Present systems.

 

Typical systems in use today comprise the following. Cable systems, belt systems similar to wire systems, hydraulic systems, friction or pinch roller systems, and recently vertical linear motor systems.

 

The preferred modern systems are linear vertical motors however due to the prohibitive cost of such systems in many cases this method is not used. The design of the architecture dictates the type of systems used or vice versa for instance, in very high rise buildings typically thirty to one hundred floors the infrastructure of such systems are expensive. Further the engineering restraints are considerable in that the length of cable that can be used is limited in very high rise buildings there are engineering limits, that is to say it is mercenary to change from one elevator to another in order to limit the cable runs.

 

Cable systems are cost effective in most cases however in very high rise buildings the preferred option would be a vertical linear motor if it were not for the cost, for instance all other systems can be used and can be compared in cost to a linear system up to fifteen floors after which a linear motor system becomes prohibitively expensive.

 

There is a current requirement for a major advance in this technology that would facilitate the construction of very high-rise buildings, which at the present level of technology poses sever restrictions in the construction and servicing of such buildings.

 

The new concept we have developed will allow multiple lift platforms in one elevator shaft indeed it will allow lateral / transverse movement sideways in four dimensions, with the added bonus of allowing extra platforms / carriages to be added on peak demand or as required dependent on the traffic management system.

 

The present invention remedies this in that the cost of the proposed system will be less then the most common belt or wire system in addition the system is fail safe it is a high speed system, and can be used for any height of building. This will be of great interest to architects in the design of new buildings.

 

Proposed system

 

The new system uses eddy currents for instance if a magnetic material is placed upon a aluminium strip at a steep or vertical angle and the magnetic material allowed to fall the fall rate is limited due to the reaction of the eddy current produced by the magnet upon the aluminium material.

 

It is proposed that a motor or series of motors are mounted on the boxcar or lift platform, power is supplied by a slip ring rail or other mechanism to the said motor or motors. A motor will have a drum or elongated belt system or other device connected to the motor shaft and be rotated. The rate of RPM turning the drum of belt system will dictates whether the platform will rise or fall or maintain position. In each drum or rotating belt system there is a series of magnetic materals that interfaces with the aluminium or other material that lines the lift shaft, and runs the length of the building.

 

In the event of power failer the lift platform will slowly descend to the ground floor however there will be safety features incorporated in the systems as follows.

 

Each lift platform will have four independent motors with separate power supplies, each platform will have conventional safety friction decent systems and or locking pins that located at each floor level.

 

The above system is not to be confused with eddy current braking, which is already an established concept.

 

Advantages of such a systems as follows.

 

1.The system may be produced at a cost less them a wire system

2. The system is fail safe

3. The system can be used for any height of building

4.The speed of the system is unlimited

5. The cost of the installation attractive

6. The system will allow architects to design new and more effective buildings increasing floor space

7. The system is a virtual vertical linear motor and has very low maintenance costs

8. The system is solid state there are no mechanical moving parts other then the mechanism on the lift platform

9. The system can be quickly installed in any build as a retrofit or in a new installation

 

 

The current invention relates to Elevator lifts and lifting system where mass needs to be transported in or around a physical structure. The current invention is particularly suitable for the movement of people within buildings and is not limited to one dimension, as with most current elevator designs, but two and three dimensions.

 

Current art

 

Conventional elevator design is based upon  the movement of a compartment within an elevator shaft running vertically in a building. The Compartment is often raised and lowered by cables attached to the top of the elavator compartment that run  to  pulleys and motors at the top of the shaft.

 

Alternative linear actuators have also been employed when expensive, permanent magnet designs have supplied drive to the elevator compartments.

 

Conventionally, only one elevator compartment is able to operate with a shaft. Variations will permit two or more elevator compartments to be constructed together and moved together within the elevator shaft, there by increasing the number of  passengers to a limited extent.

 

Other designs can allow two or more independent elevator compartments to operate within a shaft, but only under exclusive regions of the shaft. This has lead to, so called “local” and “express” elevator systems.

 

A fundamental limitation of current elevator design, and therefore building design, is that of the ability to move large numbers of people in and out of high rise buildings, at peak times, with sufficient speed and without occupying large floor areas with elevator lift shafts.

 

 

 

Current invention.

1            (Magnetic attraction)

The current invention related to the use of eddy currents, generated by moving magnetic fields associated with the Elevator Compartment and inducing the said eddy currents in fixed, electrically conductive ( or super conductive) material passed which the elevator compartment can move.

 

The moving magnetic fields can be generated by alternating electrical currents, as in conventional linear motors, or by the physical movement of magnetic fields, as can be created by permanent magnets rotating on a cylinder.

 

The generation of the eddy currents  will create a mechanical force between the moving magnetic fields and the conductive material.

 

2                     By lining a conventional, one dimensional (vertical) shaft with suitable conductive ( or super conductive) material, Elevator Compartments, fitted with a suitable moving magnetic field will be able to, up or down within the space, unrestrained by lifting cables, pulleys or winding gear. In fact numerous elevator compartments can operate within a single space ( elevator shaft)  operating on a non exclusive range of levels, save that of  elevator compartments not being able to occupy the same space at the same time, or an individual elevator compartment not being able to move from a position below any given compartment to a position above that compartment.

3                     By lining two ( or more) vertical shafts and the spaces between the shafts( side to side) ( there by defining a geometrical plane of operation) with suitable conductive ( or super conductive ) material, it is possible, under the current invention, for an elevator compartment to move up and down, in a single dimension, but also side to side, moving in a second dimension. Indeed multiple elevator compartments are able to operate independently within the vertical and horizontal ( side to side) space.

 

In one simple embodiment of this aspect of the invention,  two vertical elevator shafts (left shaft and right Shaft) can be separated by approximately one elevator compartment width. The space or spaces, between the elevator shafts can be configured to have a series of access door from the various floors of the building accessing the “elevator space.”

 

In this example, but not limited by it, an elevator equipped with the moving magnetic fields described in 1 above, will commence at rest at the bottom access door at the space between the two vertical shafts. The elevator shaft will then move by any of a number of means including the mechanism described in 1 above, to the left until it is in the left vertical shaft and supported by the moving magnetic field forces described in 1 above. Using this force, the elevator will move up to a required floor and move right into the space between the shafts to access the door between the vertical shafts. This will allow access to the elevator compartment to deliver its load.

 

While the elevator is in this position, other elevator compartments are free to move past the first elevator in the shafts either side of the first compartment. ((say )up in the left shaft and down in the right shaft)

 

Multiple elevator compartments will be at liberty to move between any floor and any other floor. Not occupied by a stationary elevator compartment.

 

4                     By lining two ( or more) vertical shafts and the spaces between the shafts( side to side) ( there by defining a geometrical plane of operation) and also other ( possibly) horizontal spaces (front and back) with suitable conductive ( or super conductive ) material, it is possible, under the current invention, for an elevator compartment to move up and down, in a single dimension, also side to side, moving in a second dimension and front to back in the third dimension.

 

This will permit elevator compartments to move through three dimensions to doors to access the elevator space distributed throughout a three dimensional volume of any given building space connected by the elevator space.

 

5                     According to another aspect of the invention is that of  one, two and three elevator traffic control. That is, in a situation of multiple elevator compartments operating within a given space, it will be necessary to control the movement of elevators to avoid movement conflicts. This control may be local, that is the movements of individual elevators is autonomous, and determined by the proximity and movement of other elevators in its vicinity, or global, as in one overall control system controlling and coordinating the movements of the elevator system as a whole, or combinations of control.

6                     According to another aspect of the invention is that of multiple elevator compartments moving within elevator spaces, be they one, two or three dimensional, and not individual elevator compartments being exclusively limited to specific spaces within buildings.

7                     According to another aspect of the invention is that the conductive materials lining the elevator spaces within or around a building may involve large volumes of conductive material which may also be used as structural aspects to the overall building design.

8                     According to another aspect of the invention is that heat that may be generated within the conductive materials, or the air flows around elevator shaft spaces may be considered as  a resource for temperature control and ventilation within the building.

9                     According to another aspect of the invention is that if the moving magnetic fields are generated by permanent magnets, they will offer eddy current braking in a power failure situation. This will enable elevator compartments to descend within an elevator space at a low and inherently safe, terminal velocity.

10                 According to another aspect of the invention is that of priorities within elevator traffic, or elevator  departure and destination positions. Where by individual passengers, groups of passengers or loads, can be given a priority over others, or passengers traveling to or from particular locations.

11                 According to another aspect of the invention is that passengers requiring to travel to a particular location can make their destination known to the elevator system before entering a elevator compartment. This information will enable an elevator controlling system to route elevators and passengers for the most effective and intelligent movement through the elevator system.

12                 According to another aspect of the invention is that a particular elevator arriving at a given location can be selected based upon available passenger demands to offer an express service to a particular location or locations.

 

The advantages of the current invention relate to the more effective movement of people ( or loads) in existing and new buildings. This can result in the movement of greater numbers of people through a given space in a given time. It can result in the more direct delivery of passengers to their required locations. It can result in a lower proportion of building floor plan being dedicated to the elevator lift system.

 

In essence the system may be a solid-state system without mechanical moving parts, all the above is an example only and is not exclusive.