# US 9,868,614 B2 · Elevator system

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- Number: US 9,868,614 B2
- Document ID: US9868614B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/635,416
- Filed: 2015-03-02
- Published: 2015-09-03
- Granted: 2018-01-16
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-28
- Assignees: Thyssenkrupp Elevator AG
- Applicants: ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG
- Inventors: Rory Smith; Stefan Kaczmarczyk
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9868614B2

## CPC

- B66B 5/022: {where the abnormal operating condition is caused by a natural event, e.g. earthquake}
- B66B 7/06: Arrangements of ropes or cables
- B66B 7/068: {Cable weight compensating devices}
- B66B 7/10: for equalising rope or cable tension
- B66B 9/00: 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)
- B66B 1/30: effective on driving gear {, e.g. acting on power electronics, on inverter or rectifier controlled motor}
- B66B 11/0035: {Arrangement of driving gear, e.g. location or support}
- B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00)

## Abstract

One elevator system includes an elevator car, counterweight, traction sheave, support wrapped around the traction sheave and suspending the car and the counterweight, a compensation sheave, a compensation member wrapped around the compensation sheave and being affixed at a first end to the elevator car and at a second end to the counterweight, and a tensioner. The support is driven by rotation of the traction sheave to raise and lower the car, and the tensioner is in communication with the traction sheave for linearly displacing a rotational centerpoint of the traction sheave. Another elevator system has an elevator car, counterweight, compensation sheave, compensation rope wrapped around the compensation sheave and being affixed to the car and the counterweight, a traction sheave driving a support suspending the car and the counterweight, and a tensioner in communication with the traction sheave for inducing a variation in tension of the compensation rope.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car;
a counterweight;
a compensation sheave;
a compensation rope affixed at a first end to the elevator car and at a second end to the counterweight, the compensation rope being wrapped around the compensation sheave;
a traction sheave driving a support suspending the elevator car and the counterweight; and
a tensioner connected with the traction sheave for moving the traction sheave from an initial position to induce a variation in tension of the compensation rope.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the tensioner comprises a servo actuator configured to adjust a position of the traction sheave.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the tensioner comprises a hydraulic piston configured to adjust a position of the traction sheave.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the tensioner comprises a motor configured to do at least one of:
(a) vary an angular speed of the traction sheave; or
(b) provide an oscillating angular movement of the traction sheave.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the tensioner comprises means for adjusting a height of the traction sheave and means for rotating the traction sheave.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The elevator system of claim 5, further comprising a controller adapted to:
(a) compare: (1) a natural frequency of a building structure housing the elevator car, and (2) a natural frequency of the compensation rope; and
(b) when the compared frequencies in step (a) are within a predetermined threshold, direct the tensioner to induce a variation in tension of the compensation rope.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, further comprising another tensioner in communication with the compensation sheave for adjusting a position of the compensation sheave.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The elevator system of claim 1, further comprising a controller adapted to:
(a) compare: (1) a natural frequency of a building structure housing the elevator car, and (2) a natural frequency of the compensation rope; and
(b) when the compared frequencies in step (a) are within a predetermined threshold, direct the tensioner to induce a variation in tension of the compensation rope.

### Claim 9

An elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car;
a counterweight;
a traction sheave;
a support wrapped around the traction sheave and suspending the elevator car and the counterweight, the support being driven by rotation of the traction sheave to raise and lower the elevator car;
a compensation sheave;
a compensation member affixed at a first end to the elevator car and at a second end to the counterweight, the compensation member being wrapped around the compensation sheave; and
a first tensioner connected with the traction sheave for linearly displacing a rotational center point of the traction sheave from an initial position to induce tension of the compensation rope.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The elevator system of claim 9, further comprising a second tensioner in communication with the compensation sheave for linearly displacing a rotational center point of the compensation sheave.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The elevator system of claim 10, further comprising a controller adapted to:
(a) compare: (1) a natural frequency of a building structure housing the elevator car, and (2) a natural frequency of the compensation member;
(b) when the compared frequencies in step (a) are within a first predetermined threshold, direct the first tensioner to linearly displace the rotational center point of the traction sheave; and
(c) when the compared frequencies in step (a) are within a second predetermined threshold, direct the second tensioner to linearly displace the rotational center point of the compensation sheave.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The elevator system of claim 11, wherein:
the first tensioner includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic piston and a ball screw actuator; and
the second tensioner includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of a hydraulic piston and a ball screw actuator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The elevator system of claim 12, wherein the support comprises at least one rope, and wherein the compensation member includes at least one rope.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The elevator system of claim 9, further comprising a controller adapted to:
(a) compare: (1) a natural frequency of a building structure housing the elevator car, and (2) a natural frequency of the compensation member; and
(b) when the compared frequencies in step (a) are within a predetermined threshold, direct the first tensioner to linearly displace the rotational center point of the traction sheave.

### Claim 15

A suspension system for use with an elevator car and a counterweight, the suspension system comprising:
a traction sheave;
a support wrapped around the traction sheave and suspending the elevator car and the counterweight, the support being driven by rotation of the traction sheave to raise and lower the elevator car;
a compensation sheave;
a compensation member affixed at a first end to the elevator car and at a second end to the counterweight, the compensation member being wrapped around the compensation sheave;
means for monitoring a frequency of the support; and
means for actively controlling the frequency of the support by inducing a variation in tension of the compensation rope through at least one of: (a) linearly displacing a rotational center point of the traction sheave from an initial position, (b) varying an angular speed of the traction sheave, or (c) providing an oscillating angular movement of the traction sheave.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The suspension system of claim 15, wherein the means for monitoring a frequency of the support is an accelerometer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The suspension system of claim 16, wherein the means for actively controlling the frequency of the support is:
a tensioner connected with the traction sheave; and
a controller in data communication with the accelerometer and the tensioner for selectively actuating the tensioner based on data from the accelerometer.