Counterweight guide device and elevator

Abstract

The present invention relates to a counterweight guide device and an elevator. The counterweight guide device includes at least one guide belt, a tensioning mechanism, and at least one guide pulley. The guide pulley is disposed in a shaft pit. Each guide belt is wound around at least one guide pulley, and the two ends of the guide belt are connected to the elevator car and the counterweight device, respectively, to provide a vertical running guide for the counterweight device. The tensioning mechanism is used to apply tension to the guide belt. The counterweight guide device and elevator designed by the present invention achieve free vertical movement of the counterweight device through the coordinated action of the flexible guide belt and the tensioning mechanism, and strictly limit its movement to the vertical direction. This design eliminates the need for guide rails and brackets for the guide device, completely freeing up shaft space. It is particularly suitable for home elevators with compact space or irregular shaft structures, solves the tedious counterweight guide rail installation steps, simplifies the installation process, and saves installation time and cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of counterweight guide technology, in particular to a counterweight guide device and an elevator. Background Art

[0002] With the growing demand for private residential space, home elevators have become widely used as a convenient means of vertical transportation. Compared to commercial elevators, home elevators typically have lower rated speeds (no more than 0.63 m / s), but they still need to meet certain operational stability and safety requirements. To achieve these goals, existing home elevator designs often adopt the counterweight structure of commercial elevators.

[0003] The counterweight device of a traditional home elevator usually consists of guide rails, guide rail brackets, a counterweight frame, guide shoes, and a traction device. Among them, the counterweight guide device plays a vital role in the operation of the elevator. It is mainly used to limit the vertical movement of the counterweight frame and prevent its lateral deviation. Traditional guide devices generally rely on rigid guide rails fixed to the shaft wall to constrain the movement of the counterweight frame. Although this design has been widely used in commercial elevators, it faces some problems in home elevators: First, the rigid guide rail system requires a large shaft space, especially for small home elevators. The space is particularly limited, which may affect the installation and layout of the elevator; second, the installation and debugging process of traditional guide rails is cumbersome and costly, especially when the shaft structure is irregular or the space is small, the installation is more difficult.

[0004] Chinese patent CN101927930A discloses a guide device for an elevator counterweight frame. It uses a combination of steel cables and high-molecular-weight oil-containing engineering plastics to replace traditional metal counterweight rails. It aims to solve the problems of high cost, complex processing, and difficult installation and debugging of metal rails. At the same time, it solves the problem of using complex components such as base codes, brackets, pressure guide plates, strong bolts, and lubricating oil cups in traditional guide rail systems.

[0005] However, this technical solution still relies on the counterweight guide rail structure in essence, which occupies the space inside the shaft. In the application of small home elevators, this structure still faces problems such as cramped space and inconvenient installation, and it is difficult to fully meet the needs of modern home elevators for space saving and easy installation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a counterweight guide device and an elevator that completely frees up the hoistway space and saves installation time and cost.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, in the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a counterweight guide device, comprising at least one guide belt, a tensioning mechanism and at least one guide pulley, wherein the guide pulley is arranged in the bottom pit of the shaft; each guide belt is respectively wound around at least one guide pulley, and the two ends of the guide belt are respectively connected to the elevator car and the counterweight device to provide vertical operation guide for the counterweight device; the tensioning mechanism is used to apply tension to the guide belt.

[0008] In order to enhance the stability of the counterweight device, two or more guide belts are arranged parallel to each other along the width direction or length direction of the counterweight device, and the two ends of each guide belt are respectively connected to the elevator car and the counterweight device.

[0009] A further solution is that there are two or more guide pulleys corresponding to each guide belt arranged along the same horizontal line.

[0010] In order to improve the running stability of the elevator car, at least one guide pulley is arranged directly below the elevator car, and the part of the guide belt that passes around the guide pulley and is connected to the elevator car is parallel to the running direction of the elevator car.

[0011] In order to effectively limit the displacement of the guide belt, the guide pulley includes a shaft and shoulders arranged on both sides of the shaft, and the diameter of the shoulders is larger than the diameter of the shaft.

[0012] A further solution is that an R-angle transition portion is provided between the shaft shoulder and the shaft rod, and the radius of the R-angle transition portion is greater than or equal to the thickness of the guide belt.

[0013] In order to improve the tensile strength, wear resistance and flexibility of the guide belt, the guide belt is a coated steel belt, which includes a plurality of spaced steel ropes inside and is coated with a coating layer made of polyurethane or rubber.

[0014] In order to establish a stable connection, the two ends of the guide belt are connected to the bottom of the elevator car and the bottom of the counterweight device respectively through a rope end assembly, and the rope end assembly is equipped with a first elastic element for applying tension to the guide belt.

[0015] In order to ensure that the guide belt always maintains appropriate tension, the tensioning mechanism includes a base, a movable frame, a wheel axle and a limit rod. The limit rod is matched with the movable frame to limit the movement range of the movable frame in the vertical direction; the base is fixed in the bottom pit of the shaft, and the movable frame is provided with a second elastic element for applying tension to the movable frame. The wheel axle is pivotally connected to the movable frame, and the guide pulley is coaxially fixed to the wheel axle.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an elevator, comprising the counterweight guide device described in any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0017] The counterweight guide device and elevator designed by the present invention, through the coordinated action of a flexible guide belt and a tensioning mechanism, realize the free movement of the counterweight device in the vertical direction and strictly limit its movement to the vertical direction. This design does not require the guide rails and brackets of the guide device, completely freeing up the shaft space. It is particularly suitable for home elevators with compact space or irregular shaft structures, and solves the cumbersome counterweight guide rail installation steps and simplifies the installation process, which not only saves installation time and cost, but also reduces the technical requirements for installers. In addition, the flexible guide belt is lighter than the metal guide rail, which can reduce the load on the overall structure of the elevator, directly reducing the manufacturing cost of the counterweight guide device, and thus reducing the cost of the entire elevator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of the counterweight guide device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic planar structural diagram of a counterweight guide device provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic planar structural diagram of a tensioning mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the counterweight device and the guide belt provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a counterweight guide device provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A in the middle is an enlarged schematic diagram;

[0024] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the guide belt provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Among them: guide belt 10, wire rope 11, coating layer 12, tensioning mechanism 20, base 21, movable frame 22, axle 23, limit rod 24, second elastic element 25, guide pulley 30, shaft 31, shoulder 32, R-angle transition part 33, rope end assembly 40, first elastic element 41, elevator car 200, counterweight device 100, traction machine 101, return rope pulley 102, guide wheel 103, counterweight side rope end assembly 104, car side rope end assembly 105, traction rope 106. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0027] The counterweight guide device provided in the embodiment of the present application is mainly used in home elevators. It is intended to guide the vertical movement of the counterweight device and prevent its position from shifting. The device does not require traditional counterweight guide rails, effectively solving the problems of complex installation and occupying shaft space of traditional guide rail counterweight guide devices, and better meets the needs of home elevators for lightweight and compact design.

[0028] The following is an example of an elevator system with a traction ratio of 1:1 and no car top wheel: Figure 1 As shown, in the home elevator system of this embodiment, the traction machine 101 drives the traction rope 106 by friction to realize the up and down movement of the elevator car 200 and the counterweight device 100. Under the guidance of the return rope pulley 102 and the guide pulley 103, the traction rope 106 is connected to the top of the counterweight device 100 through the counterweight side rope end combination 104, and is connected to the elevator car 200 through the car side rope end combination 105, so that under the drive of the traction machine 101, the counterweight device 100 and the elevator car 200 can move upward and downward in the elevator shaft.

[0029] First, as Figure 1 As shown, the counterweight guide device of the embodiment of the present application includes at least one guide belt 10, a tensioning mechanism 20 and at least one guide pulley 30, and the guide pulley 30 is arranged in the bottom pit of the shaft; each guide belt 10 is respectively wound around at least one guide pulley 30, and the two ends of the guide belt 10 are respectively connected to the elevator car 200 and the counterweight device 100, so as to provide vertical operation guidance for the counterweight device 100; the tensioning mechanism 20 is used to apply tension to the guide belt 10.

[0030] In specific implementation, the guide pulley 30 is set in the pit at the bottom of the hoistway, and ensures that the guide belt 10 that passes around the guide pulley 30 can extend vertically upward to connect with the counterweight device 100, thereby providing a vertical running guide for the counterweight device 100; and the other end of the guide belt 10 is directly or indirectly connected to the counterweight device 100. In this way, the weight of the counterweight device 100 is transferred to the car 100 through the guide belt 10, achieving the balance and guidance of the counterweight device 100. In this embodiment, Figure 7 As shown, the guide belt 10 is made of a high-strength, wear-resistant flexible material, such as a coated steel belt, which includes a number of spaced-apart steel ropes 11 inside and a coating layer 12 made of a polyurethane layer or a rubber layer on the outside. This makes the guide belt 10 not only have sufficient tensile strength, but also effectively resist wear. At the same time, the coating layer 12 is in contact with the guide pulley 30, ensuring that the guide belt 10 has good stability and durability during operation, providing stable vertical guidance for the counterweight device 100.

[0031] During the operation of the elevator, as the elevator car 200 rises or falls, the counterweight device 100 performs synchronous vertical movement through the guide belt 10 and the guide pulley 30. During this process, the tensioning mechanism 20 ensures that the guide belt 10 is always in a taut state by applying appropriate tension to prevent it from loosening or slipping, thereby effectively ensuring the stability of the counterweight device 100 during the entire operation process, avoiding the possible loosening or deviation of the guide belt 10, and ensuring the smooth and safe operation of the elevator car 200.

[0032] In this way, the counterweight guide device of this embodiment completely abandons the counterweight guide rails that take up space and are cumbersome to install in traditional elevators through the coordinated action of the flexible guide belt 10, the guide pulley 30 and the tensioning mechanism 20, while freeing up the elevator shaft space, realizing the free movement of the counterweight device 100 in the vertical direction and strictly limiting its movement to the vertical direction, simplifying the installation process, reducing the technical requirements for installers, and reducing the manufacturing cost of the counterweight guide device.

[0033] In some embodiments, two or more guide belts 10 are arranged parallel to each other along the width direction or the length direction of the counterweight device 100, and both ends of each guide belt 10 are connected to the elevator car 200 and the counterweight device 100 respectively.

[0034] Using this structural design, in the actual elevator system layout process, such as Figure 1 、 Figure 4 As shown, depending on the different parallel arrangements of the width direction of the counterweight device 100 and the width direction of the elevator car 200 (i.e., the counterweight is arranged in the rear), and the parallel arrangements of the width direction of the counterweight device 100 and the depth direction of the elevator car 200 (i.e., the counterweight is arranged in the side), multiple guide belts 10 can be optionally arranged at intervals along the length direction or width direction of the counterweight device 100, so that the multiple guide belts 10 are subjected to force together, thereby improving the overall bearing capacity of the device, and the parallel arrangement of multiple guide belts 10 can effectively suppress the shaking and swinging of the counterweight device 100 during operation, thereby enhancing its stability; at the same time, even if a guide belt 10 breaks or other faults occur, the other guide belts 10 can still continue to work, ensuring the normal guidance of the counterweight device 10 and avoiding safety accidents, which improves redundancy and safety.

[0035] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3As shown, two or more guide pulleys 30 are arranged along the same horizontal line for each guide belt 10. In this embodiment, the multiple guide pulleys 30 share the bending and friction of each guide belt 10, thereby significantly reducing single-point wear, extending the service life of the guide belt 10, and reducing maintenance costs. At the same time, the configuration of multiple guide pulleys 30 also more accurately controls the motion trajectory of the guide belt 10, ensuring smoother operation of the heavy equipment 100.

[0036] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, at least one guide pulley 30 is disposed directly below the elevator car 200 , and the portion of the guide belt 10 that passes over the guide pulley 30 and is connected to the elevator car 200 is parallel to the running direction of the elevator car 200 .

[0037] Specifically, placing the guide pulley 30 directly below the car 200 (usually the one closest to the position where the guide belt 10 connects to the car 200) can minimize the bending angle of the guide belt 10 on each guide pulley 30. This design, on the one hand, makes the force direction of the guide belt 10 consistent with the running direction of the car 200, reducing the bending and twisting of the guide belt 10, thereby reducing the wear of the guide belt and extending its service life. On the other hand, the optimized force direction reduces the lateral force or oblique pulling force generated by the guide belt 10 on the car 200, thereby improving the stability of the car 200 running on the car guide rails and enhancing the riding comfort.

[0038] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 As shown, the guide pulley 30 includes a shaft 31 and shoulders 32 provided on both sides of the shaft 31. The diameter of the shoulders 32 is larger than the diameter of the shaft 31. Thus, the diameter of the shoulders 32 is larger than the diameter of the shaft 31, forming a physical barrier for accommodating the guide belt 10. The guide belt 10 is wound around the shaft 31 and is restricted in the groove by the shoulders 32 to prevent the guide belt 10 from moving laterally or slipping off the shaft 31 in the event of tension changes or external disturbances, thereby improving safety.

[0039] In some embodiments, as Figure 6As shown, an R-angle transition portion 33 is provided between the shoulder 32 and the shaft 31, and the radius of the R-angle transition portion 33 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the guide belt 10. Specifically, the radius of the R-angle transition portion 33 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the guide belt 10, forming a smooth transition curve. This makes it possible for the guide belt 10 to move axially along the shaft 31, and due to the gradual increase in the radius of the R-angle transition portion 33, a greater centripetal force is generated. This centripetal force effectively limits the axial lateral displacement of the guide belt 10, so that it always remains in the correct position of the guide pulley 30, prevents deviation, and improves the stability of operation. At the same time, the R-angle transition portion 33 also optimizes the contact mode between the guide belt 10 and the shoulder 32, that is, the smooth transition curve makes the contact surface smoother, avoids stress concentration at a certain point, thereby reducing local wear of the guide belt 10, extending its service life, and reducing maintenance costs.

[0040] In some embodiments, as Figure 2 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 As shown, the two ends of the guide belt 10 are connected to the bottom of the elevator car 200 and the bottom of the counterweight device 100 respectively through a rope end assembly 40. The rope end assembly 40 is equipped with a first elastic element 41 for applying tension to the guide belt 10. In this embodiment, the rope end assembly 40 is generally mechanically clamped or wedge-locked to firmly fix the guide belt 10, ensure the safety of the connection, and prevent the guide belt 10 from falling off during operation. At the same time, the introduction of the first elastic element 41, such as a spring, can easily tension the guide belt 10 and make fine adjustments as needed to ensure that the guide belt 10 always maintains appropriate tension. The first elastic element 41 can also absorb part of the vibration and impact of the guide belt 10 during operation, reducing the impact load on other components of the elevator system and extending its service life.

[0041] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 As shown, the tensioning mechanism 20 includes a base 21, a movable frame 22, an axle 23 and a limit rod 24. The limit rod 24 is matched with the movable frame 22 to limit the movement range of the movable frame 22 in the vertical direction; the base 21 is fixed in the bottom pit of the shaft, and the movable frame 22 is provided with a second elastic element 25 for applying tension to the movable frame 22. The axle 23 is pivotally connected to the movable frame 22, and the guide pulley 30 is coaxially fixed to the axle 23.

[0042] With this structural design, whether one guide belt 10 and one guide pulley 30 or multiple guide belts 10 and multiple guide pulleys 30 are used, the same tensioning mechanism 20 can be used to achieve tension control. Specifically, based on the base 21, the movable frame 22 is slidably mounted on the limit rod 24, the axle 23 is fixed on the movable frame 22, and the guide pulley 30 is fixed on the axle 23 and connected to the elevator car 200 and the counterweight device 100 through the guide belt 10, wherein a second elastic element 25, such as a spring, is connected between the movable frame 22 and the base 21 or the limit rod 24 to provide tensioning force for the movable frame 22; when the tension of the guide belt 10 changes, the movable frame 22 will slide up and down along the limit rod 24 under the action of the second elastic element 25, driving the axle 23 and the guide pulley 30 to move together, thereby automatically adjusting the tension of the guide belt 10 to ensure that it always remains within an appropriate range.

[0043] In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism 20 and the guide belt 10 can be pre-manufactured and assembled in the factory. At the installation site, the counterweight device 100 and the elevator car 200 are first suspended on both sides of the traction machine 101 with steel wire ropes, and then the counterweight side rope end assembly 104 is connected to the counterweight device 100, and the car side rope end assembly 105 is connected to the elevator car 200. Next, the base 21 of the pre-assembled tensioning mechanism 20 module is fixed to the ground of the shaft pit with expansion bolts. After completing the above steps, it is only necessary to adjust the traction rope tension at the counterweight side rope end assembly 104 and the car side rope end assembly 105, as well as the tension of the first elastic element 41 and the second elastic element 25 to achieve the predetermined indicators. After the preliminary overall installation is completed, the elevator can be tested.

[0044] This modular installation method has simple and concise steps. In actual implementation, the entire installation process can usually be completed in less than half a working day. Compared with the traditional guide rail installation method, it not only saves a lot of installation man-hours, but also avoids complex operations such as on-site drilling, cutting, and welding, and reduces the technical requirements for installers. In addition, since components such as guide rails and guide rail brackets are eliminated, material costs and subsequent maintenance costs are significantly reduced. For users, this means lower installation costs and shorter installation cycles, which has significant economic benefits.

[0045] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide an elevator, comprising the counterweight guide device of any embodiment of the first aspect. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for ease and brevity of description, the specific operating process of the elevator described above can refer to the aforementioned counterweight guide device. That is, the elevator has all the beneficial effects of the counterweight guide device described above, and a detailed description thereof will not be repeated here.

[0046] The counterweight guide device and elevator provided in this embodiment, through the synergistic effect of the flexible guide belt and the tensioning mechanism, achieve the free movement of the counterweight device in the vertical direction and strictly limit its movement to the vertical direction. This design does not require the guide rails and brackets of the guide device, completely freeing up the shaft space. It is particularly suitable for home elevators with compact space or irregular shaft structures. It solves the cumbersome counterweight guide rail installation steps and simplifies the installation process, which not only saves installation time and cost, but also reduces the technical requirements for installers. In addition, the flexible guide belt is lighter than the metal guide rail, which can reduce the load on the overall structure of the elevator, directly reducing the manufacturing cost of the counterweight guide device, and thus reducing the cost of the entire elevator.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "vertical", "up", "down", "horizontal", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0048] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they may refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they may refer to internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art will be able to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or substitute equivalents for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A counterweight guide device, characterized in that: It includes at least one guide belt, a tensioning mechanism and at least one guide pulley, and the guide pulley is arranged in the bottom pit of the shaft; each guide belt is respectively wound around at least one guide pulley, and the two ends of the guide belt are respectively connected to the elevator car and the counterweight device to provide vertical operation guidance for the counterweight device; the tensioning mechanism is used to apply tension to the guide belt; the counterweight device can be freely moved in the vertical direction through the cooperation of the flexible guide belt and the tensioning mechanism, and its movement is restricted to the vertical direction, without the need for guide rails and brackets of the guide device.

2. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two or more guide belts are arranged parallel to each other along the width direction or the length direction of the counterweight device, and two ends of each guide belt are respectively connected to the elevator car and the counterweight device.

3. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: There are two or more guide pulleys corresponding to each guide belt arranged along the same horizontal line.

4. The counterweight guide device according to claim 3, characterized in that: At least one guide pulley is arranged just below the elevator car, and the portion of the guide belt that passes over the guide pulley and is connected to the elevator car is parallel to the running direction of the elevator car.

5. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide pulley includes a shaft and shaft shoulders arranged on both sides of the shaft, and the diameter of the shaft shoulders is larger than the diameter of the shaft.

6. The counterweight guide device according to claim 5, characterized in that: An R-angle transition portion is provided between the shaft shoulder and the shaft rod, and a radius of the R-angle transition portion is greater than or equal to the thickness of the guide belt.

7. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide belt is a coated steel belt, which includes a plurality of spaced steel ropes inside and is coated with a coating layer made of a polyurethane layer or a rubber layer outside.

8. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the guide belt are respectively connected to the bottom of the elevator car and the bottom of the counterweight device through a rope end assembly, and the rope end assembly is equipped with a first elastic element for applying tension to the guide belt.

9. The counterweight guide device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tensioning mechanism includes a base, a movable frame, a wheel axle and a limit rod, and the limit rod is matched with the movable frame to limit the movement range of the movable frame in the vertical direction; the base is fixed in the bottom pit of the well, and the movable frame is provided with a second elastic element for applying tension to the movable frame, the wheel axle is pivotally connected to the movable frame, and the guide pulley is coaxially fixed to the wheel axle.

10. An elevator, characterized in that: The counterweight guide device comprises the counterweight guide device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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