Frictionless safety brake actuator

A frictionless safety brake actuator (100;

• 100′;
• 1001;
• 1002;
• 1003′;
• 1003) for use in an elevator system (10), comprising:
• a fixed component (110);
• a movable component (120);
• wherein one of the fixed component (110) or the movable component (120) comprises a magnetic portion (112;
• 112a;
• 122;
• 122a) and the other of the fixed component (110) or the movable component (120) comprises a controllable electromagnet (114;
• 114a, 114b;
• 124);
• a connection arrangement (140) configured to connect a linkage (200) to the movable component (120), wherein the linkage (200) is actuatable so as to move a safety brake (24) into frictional engagement with an elevator guide rail (20);
• and
• at least one biasing member (130) arranged to apply a biasing force (FB) to the movable component (120) to bias the movable component (120) towards a first position in which the linkage (200) is actuated;
• wherein the movable component (120) is moveable against the biasing force (FB) to move between the first position and a second position in which the linkage (200) is not actuated;
• wherein the fixed component (110) and the movable component (120) together confine a magnetic field between the controllable electromagnet (114;
• 114a, 114b;
• 124) and the magnetic portion (112;
• 112a;
• 122;
• 122a) in a magnetic circuit (150);
• wherein, dependent upon control of the electromagnet (114;
• 114a, 114b;
• 124), the magnetic circuit (150) selectively produces an attractive magnetic force (FA), larger than the biasing force (FB), which acts upon the magnetic portion (112;
• 112a;
• 122;
• 122a) against the biasing force (FB) of the at least one biasing member (130) to move the movable component (120) from the first position to the second position.