Patent ID: 8264311

Claim:
An elevator guiding apparatus comprising: a magnet unit having an E-shaped configuration, comprising a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole opposed to the first magnetic pole, the second magnetic pole having the same polarity as the first magnetic pole, a third magnetic pole arranged at a center between the first magnetic pole and the second magnetic pole, the third magnetic pole having a different polarity from the polarity of the first and second magnetic poles, a first magnet defined between the first magnetic pole and the third magnetic pole, the first magnet comprising a first electromagnet, a third electromagnet, and a first permanent magnet, the first electromagnet and the third electromagnet connected with each other through the intermediary of the first permanent magnet, and a second magnet defined between the second magnetic pole and the third magnetic pole, the second magnet comprising a second electromagnet, a fourth electromagnet, and a second permanent magnet, the second electromagnet and the fourth electromagnet connected with each other through the intermediary of the second permanent magnet, wherein the first and second permanent magnets are arranged on upper and lower sides of the E-shaped configuration of the magnet unit, respectively, the first permanent magnet is sandwiched between the first and third electromagnets, and the second permanent magnet is sandwiched between the second and fourth electromagnets; a plurality of sensors for detecting respective conditions of magnetic circuits in the magnet unit; and a control unit for controlling exciting currents supplied to the electromagnets of the magnet unit based on output signals from the sensors.