GB2157654A

GB2157654A - Guide rail apparatus for an elevator

Info

Publication number: GB2157654A
Application number: GB08509914A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazushi Kunii
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 1984-04-18
Filing date: 1985-04-18
Publication date: 1985-10-30
Also published as: KR850007785A; JPS60223772A; GB2157654B; GB8509914D0; JPH0236515B2; HK5588A; KR910000579B1

Abstract

A guide rail apparatus for an elevator comprises an elongated guide rail member (11A) having a pair of substantially parallel guide portions (13A, 13B, Fig 1; 28a, 28b in Fig. 7) extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail member. Each of the guide portions is engageable with each of a pair of guided members (9A, 9B) to be disposed on a moving body eg, counterweight (7) for guiding the movement of the moving body such that at least one of each guided member (9A, 9B) and each guide portion (13A, 13B) is partially surrounded by the other, the guide rail member (11A) being disposed between the guided members (9A, 9B). Fig. 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Guide rail apparatus for an elevator Background of the invention The present invention relates to a guide rail apparatus for an elevator and particularly, to an improvement in a guide rail apparatus for a counterweight in an elevator.

In a conventional elevator of this type having a guide rail such as the guide rail disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-48305, the elevator comprises a car with a door, car guide rails for guiding the movement of the car, and a counterweight for balancing the weight of the car. The car is moved along a hoistway to which the car guide rails are attached through supporting members. The counterweight is also guided by a pair of parallel guide rails disposed vertically along the hoistway through a pair of guide shoes disposed on the counterweight.

In such an elevator using a counterweight, when one guide rail for the counterweight is outwards flexed and deformed at the time of an earthquake, etc., the distance between the guide rails for the counterweight locally increases so that the guide shoes jump off the respective guide rails when the counterweight moved vertically.

To prevent this problem, there have been proposed various solutions such as means for increasing the number of supporting points of the guide rails against side walls to decrease the distances between the supporting points, or a means for increasing the sizes of the guide rails to increase the strength of the guide rails. However, these means have disadvantages of increasing the cost of the manufacture of the elevator.

Summary of the invention To overcome the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail apparatus for an elevator in which guided members such as guide shoes for guiding a moving body in a hoistway do not jump off guide portions of a guide rail engageable with the guided members even when the guide rail is flexed at the time of an earthquake, etc., so that the moving body never jumps off the guide rail, and in which the space for disposing the guide rail is decreased and the mechanism for supporting the guide rail is simplified.

With the above object in view, the present invention resides in a guide rail apparatus for an elevator comprising an elongated guide rail member having a pair of substantially parallel guide portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail member, each of the guide portions being engageable with a guided member disposed in a moving body for guiding the moving body in a hoistway such that at least one of each guided member and each guide portion is partially surrounded by the other, the guide rail member being disposed between the guided members.

The present invention also resides in a guide rail apparatus for use with a vertically moving body having a pair of opposing, separated guided members, the guide rail apparatus comprising at least two guiding portions disposed between the guided members for guiding engagement therewith, and means for rigidly supporting the guiding portions, the guiding portions including a first set of guiding surfaces for restricting the movement of the vertically moving body in the direction parallel to the wall on which the apparatus is installed and a second set of guiding surfaces for restricting the movement of the vertically moving body in the direction perpendicular to the wall.

Brief description of the drawings The present invention will now be described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an elevator with guide rai's according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial side view showing a guide rail body and a counterweight engaging therewith in the elevator of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view showing one embodiment of a guide rail apparatus for the elevator of Fig. 1: Figures 4 to 8 are enlarged horizontal sectional views showing other embodiments of the guide rail apparatus for the elevator shown in Fig. 1; and Figures 9 and 10 are partial horizontal sectional views showing further embodiments of the guide rail apparatus for the elevator shown in Fig. 1.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments Fig. 1 shows an elevator with a guide rail for a moving body, in which this case is a counterweight, according to the present invention. The elevator comprises a car 2 with a door 3, verticallyextending guide rails 5 for guiding the movement of the car 2, and supporting members 6 by which the guide rails 5 are secured to walls 1a which define a hoistway 1 which has a door 4 provided therein which is aligned with the car door 3. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the elevator further comprises a moving body such as a counterweight 7 for balancing the weight of the car 2, and it preferably has a pair of guided members such as guide shoes 9a and 9b through which the vertical movement of the counterweight 7 is guided. The guide shoes 9a and 9b are attached to the counterweight 7, but may be integrally formed therewith.A guide rail apparatus according to the present invention comprises an elongated guide rail body 11A engageable with each of the guide shoes 9a and 9b to guide the movement of the counterweight 7 within the hoistway 1. In Fig. 1, the counterweight 7 has a recessed portion in which the guide rail body 11A is received. In Fig. 3 showing a first embodiment of the present invention, the rail body 11A comprises a leg portion 12 formed in the shape of a channel the width of which is made narrower than the width of the recessed portion of the counterweight 7. The rail body 11A preferably further comprises a pair of substantially parallel guide portions 13a and 13b formed in the shape of a U which project on both sides of the leg portion 12 toward the respective guide shoes.The guide rail body 11A is disposed between the guide shoes 9a and 9b such that each of the guide portions 13a and 13b is partially surrounded by and engageable with each of the guide shoes 9a and 9b to guide the movement of the counterweight 7. The guide portions 13a and 13b are preferably formed by outwardly bending the extensions of the leg portion 12 made of, e.g., a steel plate in the shape of a U.

The guide portions 13a and 13b are substantially parallel to a side wall la of the hoistway 1.

When one rail body 11A is joined end to end with another rail body 11A, each inserting portion of joint materials 14a and 14b having, e.g., a Tshaped cross section is press-fitted into each recessed portion of the U-shaped guide portions 13a and 13b at the joining ends of the rail bodies to be joined together. In Fig. 3, each inserting portion is a leg piece of each T-shaped joint material, and the top piece of each joint material is secured to each base portion of the guide portions 13a and 13b by fasteners such as bolts and nuts 15a and 15b, respectively, thereby connecting the guide rail bodies with each other.

Such an elongated rail body 11A with guide portions 13a and 13b on both sides thereof is secured to and supported by the wall la of the hoistway 1 by a pair of rail brackets 17 fixed to the side wall 1a with fasteners 16 such as studs and to the leg portion 12 through fasteners 18 such as nuts and bolts. Thus, the guide rail body 11A is disposed between the pair of guide shoes 9a and 9b such that each guide shoe partially surrounds a corresponding guide portion of the guide rail body 11A from the outside thereof and such that each guide shoe can engage with each guide portion.

The guide portions 13a and 13b respectively have a first set of guiding side surfaces 70 and 80 for restricting the movement of the counterweight 7 in the direction perpendicular to the wall la, and a second set of guiding top surfaces 72 and 82 for restricting the movement of the counterweight 7 in the direction parallel to the wall 1a on which the rail body 11A is mounted.

As mentioned above, in the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention, the guide portions 13a and 13b for guiding the counterweight 7 are integrally formed with each other even though iocated on opposite sides of the leg portion 12.

Furthermore, the guide shoes 9a and 9b can respectively engage with the guide portions 13a and 13b such that the rail body 1 lea is partially surrounded by the guide shoes 9a and 9b on both sides of the rail body 11A. Accordingly, even when the guide rail body 11A is flexed between supporting points of the brackets at the time of earthquakes, etc., the distance between the guide portions 13a and 13b is changed very little, if at all.

Hence, the guide shoes 9a and 9b for the counterweight 7 do not jump off the guide rail body 11A, and the distances between the supporting points of the guide rail can be increased. Furthermore, when the rail body 11A is formed by a steel plate, the weight of the guide rail can be lightened. Furthermore, the number of rail brackets is decreased as the distances between the rail supporting points are increased, thereby simplifying the operation for attaching the rail and decreasing the cost of materials of the rail and the cost of the attachment thereof. Moreover, since the guide rail bodies are disposed to be in a single line, in comparison with conventional two-line guide rails, the space required for the guide rails within the hoistway 1 is decreased.Accordingly, space which can be used for the counterweight itself is increased, and since the horizontal cross-sectional area of the counterweight can therefore be increased, the height of the counterweight 7 can be lowered with no change in its weight. A decrease in the height of the counterweight 7 of course contributes to a decrease in the height required for the hoistway.

When the guide portions 13a and 13b are formed in the shape of a U, the guide rail bodies can be easily joined to each other merely by inserting the T-shaped joints 14a and 14b into the respective recessed portions of the U-shaped guide portions, and by fastening them using fasteners such as bolts and nuts. Also, the linearity and rigidity of the joined portions of the guide rail bodies can be easily checked. Furthermore, since the distance between the guide portions of the rail are set when the rail is formed, it is unnecessary to adjust liners when the rails are installed.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, bent portions 19a and 19b are formed to internally extend from a pair of Ushaped guide portions 13a and 13b on both sides of a rail body 11 B connected to a channel-shaped leg portion 12 of the rail body 11B. When one rail body 11 B is joined to another rail body 11 B, a common joint material 20 such as a flat plate is inserted into the recessed portions of the U-shaped guide portions 13a and 13b at the ends of the rail bodies to be joined together. Then, the common joint material 20 is connected to the bent portions 19a and 19b by fasteners 21 such as bolts and nuts so that the rail bodies are joined to each other.

The guide rail apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention provides an effect similar to that provided by the guide rail apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, since the common rail joint material 20 is preferably made of a flat plate and is used for both of the guide portions of the rail, the guide rail apparatus can be more cheaply cheaply manufactured than the first embodiment, and has an improved rigidity of the connecting portion between the guide portions. Furthermore, since there are no projections in the bases of the guide portions on the side opposite the leg portion 12 with respect to the common rail joint material 20, the space for disposing the apparatus is reduced and the depth of a recessed portion of a counterweight for receiving the guide rail body can be shallower.

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, in comparison with the guide rail apparatus in Fig. 4, bent portions 19a and 19b are formed to further internally extend from a pair of U-shaped guide portions 13a and 13b on both sides of a rail body 11C connected to a leg portion 12 of the rail body 11C. The internal extensions of the bent portions 19a and 19b respectively have joining edges 22a and 22b joined together by a fastener 23 such as a bolt and a nut so that the guide rail body 11C has an enclosed structure.

When one rail body is joined to another rail body, a common joint material 20 in the shape of a flat plate may be used as in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

The guide rail apparatus according to the third embodiment shown in Fig. 5 provides an effect similar to that provided by the guide rail apparatus shown in Fig. 3, and has an improved torsional rigidity of the guide portions 13a and 13b since the apparatus has an enclosed structure in which the guide portions 13a and 13b are joined together.

Furthermore, when the joining edges 22a and 22b are formed such that their edges are located slightly outwards to dispose a gap between them when the common joint material 20 is inserted into the recessed portions of the U-shaped guide portions 13a and 13b, the joining material 20 can be press-fitted into the recessed portions when the joining edges 22a and 22b are fastened by the fastener 23. In this case, it is not necessary to dispose a fixing means for securing the joint material to the guide portions, and the operation for joining the rail bodies with each other can be easily performed.

Fig. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, a guide rail body 11D is formed from hollow material such as a pipe initially having a circular cross section which is pressed such that opposite sides of the pipe are flattened and contact one another in the center, and the central portion of such a flattened pipe material is further pressed to provide a pair of Ushaped guide portions 24a and 24b on both sides of the flattened center of the pipe material.

Such a rail body 11D is supported on the wall 1a of a building by securing the rail body 11D by fasteners 26 such as nuts and bolts to a U-shaped bracket 25 attached to the wall 1a. When one rail body 11D is joined to another rail body 11D, as shown in Fig. 6, a joint material 27 have the shape of a rectangle, for example, is inserted into each recessed portion of the U-shaped guide portions 24a and 24b in the joining portions of the rail bodies to be joined together, and each guide rail body 11D is secured to the bracket 25 by fasteners 26.

The guide rail apparatus according to the above fourth embodiment provides an effect similar to that provided by the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, and has the advantages of providing a cheap rail body having an enclosed structure.

Fig. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a guide rail body 11E comprises a pair of guide portions 28a and 28b formed by bending both sides of a plate made of steel, for example, inwards so as to form the shape of a U, a pair of leg portions 29a and 29b formed by further bending the inwardly bent sides perpendicularly to the guide portions, and a pair of flanges 30a and 30b formed by externally further bending the ends of the leg portions 29a and 29b. As stated before, a common rail joint material 40 is used to connect one rail body to another rail body.

When the rail body 11E formed by bending a steel plate or the like as described above is disposed on the wall 1a of a building, as shown in Fig. 7, a pair of securing members 32 are attached to the outer side surface of a bracket 31 secured to the side wall la, and the flanges 30a and 30b of the leg portions in the rail body 11E are secured by the securing members 32 onto the outer side surface of the bracket 31, thereby securing the rail body 11E to the bracket 31. Accordingly, the guide rail apparatus according to the fifth embodiment shown in Fig. 7 has advantages in that it is unnecessary to make holes in the rail body 11 E for attaching the rail body to the bracket 31, and the rail body 11E can be fixed to the bracket 31 in an arbitrary position.It is clear that the guide rail apparatus according to the fifth embodiment also provides effects similar to those provided by the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 shows a sixth embodiment of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention.

In this sixth embodiment, a rail body 11 F comprises a pair of U-shaped guide portions 33a and 33b formed by bending a plate such as a steel plate in the shape of a flat ellipse, a pair of leg portions 34a and 34b which are formed by further bending the bent plate in the central portion between the U-shaped guide portions and which are connected to each other by a fastener 35 such as a bolt and a nut, and a pair of flanges 36a and 36b formed by further bending the plate at the ends of the leg portions 34a and 34b. A common rail joint material 37 is used to connect one guide rail body 11F to another guide rail body 11F.

In this sixth embodiment, since the pair of guide portions have an enclosed structure, the guide rail apparatus has improved torsional rigidity and provides an effect similar to that provided by the guide rail apparatus shown in Fig. 7.

In the above six embodiments, the guide rail body is formed by bending a plate such as a steel plate, but may be formed by the extrusion of a metal.

Figs. 9 and 10 schematically show other embodiments of the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention.

In Fig. 9, a guide rail body 11G has a pair of guide portions 43a and 43b on both sides thereof each having a recessed portion, and a pair of guided members 49a and 49b for guiding the movement of a counterweight 7 are partially surrounded by and are engageable with the respective recessed portions of the guide portions 43a and 43b. The guided members 49a and 49b may be attached to or be integrally formed with the counterweight 7.

In Fig. 10, a guide rail body 11H has a pair of guide portions 53a and 53b on both sides thereof each having a recessed portion, and each of a pair of guided members 59a and 59b has a recessed portion for guiding the movement of a counterweight 7. The recessed portions of the guided members 59a and 59b and the corresponding recessed portions of the guide portions 53a and 53b are partially surrounded by and are engageable with each other. The guided members 59a and 59b may be separate members which are attached to the counterweight 7, or they may be integrally formed therewith.

It will be understood that the embodiments shown in Figs. 9 and 10 also provide an effect similar to the effect provided by the guide rail apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

In the all of the above embodiments, the guide rail apparatus according to the present invention is used for a counterweight, but it may be used for any moving body. In particular, it can be used for an elevator car.

Furthermore, it will be understood that in all of the above embodiments a similar effect can be obtained when more than three guide portions are disposed in a guide rail body, and guided members corresponding to the guide portions are also disposed in a moving body such as a counterweight to guide the movement of the moving body.

As stated above, in a guide rail apparatus according to the present invention, each one of a pair of guide portions disposed in a guide rail body is engageable with a corresponding guided member disposed on a moving body such that at least one of each guided member and each guide portion are partially surrounded by the other, with the guide rail body being disposed between the guided members. Accordingly, the guided members of the moving body do not jump off the rail body even when the rail body is flexed at the time of an earthquake, etc., the mechanism for supporting the rail body can be simplified, and the operation for installing the guide rail can be improved. Furthermore, since only a single-line guide rail is disposed to guide the movement of the moving body, the space for disposing the guide rail can be reduced, and it is unnecessary to adjust liners, etc., when the guide rail is installed since the guide portions are formed at the time when the guide rail body is formed, and the distance between the guide portions is uniform. Furthermore, the rotation of the moving body around its vertical axis can be prevented when the guide portions of the guide rail body are fully spaced from each other.

Claims

1. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator comprising an elongated guide rail member having a pair of substantially parallel guide portions extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail member, each of said guide portions being engageable with each of a pair of guided members disposed on a moving body such that at least one of each guided member and each guide portion is partially surrounded by the other, said guide rail member being disposed between said guided members.

2. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guided members has a recessed guide shoe, and said guide portions project on both sides of the guide rail member toward the respective guide shoes such that each guided member and each guide portion can engage with each other.

3. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said guide portions has a U-shaped portion inserted into each recessed portion of said guide shoes, and the outer surface of each U-shaped guide portion can engage with the inner surface of each guide shoe.

4. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guide portions comprises a portion having a U-shaped cross section which is engageable with each of said guided members and which is formed by bending a plate at a portion thereof in the shape of a U.

5. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plate is made of steel.

6. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ends of the Ushaped guide portions are connected to each other.

7. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 4, wherein a rail joint material is fixed into the recessed portion of each U-shaped guide portion to connect a guide rail member to an adjacent guide rail member.

8. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 4, wherein a common rail joint material is fixed into both recessed portions of the U-shaped guide portions to connect a guide rail member to an adjacent guide rail member.

9. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide rail member is disposed on a wall of a hoistway.

10. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 9, wherein said guide rail member has a supporting portion for securing the guide rail member onto said wall surface forming the hoistway.

11. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide rail member comprises a flattened pipe which originally had a circular cross section which has been pressed such that opposite sides of said pipe are flattened, and said guide portions are U-shaped cross sectional portions on both sides of said flat pipe.

12. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of guide portions are formed from a single member.

13. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said moving body has a counterweight and said guided members attached to the counterweight.

14. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said moving body has a recessed portion to which said guided members are attached, and said guide rail member is dis posed within said recessed portion of the moving body.

15. A guide rail apparatus for use with a vertically moving body having a pair of opposing, separated guided members for guiding the vertically moving body therealong, said guide rail apparatus comprising at least two guide portions to be disposed between the guided members for guiding engagement therewith, and means for rigidly supporting said guiding portions with respect to one another, said guide portions including a first set of guiding surfaces for restricting the movement of the vertically moving body in the direction of the separation of the guided members and a second set of guiding surfaces for restricting the movement of the vertically moving body in the direction perpendicular to said direction of the separation of the guided members.

16. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of guided members comprises a pair of guide shoes which are attached to the moving body and which are spaced by a predetermined distance from each other in the widthwise direction of the moving body such that the rotation of the moving body around its vertical axis can be prevented, and said of guide shoes respectively have grooved portions opposing each other, said guide portions of the guide rail member being formed to project toward the respective grooved portions such that each of the guide portions can engage with each of the grooved portions.

17. A guide rail apparatus for an elevator as claimed in claim 16, wherein said pair of guide shoes are respectively attached to the vicinity of the edge portions of both sides of the moving body in the widthwise direction thereof.

18. A guide rail apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.