Patent Application
20190248624
The present disclosure relates generally to systems, devices, and methods related to elevator installation. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods related to elevator installation within an elevator shaft.
Structures, such as tall, commercial buildings with multiple floors, typically include an elevator system. Current methods of installation of an elevator system within an elevator shaft includes installation of a temporary work surface within the elevator shaft. The temporary work space can be part of a false car, or part of the elevator car, which will eventually operate to transport passengers within the elevator shaft. The temporary work space provides workers with a platform upon which they can stand to install guide rails and other components of the elevator system within the elevator shaft.
The temporary work space is typically movable, vertically, within the elevator shaft such that components of the elevator system can be installed at different heights within the elevator shaft. As shown in
Currently hoists 4 are coupled to false cars 2 such that the hoist 4 is positioned above the temporary work surface 8, as shown in
In addition, the current method of elevator installation using false cars results in additional steps including construction of the false car, installation of the false car in the elevator shaft, dismantling the false car, and removal of the false car from the elevator shaft. Further, a false car will typically have a lower maximum capacity than the elevator to be installed in the elevator shaft, due to the temporary nature of the false car.
Accordingly, an apparatus and method of installing an elevator in an elevator shaft that includes positioning a hoist at least partially below the temporary work surface may result in increased efficiency (due to additional available working space), reduced costs, and reduced time required to complete the installation.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, an elevator installation system includes a support structure including a first surface and a second surface, the support structure oriented such that the first surface faces in a first direction and the second surface faces in a second direction opposite the first direction, the support structure configured to support a worker standing on the first surface. The system further includes a hoist and a suspension member. The hoist supports the support structure such that at least a portion of the hoist is positioned facing the second surface, and the suspension member is coupled to the hoist and extends from the hoist in the first direction.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, a method of installing an elevator car in an elevator shaft includes the step of positioning a support structure within the elevator shaft such that a first surface of the support structure faces in a first direction and a second surface of the support structure faces in a second direction opposite the first direction. The method further includes the steps of abutting a hoist with the second surface, standing on the first surface, and moving the support structure in at least one of the first direction and the second direction.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments; however, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:
The embodiments disclosed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Aspects of the disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout, unless specified otherwise. Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The term “plurality”, as used herein, means more than one. The terms “a portion” and “at least a portion” of a structure include the entirety of the structure. The terms “up”, “upward”, and derivatives thereof refer to a direction away from the ground. The terms “down”, “downward”, and derivatives thereof refer to a direction toward the ground. Certain features of the disclosure, which are described herein in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the disclosure that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any subcombination.
Referring to
According to one aspect of the disclosure, the at least a portion of the elevator car 24 includes an elevator car sling 26. The elevator car sling 26 can include a frame configured to support an elevator cab 28 in which passengers will be located once installation of the elevator car 24 is complete. According to another aspect of the disclosure, the at least a portion of the elevator car 24 includes the elevator car sling 26 and the elevator cab 28.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, the elevator installation system 20 can include a suspension element 30 and a hoist 40. As shown the suspension element 30 can include, for example a cable, configured to support the hoist 40, and the hoist 40 is configured to support the first surface 22. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the suspension element 30 can extend upward and away from the first surface 22.
According to one aspect of the disclosure, the hoist 40 is configured to move the first surface 22, for example vertically within an elevator shaft. The hoist 40 can include a control assembly 42 and a lift assembly 44. The control assembly 42 can be configured to receive instructions, for example via input of a worker 12, and relay those instructions to the lift assembly 44, which in turns moves or stops moving the first surface 22.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the elevator installation system 20 can include a control panel 46. The control panel 46 can be part of the control assembly 42. According to one embodiment, the control panel 46a is directly coupled, for example wired, to the lift assembly 44. According to one embodiment, the control panel 46b is indirectly coupled, for example wirelessly, to the lift assembly 44. The worker 12 can input a command into the control panel 46, for example by pushing a button on the control panel 46, and the control panel 46 converts the input into a signal, which the control panel 46 sends to the lift assembly 44.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the hoist 40 can be coupled to the first surface 22 such that at least a portion of the hoist 40 is positioned below the first surface 22. According to one embodiment, the hoist 40 can be coupled to the first surface 22 such that an entirety of the hoist 40 except for the control panel 46 is positioned below the first surface 22. Positioning the hoist 40 below the first surface 22 increases the amount of space available for the worker 12 to move around on the first surface 22. According to one aspect of the disclosure, the support structure 21 can include a second surface 48, which faces opposite the first surface 22.
As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the support structure 21 can be oriented such that the second surface 48 faces downward. According to one embodiment, the second surface 48 can include at least a portion of the false car 23 (as shown in
According to one aspect of the disclosure, the first surface 22 can define an opening 50, which extends to the second surface 48. As shown, the suspension element 30 can extend through first surface 22, via the opening 50, to the second surface 48, whereby the suspension element 30 is coupled to the hoist 40. When the worker 12 applies an input to the control panel 46, the control panel 46 sends a signal to the lift assembly 44, which pushes against the second surface 48 and thereby moves the first surface 22.
Referring to
The first surface 22 is positioned within the elevator shaft 36. The first surface 22 can include part of the false car 23, or part of the elevator car 24. According to one aspect of the disclosure, the first surface 22 can be lifted with a crane above the elevator shaft 36, and lowered through a top 56 of the elevator shaft 36 to the floor 54. The top 56 may be open (as shown in
The hoist 40 can be positioned below the first surface 22, for example below the false car 23, or in the elevator cab 28 between the second surface 48 and the third surface 49. The hoist 40 can be secured to the second surface 48, for example by fasteners. The suspension element 30, for example a second end 32 of the suspension element 30, can be secured to the hoist 40. If the hoist 40 is not fastened to the second surface 48, the hoist 40 can be activated, thereby moving the hoist 40 up the suspension member 30 until the hoist 40 contacts the second surface 48. The worker 12 can stand on the first surface 22 to install a second section 52b of the elevator infrastructure 52. The second section 52b of the elevator infrastructure 52 can include the portion of the elevator infrastructure 52 secured to a portion of the elevator shaft 36 adjacent to and above the lower portion, for example a portion of the elevator shaft 36 that can be reached by the workers 12 standing on the first surface 22.
As the worker 12 needs more height to reach the portion of the elevator shaft 36 in which the section of the elevator infrastructure 52 being installed, the worker 12 can apply an input to the control panel 46 of the hoist 40, thereby causing the lift assembly 44 to push on the second surface 48 and change elevation of the first surface 22 within the elevator shaft 36.
Additional sections 52c, 52d, 52e, etc. of the elevator infrastructure 52 can be installed by repeating the steps of raising the first surface 22 to a desired height and then installing a section of the elevator infrastructure 52 that can be reached by standing on the first surface 22 at the desired height.
After installation of all of the elevator infrastructure 52 is complete throughout the elevator shaft 36, the hoist 40 can be disconnected from the suspension element 30 and removed from the elevator shaft 36. The false car 23, if used, can be disassembled and removed from the elevator shaft 36. The elevator car 24 can be inserted into the elevator shaft 36, if a false car 23 was used to install the elevator infrastructure 52, and the elevator car 24 can be connected to a permanent system 80 configured to lift the elevator car 24 during normal use by passengers 13 travelling to different floors of the building in which the elevator shaft 36 is located. One difference between the hoist 40 and the permanent system 80 can include that the hoist 40 changes elevation with the elevator car 24, such that there is no change in relative heights between the hoist 40 and the elevator car 24. The permanent system 80 can include a stationary motor 82 that remains at a fixed height, and the elevator car 24 changes height relative to the stationary motor 82. The permanent system 80 can include one or more traction sheaves 84 and a counterweight 86.
Referring to
It will be appreciated that the foregoing description provides examples of the disclosed system. However, it is contemplated that other implementations of the disclosure may differ in detail from the foregoing examples. All references to the disclosure or examples thereof are intended to reference the particular example being discussed at that point and are not intended to imply any limitation as to the scope of the disclosure more generally. All language of distinction and disparagement with respect to certain features is intended to indicate a lack of preference for those features, but not to exclude such from the scope of the disclosure entirely unless otherwise indicated.
Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range including the stated ends of the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
Although the disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure.
This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of Provisional U.S. patent application No. 62/631,130, filed Feb. 15, 2018, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62631130 | Feb 2018 | US |
