implementation of this invention, the magnetic guide is slideably mounted on a slide assembly in response to rope migration.

Abstract: A single linear motor has two sets of active sides with windings, secondaries and backirons. The front of the motor drives one load and the rear of the motor selectively drives another load. The windings on the two sides may have their phases reversed so as to drive the load in opposite directions in response to the same three-phase, U, V, W drive signals; or, only one load need be drive at any one time. The loads may be double, center-opening or two-speed elevator doors.

Abstract: A magnetic bearing with reduced control-flux-induced rotor loss includes a rotor 14, and a stator 12 having a plurality of slots S1-S16 around which coils 150-156 of a first Phase A and coils 160-166 of a second Phase B are wound. The winding configuration provides a two pole magnetic field around a rotor/stator gap 15 which is sinusoidal and which can be directed to any location along the gap 15. The configuration minimizes discontinuities or sharp changes in control flux in the gap which thereby reduces rotor losses. Also, the stator tooth gap g1 is minimized to provide smooth flux distribution along the rotor/stator gap 15. More phases and more or less stator slots may be used.

Abstract: An electronic motor drive produces a required motion profile for an elevator door operator actuated by a three-phase, line-powered linear induction motor (LIM) by means of an array of TRIAC switches producing selected forces from the LIM. The TRIAC drive is capable of producing acceleration, deceleration or free coast in either the open or close direction of door operation. When controlled by an algorithm such as a "time-optimal switch point" or "bang-bang" control, the TRIAC drive produces the required motions from the linear induction motor for elevator door operation. The motor windings may be switchable between delta and wye hookups to provide two distinct thrust levels. Phase angle modulation may be used to provide finer control of thrust.

Abstract: A linear induction motor utilizes a double-sided primary and a dual secondary to directly drive an elevator car door open and closed. The invention has the advantage of being compact: all magnetic-attractive loads are confined to a primary mount bracket, and all thrust loads are carried directly by the car header, not transferred to the cab. Also, high thrusts can be developed from a small space, i.e., short net working coil area, due to the double-sided primary winding and dual secondary arrangement. The configuration is basically simple, with a low moving mass and easy-to-fabricate parts, the primary core being particularly easily wound.

Abstract: The door or doors of an elevator are driven through their opening and closing cycles by one or more linear induction motor (LIM) assemblies in which the primary winding component of the LIM assembly is secured to the elevator cab structure and the LIM secondary component is secured to the cab door. If the cab has two oppositely moving doors, there will preferably be two separate motor drives, one for each door. In one embodiment, the motor components are arranged so as to create a normal force which is horizontal; and in another embodiment, the normal force created is vertical. A primary motor mount bracket is used which secures the primary winding component to the overhead component of the cab structure.