Frictional damper for reducing elevator car movement

An elevator system, comprising:

• an elevator car;
• a plurality of ropes suspending the elevator car;
• at least one guide rail situated to guide vertical movement of the elevator car;
• and
• a damping device supported on the elevator car, the damping device including
• at least one friction member that is selectively moveable into a damping position in which the friction member engages the guide rail to damp movement of the elevator car and
• a solenoid actuator having an armature that is situated for vertical movement, the armature moving upward when the solenoid is energized to move the friction member into the damping position, the armature mass urging the armature in a downward vertical direction causing the friction member to move out of the damping position when the solenoid is not energized.

A method of controlling a position of an elevator car, comprising the steps of:

• stopping the elevator car in a desired position;
• energizing a solenoid to cause upward movement of an armature of the solenoid to thereby cause a friction member to move into a damping position in which the friction member engages a guide rail associated with the elevator car;
• and
• deenergizing the solenoid such that the armature is urged downward by force of gravity, which in turn moves the friction member out of the damping position, before moving the elevator car.