GOODS LIFT

Abstract

A hoisting system for a discontinuous lift, with a fixed frame section, a liftable and retractable support structure, in which a drive unit is mounted on the frame section with an electric motor that drives a gear over which an open roller chain runs to lift or lower the support structure. The chain has two ends, one of which is connected to the support structure and the other to the frame section. The chain section connected to the frame section can hang freely downwards in a loop under the influence of gravity. The loop section becomes longer when the support structure is lifted and shorter when the support structure is lowered. The lift is optionally equipped with, among other things, fall protection, a guiding mechanism, a door stop mechanism, a door lock, a control unit, a control panel, and a weighing mechanism.

Description

2 By efficiently utilizing vertical space, freight elevators help optimize floor space within industrial facilities. This is especially beneficial in warehouses and distribution centers where space is often limited, allowing companies to maximize storage capacity and operational efficiency. 5 Many freight elevators utilize a hoisting system that operates with one or more chains, a gear system, a drive train, and an (electric) motor. The advantage of using chains lies in their strength and durability. Here are some important aspects regarding chains in freight elevators: 10 Chains used in freight elevators are typically designed to carry heavy loads. They must be able to withstand the weight of the loads being transported. They generally provide efficient power transmission, resulting in smooth and reliable operation of the freight elevator. Chains are manufactured from high-quality materials such as steel or special alloys to provide the required strength and durability for heavy-duty use.Industrial environments. This generally makes them more resistant to wear and tear and prolonged use compared to other drive systems such as belts or gears. A chain for a standard goods elevator operates as follows. A motor, generally an electric motor, provides the elevator's motive power, which is connected to a drive system that drives a closed chain. In existing designs, the chain runs over sprockets (pulleys) located at the top and bottom of the elevator shaft, forming a kind of closed loop. The chain is attached to the support structure. As the chain rotates, the elevator car moves up or down, depending on the direction of motor rotation. A control system regulates the elevator's movement, including speed, direction, and stop positions. This system receives input from buttons in the elevator shafts on the floors to move the elevator to the desired location. 30 THE INVENTION BE2025 / 0031 3 The invention concerns a hoisting system for a discontinuous lift, or goods liftAccording to the previous definition, with a drive unit and (electric) motor fixed to the elevator. A gear and / or other transmission system drives an open chain, preferably a roller chain, around a sprocket that is rotatably mounted on the elevator and above a supporting structure such as a lifting cage that can be raised and lowered. On one side (the support side) of the sprocket, a support section of the chain is connected to the supporting structure. On the other side (the loop side) of the sprocket, a loop section of the chain can hang freely downward in a loop or crank. The loop is formed under the influence of gravity and becomes longer as the elevator goes up and shorter as the elevator goes down, with the length of the loop depending on the lifting height of the supporting structure. A standard / normal roller chain drive runs completely around the chain; by tensioning this chain, the chance of the chain running off the sprockets or sliding over the teeth can be reduced. 15The present invention proposes to use a roller chain which runs over the sprocket and hangs in a loop at one side. The advantage of this is thatThe chain does not need to be re-tensioned as the chain stretches. The loop, which lengthens as the lift cage is raised, has an increasing length and weight, ensuring that the chain automatically remains under tension and pressed into the teeth of the sprocket wheel to prevent it from slipping over, overshooting, or sliding off to the side. To further improve the system, several measures are proposed below. The hoisting system is suitable for both a freight elevator with a frame structure enclosing a lift cage, preferably designed as a self-supporting freight elevator with a (fully) lockable lift cage, and for a so-called mast freight elevator, which is often equipped with an open cage or simple fencing. The invented hoisting system offers many advantages. Due to the use of an open chain tensioning system using gravity, a separate chain tensioner is no longer necessary. The use of an open chain makes the chain relatively easy to remove for maintenance and / or replacement. The invention is described below in various aspects.Embodiments. BE2025 / 0031 4 In a first aspect, the invention relates to a hoisting system for a discontinuous lift, comprising a frame section and a support structure adapted to lift or lower relative to the frame section, a drive unit mounted on the frame section, an electric motor with a drive shaft provided with a sprocket, and a chain adapted to move about the sprocket and thereby lower the support structure, wherein: - the hoisting system uses an open roller chain with two ends; - on one side, the support side, the sprocket carries the other end of a support section of the chain connected to the support structure and the support structure; - on the other side, the loop side, the sprocket carries the other end of a loop section of the chain connected to a fixed section of the lift; -the loop section can hang freely downwards in a loop under the influence of gravity; 15-the chain is designed to engage the teeth of at least the upper half of the sprocket;-The loop section is designed to hang in a lengthening loop as the support structure is raised and in a shortening loop as the support structure lowers. In a first embodiment, the lifting system is designed for use in a self-supporting goods lift with a shaft or frame enclosing a lifting cage, or for use in a mast goods lift. In a second embodiment, the sprocket is protected with a chain bracket designed to prevent the chain from sliding over or off the sprocket. In a third embodiment, a guide is provided directly behind the sprocket to prevent the chain from snagging in the teeth of the sprocket and thus being carried around by the sprocket. In a fourth embodiment, one or more dampers are provided under the 30 sprockets and configured against the chain to dampen vibration and / or chain swing. The damper preferably comprises a plastic guide block. In a second aspect, a discontinuous lift is configured with the lifting system according to one of the preceding claims. BE2025 / 0031 5In a first embodiment of the second aspect, the elevator comprises a frame section with a hoisting system mounted thereon, and a support structure provided with doors, with the hoisting system being designed to raise or lower the support structure relative to the frame section. In a second embodiment of the second aspect, the frame section comprises support beams or support tubes, which are provided with a guide mechanism to guide the support structure during raising and lowering, with the guide mechanism comprising flanged running wheels that are designed to be adjusted in spacing. In a third embodiment of the second aspect, the elevator is configured to be stored, transported, and installed in sections, with the elevator sections being stackable to form the elevator. In a fourth embodiment of the second aspect, the elevator comprises 15 guide mechanisms, the shaft corner tubes with adjustable flanged wheels to guide the supporting structure during lifting and lowering;In a third aspect, the invention relates to a fall protection device for use in an elevator, the fall protection device comprising a housing, a collapsible cam under spring pressure, and an electromagnet adapted to retract the cam against the spring pressure, the support structure being configured with an edge which can pass the cam against the spring pressure of the cam during lifting, and the cam can be retracted in a controlled manner to allow the support structure to lower past the cam. In a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a stop for use in an elevator, the stop comprising a rod mechanism with a pin-and-slot construction for operating a first of the two doors, with a pivot on the first door and a rod that is rotatably connected to the first door on one side and rotatably connected to the lift cage via the pivot on the other side and slidably connected via the slot, whereby the rod can rotate and slide over the pivot, adapted to rotate the first door to a predetermined closed or stop position.In a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a door lock for use in an elevator, wherein the door lock is provided with at least two switches adapted to detect whether the door is locked before the elevator car is raised or lowered, wherein a first switch of the at least two switches is adapted to switch when the door is locked, and a second switch of the at least two switches is adapted to switch when the door is closed, and wherein an electric motor is configured to selectively unlock the door, wherein a spring system is configured to push the door at least partially open when the door is unlocked. In a sixth aspect, the invention relates to a measuring system for use in a lift, in which the measuring system is designed to provide a warning against overloading of a lifting cage and / or chain breakage, in which the measuring system uses a chain anchor with a load ring provided with one or more strain gauges around it, in which the load ring is provided with a radius in the inner ring.which, together with a radius on the chain anchor, forms a ball joint designed to limit transverse forces on the chain anchor. 15 In a seventh aspect, the invention relates to a measuring system for use in a lift with at least two chains, where the measuring system is designed to provide a warning of loading of a lifting cage and / or chain breakage, where the measuring system uses a balance beam with a chain anchor at both ends and a load pin in the middle of the balance beam provided with one or more strain gauges, where the balance beam is designed to transfer the force of both chains evenly to the load pins and where the chain anchors are equipped with a ball joint designed to limit transverse forces on the chain anchors. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a hoisting system as installed in an exemplary freight lift. FIGURE 2 shows a side view of a detail of the hoisting system. FIGURE 3 shows a perspective view of a hoisting system as installed in an example self-supporting goods elevator shaft.FIGURE 4 shows a detailed perspective view of a drive unit. BE2025 / 0031 FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of a mast as an alternative to a self-supporting goods lift. FIGURE 6 shows a detailed perspective view of the drive unit in Figure 5. FIGURE 7 shows a detailed side view of a drive unit. FIGURE 8 shows a front view of the chain guide elements in Figure 7. FIGURE 9 shows a front view of a fall protection mechanism. FIGURE 10 shows a top view of a closing stop for double doors. FIGURE 11 shows a top view of the closing stop in an open position of the doors. FIGURE 12 shows a perspective view of an elevator shaft composed of 10 stacked, interconnectable elevator sections of a self-supporting goods lift. FIGURE 13 shows a perspective view of a coupling between stackable elevator sections. FIGURE 14 shows a perspective view of the coupling between two elevator sections of a mast. FIGURE 15 shows a perspective front view of a door lock. 15FIGURE 16shows a detailed top view of a set of door locks.FIGURE 17 shows a bottom view of a guide system. FIGURE 18 shows a perspective view of a guide mechanism. FIGURE 19 shows a cross-section of a weighing mechanism for a self-supporting freight elevator. FIGURE 20 shows a front view of a weighing mechanism for a lifting mast. To facilitate reading the figures, a list of references and a brief description as used in the drawings follows. 100The invented hoisting system 25 101 Drive unit 102 Electric motor 103 Attachment point of loop section 202 of chain 200 to goods lift 300 104 Main sprocket 105 Transmission from drive unit to main sprocket 104 30 106 Chain bracket / protective cover for main sprocket 104 and chain 200 107 Drive shaft 108 Bearing housing 109 109 Bearing for drive shaft 107 BE2025 / 0031 8 111 Guide finger 120 Control unit 200 Chain consisting of sections 201 and 202 201 Support section of chain 200 that hangs downwards from the side of the main sprocket 104 5 (support side) towards the support structure 400. 202Loop section of chain200thatfromthesideofthemaingear104(loop side)goes to attachment point 103 of the goods lift. 203Lowest point of loop section202 300Self-supporting goods lift / mast / goods lift / lift shaft 10300aLower section of lift300 300bUpper section of lift300 301Mounting flange for lift parts300a, b 302Frame or column of goods lift, mast, or lift shaft300 303Fall protection15304Edge of lifting cage for fall protection303 310a, bPositioning pin320Control panel400Support structure (lift cage)401Attachment point of chain200to support structure400 20405Housing of retracting mechanism for cam406 406Cam410Door stop411Pivot point412Door stop rod410 25413 Pin-slot mechanism 414 Right door 415 Door lock 416 Left door 500 Door lock 30 501 Locking module 502 Second switch 503 Lever 504 Door pin BE2025 / 0031 9 505 Torsion spring 520a-d Lift cage guide mechanism of the self-supporting goods lift 521 Adjustable bracket for idler wheel 522a 522a Idler wheel 5600a Weighing mechanism for self-supporting goods lift 600b Weighing mechanism for lifting mast goods lift601 Load ring of weighing mechanism 600 of the self-supporting goods lift 602 Direction of the force on the load ring 601 603 Chain anchor of weighing mechanism 600a,b 10 604 Load pin of weighing mechanism 600b DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 shows a side view of a hoisting system as installed in an example goods lift 300. Freight elevator 300 is equipped with a hoisting system 100 according to the invention. Preferably, a drive unit 101 is mounted on top of the freight elevator (also called the elevator shaft) 300, with an electric motor 102 that drives a main gear 104 (see Figure 2) via a drive shaft 107 (see Figures 2 and 4). An open roller chain 200 moves over main gear 104 and consists of a support section 201 and a loop section 202, as further explained in Figure 2. Chain 200 is connected via support section 201 to a supporting structure, specifically a lifting cage, as partially shown, via an attachment point 401. Activating the electric motor 101 selectively rotates main gear 104 clockwise 25 revolutions, shortening the support section 201 and lifting the lifting cage.To lower the lifting cage, the main gear 104 is rotated in the opposite direction. When lifting, the loop section 202 lengthens, while when lowering, the loop section 202 shortens. FIGURE 2 shows a side view of a detail of the hoist system according to Figure 301. Gear 104 can be rotated by the electric motor 102 via a gear 105 on the drive shaft 107. The support section 201 of chain 200 hangs down from the side of the main gear 104 (support side) towards the lifting cage 400, where it is attached to BE2025 / 0031 10 attachment point 401. The loop section 202 of chain 200 goes from the other side of the main gear 104 (loop side) to the attachment point 103 of the goods lift. The lowest point of chain 202 is indicated with reference number 203. A vertical guide is provided to guide the lifting cage. The loop section 202 of the chain can be safely concealed in the box section of the frame of the mast / goods lift 300. This provides an improved finish and the chain is then better protected against dirt and damage.For additional protection and to prevent the chain 200 from slipping over or falling off sprocket 104, a chain bracket or protective cover 10106 is optionally provided, which falls over a section of sprocket 104. FIGURE 3 shows a perspective view of a hoist system 100 as installed in an example freight elevator 300. Drive unit 101 is mounted on elevator shaft 300. Drive unit 101, with its electric motor 102, is controlled by control unit 120. Control unit 120 is configured to control the drive unit and thus regulate movement of the support structure, adjusting parameters of the following group: - direction; - speed, acceleration and deceleration; - stop positions; - emergency stop; - fall protection; - door locks. The control unit preferably has a frequency controller for the 25 electric motor, which initiates a soft start process of the electric motor when the supporting structure is to start moving, and which initiates a soft stop process of the electric motor when the supporting structure is to come to a standstill, and whereOne or more sensors are positioned on the elevator toward a higher floor, configured to detect when the support structure passes by at 30°, causing the control unit to initiate the soft-stop process. A fall protection device 303 prevents an unintentional, dangerous fall from the elevator car 400 (further explained in Figure 9). Elevator shaft 300 is equipped with a door and a door lock 500 (further explained in Figure 10). BE2025 / 0031 11 FIGURE 4 shows a detailed perspective view of drive unit 101. An electric motor 102 drives chain 200 (not shown) via a gearbox 105 and a main gear 104. Elevator 300 is preferably equipped with a fully electric drive system consisting of an electric motor 102 with a gearbox / gearbox 105, which is controlled by a frequency converter with soft start and soft stop. In a mast lift, as shown in Figure 5, the engine is mounted on top of the side of the mast for a compact design. One or two drive shafts 107 with splines are located on the transmission 105, which10passesthroughbearingsandmaingears104.Thebearingscansupporttheloadingforcesoftheliftcage400.BecausethebearingsaremountedintheX-axisandthetransmission105ismountedintheY-axis,thedriveshaft107canbemountedfreeoftension. In the preferably self-supporting goods elevator, the drive shaft 105 is located at the top center of the elevator shaft 300. Two loose axles 107 15 are located on either side of the drive shaft 105, with a main gear 104 at each end and a bearing 109 behind it (see Figure 8). The bearings 109 absorb the vast majority of the lifting cage's load-bearing forces, while the gearbox absorbs a smaller portion. The section of the drive shaft 107 that fits into the drive shaft 105 is turned to a smaller diameter (for example, at least 0.5 mm) so that there is play in it to compensate for a minimum misalignment of the axles. Play on the axles is possible because the torque is always directed in the same direction. The width of the lift 300 and therefore also of the axles 107 is customer-specific. In order to be able to use a drive shaft 107 with standard length, the drive shaft 107 is availablea continuous keyway, in which the excess portion of drive shaft 107 is shortened during assembly 25. FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of a mast goods lift 300 as an alternative to a self-supporting goods lift 300, in which the invention can be applied. The mast 300 preferably consists of a vertical column-shaped frame 302 and a supporting structure, such as an open lifting cage 400 that can be moved up and down along the frame 302. Lifting and lowering is carried out in the invention by means of a hoisting system 100 as described above. BE2025 / 0031 FIGURE 6 shows a perspective view of the drive unit 101 as mounted on the frame 302 of the mast 300 with an electric motor 102 that is connected to a chain 200 (not shown) via a transmission 105, drive shaft 107, and main gear 104. FIGURE 7 shows a side view of the drive unit 101 equipped with a chain guide mechanism. To prevent the chain from getting caught in the teeth of the main sprocket 104 and being pulled around, a guide (guide finger) 110 is provided that guides the chain 200 downward, preferably both on the carrying side 201 and on theLoop side 202. 10 To prevent the chain from vibrating and oscillating, a damper is provided in the form of a preferably plastic guide block 109. This damper forces the rollers of the roller chain slightly outward (relative to the sprocket) and thus dampens any vibration and movement. Guide block 109 is preferably made of two separate parts: one part that presses against the supporting section of the chain 15 and one part, positioned on the opposite side, that presses against the loop section of the chain. By using two separate and adjustable damping parts, the parts can be optimally adjusted. FIGURE 8 shows a front view of the chain guide elements of Figure 7. Protective cover 106 protects the chain 200 from running off. Drive shaft 107 is suspended 20 in housing 108 of bearing 109, which is attached to lift 300. FIGURE 9 shows a front view of a fall protection mechanism303. The goods lifts referred to in the invention preferably fall into the category of accessible goods lifts. This means that during loading and unloading, persons inTo prevent the lift from sinking in the event of a technical defect, an additional safety measure is proposed in the form of a fall protection device 303. Fall protection 303 is mounted on the shaft of a goods lift 300 or the mast of a lift mast 300 and consists of a steel housing 405, a folding cam 406, an electromagnet, and a spring. There is a rim 304 on the lift cage that is held in a downward direction by cam 406 if the cam is not retracted by the electromagnet. In normal operation, cam 406 extends and is held in this position by the thrust of an internal spring. During lifting, cam 406 will pass at a certain moment, the cam will then be temporarily depressed against the spring pressure and then pushed outward again by the spring. If the lifting cage 400 is on a floor, cam 404 hangs a short distance (preferably a few centimeters) above the fall arrester cam 406. Before the lifting cage 400 can lower, cam 406 must first be retracted by the electromagnet. In the event of an uncontrolled lowering or a fall, cam 406 will thereforeThe standard outward position holds the 400 lift cage against the ground, preventing a free fall, for example. The fall protection is constructed with form-fitting connections so that it can absorb the dynamic force of the 400 lift cage falling a few centimeters. The fall protection is height-adjustable using a perforated plate. FIGURE 10 shows a top view of a locking mechanism 410 (hereinafter referred to as the "closing stop") for double doors on a 400 lift cage. Doors 413 and 414 are shown in their closed position. 15 For wide lift cages, two narrow doors are often used instead of one wide one. Therefore, the closing stop of the doors should preferably be located in the middle. In addition to lift cages, there is no upper beam where the closing stop can be placed, and an end stop on the loading platform is undesirable because it can get in the way during loading and unloading on the loading platform. In order to have a closing stop that does not get in the way, a rod mechanism with a pin and slot construction is proposed. The rod of this construction has a pivot point on the doors and a slot / pin construction.413 on the lifting cage, allowing this end to slide through the slot over a pin (preferably a bolt). When the door is completely closed, the bolt sits in the end of slot 25 and cannot be closed any further, which ensures the closing stop. To ensure that as little loading space as possible is lost, the rod is provided with a bend. When doors 414, 416 are closed, they can be locked with door lock 415. 30 FIGURE 11 shows a top view of the closing stop 410 in an open position of doors 414, 416. Rod 412 has been slid forward (downward in the figure) over the pin. BE2025 / 0031 14 FIGURE 12 shows a lift shaft 300 of a self-supporting goods lift composed of stacked, connectable sections 300a,b. Elevator shafts or masts for freight elevators are often factory-produced as a single unit, allowing for quick and efficient installation on site. Sometimes, it is not possible to transport or install the elevator as a whole due to space limitations on site, for example. Therefore, a construction of separate, stackable elevator parts 300a, b is used, but multiple parts are also possible.Parts 300a, b can be transported separately and coupled together on site with minimal, simple, and clear fastening mechanisms. Preferably, parts 300a, b are stacked on top of each other as blocks / modules and secured with bolts when placed on site. Multiple parts can be stacked on top of each other depending on the desired height of the elevator 300. Figure 13 shows a perspective view of a construction detail of the coupling system between two stackable elevator shaft parts 300a, b. To ensure that two stacked parts 300a, b are precisely aligned, alignment pins 310a are provided on the inside of the frames of elevator shaft part 300a, which fit into form-fitting holes in elevator shaft part 300b. FIGURE 14 shows a perspective view of a detail of the coupling between two stacked mast sections 300a, b. In this case, the two sections are provided with 20 flanges 301 with holes. After coupling, the two sections can be secured with bolts and nuts in the holes in the flanges 301. FIGURE 15 shows a perspective front view of a door lock 500, as shownMounted on lift cage 400 and / or shaft 300. Doors 414, 416 of the goods lift are preferably equipped with a door lock or a set of door locks 500 to prevent the doors from being opened if the lift is not aligned on the correct floor. FIGURE 16 shows a detailed top view of the set of door locks 500. For added safety, two switches are preferably provided per door 414, 416. The first switch is a microswitch and is incorporated in a locking module 501 30. A second switch 502 operates on angular rotation for added safety and is positioned next to the first switch. Lever 503 is mounted on switch 502, which contacts a door pin 504 so that switch 502 can switch. BE2025 / 0031 15 An extra torsion spring 505 is preferably placed around the lever, which pushes one or both doors 414, 416 open a few centimeters when the doors are unlocked, so that it is visible that the doors 414, 416 are open. If the elevator is at the correct floor, the door can be unlocked by pressing a button 5 on the control panel 320 next to the elevator.FIGURE 17 shows a bottom view of a 300 lift cage equipped with a guide system. The self-supporting 300 lift cage preferably has square tubes. These tubes serve as guides for the 400 lift cage. For this purpose, ball-bearing running wheels (such as running wheel 522a in Figure 18) are fitted with a flange on the 400 lift cage. FIGURE 18 shows a perspective view of a running wheel 522 of the multiple running wheels. Running wheels are preferably mounted on each bottom corner and each top corner, so that a total of eight running wheels are provided. The flange on the running wheels prevents the lift cage from moving from left to right. 15 The wheel itself prevents the lifting cage from moving back and forth and from tipping over when loaded askew. A mounting bracket 521 can be adjusted to ensure that the running wheels run free of play. FIGURE 19 shows a front view of a weighing mechanism 600a, b. To measure the weight in the lifting cage, a weighing mechanism such as a load ring 601 for self-supporting goods lifts 300 is preferably used.and a load pin 604 for mast and goods lifts 300. The outside of the load ring 601 is mounted on the lifting cage, the inside presses against the attachment point of the chain to the support structure, the so-called chain anchor 603. Because the chain pulls on the chain anchor, 25% of the compressive force is exerted on the load ring, which is translated into a digital signal by means of strain gauges. A lift preferably has two or more chain anchors, and each chain anchor has a load ring. The load ring is also used to detect a chain break by setting a lower value for the chain tension. By using a ball joint with a radius on the inside of the 30 load rings and a radius on the anchor nuts, the chain anchor can compensate for misalignment.