Asymmetric and steered sheaves for twisted multi-belt elevator systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9932205-B2
Application number	US-201715411202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

An elevator system includes an elevator car located in a hoistway. One or more belts are operably connected to the elevator car to drive and/or support the elevator car along the hoistway. The one or more belts are routed over one or more sheaves. The one or more sheaves include an outer surface rotatable about a central axis and a flange located at at least one lateral end of the sheave. The sheave further includes a tracking compensator to limit lateral motion of the belt along the outer surface to prevent the belt from contacting the flange.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator car disposed in a hoistway;
two or more belts operably connected to the elevator car to drive and/or support the elevator car along the hoistway; and
two or more sheaves over which the two or more belts are routed, each sheave of the two or more sheaves including:
an outer surface rotatable about a central axis; and
a flange disposed at at least one lateral end of the sheave;

the two or more sheaves arranged in sheave groups, each sheave of the sheave group guiding a separate belt of the two or more belts, a first sheave of the sheave group and a second sheave of the sheave group disposed at and configured to rotate about a common shaft, the common shaft configured such that
a first central axis of the first sheave of the sheave group intersects a second central axis of the second sheave of the sheave group at a non-zero sheave angle.

2. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more belts twist and draw between a first sheave group and a second sheave group.

3. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the sheave angle is between 1 degree and 10 degrees.

4. The elevator system of claim 1 , further comprising an asymmetrical crown on the outer surface of at least one sheave of the two or more sheaves.

5. The elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the belt travels at substantially a lateral center of the sheave.

6. An elevator system comprising:
an elevator car disposed in a hoistway;
two or more belts operably connected to the elevator car to drive and/or support the elevator car along the hoistway; and
a plurality of sheave groups over which the two or more belts are routed, each sheave of a sheave group including:
an outer surface rotatable about a central axis; and
a flange disposed at at least one lateral end of the sheave;

wherein a first sheave of the sheave group and a second sheave of the sheave group are disposed at and configured to rotate about a common shaft, the common shaft configured such that a first central axis of a first sheave of the sheave group intersects a second central axis of a second sheave of the sheave group at a non-zero sheave angle.

7. The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the two or more belts twist and draw between a first sheave group and a second sheave group.

8. The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the sheave angle is between 1 degree and 10 degrees.

9. The elevator system of claim 6 , wherein the elevator system has a 4:1 roping arrangement.

10. The elevator system of claim 6 , further comprising an asymmetrical crown on the outer surface of at least one sheave such that a first sheave radius at a first lateral end of the sheave is greater than a second sheave radius at a second lateral end of the sheave.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Lotfi Amir
• Githens Alan Stover

Classifications

• B66B7/06

  Arrangements of ropes or cables · CPC title

• F16H2055/363

  with special means or properties for lateral tracking of the flexible members running on the pulley, e.g. with crowning to keep a belt on track · CPC title

• B66B15/04 Primary

  Friction sheaves; "Koepe" pulleys · CPC title

• F16H55/36

  Pulleys (with features essential for adjustment F16H55/52) · CPC title

• B66B9/00

  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