HK1022678B - Adjustable double deck elevator - Google Patents

Description

Adjustable double-deck elevator

The invention relates to a double-deck elevator, wherein a vertical distance is reserved between an upper car and a lower car, the double-deck elevator is vertically arranged in two floors and can be adjusted.

A conventional double deck elevator is vertically installed in two floors by two cages as shown in fig. 8 and 9. The double-deck elevator has the advantages of larger transportation capacity and saving occupied area in a building due to the upper car and the lower car.

In fig. 8, both cars (102) and (103) are mounted in a vertical manner in an elevator frame (101), which elevator frame (101) is moved vertically by a hoisting machine (not shown) via steel ropes. The lower car (103) is movable along the elevator frame (101) and is equipped with a yoke (104), a jack (105), a hydraulic device (106), and the like, as shown in fig. 9.

In a building in which elevators are installed, the floor heights (i.e., the distances between floors) of all the floors are not necessarily fixed, and may vary depending on the floor conditions. In some special floors, the height of the floor is different, the car (103) below the floor can be moved by the pressure of oil supplied to the oil jack (105) by the oil pressure device (106), and therefore the distance between the cars (102) and (103) can be coordinated with the height of the floor.

However, in the conventional double deck elevator, one cage (102) is not moved and only the other cage (103) is moved to match the interval between the two vertical cages (102) and (103) with different floor heights, which has a problem that it is impossible to quickly adjust the interval between the cages (102) and (103).

In order to move the car (103) below, the total weight including the weight of the car (103) and the weight of the passengers riding on the car (103) plus the weight of the pressurized device (106) must be lifted. Therefore, a large driving force is required for the hydraulic device (106), which causes a problem that the cost of the hydraulic device (106) as a driving device is high. In addition, the large hydraulic device (106) causes a problem that the total weight of the elevator including the elevator frame (101), the cars (102) and (103) is heavy, and therefore the operation cost of the elevator is high.

The invention aims to quickly adjust the interval between an upper car and a lower car, reduce the cost of a driving device for adjusting the interval and reduce the running cost of an elevator.

The invention provides an adjustable bow-shaped connecting device which is arranged between an upper car and a lower car and is supported by an elevator frame. The weight of the car balances the forces on the connection means. The connecting device can be positioned in the desired position with relatively little force compared to the prior art.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the typical devices.

Fig. 1 is a front view showing an example of application of an adjustable double-deck elevator in connection with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the upper and lower cages.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the connection device.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the driving device.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the adjustable double-deck elevator described above.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart of the adjustable double-deck elevator.

Fig. 7 is a front view of another example of application.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional double deck elevator.

Fig. 9 is a front view of a conventional lower deck car.

The structure of the present invention is an elevator frame moving along a main guide rail in a vertical direction, on which a second guide rail is installed and an upper car and a lower car contacting with the second guide rail and moving vertically, a driving device for driving the upper car or the lower car to move vertically, and a connecting device installed between the upper car and the lower car, which can move the upper car and the lower car simultaneously. The connecting device comprises a first connecting piece and a second connecting piece (the central parts of which are connected with an elevator frame in a rotatable mode), a third connecting piece and a fourth connecting piece (which are respectively connected with the top ends of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece), and a fifth connecting piece and a sixth connecting piece (which are respectively connected with the bottom ends of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece), wherein the top ends of the third connecting piece and the fourth connecting piece are connected with the upper elevator car, and the bottom ends of the fifth connecting piece and the sixth connecting piece are connected with the lower elevator car.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1-6 illustrate an example of an application of an adjustable double-deck elevator in connection with the invention.

In fig. 1, (1) is an elevator frame. The upper car (2) and the lower car (3) are both installed in two floors in a direction perpendicular to the elevator frame (1), one end of the steel rope (4) is tightly tied to the elevator frame (1), and the other end of the steel rope (4) is tightly tied to the counterweight (6) after bypassing the driving pulley of the elevator. The main guide rails (7a) and (7b) are erected on both sides of the elevator frame (1) and guide the elevator including the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) and the above-described elevator frame (1) in the vertical direction.

As shown in fig. 2, the elevator frame (1) has a flat guide groove (8) on the lower side of the cars (2) and (3), upright guide grooves (9) and (10) on the left and right sides of the elevator frame (1), and a crosshead guide groove (11) on the upper side. Second guide rails (12a) and (12b) are mounted on the upright guide grooves (9) and (10) to enable the cars (2) and (3) to move vertically relative to the elevator frame (1). The guide blocks (2a), (2b) and (3a), (3b) are mounted on the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) and slidably engaged with the second guide rails (12a) and (12 b).

A support frame (1a) is arranged approximately in the middle of the elevator frame (1), and a connecting device (14) is mounted on this support frame (1 a). The connecting device (14) has first and second long connecting members (15) and (16) rotatably coupled to the support frame (1a) at approximately central portions thereof, third and fourth short connecting members (17) and (18) coupled to the top ends of the first and second connecting members (15) and (16), and fifth and sixth short connecting members (19) and (20) coupled to the bottom ends of the first and second connecting members (15) and (16), as shown in fig. 3. The upper half parts of the first and second connecting members (15) and (16) and the third and fourth connecting members (17) and (18) form a diamond shape. The lower halves of the first and second connecting members (15) and (16) and the fifth and sixth connecting members (19) and (20) also form a diamond shape. The top ends of the third and fourth connecting members (17) and (18) are combined with the upper cage (2), and the bottom ends of the fifth and sixth connecting members (19) and (20) are combined with the lower cage (3).

The upper cage (2) extends the upper half portions of the first and second connecting members (15) and (16) as much as possible by its weight, while expanding the lower half portions as much as possible. The weight of the upper car (2) thus exerts an upward pulling force on the lower car (3) via the connecting means (14). Thus, the weight of the upper cage (2) is the same as that of the lower cage (3), and the upper cage (2) and the lower cage (3) are balanced.

Here, as shown in fig. 3, the two connecting members form buckling resistance because the first and second connecting members (15) and (16) and the third and fourth connecting members (17) and (18) are included in the weight of the upper cage (2), but the fifth and sixth connecting members (19) and (20) are tightened by the lower cage (3) and thus there is only one connecting member.

As shown in fig. 4, a driving device 21 for vertically moving the upper cage 2 is installed on a crosshead guide groove 11 of the elevator frame 1. The drive device (21) has a drive shaft (22) threaded and passing through the crosshead guide slot (11), and a bottom end of the drive shaft (22) is coupled to the upper car (2). The drive shaft (22) engages with a threaded central bore (23a) of the worm wheel (23). The worm wheel (23) is made of plastic, has a lubricating function and is wear-resistant. The worm wheel (23) is also engaged with a worm (24), and the worm (24) is rotated by a motor (25) through a reduction gear mechanism.

When the motor (25) is driven, the worm wheel (23) rotates, and thus the upper car (2) moves vertically by the drive shaft (22). At the same time, the lower cage (3) is vertically moved in the direction opposite to the upper cage (2) by a connecting device (14), and the space between the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) is enlarged or reduced. The driving force of the motor (25) only needs to drive the difference between the weight of the passenger riding on the upper cage (2) and the weight of the passenger riding on the lower cage (3), because the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) are balanced, the driving force of the motor (25) can be small.

As shown in fig. 5, buttons (26) and (27) of upper and lower destination floors are installed in both the upper and lower cages (2) and (3), and signals are outputted from the destination floor buttons (26) and (27) to a controller (28) installed in a machine room or the like. An elevator spacing memory section in the controller (28) records the appropriate spacing of the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) in accordance with the respective floor heights. Photoelectric car interval detectors (29) are installed in the upper and lower cars (2) and (3) to detect intervals, and signals are input from the car interval detectors (29) to a controller (28). The elevator position detector (30) is constituted by a rotary encoder connected to a speed governor or the like. The signal of the elevator position detector (30) is also inputted into the controller (28), and the signal is outputted from the controller (28) to the motor (25) of the drive device (21) and the elevator (5).

When passengers sitting in the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) press the floor purpose buttons (26) and (27), signals are output from the floor buttons (26) and (27) to the controller (28) (step S1). A signal is outputted from the controller (28) to the elevator (5), and the upper and lower cars (2, 3) travel to the destination floor in accordance with the signal (step S2).

The controller (28) calculates an appropriate interval between the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) at the destination floor (step S3). The motor (25) is driven at the calculated appropriate interval (step S4). At the same time, the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) are moved simultaneously by the connecting device (14), so that the interval between the cages (2) and (3) can be adjusted rapidly. The elevator spacing detector (29) detects whether the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) are at an appropriate spacing (step S5). If the interval between the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) is proper, the motor (25) is stopped (step S6).

An elevator position detector (30) detects whether the upper and lower cages (2) and (3) reach a target floor (step S7); if it has arrived, the elevator (5) stops driving (step S8).

Next, another application example of the present invention is shown in fig. 7. In this application example, hydraulic cylinders (31) and (32), a hydraulic system (33), and the like are provided in a drive device for vertically moving the car. In addition, a linear motor and the like can be arranged on the driving device.

As described above, according to the present invention, a coupling device is interposed between the upper and lower cages, so that the interval between the upper and lower cages can be rapidly adjusted. Moreover, the weight of the upper and lower cages is balanced, so the driving force of the driving device can be small, and the cost is reduced. In addition, the drive apparatus can be compact and lightweight, so that the running cost of the elevator can be reduced.

Having thus described the invention with reference to particular means, persons skilled in the art will be able to effect variations in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (6)

1. An adjustable double deck elevator comprising:

a first car to be used for the first car,

a second car to be used for the first car,

an elevator frame for arranging the first and second cars in a vertically stacked relationship;

a connecting device for connecting the first and second cages so that the cages are positioned vertically to each other;

the first car exerts a first downward force on the hitch,

the second car exerts a second downward force on the hitch,

the coupling means balances the first and second forces against each other with one force against the other.

2. An elevator according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection means comprise:

the center parts of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece are connected with the elevator frame in a rotatable mode; the third connecting piece and the fourth connecting piece are respectively connected with the top ends of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece; the fifth connecting piece and the sixth connecting piece are respectively connected with the bottom ends of the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece; the top ends of the third connecting piece and the fourth connecting piece are connected with the upper car, and the bottom ends of the fifth connecting piece and the sixth connecting piece are connected with the lower car.

3. An elevator according to claim 1, further comprising drive means for moving one of the cars perpendicular to the elevator frame.

4. An elevator according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive means comprise:

a drive shaft including a screw extending between the car and the elevator frame;

a threaded connector mounted in the worm gear for receiving the screw;

a worm engaged with the worm wheel;

a drive motor for selectively rotating the worm.

5. An elevator according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive means comprise a hydraulic cylinder.

6. Elevator according to claim 3, characterized in that the drive means comprise a linear motor.