The invention relates to an apron device of an elevator where an elevator pit is with limited depth.
The invention further relates to an elevator car provided with an apron device, and to a method for preventing falling into an elevator shaft.
The field of the invention is defined more specifically in the preambles of the independent claims.
An elevator comprises an elevator car which is moved vertically in an elevator shaft and is stopped at landings. The elevator car comprises a door opening which needs to be provided with an apron device for preventing passengers falling into the shaft in special situations when the elevator car is not stopped properly at the desired landing and when a gap is formed between a bottom of the elevator car and the landing. Safety regulations require the use of apron devices. Therefore, several different apron devices are designed for the purpose. However, the known solutions have shown to contain some disadvantages.
An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apron device, and an elevator car provided with such apron device. A further object is to provide a new and improved method for preventing falling into an elevator shaft.
The apron device according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing features of the first independent apparatus claim.
The elevator car according to the invention is characterized by the characterizing features of the second independent apparatus claim.
The method to according the invention is characterized by the characterizing features of the independent method claim.
An idea of the disclosed solution is that the apron device of an elevator comprises a first protective element and a second protective element, which are both vertically orientated. The first protective element is located normally at a distance from a bottom of an elevator car. The second protective element is located above the first protective element. The first and second protective elements are mounted movably in relation to the bottom of the elevator car so that they can move in upward direction when the first protective element contacts a bottom of a pit or any other obstacle or element which is located at a bottom part of an elevator shaft. The first and second protective elements are made of rigid material whereby they have bending stiffness. Further, the first protective element comprises one or more vertical first supports for supporting the first protective element vertically movably to the elevator car. The vertical supports allow the first protective element to move only in vertical direction. The first protective element moves the second protective element whereby the elements move together in upward direction. The second protective element moves at least partly in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.
In other words, the vertical movement of the first protective element is configured to move the second protective element from its vertical active position to inactive, or partly inactive, transverse position. Relative movement between the first protective element and the elevator car occur when the first protective element becomes in contact with the bottom of the pit of the elevator shaft or other obstacle while the elevator car continues its downward movement.
Operation principle of the disclosed apron is of type normally active since the apron device is in its extended position during the normal operation and moves to inactive state only when the elevator car is driven to its lowermost position where the apron device faces a pit.
The apron device may be sometimes called also as a platform guard, toe guard, or car skirt.
An advantage of the disclosed solution is that the structure of the apron device is provided with proper rigidity so that safety regulations are met. A further advantage is that the disclosed apron device can provide the elevator car with a relatively long skirt at a side of a door opening, and this sufficiently downwards extending skirt can prevent injuries effectively.
Further, the disclosed solution can be implemented in operationally and structurally different elevators.
According to an embodiment, the apron device is configured to provide protection also in a so called UCM-situation (Un-Controlled-Movement) wherein the elevator car moves upwards in an uncontrolled manner. Since the disclosed apron device is normally in its extended orientation, the apron can prevent people to fall into the shaft in situations when the door of the elevator car is open, and the car sill is moved above the landing. This way injuries caused by uncontrolled upward movements of the elevator car can be prevented.
According to an embodiment, the disclosed apron device can serve also as a toe guard or toe protector preventing damages in situations when the elevator car is stopped above a landing, door is open, and the elevator car moves downwards for some reason. Then the apron device prevents toes or legs entering to a dangerous gap formed between the landing and a bottom of the elevator car. This way injuries caused by uncontrolled downward movements of the elevator car can be prevented.
According to an embodiment, the apron device forms a movable skirt which extends below the door of the elevator car and which is configured to automatically vary its own extension relative to the elevator car. Thus, the apron device can reduce its own extension relative to the elevator car by contact with a floor of a pit of the elevator when the elevator car is at the lowest landing of the elevator. Further, the apron device may resume its own regular extension in relation to the elevator car by force of gravity, when the elevator car moves upwards, and the apron device is no longer in contact with the floor or base of the pit. Thus, the apron device may comprise a self-extract and -retract feature.
According to an embodiment, the apron device extends vertically at least 750 mm when being fully extended.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element has a sliced configuration comprising several horizontal slats connected to each other by means of joints allowing relative turning movement between the slats. In other words, when the first protective element moves upwards in relation to the bottom of the elevator car, then the sliced second protective element can bend, and its movement direction turns into transverse direction and the upper most end closest to the elevator car slides below the bottom of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element comprises at least 4 slats, typically 4-10 slats.
According to an embodiment, the mentioned joints between the slats are horizontal hinges. Turning axis of the hinges are horizontal.
According to an embodiment, the mentioned joints between the slats are bendable sections. Then the slats may be connected to each other by means of bendable elements, structures, or materials.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element may be arranged to move entirely below the bottom of the elevator car, or alternatively, only a portion closest to the elevator car is arranged to move below the bottom the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, in an alternative solution the second protective element comprises only one slat, which is arranged to turn below the bottom of the elevator car partly or entirely. In this case too, the lower first protective element is arranged to move the second protective element above it.
According to an embodiment, the apron device comprises guide surfaces for guiding the second protective element from vertical position to transverse position under the bottom of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the guide surfaces comprise at least one curved guide piece arranged between at least one vertical guide piece and at least one transverse guide piece for guiding the second protective element smoothly from the vertical orientation to transverse orientation and back.
According to an embodiment, the guide surfaces are arranged at both vertical end portions of the second protective element.
According to an embodiment, the guide surfaces may be formed of profile elements having substantially U-shaped cross sections. Then the second protective element may be mounted between arms of the U-shaped profile.
According to an embodiment, the first vertical supports of the first protective element may be bars which are connected to the bottom part of the elevator car by means of slide connection elements allowing the bars to move vertically in relation to the mentioned bottom part. Number of the bars may be two and they may be mounted at opposite ends of the first protective element so that the bars are free to extend above floor of the elevator car at both sides of a door opening. The bars can prevent the first protective element from moving laterally towards the elevator shaft and may thereby provide the arrangement with required rigidity and safety. An advantage of this embodiment is that the bars and their slide joints are relatively simple whereby the structure may be durable, maintenance free, and inexpensive.
According to an embodiment, the first vertical supports of the first protective element may be telescopic elements which can retract so that their extension can change when the first protective element moves vertically.
According to an embodiment, the apron device comprises a reeling device for reeling the second protective element at least partly under the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element may be at first guided under the bottom of the elevator car and may be after that reeled. Alternatively, the reeling device may be configured to reel the second protective element directly without first executing any guiding below the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the reeling device is located under a door sill of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the apron device comprises at least one return spring for ensuring return movement of at least the second protective element from the inactive position to the vertical active position.
According to an embodiment, the return spring can be also called as a pullback spring, release spring, restoring spring, or retracting spring.
According to an embodiment, the return spring may be a helical spring, for example. Alternatively, any other mechanical spring element, such as a spiral spring, can be used. It is also possible to implement gas springs as return spring elements. When the apron device comprises a reeling device, then the reeling device may comprise return springs for rotating the reeled second protection element back. Thus, the reeling device may be spring loaded.
According to an embodiment, the apron device may also comprise at least one return spring for ensuring vertical return movement of the first protective element from the vertical upper position to the vertical lower position.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element is configured to return from the inactive position to the active position under influence of gravity.
According to an embodiment, the second protective element is movable manually between the inactive position and the active position. Then rescue or service personnel can move the second protective element to suitable position.
According to an embodiment, the first protective element is configured to move from the vertical upper position to the vertical lower position under influence of gravity.
According to an embodiment, the first and second protective elements are connected mechanically to each other and are thereby configured to move together also in the return direction.
According to an embodiment, the first and second protective elements are movable separately in the return direction. Thus, the first and second protective elements are not coupled mechanically to each other but are separate elements.
According to an embodiment, the first protective element is a rigid one piece plate-like element having vertical orientation and movement path. An advantage of this embodiment is that the first protective element is durable and tolerates well contacts with the pit. Further, the structure is simple, inexpensive to manufacture and requires no maintenance.
According to an embodiment, the first protective element comprises a first component and a second component which are configured to slide vertically in relation to each other, whereby vertical dimension of the first protective element is dependent on relative positions of the mentioned first and second components. In other words, the first protective element has collapsible configuration comprising two or more components which are connected to each other slidably. An advantage of this embodiment is that vertical extension of the first protective element can be increased.
According to an embodiment, the apron may be a kind of hybrid solution comprising a lamella element with several slats as the second protective element, and a collapsible plate structure with two sliding components as the first protective element.
According to an embodiment, the first protective element comprises two vertical first supports, which are fixedly mounted at opposite end portions of the first protective element. Further, first the supports are supportable movably to the elevator car and at least vertical upper end portions of the first supports are allowed to move above the bottom of the elevator car. In other words, the first supports provide the first protective element hanging support and they move vertically together with the first protective element so that upper end portions may rise above the bottom of the elevator car. Since the first supports are located at horizontal ends of the first protective element, the upwards rising parts move next to a door opening and do not form any obstacle at the door opening of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the first supports of the first protective element are supported to a door sill of the elevator car by means of a coupling which allows vertical sliding of the first supports.
According to an embodiment, the first and second protective elements are made of metallic material. Thus, the structures of the first and second protective elements have sufficient bending stiffness. The bending stiffness of the beam is also known as the flexural rigidity of the beam i.e., ability to resist bending forces.
According to an embodiment, the first and second protective elements are made of steel.
According to an embodiment, the first and second protective elements are made of metallic sheet material by means of sheet metal work techniques, which may comprise cutting and bending, for example.
According to an embodiment, at least one of the first and second protective elements is made of composite material, such as fiber reinforced plastic material, having required bending stiffness.
According to an embodiment, the disclosed solution relates to an elevator car of a traction elevator. The elevator car is suspended from a suspension rope and is supported to walls of an elevator shaft by means of vertical guide rails. The elevator is movable vertically between several landings. The elevator car comprises at least one door opening and a bottom of the elevator car. Further, there is also at least one apron device which is located at the at least one door opening and is configured to prevent falling into the elevator shaft when there is a gap between the bottom and the landing. The apron device is in accordance with the features disclosed in this document.
According to an embodiment, the bottom of the elevator car comprises an openable service hatch. The hatch is possible since only part of the second protective element moves below the bottom. In the solution, where the second protective element is reeled, there is even more space below the bottom of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the bottom of the elevator car comprises a fastening point for a compensation element, such as a compensation chain or wire. Below the elevator car is plenty of free fastening points for the compensation elements since the second protective element takes only little or none space below the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the elevator car is intended for a low pit elevator wherein there is only a low space below the elevator car when it is driven to the lowermost landing.
According to an embodiment, depth of the mentioned pit is 400 mm or less.
According to an embodiment, the elevator car is intended for a personnel elevator of a building.
According to an embodiment, the disclosed solution relates also to a method of protecting from falling into an elevator shaft. The method comprises: providing an elevator car with an apron device below an elevator car wherein the apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element both made of bending stiff rigid material and being orientated vertically; arranging the first protective element at a vertical distance from a bottom of an elevator car in the elevator shaft and arranging the second protective element above the first protective element; and retracting full vertical extension of the apron device in response to situation wherein the elevator car moves to its lowermost movement position and the first protective element becomes in contact with immovable structures of the elevator shaft. The method further comprises: hanging the first protective element below the second protective element and supporting the first protective element to the elevator car by means of at least one first first support; vertical moving the first protective element only in vertical direction in relation to the bottom of the elevator car; lifting the second protective element by the vertical movement of the first protective element; and moving at least part of the second protective element in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises guiding at least a top part of the second protective element below the bottom of the elevator car when the first protective element strikes bottom of a pit of the elevator shaft and lifts upwards in relation to the downwardly moving elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises guiding the second protective element entirely in transversal direction below the bottom of the elevator car.
According to an embodiment, the method comprises reeling the second protective element by means of a reeling device which is located under a door sill or under a bottom of the elevator car.
The above disclosed embodiments may be combined in order to form suitable solutions having those of the above features that are needed.
Some embodiments are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, in which
For the sake of clarity, the figures show some embodiments of the disclosed solution in a simplified manner. In the figures, like reference numerals identify like elements.
The elevator car 3 can be driven to desired landings L or floors under control of one or more control units CU. Below a first or lowermost landing there may be a pit 11 of an elevator shaft 2. There may be buffers 12 in the elevator shaft below the first landing L1. Further, the elevator car 3 is provided with an apron device 13 below its bottom. The apron device 13 is located at an entrance side of the elevator car 3 where is a door opening 21. The apron device 13 comprises at least one first protective element Pe1 and above it is at least one second protective element Pe2. The protective elements Pe1, Pe2 extend vertically below the bottom of the elevator car 3 or a door sill 14. If the elevator car 3 is stopped to a position shown in
The apron device 2 is in accordance with the embodiments and features disclosed in this document.
In
In
In
The first protective element Pe1 is in
The second protective element Pe2 may be coupled to a top part of the first protective element Pe1 whereby it may also be provided with support against transverse force by means of the first supports 19 of the first protective element Pe1. Alternative of in addition to, end portions of the horizontal the slats 16 may be supported to the first supports 19 for providing transverse rigidity for the structure. Furthermore, it may alternatively be possible to arrange retractable or movable second supports 22 for the second protective element Pe2. These second supports 22 are shown in
It should be noted that the type and operating principle of the elevator 1 may be different from the one shown in
Implementation of the disclosed solution is not limited to the exemplary elevator disclosed in the Figures. The arrangement and method can be used when providing any type of elevator with an apron device e.g., an elevator comprising a machine room or lacking a machine room, an elevator comprising or a a counterweight lacking counterweight.
Thus, the disclosed solution can be implemented in a versatile manner and especially in buildings with low pit.
The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. In its details, the invention may vary within the scope of the claims.
This application s a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2022/051231 which has an International filing date of Jan. 20, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP2022/051231 | Jan 2022 | WO |
Child | 18749067 | US |