Inventio Ag

Wolfgang Muller

Christoph Liebetrau

Utz Richter

Helmut Heizmann

Albrecht Morlok

Jurgen Kastle

A friction wheel drive apparatus for a self-propelled elevator car movable in an elevator shaft can be mounted on the top side or bottom side of the car. The drive apparatus is connected with a counterweight by a force transmission device for balancing the car weight and a portion of the conveyed load. The force transmission device is fastened to and guided at the drive apparatus such that a force generated by the counterweight, the weight of the car and the weight of the conveyed load is applied as a contact pressure to urge a friction wheel of the drive apparatus against a travel track surface.

Apparatus for driving a self-propelled elevator

A self-propelled elevator car for vertical and horizontal travel in an elevator shaft has a plurality of driven friction wheels which are pressed against associated running surfaces by a passive contact force which produces the necessary friction and is influenced by a load-dependent gravitational force and an additional regulated active force. The friction wheels are rotatably mounted at free ends of guide arms having opposite ends pivotally connected to a lifting carriage attached to the bottom of the car. The guide arms extend downwardly and outwardly at a defined angle to the horizontal of a straight line between the pivot point and a contact point of the friction wheels with the running surface such that the gravitational force acting on the car forces the wheels outwardly. The active force can be applied by setting elements connected between the carriage and the guide arms. A force sensor mounted at the pivot point senses the passive force and is connected to a processor control which controls the active force applied by the setting elements in accordance with the value of the passive force.

Growing community of inventors

Meggen, Switzerland

Wolfgang Muller