Patent Application
20140008156
The invention relates to a lift or elevator door with a door panel and with a door sill, wherein the door panel is guided at the door sill.
Known elevator installations comprise elevator doors, which are arranged at floors or at an elevator car. Such elevator doors have door panels which are suspended and driven in the region of the upper edge thereof. The elevator doors also have door sills. The door sill represents a tread region in the area of the door opening. In addition, the door panel is usually guided at this door sill. For this purpose a guide groove into which at least one guide element attached to the door panel enters is arranged in the door sill. During an opening or closing movement of the door panel the guide element slides within this guide groove provided therefor. In this way it can always be ensured that the door panel maintains its preferably vertical alignment even if, for example, a person leans against the door panel.
EP 1646576 shows an elevator door comprising a door panel and a door sill. Guide shoes are attached to the lower edge of the door panel. The door sill has a guide groove. The guide shoes enter into the guide groove in such a manner that the door panel is guided and mounted by means of the guide groove.
It is problematic with such a construction that the guide groove of the door sill has to go beyond the door opening width to a significant extent in order to be able to guide the door panel up to the point of complete opening thereof. In that case, not only an increased need for material for the door sill, but also a greater need of space for transport of the door sill to a place of installation are a disadvantage.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an elevator door with an improved door panel guidance.
The object is fulfilled by an elevator door with a door sill having a guide groove with two mutually spaced side walls, and a door panel which is movable along the guide groove and at the door panel terminations of which facing the door sill a guide shoe entering the guide groove is arranged, wherein the guide shoe is arranged at the first end of the door panel termination facing the door opening when the elevator door is open and the side walls of the door sill are formed as guide surfaces for the guide shoe, wherein the door panel has at the door panel termination a guide straight edge extending along the door panel termination and the door sill has a guide body, wherein the guide body forms at least one guide surface for guidance of the guide straight edge.
The door sill of an elevator door serves as a tread region below the door opening for elevator passengers when entering and departing from the elevator car. In addition, the door sill is used in order to guide or mount the door panel at its door panel termination facing the door sill, i.e. at its lower edge.
When the elevator door is closed the door panel is exposed substantially along the entire length thereof to potential external action, for example by an elevator passenger. Elevator passengers can cause such an external action by, for example, leaning against the closed floor door or car door. Correspondingly, when the car door is closed it is necessary to mount the door panel on the door sill at both ends of the door panel lower edge so as to avoid any outward pivotation of the door panel if external action occurs.
The invention is based on the recognition that during opening or closing of the elevator door and the accompanying displacement of the door panel only the part of the door panel, which is freely accessible from the elevator car or the floor, in the region of the door opening can be exposed to external action by elevator passengers.
Accordingly, it is sought to create a shortened door sill which ensures sufficient guidance of the door panel. This is achieved by the fact that a first point of the mounting of the door panel, thus the guide shoe, is fixedly arranged at the first end, which faces the door opening when the elevator door is open, of the door panel lower edge. The guide shoe in that case represents a mobile carriage guided along the guide groove formed as a guide track.
A second point of the mounting of the door panel is arranged at the door sill to be movable relative to the door panel lower edge. The movability of the said second point is achieved by guidance of the guide straight edge, which is arranged in the door panel, at the guide body belonging to the door sill. The guide body here represents a further carriage, which is arranged at the door sill and which serves for guidance of the door panel at the guide straight edge formed as a guide track. Thus, at these two points substantially only the freely accessible part of the door panel is guided or mounted at its lower edge in the door sill.
In addition, an enhanced stability of the freely accessible region of the door panel is advantageous in such a door panel guidance, because substantially this freely accessible region of the door panel is mounted at all times at both of its outer ends of the door panel termination facing the door sill. A further advantage results from the fact that an elevator shaft in which an elevator car with this elevator door is arranged to be movable along its travel path can be provided with appropriately smaller dimensions along this movement path.
In a development of the elevator door the guide body is arranged in the guide groove. Thus, the guide body can be supported against the side walls of the guide grooves: the stability of the side walls of the guide groove can thus be employed if an external action on the door panel is present. In this way it is possible to dispense with reinforcement of the guide body, which is provided for acceptance of forces resulting from such external actions.
In a development, the guide body is arranged at the door sill to be movable parallelly to or along the guide groove. In this way, such a door panel guidance can be used on more rapid door panels belonging to a telescopic door. The guide body can comprise a roller element having the guide surface, wherein the roller element is rollable along the door sill. A movable guide body can be realized in this manner.
In a development of the elevator door the guide body is attached to the door sill. A simple, robust door panel guidance having few movable parts is thus made possible. Contaminations at the door sill are thus less risky with respect to the functionality of the door panel guidance.
In a development of the elevator door the guide straight edge is formed to be substantially continuous between the guide shoe and the second end of the door panel termination facing away from the door opening when the elevator door is open. In that way the entire door panel termination facing the door sill can be used for guidance of the door panel. A maximum length of the guide straight edge permits a minimum length of the door sill beyond the boundary of the door opening.
In a development of the elevator door the guide surface is formed as a rolling or sliding surface. A construction of the guide surface of the guide body in that manner allows realization of lowest possible friction between the guide straight edge and the guide body.
In a development of the elevator door the guide straight edge enters the guide groove. Here it is of advantage that the flat plane, which is visible to the elevator passengers, of the door panel can extend up to the door sill. Thus, there is no excessively wide gap, which could lead to an increased risk with respect to injuries for elevator passengers, between this flat door panel plane and the door sill.
In a development of the elevator door the guide body is spaced from a guide groove base. In door sills of elevator doors it is important, in order to guarantee a permanent capability of functioning, that contaminations do not collect in the guide groove. Such a constructional measure permits the guide body to additionally be arranged at the door sill without this having the consequence of increased dirtying of the guide groove.
In a development of the elevator door the guide surface of the guide body forms a maximum length of 10 centimeters parallel to or along the guide groove. Excessive friction of the guide surface at the guide straight edge can be avoided in that manner.
The invention is explained in more detail in the following by way of figures, in which:
The guide shoes 15′, 15″ attached to the door panel 4 enter the guide groove 8 of the door sill 6. In order to be able to guide both guide shoes 15′, 15″ in the guide groove 8 at all times up to the fully open state of the elevator door 2 a door sill 6 has a door sill extension 6′. Unlike the door sill 6 arranged below the door opening 3, the door sill extension 6′ does not serve as a step area for elevator passengers.
The guide straight edge 12 can enter the guide groove 8 of the door sill 6 just like guide shoe 14. The guide straight edge 12 can be formed to be continuous substantially between the guide shoe 14 and the second end 19, which is remote from the door opening 3 when the elevator door 2 is open, of the door panel termination 16. The guide straight edge 12 has a first panel wall 25 and a second panel wall 27. The side walls 24 and 26 of the guide groove 8 are spaced from the panel walls 25 and 27 of the guide straight edge 12 in such a manner that the guide groove 8 is not suitable as a guide for the guide straight edge 12.
A guide body 22′ is attached to the door sill 6, for example at and/or in the guide groove 8. The guide body 22′ has at least one guide surface, which is not illustrated (see
The guide body 22′ has at least one guide surface 25.1, 25.2 for guidance of a panel wall 25, 27 associated therewith of the guide straight edge 12. The guide surface 25.1, 25,2 is spaced from the panel wall 25, 27 associated therewith in correspondence with this guidance function. This means that the panel wall 25, 27 of the guide straight edge 12 is guidable by the guide surface 25.1, 25.2 associated therewith of the guide body 22′, but nevertheless there is no excessive friction between the panel wall 25, 27 and the guide surface 25.1, 25.2 associated therewith. Thus, the guide surface 25.1, 25.2 can have, for example, a maximum length of 10 centimeters along or parallel to the guide groove 8.
The guide body 22″ has at least one guide surface 25.3, which is associated with the panel wall 25, 27 of the guide straight edge 12, for guidance of the guide straight edge 12. The guide surface 25.3 can be a component of a roller element (not illustrated) of the guide body 22″. The roller element with the guide surface 25.3 can be formed between the guide straight edge 12 and one of the two side walls 24 and 26 of the guide groove 8. When the elevator door 2 is in the open setting (
In the case of a door movement indicated in
During a closing movement of the elevator door 2 illustrated in
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
