HK1017331B - Door coupler and locking device - Google Patents

Description

Door coupler and locking device

The invention relates to a door coupling and a locking device.

In elevators provided with automatic doors, the coupling between the car door and the landing door is generally achieved by means of a door coupler mounted on the car door and engaging, by means of its gripping members, the gripping members mounted on the landing door. The door coupler and each clamped member are fitted relative to each other such that each clamped member on the landing door passes between each clamping member of the door coupler as the car moves past the landing door. The door coupler engages each of the clamped members when the car is at a landing and the car door is moving. Thus, the landing door moves with the car door when the elevator door is pushed by a power unit connected to the car door. The gripping members are often metal wings and form a vertical slot opening towards the landing door. The clamped members used often comprise rollers mounted on the landing doors and projecting from the doors towards the shaft, the spindles of which are mounted at a position perpendicular to the plane of the doors, and in engagement with the door coupler or with the car door itself is a locking device which closes the car door so that it cannot be opened, at least without special measures, unless the car approaches a landing, i.e. when the car is inside the so-called door. The locking system of an elevator door must be reliable and durable. The locking of an elevator door should not generate any disturbing noise.

There are many different arrangements for locking the elevator door in a manner that is both reliable and suitable for use with an elevator door. For example, a locking system operated by a single electromechanical actuator requires that the elevator have a single subsystem or a parallel system for controlling the operation of the doors in relation to locking and unlocking the doors. A locking system employing a separate electromechanical actuator includes an additional cost corresponding to the price of the actuator.

There are also mechanical locking systems in which the actuating force for locking the door is taken from the movement of the car or car door. In these systems, the landing zones and control locks are indicated by means of a separate slider or other marking provided in the elevator shaft at each landing and mounted in a stationary position relative to the elevator shaft. Installing such a slider or marker in the elevator shaft at each landing requires a lot of installation time. The long installation time means high labour costs.

Generally, the locking system takes up a lot of space, and the arrangement of the locking device thus dictates somewhat the design of the elevator car door or door suspension.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new door coupler and a new locking device, which meet the need to achieve a simple, mechanically operated locking device for elevator car doors, which is suitable for use in a modern elevator environment and in modern elevator technology and which is inexpensive to manufacture and space-saving, easy to install, noiseless in operation and integrated with the door coupler.

To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a door coupler for engagement with an elevator car door, the door coupler comprising a clamping member which is moved by means of a linkage and is designed to clamp at least one clamped member provided on a landing door, the door coupler being associated with a latch having a closed position preventing movement of the car door and an open position allowing movement of the car door, the releasing action of the latch from the closed position into the open position being allowed when a clamping member is pressed against a clamped member, the releasing action of the latch allowing the opening action of the car door to start.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a locking device for locking an elevator car door, arranged to engage a door coupler and comprising a latch having a closed position preventing movement of the car door and an open position allowing movement of the car door, and a linkage actuated by an actuating force, the movement of which resulting from the actuating force causes the latch to move from the open position to the closed position and from the closed position to the open position, the actuating force acting in an opening direction (opening) causing the latch to release moving from the closed position to the open position when the latch is in the closed position and a clamping member of the door coupler is pressed against a clamped member, the release of the latch allowing an opening action of the car door to commence, and the actuating force causing the clamping member to move when the clamping member does not touch the clamped member.

The advantages of the invention include the following:

the locking device is inexpensive to manufacture.

Integrated with the door coupler, the locking device allows for the application of a simpler door design. The integration of the door coupler with the locking system simplifies installation.

Since the locking is controlled by operating the door coupler, in other words by the presence or absence of a clamped member attached to a landing door within the reach of a clamping member of the door coupler, the elevator shaft does not need to be provided with individual control devices or markers to indicate the door zones.

The locking device has a structure that does not occupy much space, and therefore is not difficult to accommodate even in thin members.

The locking device is easy to install in conjunction with the door and is mechanically controlled without the need for electrical actuation equipment.

When outside the landing areas, the door is always locked, and the locking is not affected by various possible disturbances in the elevator electrical system.

If the elevator stops between floors in the event of a power failure, the doors can be opened after the elevator has been moved manually to a landing.

This apparatus does not generate any additional noise when the elevator is running or when the car door is being locked or unlocked.

The locking and unlocking of the car door depends on the opening and closing of the door both mechanically and over time.

In the following, the invention is described in detail by means of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawing, in which,

figures 1 and 2 show a door coupler and a locking system using the invention when the car is outside the landing zone, and

figures 3 and 4 show a door coupler and a locking system using the invention when the car is within the landing zone.

In this description, the parts are labeled by using words such as left, right, up, down, and the like. These terms refer to corresponding directions in the drawings, as do the terms clockwise and counterclockwise.

A door coupler 4 with a lock (lock) embodying the present invention, and its operation, will be described with reference to fig. 1-4. Fig. 1 and 2 show a situation in which the elevator car is outside the landing area, without the door coupler wings 14 and 15 being able to reach the rollers constituting the counterparts on the landing doors. Figures 3 and 4 show a situation in which the car is within the landing zone and the wings 14, 15 engage the rollers 17, 18 on the landing doors when the doors are open. The door coupler 4 is mounted on the car door suspension panel 1. The car door suspension panel 1 is provided with supporting rollers and usually also counter rollers, which run along a guide rail or other suitable guide surface fixed to the roof support beam of the car. The door is thus suspended from the top support beam, supported by the suspension plate(s).

The door coupler wings 14 and 15, rollers 17 and 18 (shown in fig. 4) attached to the landing door will move therebetween when the door coupler engages the landing door, are attached to a linkage 2 actuated by the car door drive. A latch catch 10 for locking the car door is also connected to the linkage 2. The latch engages a keeper (dead) that is stationary with respect to the car door, for example mounted on the top beam supporting the door or possibly a door panel that moves in the opposite direction. The car door actuator opens and closes the car door. It also opens and closes a landing door, which is coupled to the car door via a door coupler. The car door actuator is, for example, a rope drive acting in the direction of opening and closing movement of the door and attached to the door coupler 4. Instead of a rope drive, the door actuator may be another type of drive, such as a hydraulic cylinder, which generates a driving force acting in the direction of movement of the car door. The doors are actually pushed by means of door couplers. The rope drive is connected to the linkage 2 via a connection point 3 on an operating lever 5. Due to the action of the cable drive, the operating lever 5 tends to rotate about its pivot 6, which is stationary relative to the door coupler 4 (and relative to the suspension plate 1 supporting the door coupler), in the direction of cable tension, within the limits of its range of motion. The operating lever 5 is connected to the suspension plate 1 via a pivot 6, allowing some rotational movement. The rotation of the operating lever 5 about its pivot 6 produces a certain suitable movement of the latch 10 and the wings 14 and 15 via the linkage 2. The appropriate action in each case depends on whether the elevator is in a door zone or not. Information about whether the elevator is in a door zone is obtained from the presence of the landing door rollers in the gap between the wings 14 and 15. The height of the gap between the wings 14 and 15 must therefore be substantially equal to the height of the door zone.

Fig. 1 shows the arrows "off" and "on" from the connection point 3. The close arrow indicates the direction in which the cable drive pulls the door when the door is closing (to the left in the figure), and the open arrow indicates the direction in which the cable drive pulls the door when the door is opening (to the right in the figure). The closing arrow also indicates the direction of the closing action of the door, while the opening arrow also indicates the direction of the opening action of the door. In fig. 1, the angle through which the operating lever 5 is turned clockwise about the pivot 6 when the rope arrangement tries to open the door is indicated by a sector 6a drawn at the pivot 6. The rotation of some of the other parts 7, 8, 9 of the linkage caused by the rotation of the operating lever 5 is indicated by the sectors 7a, 8a, 9a indicated on the respective appropriate part. These parts 7, 8, 9 of the linkage rotate about pivots 7b, 8b, 9b which are stationary relative to the door coupler. These pivots 7b, 8b, 9b, which are stationary with respect to the door coupling, are indicated in the figures by filled (darkened) circles. All other pivot and connection points that are not movable relative to the door coupler are also indicated by filled circles. The pivots and attachment points that move with the parts of the linkage are indicated by open (white) circles. Figure 2 shows the last position reached by the parts of the linkage, by the wings 14 and 15 of the door coupler and by the latch 10 due to the action of the linkage caused by the action of the operating lever.

It will be explained below how the effect of the movement of the operating lever 5 out of the rotating sector 6a is transmitted in the linkage 2. The operating lever 5 is connected to the linkage via three movable pivots 5x, 5y and 5 z. Below the operating lever 5 there is a support lever 21 which is rotatably connected to a stationary pivot 21a and on which there are movable pivots 21x and 21 y. The lever arms between the pivot shafts 21a and 21x and between the pivot shafts 6 and 5x, respectively, have equal lengths. Likewise, the lever arms between pivots 21a and 21y and between pivots 6 and 5y, respectively, are of equal length. The left wing 14 is connected to the operation lever 5 and the support lever 21 via pivots 5x and 21 x. A synchronization rod 16 is connected to the operating rod 5 and the support lever 21 via the pivots 5y and 21y in such a way that the pivots 5x, 21x, 5y and 21y constitute the corner points of a parallelogram so that the left wing 14 and the synchronization rod 16 are parallel to each other; the lever arms between pivots 21a and 21x and between pivots 6 and 5x are parallel to each other; and the lever arms between pivots 21a and 21y and pivots 6 and 5y are parallel to each other. In fact, the synchronization rod 16 corresponds, for its various movements, to the wing of a conventional door coupling corresponding to the wing 15, and this wing 15, as a sliding wing of the actuation lock, is a separate (stepped) surface element of the synchronization rod 16, preventing the release of the latch 10 when it leaves the area immediately adjacent to the synchronization rod 16, the left end of a first link 22 being connected to the operating lever 5 at the pivot 5z, connecting the operating lever 5 to an upper triangular lever 7. The connecting rod has a hinge joint 22a between its ends to allow the connecting rod to bend. The upper triangular lever 7 is supported by a stationary pivot 7 b. Around this pivot 7b, the upper triangular lever has the connection points of the pivots 7x, 7z and an extension spring 23 for acting together with the triangular lever. The right end of the link 22 is connected to the uppermost pivot 7 z. When the link 22 moves rightward as the operation lever 5 rotates in the clockwise direction, the triangular lever 7 also rotates clockwise. This clockwise rotation is assisted by the tension spring 23 which exerts a pulling force at the right attachment point 7y acting in a downward direction towards the tension spring attachment point 23a on the suspension plate. If the linkage has no joint 22a, the extension spring 23 is not required. The clockwise rotation of the first triangular lever 7 causes the left pivot 7x on the triangular lever 7 to move upward, thereby pulling the right movable pivot 8y of a second triangular lever 8 upward by means of a second link 24, causing the triangular lever 8 to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot 8b, with the result that the left pivot 8x moves rightward. The second link 24 has a first end connected to the pivot 7x and a second end connected to the pivot 8 y. The pivots 8b, 8x, 8y of the triangular lever 8 are located near the respective top corners of the triangular lever 8.

In fact, the above description of the various movements of the various parts of the linkage applies both inside and outside the landing area, which occur as a result of the operating lever 5 rotating through an angle corresponding to the sector 6a when the door control reference, in other words the pulling force generated by the door drive, changes from the closing direction to the opening direction.

Referring now to fig. 1 and 2, one situation will be described where the car is outside the landing zone, and then to fig. 3 and 4, another situation where the car is inside the landing zone.

A third link 25 is connected by its first end to the pivot 8x on the triangular lever 8. This third link 25 is rotatably attached to the right end of a substantially L-shaped lock lever 11 via a pivot 25a between both ends thereof. The locking lever 11 remains substantially stationary and this is ensured by a compression spring 12 which exerts an upward pressure on the left end of the locking lever, which in turn presses the bolt 10 towards the locking position. The figures only show the springs 12 and 23 in fig. 1. As the triangular lever 8 moves the first end of the link 25 connected to the pivot 8x to the right, the link 25 rotates about the pivot 25a, and as a result, the second end of this link moves to the left and applies a force to the pivot 27a between the two ends of the first suspension lever 27 of the flap 15 via a fourth link 26, causing said lever 27 to rotate to the left. A first end of the fourth link 26 is connected to a second end of the third link 25 via a pivot 25x, and a second end of the fourth link 26 is connected to a pivot 27a on the first suspension lever 27. The wing 15 is connected to the door coupler via two suspension levers 27 and 28. The first and second suspension levers 27, 28 are rotatably connected at their respective first ends to the suspension plate 1 supporting the door coupler via pivots 27x and 28x, which are stationary relative to the door coupler. The respective second ends of the suspension levers 27 and 28 are connected to the wing 15 via pivots 27y, 28 y. The two suspension levers 27 and 28 have the same length. The pivots 27y, 28y, 27x and 28x are arranged relative to each other and to the suspension plate 1 such that the wings 15 are still aligned in a vertical direction when the suspension levers 27, 28 are rotated. Thus when the car is outside the landing zone the linkage action does not release the lock but only causes the wing 15 to move to the left. The compression spring 12 ensures that the wings will move to the left. The pivot shaft 25a remains stationary while the pivot shaft 25x moves due to the force applied to the lock lever 11 by the compression spring.

With reference to fig. 3 and 4, a situation is now described in which the car is within the landing zone and the locking of the car door is released.

Figure 3 shows one sector 6A at the pivot 6 to indicate the angle through which the operating lever 5 is first rotated in a clockwise direction to release the lock, and the other sector 6A through which the operating lever 5 is then rotated to allow the door coupler 4 to engage the rollers 17, 18 on the landing door.

In the above manner, the action of the linkage produces, among other things, a rotation of the triangular levers 7 and 8, as illustrated by the sectors 7a and 8a drawn on top of said levers. Since the right wing 15 presses against the right roller 18 when the car is inside the landing zone, some of the various parts of the linkage will behave in a different manner than when the car is outside the landing zone. As mentioned above, the roller 18 can be said to be a fixed roller, in other words a roller which remains substantially stationary in the horizontal direction relative to the landing door when the door coupler wing is pressed against it. On the other hand, the roller 17 can be moved over a certain distance relative to the landing door, so that the movement generated by the pressure exerted by the door coupler wing 14 on this roller can be used to release the lock of the landing door. When the flap 15 is pressed against the roller 18, it is prevented from moving to the left. An important action with respect to the intended operation is a clockwise rotation of the third link 25 about pivot 25x through an angle dictated by sector 25A, which occurs as a result of counterclockwise rotation of the triangular lever 8.

Fig. 4 shows the last position reached by the parts of the linkage 2, the door coupler wings 14 and 15 and the latch 10 due to the action of the linkage caused by the operating lever rotating through an angle corresponding to the sector 6 a. The link 25 has a first end connected to the pivot 8x on the triangular lever 8, a lower end connected to the fourth link, and the pivot 25x at the end thereof serves as a fulcrum of its rotation when its upper end is moved rightward by the triangular lever. Since the movement of the right wing 15 and thus also of the suspension lever 27 is prevented, the pivot 25x at the right end of the fourth link serves as a substantially stationary fulcrum for the rotation of the third link 25. In this case, the action of the compression spring 12 on the lever 11 is exceeded by the supporting force indirectly received by the pivot 25 x. Thus, the pivot between both ends of the third link to which the L-shaped lock lever 11 is connected is pulled rightward by a certain distance. The pulling force caused by the movement of the locking lever 11 releases the latch 10, allowing the opening action of the car door to be initiated. At the same time, a safety switch 13 provided in conjunction with the latch 10 is opened. An electrical signal indicating whether the car door is locked or not is supplied from the safety switch to the safety circuit and, if necessary, to the control system of the elevator. After the lock has been released, the operating lever will be rotated a further distance corresponding to the sector 6A shown in fig. 3. This action of the operating lever moves the left door coupler wing 14 into contact with the left roller 17 on the landing door and eventually compresses the door coupler rollers 17, 18 between the door coupler wings 14, 15, resulting in full coupling of the landing door with the car door. The operating lever is free to rotate past the sector 6A because the link 22 is provided with a hinge point 22a allowing it to bend so that its movement towards the triangular lever 7 after releasing the lock is substantially completely received by the bending of the link.

It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that different embodiments of the invention are not limited to the examples described above, but that they may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below.

Claims (12)

1. Door coupler (4) for engagement with an elevator car door, comprising clamping members (14, 15) which are moved by means of a linkage (2) and are designed to clamp at least one clamped member (17, 18) provided on a landing door, the door coupler being associated with a latch (10) having a closed position in which the car door is prevented from moving and an open position in which the car door is allowed to move, characterized in that the release of the latch (10) from the closed position into the open position is allowed when a clamping member is pressed against a clamped member, the release of the latch allowing the opening of the car door to begin.

2. A door coupler according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating force required to cause the clamping member (2) to clamp the clamped member (17, 18) is derived from a drive means for moving the door.

3. A door coupler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the door coupler comprises an operating lever (5) receiving an actuating force from an external source for releasing the latch (10) and moving the clamping members (14, 15) to clamp the clamped members (17, 18).

4. Door coupler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the action of the operating lever (50) for releasing the latch (10) and engaging the clamped member (17, 18) comprises two phases, so that during the first phase (6a) it is ascertained by means of one clamping member (14, 15) that a clamped member (17, 18) is present within the range of action of the clamping member (14, 15), and when this clamping member reaches the clamped member, the latch is released and the second phase is possible, and during the second phase the clamping member (14, 15) engages the clamped member (17, 18).

5. Door coupler according to claim 3, characterized in that the action of the operating lever (50) for releasing the latch (10) and engaging the clamped member (17, 18) comprises two stages, so that during the first stage (6a) it is ascertained by means of one clamping member (14, 15) that a clamped member (17, 18) is present within the range of action of the clamping member (14, 15), and when this clamping member reaches the clamped member, the latch is released and the second stage is made possible, and during the second stage the clamping member (14, 15) engages the clamped member (17, 18).

6. Door coupler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the clamping members (14, 15) are two vertical wings which have a gap between them, open at least towards their upper and lower ends and towards the landing door, said wings being bent outwards at their upper and lower ends in a direction away from this gap, and the clamped members (17, 18) are rollers which extend from the landing door towards the elevator hoistway and are aligned with the gap between the wings.

7. A door coupler according to claim 3, characterized in that the clamping members (14, 15) are two vertical wings which have a gap between them and are open at least towards their upper and lower ends and towards the landing door, said wings being bent outwards at their upper and lower ends in a direction away from this gap, and the clamped members (17, 18) are rollers which extend from the landing door towards the elevator hoistway and are aligned with the gap between the wings.

8. Door coupler according to claim 4, characterized in that the clamping members (14, 15) are two vertical wings which have a gap between them, open at least towards their upper and lower ends and towards the landing door, said wings being bent outwards at their upper and lower ends in a direction away from this gap, and the clamped members (17, 18) are rollers which project from the landing door towards the elevator hoistway and are aligned with the gap between the wings.

9. Door coupler according to claim 5, characterized in that the clamping members (14, 15) are two vertical wings which have a gap between them, open at least towards their upper and lower ends and towards the landing door, said wings being bent outwards at their upper and lower ends in a direction away from this gap, and the clamped members (17, 18) are rollers which project from the landing door towards the elevator hoistway and are aligned with the gap between the wings.

10. A locking device for locking elevator car doors, arranged to engage a door coupler (4) and comprising a latch (10) having a closed position preventing movement of the car door and an open position allowing movement of the car door, and a linkage (2) actuated by an actuating force, and the movement thereof by this actuating force causes the bolt (10) to move from the open position to the closed position and vice versa, characterized in that, when the latch (10) is in the closed position and a clamping member (15) of the door coupler is pressed against a clamped member (18), an actuating force acting in the opening direction (opening) causes the latch (10) to be released moving from the closed position to the open position, allowing the opening action of the car door to start after release of the latch, and when the gripping member (15) does not touch the gripped member, the actuating force causes the gripping member (15) to move.

11. A locking arrangement as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the linkage (2) comprises a locking lever (11) for moving the bolt (10) from the open position to the closed position and from the closed position to the open position, said locking lever (11) being loaded by a spring (12) biasing the bolt (10) towards its closed position.

12. Locking device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the force generated by the spring (12) at the pivot (25a) in the linkage (2) and tending to fix said pivot in position is smaller than the opposite force generated by the action of the linkage (2) when the operating lever (5) is turned in the opening direction (opening) with the right wing (15) simultaneously pressed against the right roller (18).