HK1090621B - Low overhead machine roomless elevator configuration - Google Patents

Description

Low-roof machine-room-less elevator structure

Background

The present application relates to a unique layout of an elevator machine and associated sheaves, and unique installation of an elevator car that results in very low overhead space requirements.

Elevators typically include a car guided for vertical movement in an elevator hoistway. Typically, the machine drives a cable or belt that is looped around a plurality of sheaves to connect and drive the elevator car and attached counterweight. The machine is, however, mounted in a machine room above the elevator shaft. As such, a large amount of additional space is required above the shaft, which is undesirable.

More recently, elevators called "machine room free" have been designed. In this construction the machine is integrated in a small space in the elevator shaft. A separate machine room is no longer required.

Generally, known machineroom-less elevators include sheaves that are non-parallel with respect to each other and with respect to a drive sheave associated with the machine. This non-parallel configuration has become necessary to transfer a belt or cable over several pulleys within a small envelope of space that is generally available. As machineroom-less elevators are more widely used, one complication is that non-parallel sheaves sometimes cause roping of the rope or belt. In addition, the non-parallel pulleys make it difficult to move new belts such as very thin conveyor belts. Such wrapping of the belt is even more detrimental than the wrapping of a conventional cable or belt.

Additionally, one type of installation for an elevator car is a cantilever installation. In a cantilever installation, the car is mounted on one side of the guide structure. The cantilever mounting is typically mounted to the rails by mounting structures that are transverse between the rails. More recently, it has been proposed to mount the elevator car laterally outboard of the guide rails.

Finally, a known system is presented in german patent No. DE10154171, which is commonly owned with the assignee of the present invention, and discloses an example of a machine room-less elevator. However, in this example, the machine is located directly above the elevator car so that the elevator car cannot be vertically aligned with the machine and the sheaves cannot be in a parallel relationship with each other. In addition, the machine is mounted separately from the guide rails.

Disclosure of Invention

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the machine is mounted to the bedplate of the elevator between the guide rails. In this way, the elevator becomes a so-called machine room-less elevator. The diverting pulleys associated with the counterweight and the car, as well as the drive pulleys associated with the machine, extend along parallel axes. Thus, the possibility of entanglement is greatly reduced. In this way, more modern drive connections, such as very thin belts, can be utilized.

These and other features of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows the elevator car in the mid-travel position.

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of a guide and drive structure for the elevator car of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the structure illustrated in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 shows the elevator car in the vertically highest position.

Detailed Description

An elevator 20 having a car 22 that is movable vertically up and down a hoistway is illustrated in fig. 1. A diverting pulley 23 is mounted to receive the guide rope 21 and move the car 22 vertically upwards and downwards. Each end of the cable 21 is attached to an end hitch 19 on the bedplate 18. In the middle of the dead end hitches the cable 21 is passed over a diverting pulley 23, a diverting pulley 25 associated with a counterweight 24 and a pulley 27 associated with a drive machine 26. It will be understood from this rather schematic illustration that the pulleys 23, 25 and 27 all extend along parallel axes and are all within a very small space away from the wall 28 of the shaft. Pulleys 23, 25 and 27 are also generally axially aligned along parallel axes. The parallel axes and axial alignment ensure that all of the rope sag is substantially vertical. For a simplified understanding of the invention, only a single cable and a single set of pulleys 23, 25 and 27 are illustrated. However, in practice there are usually several sets of pulleys and cables. The use of parallel axes and axial alignment provided by the present invention ensures that all of the rope sag is substantially vertical.

As can be seen in fig. 1, the rollers 100 and 102 move with the elevator car. Instead of rollers, guide structures such as guide shoes may be used. These rollers guide the car 22 along guide rails as will be explained below. It is further understood that the elevator car 22 includes what may be referred to as a cabin 106 and a frame 104. The frame 104 is between the cabin and the wall 28. Diverting pulley 23 is mounted on frame 104 and faces inwards from cabin 106.

As shown in fig. 2, a drive pulley 27 is associated with the machine or drive motor 26 and is mounted on the platen 18. Although not shown in fig. 1 or 5, guide rails 30 are mounted on respective opposite lateral sides of the bedplate 18 and extend along the shaft. The guide track 30 actually comprises a pair of opposed guide tracks 31 and 32, with the guide track 31 facing laterally outwardly and the guide track 32 facing laterally inwardly. The guide rails 31 and 32 are periodically connected by a cross member 33. The cross member 33 also serves to connect the rails 31 and 32 to the wall 28.

As shown in fig. 3, the guide rail 31 receives rollers 100 and 102 of the car 22. It will be appreciated that the car 22 is thus cantilevered on one side and attached to the guide rails on the laterally outer surface. The guiding structure is schematic.

As shown in fig. 4, the counterweight 24 is mounted on the inner rail 32. It is also clear from this schematic that the pulleys 23 and 25 are also parallel.

As can be appreciated from fig. 3 and 4, the guide rails 31 and 32 are preferably not of one-piece construction, but rather are two separate guide rails. The guide rail can be positioned in different positions. As can be appreciated from the figure, the guide rails 32 for the counterweight 24 are positioned closer to the wall 28 than the guide rails 31 for the car 22. This also allows for efficient use of space and ensures that there is not an unduly required space between the wall 28 and the car 22. Of course, the invention extends to the use of both car and counterweight guide rails.

The car 22 now moves to its vertically uppermost position as shown in figure 5. The vertically highest portion 40 of the car extends vertically beyond the machine 26. In this way, the required space 42 above the vertically uppermost part 40 of the car is very small compared to the prior art.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Claims (10)

1. An elevator system including an elevator car movable within a hoistway, comprising:

a machine for driving the elevator car through the hoistway;

a counterweight mounted in the shaft and having a diverting pulley;

an elevator car mounted for movement within the hoistway and having a diverting pulley;

a pair of opposite guide rails for guiding the elevator car, the machine being mounted on the opposite guide rails, an

The machine having a drive sheave, the drive sheave and the diverting sheave each having parallel axes of rotation, a connection passing through the diverting sheave and the drive sheave to drive the counterweight and the car within the hoistway, the machine being mounted within the hoistway in a space between the car and a wall forming the hoistway such that the machine is not located directly above the car, the car being movable within the hoistway such that when in a vertically uppermost position the car is at least partially horizontally aligned with the machine and an upper surface of the elevator car has a vertically uppermost point of travel vertically above the machine;

a deck connects the opposing rails, the machine is mounted on the deck, and both ends of the connecting member terminate in the deck.

2. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the guide rails are mounted on respective opposite lateral sides of the bedplate and extend along the hoistway.

3. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the elevator car is cantilever mounted from the guide rail.

4. Elevator system according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide rail has a guide surface on the longitudinal outside, on which guide surface the elevator car is connected.

5. Elevator system according to claim 4, characterized in that the counterweight is guided on a longitudinal inner guide rail.

6. The elevator system of claim 5, wherein the location of the guide rail for the counterweight is closer to a wall than the location of the guide rail for the elevator car.

7. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the connector is connected to a termination socket at both opposing ends and on the bedplate.

8. Elevator system according to claim 1, characterized in that the diverting pulleys associated with the elevator car are positioned between the outer edge of the cabin for accommodating passengers in the car and the wall forming the shaft.

9. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the drive sheave and the diverting sheave are both located at substantially equal axial positions along their respective parallel axes of rotation.

10. The elevator system of claim 1, wherein the parallel axes of rotation of the drive sheave and the diverting sheave are also parallel to an outer surface of the wall and form a space between the elevator car and the wall that accommodates the machine.