Tower lift

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10854489-B2
Application number	US-201816106602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A tower lift includes a main frame extending in a vertical direction, a movable frame configured to be movable in the vertical direction along the main frame, a carriage module mounted to the movable frame, a pair of driving rails extending parallel with each other on the main frame and comprising a plurality of first permanent magnets and a plurality of second permanent magnets arranged in the vertical direction, respectively, a driving wheel disposed between the driving rails to be spaced apart from the driving rails and comprising a plurality of third permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction, and a driving unit for rotating the driving wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tower lift comprising:
a main frame extending in a vertical direction;
a movable frame configured to surround the main frame and to be movable in the vertical direction along the main frame;
a plurality of levitation units for levitating the movable frame from the main frame;
a carriage module mounted to the movable frame;
a pair of driving rails extending parallel with each other on the main frame and comprising a plurality of first permanent magnets and a plurality of second permanent magnets arranged in the vertical direction, respectively;
a driving wheel disposed between the driving rails to be spaced apart from the driving rails and comprising a plurality of third permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction; and
a driving unit comprising a motor for providing a rotational force to rotate the driving wheel and a brake for applying a braking force to a rotational shaft of the motor.

2. The tower lift of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the third permanent magnets is disposed between the first permanent magnets and the second permanent magnets so that a driving force is generated by a rotational force of the driving wheel and a magnetic force between the first, second and third permanent magnets.

3. The tower lift of claim 1 , wherein the first and second permanent magnets are arranged such that N poles and S poles are disposed in the vertical direction and poles of the same polarity face each other in the vertical direction.

4. The tower lift of claim 1 , wherein the third permanent magnets are arranged such that N poles and S poles are disposed in the circumferential direction and poles of the same polarity face each other in the circumferential direction.

5. The tower lift of claim 1 , wherein the driving wheel further comprises a plurality of fourth permanent magnets arranged in the circumferential direction,
wherein the third and fourth permanent magnets are disposed on both sides of the driving wheel to face the first and second permanent magnets, respectively, and arranged in a Halbach arrangement, respectively.

6. The tower lift of claim 1 , wherein the first and second permanent magnets are arranged in a Halbach arrangement, respectively.

7. The tower lift of claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply cable extending in the vertical direction along a side surface of the main frame; and
a pickup unit mounted on the movable frame to receive power from the power supply cable in a non-contact manner and supply the power to the carriage module.

8. The tower lift of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of levitation rails mounted on the main frame and extending in the vertical direction along the main frame,
wherein the levitation units are mounted on the movable frame to face the levitation rails, respectively, and levitate the movable frame from the main frame using magnetic force.

9. The tower lift of claim 8 , wherein the main frame has a front surface, a rear surface, two side surfaces, and chamfered surfaces between the front and rear surfaces and the side surfaces, and
the levitation rails are disposed on the chamfered surfaces, respectively.

10. The tower lift of claim 9 , wherein two levitation rails are disposed to be perpendicular to each other on one of the chamfered surfaces.

11. The tower lift of claim 8 , further comprising sensors mounted on the movable frame to measure distances between the levitation rails and the levitation units.

12. The tower lift of claim 8 , further comprising auxiliary wheels mounted on the movable frame to be spaced apart from the levitation rails by a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jung Hun
• Lee Sung Hyun
• Jang In Bae

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3204

  using magnetic elements · CPC title

• H10P72/3402 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• B66B9/00 Primary

  Kinds or types of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures (characterised by control systems B66B1/00; apparatus for raising or lowering persons on stages of theatres A63J5/12) · CPC title