Guide rail element and guide rail arrangement of elevator system, and corresponding assembly method

Abstract

The invention relates to a guide rail element (1) for a guide rail structure (3) of an elevator system (5), which guide rail element is multi-part and has an elongate guide part (7) and an elongate foot part (15). The guide forms a guide surface (11) with a side surface (9) for guiding an elevator component to be displaced along the guide rail structure (3). The foot part forms a support surface (17) extending transversely to the guide surface for supporting the guide rail element relative to a shaft wall (19) of the elevator system. The foot part is designed as a hollow profile (23) formed from a sheet metal (21). The foot part is formed in such a way that the guide part is accommodated in the foot part in a sub-region (25) in such a way that the guide part is supported on a pressing surface (31) formed by an inner surface (29) of the foot part (15) in a direction transverse to the support surface with an end face (27) extending transversely to the side surface. The invention further relates to a two-stage method for mounting a guide rail arrangement on a shaft wall (19) of an elevator system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a guide rail element for a guide rail structure of an elevator system, a corresponding guide rail structure and a corresponding elevator system. The invention also relates to a method for assembling a guide rail structure. Background Art

[0002] In elevator installations, a traveling basket is used to transport people or objects between different floors. During its displacement along the elevator shaft, the traveling basket is guided on one or more guide rail structures. For example, guide shoes can be mounted on the traveling basket and rest on the guide surfaces formed by the guide rail structures during the displacement of the traveling basket. Additionally, the guide surfaces can serve as braking surfaces, for example, to brake the car using a safety brake (also known as a "safety caliper").

[0003] For this reason, guide rail structure is constituted by a plurality of elongated guide rails conventionally, and these guide rails are arranged vertically one after another and adjacent to each other along the vertical shaft and form a continuous guide surface at this. At this, conventional guide rail is used as solid component with the form of steel profile mostly.

[0004] Such guide rails are typically manufactured using a hot rolling process, then cut to the required length and reprocessed. This manufacturing and reprocessing process can be relatively complex and involves, for example, creating holes (also known as "fishplates") for mounting rail connectors, incorporating milling for the rail connectors, creating spring-and-groove connections by milling the corresponding springs and grooves, applying corrosion protection, and / or appropriately creating guide surfaces by cold drawing. Furthermore, guide rails, which are typically several meters long, are very heavy. For example, a guide rail with a typical length of 5 meters can weigh significantly more than 100 kg. This can result in high costs during transportation or during assembly in the elevator shaft. Furthermore, the production of conventional guide rails requires a large amount of steel, which significantly increases manufacturing costs and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, when supporting heavy rails, care must be taken to ensure that they do not deform under their own weight.

[0005] CN 215755826 U describes a guide rail element which is constructed in two parts, wherein a solid guide part is fastened to a foot part in the form of a rolled profile which consists of a sheet metal bent into a hollow profile. Summary of the Invention

[0006] There is a need for an alternative guide rail element that at least partially avoids the aforementioned problems of conventional guide rails. In particular, there is a need for a guide rail element that can be manufactured with simple and / or few further processing steps, that has a low weight or requires only a small amount of material for its manufacture, such as, in particular, high-grade steel, and therefore produces less CO2, that is easy to store and / or transport, that allows improved installation precision, and / or that can be manufactured and / or installed overall with less effort and / or at lower costs than conventional guide rails. Furthermore, there is a need for a guide rail element in which the forces generated when guiding the traveling basket can be effectively transmitted to the load-bearing structure on which the guide rail element is supported in the elevator shaft. Furthermore, there is a need for a corresponding guide rail structure and a corresponding elevator system. Furthermore, there is a need for a method for installing a corresponding guide rail structure in the elevator shaft of an elevator system.

[0007] This need is met by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and in the following description or are illustrated in the drawings.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a guide rail element for a guide rail structure of an elevator system is described, comprising an elongated guide member and an elongated foot member. The guide member, with its side surfaces, forms a guide surface for guiding an elevator component to be displaced along the guide rail structure. The foot member forms a support surface extending transversely to the guide surface for supporting the guide rail element relative to a shaft wall of the elevator system. The foot member is configured as a hollow profile formed from sheet metal. Furthermore, the foot member is formed, and the guide member is accommodated in a subregion within the foot member, such that the guide member, with its end surface extending transversely to the side surfaces, rests on a contact surface formed by the inner surface of the foot member in a direction transverse to the support surface.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a guide rail arrangement is described, which has a plurality of guide rail elements according to the embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the guide rail elements are arranged one behind another in the longitudinal direction and are connected to one another.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the invention, an elevator installation is described, comprising an elevator shaft delimited by shaft walls, at least one guide rail arrangement according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, which is fixed to one of the shaft walls, and an elevator component to be moved, such as a travelling basket, which can be moved on the guide rail arrangement in a manner guided along the elevator shaft.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for mounting a guide rail arrangement on a shaft wall of an elevator installation is described, the method comprising at least the following method steps, preferably in the order given:

[0012] Install wall bows on the shaft walls,

[0013] Fix the first foot piece to one of the wall arches.

[0014] Fix the second foot piece on the other wall arch.

[0015] Then, the first guide element is fixed to the first support element, and the second guide element is fixed to the second support element.

[0016] At the outset, the basic concepts of the embodiments of the present invention presented here are briefly explained, wherein this explanation is to be interpreted as merely a rough summary and not as a limitation of the present invention:

[0017] The present invention describes a guide rail element which, unlike conventional guide rails used in elevator installations, is essentially constructed in at least two parts and comprises a guide part and a foot part.

[0018] The guide element forms a guide surface along which the elevator component to be displaced, such as a travel basket, can be guided. For this purpose, the guide element can be designed, for example, as a solid component, in particular, as a solid component manufactured using an extrusion process. The guide element can be made of high-quality materials, such as high-grade steel, and thus can form a guide surface with very good properties, such as a high load capacity and a smooth, flat surface.

[0019] The foot piece can be manufactured as a separate component and only later connected to the guide element. In particular, the foot piece can be formed into a hollow profile by suitable stamping and / or bending or roll-forming of sheet metal, in particular steel sheet metal. Thus, the foot piece can be manufactured using known techniques for producing rolled sheet metal profiles. Here, the sheet metal surrounds the internal cavity. Consequently, compared to a solid component, the foot piece can be manufactured with significantly less weight and material consumption. Furthermore, the material quality of the foot piece can be selected to be lower than that of the guide element.

[0020] To provide the entire rail element with sufficient mechanical stability and, in particular, sufficient mechanical load capacity for guiding the travel basket, the foot element is formed in a specific manner, and the guide element is accommodated in the foot element in a specific manner. In particular, the foot element is designed so that it has a contact surface against which a subregion of the guide element can rest. The guide element is introduced into and accommodated within the inner volume of the foot element. This ensures that forces acting in various directions on the guide element can be effectively transferred to the foot element and ultimately dissipated from the foot element to the load-bearing structure on which the rail element is mounted.

[0021] A plurality of these guide rail elements makes it possible to construct a guide rail structure in an efficient manner and thus to equip an elevator system.

[0022] The guide rail element can be brought preassembled to the construction site, where the elevator system is constructed. However, it may be advantageous to bring the components of the guide rail element separately to the construction site and assemble and connect them there. Therefore, the two-part design of the guide rail element can be particularly advantageously utilized when assembling this guide rail arrangement. In particular, the foot element can first be fastened to a wall bracket (also called a "bracket") previously attached to the shaft wall, and only then, in a subsequent step, one or more guide elements can be fastened to these foot elements. This significantly simplifies the assembly process.

[0023] Possible configurations and advantages of embodiments of the guide rail element, the guide rail arrangement, the elevator system and the assembly method are described in more detail below.

[0024] As described herein, multi-piece guide rail elements can have similar or identical dimensions to conventional, one-piece guide rail segments. Furthermore, multi-piece guide rail elements can achieve similar or similar functions as conventional guide rails. In particular, the guide rail structure can be assembled from multiple guide rail elements by installing them one after the other and adjacent to one another along the elevator shaft. The guide surfaces formed by adjacent guide rail elements preferably transition continuously and flush into one another, thereby forming a preferably flat, smooth guide surface along the entire guide rail structure. Guide shoes attached to the travel basket can then, for example, slide or roll along this guide surface and thereby guide the travel basket along the desired travel path.

[0025] The guide rail element is multi-part and has at least a guide part and a foot part. The guide part forms a guide surface, while the foot part is configured to allow the guide rail element to be fixed together with its guide part on the shaft wall of the elevator system and to be supported on the shaft wall.

[0026] The guide member is elongated. For example, it can have a length of several meters, in particular, greater than 2 meters, preferably greater than 4 meters, but in most cases less than 20 meters, or preferably less than 10 meters. The guide member can be constructed in one piece or in multiple pieces. For example, the guide member can be constructed as a one-piece metal profile, in particular a steel profile. The guide member can be solid. The guide member can be manufactured using an extrusion process. In particular, the guide member can be constructed as a cold-drawn flat steel. Alternatively, the guide member can be constructed in multiple pieces and / or as a composite component. At least one area close to the surface, and preferably even the entire guide member, can be made of a material capable of withstanding high mechanical loads, in particular metal, and more particularly steel. The quality of the guide surface formed by the guide member should be the same as in a conventional guide rail. The guide member can have a rectangular cross-section. In other words, the guide member can have a uniform cross-section along its length. The cross-section can be rectangular. Alternatively, the cross-section can be approximately rectangular and, for example, have rounded edges and / or surfaces that are not completely parallel but extend at a slight angle to each other. The guide element has a wide surface extending parallel to its longitudinal extension, referred to herein as a side surface, and a narrow surface also extending parallel to its longitudinal extension. The wide surface is referred to herein as a side surface, and the narrow surface is referred to herein as an end surface. The guide element has smaller surfaces at its opposite ends, referred to herein as abutment surfaces. At least one side surface of the guide element forms a guide surface for guiding a travel basket, for example. This guide surface is preferably straight, that is, substantially planar along the longitudinal extension. The guide surface can be flat overall. Preferably, the guide element can have two oppositely oriented side surfaces, which, for example, form guide surfaces extending parallel to one another.

[0027] Another advantage of this multi-part guide rail element, which comprises at least a guide part and a foot part, is that it can meet high demands in terms of corrosion resistance. Both parts can each have corrosion protection. However, it is also conceivable that the guide part has a different corrosion protection than the foot part, or that the guide part has no corrosion protection. For example, the corrosion protection for the foot part can be provided by a coating, such as an anti-corrosion paint or powder coating; the corrosion protection for the guide part can be provided by a wax-based coating (e.g., Tectyl TM ) or a self-adhesive plastic film. The latter components and films are usually removed in the installed position, while the corrosion protection of the foot part can remain in this installed position.

[0028] The foot member is also elongated. Preferably, the foot member has a length equal to that of the guide member. However, it is also conceivable that the foot member be longer or shorter than the guide member. The foot member may be one-piece or multi-piece. The foot member comprises a hollow profile constructed from sheet metal, particularly steel sheet metal. The foot member can be manufactured, in particular, using a roll-forming process. In other words, the foot member can be formed from sheet metal that is bent in such a way that it surrounds the inner cavity. This profile can, in particular, be a rolled or roll-formed profile. The hollow profile does not necessarily have to completely surround the cavity; rather, it can have an elongated opening in the hollow profile into which the guide member can be inserted, thereby closing the hollow profile and completely surrounding the cavity. The hollow profile can have a constant cross-section along its longitudinal extension. One of the outer surfaces of the hollow profile forms a support surface, by means of which the guide rail element can be supported relative to the shaft wall of the elevator system. The support surface extends transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the guide surface formed by the guide element. The support surface is generally oriented away from the guide element. The support surface is preferably planar along the longitudinal extension of the foot element and can be generally flat. The support surface can be one-piece, i.e., continuous. Alternatively, the support surface can be multi-part, i.e., have multiple, separate sub-surfaces.

[0029] On the foot part, can be applied anti-corrosion protection independently of the guide part. Such anti-corrosion protection can be formed, for example, by corresponding coating, for example anti-corrosion paint, powder coating.

[0030] The foot part and the guide part are each shaped and arranged relative to one another in such a way that the guide part can be held on the foot part and can be effectively supported on the foot part.

[0031] For this purpose, on the one hand, a subregion of the guide element is accommodated in the interior of the hollow foot element. In other words, the guide element projects with one subregion through the elongated opening of the foot element into the interior of the foot element, while another subregion of the guide element extends outside the foot element and forms the required guide surface there.

[0032] On the other hand, the foot element is designed such that it forms a sub-surface on the inner surface of the sheet metal forming the hollow profile, which sub-surface is referred to herein as the contact surface. The contact surface is designed, dimensioned, and shaped in such a way that the guide element can be supported on the contact surface with its sub-region accommodated in the foot element and, in particular, with its end face extending therefrom.

[0033] To this end, the pressure surface can have the same length and / or the same width as the guide element, but can also be greater or smaller than the width of the end face of the guide element. The pressure surface is oriented so that it supports the guide element in a direction transverse to the support surface of the foot element. To this end, the pressure surface can be oriented essentially parallel to the support surface. Preferably, the pressure surface can extend at a distance from the support surface in a direction perpendicular thereto. In other words, the pressure surface can be formed by a portion of the sheet metal forming the foot element, which extends further into the cavity enclosed by the hollow profile than the portion of the sheet metal forming the support surface.

[0034] Since the guide element can be effectively supported on the foot element, the forces acting on the guide element can ultimately be transmitted via the foot element to the shaft wall. This results in a high mechanical load capacity of the guide rail element overall.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the support member has a first curved portion on the pressing surface, wherein the guide member has a second curved portion complementary to the first curved portion on the end surface, and the first and second curved portions fit into each other in a nested manner.

[0036] In other words, the plate material of the foot member can have an uneven portion at the location where the pressure surface is formed, in the form of a protruding, i.e., convex, curved portion, or a recessed, i.e., concave, curved portion. This curved portion can also be called a ridge. The end surface of the guide member that abuts the pressure surface can have a second curved portion that is substantially complementary to the first curved portion. The two curved portions can form a ridge or a recess with a height of, for example, several millimeters or more. Accordingly, the guide member can nest with its curved end surface and the foot member with its curved pressure surface.

[0037] Due to the two arches that cooperate in this way, forces acting transversely on the guide surface of the guide element and partly also referred to as FF2 forces can be effectively transferred from the guide element to the foot element. The foot element can thus act as a support for the guide element with respect to such forces.

[0038] For example, the first curvature can be produced on the foot piece during roll forming of the sheet material to form the foot piece. The second curvature on the guide piece can be produced, for example, during cold drawing of the flat steel material used for the guide piece.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the hollow profile of the base has a groove which extends in the longitudinal direction of the base and forms an undercut.

[0040] In other words, the sheet material forming the foot member can be bent to form a groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the foot member. The groove can be configured with a cross-section such that an undercut is formed. For example, the groove can be formed with a T-shaped cross-section. The groove can have a constant cross-section along the longitudinal direction of the foot member. The groove can preferably extend centrally or centered along the support surface of the foot member.

[0041] The undercut groove can, for example, be used to accommodate a widened portion of a fixing element, such as a screw head, nut, threaded slide, etc., in the groove. The fixing element can then be used to fix the foot piece to the shaft wall or to a wall bracket anchored there. The groove and the fixing element thus make it possible to very simply fix the foot piece to the shaft wall. Furthermore, the fixing element is movable along the groove relative to the foot piece. This allows, on the one hand, the foot piece to be easily displaced and thus aligned relative to the fixing element, for example, held on the wall bracket, during assembly. On the other hand, the fixing element, provided it is not subsequently secured to the groove by tightening screws used for this purpose, can also move at least slightly within the groove during the subsequent service life of the elevator installation. This allows, for example, to compensate for changes in the length of the elevator shaft, such as may occur due to building settlement.

[0042] According to a specific embodiment, the contact surface is arranged on a subregion of the hollow profile of the foot part that surrounds the groove.

[0043] In other words, the portion of the sheet metal forming the hollow profile of the foot element, on which the pressure surface for the support guide is provided, can be positioned on or coincide with the portion of the sheet metal surrounding the elongated groove of the foot element. In this area, the hollow profile, due to its contoured shape surrounding the groove, is particularly load-bearing. Furthermore, forces can be transmitted particularly effectively to the fixing element accommodated in the groove.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the foot part has two webs, which are formed by edge regions adjoining opposite edges of the sheet metal forming the foot part, wherein the webs rest against opposite side surfaces of the guide part.

[0045] In other words, the opposing edges of the sheet material forming the foot element can be referred to as tabs and can be formed and arranged on the foot element in such a way that, when the guide element is attached to the foot element, these tabs abut opposite side faces of the guide element. Thus, the foot element can, with its tabs, clamp the guide element disposed therebetween from both sides. This allows the foot element, with its tabs, to at least temporarily hold the guide element during the assembly process, in particular as long as no significant guiding forces are yet to be transmitted from the guide element to the foot element.

[0046] In order to be able to transfer the often significant guiding forces that occur during operation of the elevator system from the guide element to the foot element and ultimately to the shaft wall, according to one embodiment, the tabs can be connected to the guide element by force-fitting, form-fitting, and / or material-locking means. To this end, the tabs of the foot element and the guide element received between them are pressed, riveted, glued, sewn, screwed, welded, or mechanically connected in a permanent and sufficiently load-bearing manner, for example, using pliers.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the guide element is arranged offset to the foot element in the longitudinal direction.

[0048] In other words, while the guide element and the foot element can have the same or similar length, they do not need to be arranged identically relative to one another with respect to their longitudinal extension. Instead, the foot element can protrude longitudinally beyond the guide element by a subregion, or vice versa. The offset between the guide element and the foot element can be at least several millimeters, preferably several centimeters. In other words, the offset can, for example, account for between 1% and 50%, preferably between 3% and 20%, of the total length of the guide element or foot element.

[0049] Based on such an staggered arrangement, in the guide rail structure according to the second aspect of the present invention (in which multiple guide rail elements are arranged one after another in the longitudinal direction and connected to each other), the guide member of one guide rail element can overlap with multiple adjacent support members and be supported on the support members.

[0050] In other words, a single foot member can overlap and connect two adjacent guide members, or conversely, a single guide member can overlap and be held by two adjacent foot members. The overlapping arrangement of guide and foot members also allows adjacent guide members or foot members to be connected by the overlapping foot member or guide member. However, in conventional one-piece guide rails, adjacent guide rails must be connected to highly stable guide rail connectors (also sometimes referred to as "fish plates"), which, on the one hand, inevitably add additional weight to the guide rail structure, and, on the other hand, require a complex and stable fastening to the guide rails. Instead of conventional, highly stable and heavy rail connectors, the proposed design allows for the use of significantly less stable and therefore lighter rail connector plates due to the possible overlap of guide and foot members. Furthermore, forces acting on the guide members can be distributed across and directed by multiple foot members.

[0051] According to one embodiment, as described above, the guide rail elements can be provided with grooves extending along the foot pieces and forming undercuts, and adjacent guide rail elements can be connected to each other by rail connecting plates, which are fixed to the guide rail elements by means of fixing elements that engage with the grooves in the corresponding guide rail elements.

[0052] In other words, the undercut grooves optionally provided on the guide rail elements can be used not only to fasten the guide rail elements to the shaft wall or to the wall arches fixed therein by means of fixing elements engaging in the grooves, but can also be used to fasten a rail connector plate thereto, by means of which adjacent guide rail elements can be connected to one another in a sufficiently stable manner. In this case, the fixing elements can be, for example, screws, bolts, etc., the heads of which can be inserted into the grooves and can thus engage the undercuts from behind. The opposite ends of the fasteners can then be fastened to the rail connector plate, for example, by being screwed to it. In this way, the rail connector plate can be fastened to adjacent guide rail elements in a simple and quick manner and can connect these guide rail elements to one another in a manner that can withstand mechanical loads.

[0053] In an elevator installation according to the third aspect of the present invention, at least one guide rail structure described herein is fixed to one of the shaft walls. To this end, the individual guide rail elements can be fixed, for example, to anchored wall brackets. If the guide rail elements are formed with undercut grooves as described above, the guide rail elements can be fixed to the shaft wall via the wall brackets, and the wall brackets are fixed to the guide rail elements by means of fixing members that engage with the grooves in the individual guide rail elements.

[0054] In order to fasten the guide rail arrangement described here to the shaft wall of an elevator system, the assembly method according to the fourth aspect of the invention can be used in particular. In contrast to the conventional assembly of one-piece track segments, the multi-part design of the guide rail element described here allows for a correspondingly multi-stage design of the assembly method.

[0055] In particular, the first and second foot members can be first fixed to the wall arch previously installed on the shaft wall, and only then can the first guide member be fixed to the first foot member and the second guide member be fixed to the second foot member. The foot members can thus be fixed and, if necessary, adjusted as a separate first method step. Due to the low weight of the hollow foot members, their assembly is significantly simpler than the conventional assembly and adjustment of heavier guide rails. Subsequently, the guide members can be fixed to the preassembled foot members in a second method step. For this purpose, for example, the guide members can be moved between opposing tabs of the associated foot member and thus at least temporarily retained on the foot member. The guide members can then be securely and mechanically connected to the foot member, for example, by means of clips, screws, rivets, welding, or the like.

[0056] According to one embodiment, at least one guide element can be fastened to a first support element and a second support element in an overlapping manner. As explained above, the overlapping arrangement of the guide element relative to two adjacent support elements not only establishes a mechanical connection between the two support elements, but also distributes forces acting on the guide element to the shaft wall. This overlapping arrangement can be easily achieved by first attaching the two support elements to the shaft wall and then attaching the guide element.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the guide rail elements can be designed with undercut grooves, as described above. In this case, during the assembly method, adjacent guide rail elements can be connected to one another via rail connectors, which are fastened to the guide rail elements via fixing elements that engage in the grooves of the individual guide rail elements. Alternatively or additionally, the guide rail elements can be fixed to the shaft wall via wall brackets, which are fixed to the guide rail elements via fixing elements that engage in the grooves of the individual guide rail elements.

[0058] The two-stage design of the assembly method allows the rail connector plate to be easily fastened to the lightweight foot piece of the adjacent guide rail element, for example, by means of screws that engage, on the one hand, in grooves in the respective foot piece and, on the other hand, in grooves in the rail connector plate, thereby connecting the foot piece and the rail connector plate to one another. Furthermore, the two-stage assembly method allows the lightweight foot piece to be fastened to one of the wall arches in the shaft wall by means of fastening elements that engage in the grooves. Only after carrying out both method steps can the associated guide element be fastened to the previously connected foot pieces mounted on the shaft wall.

[0059] It should be noted that some possible features and advantages of the present invention are described here with reference to various embodiments of the guide rail elements described herein and the guide rail structures and elevator systems formed thereby, on the one hand, and with reference to assembly methods, on the other hand. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features described can be combined, converted, adapted, or replaced in a suitable manner to realize further embodiments of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] The embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description should be considered as limiting the present invention.

[0061] Figure 1 An elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0062] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a guide rail element according to an embodiment of the invention is shown.

[0063] Figure 3A side view showing a guide rail structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The figures are schematic only and are not drawn to scale. Identical reference numerals indicate identical or identically functioning features. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] Figure 1 An elevator installation 5 is shown having a guide rail structure 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A displaceable elevator component 13, for example in the form of a traveling basket 14 or a counterweight (not shown), is accommodated in an elevator shaft 6. The traveling basket 14 is held by a support mechanism 57 and is vertically displaced along the elevator shaft 6 by a drive 59. The traveling basket 14 is guided along the guide rail structure 3 by means of guide shoes 61. The guide rail structure 3 consists of a plurality of guide rail elements 1, which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction 45 and are connected to one another.

[0066] exist Figure 2 The guide rail element 1 is shown in cross section. Figure 3 A guide rail arrangement 3 is shown having a plurality of guide rail elements 1 which are fastened to a shaft wall 19 .

[0067] The guide rail element 1 is composed of multiple parts. In particular, the guide rail element 1 is composed of an elongated guide part 7 and an elongated foot part 15.

[0068] In the illustrated embodiment, the guide member 7 is a cold-drawn flat steel piece. The guide member 7 has a rectangular cross-section. The opposite side faces 9 of the rectangular guide member 7 form two mutually parallel guide surfaces 11. The displaceable component 13 can be guided along these guide surfaces 11. To this end, the guide shoe 61 can roll along the guide surfaces 11 using rollers or slide along them using sliding elements. Furthermore, the guide surfaces 11 can serve as braking surfaces for a safety brake.

[0069] The foot element 15 forms a support surface 17 which extends transversely or, in the example shown, perpendicularly to the guide surface 11 and by means of which the foot element can be supported relative to a shaft wall 19 of the elevator system 5. The support surface 17 is directed toward the shaft wall 19 and can extend essentially parallel to the shaft wall 19. In this case, the foot element 15 of the guide rail element 1 is usually not supported directly on the shaft wall 19, but is connected to the shaft wall via a plurality of wall bows 55 anchored in the shaft wall 19.

[0070] The foot element 15 is not solid, but is constructed from a suitably bent sheet metal 21 as a hollow profile 23, produced, for example, by a forming process. Therefore, the foot element 15 is advantageously rolled from sheet metal and welded at suitable locations. The flat outer surface of the hollow profile 23, facing the shaft wall 19, forms the support surface 17.

[0071] Two tabs 41 are formed in the edge regions adjacent to the two opposite edges 43 of the sheet metal 21 forming the foot element 15, which extend in the longitudinal direction 45. The tabs 41 define an elongated opening on the side of the foot element 15 facing away from the support surface 17. During assembly of the guide rail element 1, the guide element 7 can be partially introduced through this opening with its sub-region 25 into the interior of the hollow profile 23. The tabs 41 then rest laterally against the opposite side surfaces 9 of the guide element 7 and can at least temporarily clamp the guide element 7 between them.

[0072] In order to subsequently connect the guide part 7 to the foot part 15 in a manner that can withstand high loads, the tabs 41 can be pressed, riveted, glued, sewn, screwed, and / or welded to the guide part 7, for example, using pliers, and in this way a non-positive, positive, and / or materially bonded connection is produced between the guide part 7 and the foot part 15. It can be particularly advantageous to connect the foot part 15, which is composed of sheet metal, to the guide part 7 in the region of the tabs 41 by clinching. For clamping by clinching, special tools can be used that deform the sheet metal in a punctiform manner and thereby produce a sufficiently strong clamping.

[0073] However, the guide element 7 is not only connected along its side surface 9 to the foot element 15, in particular to its web 41. In addition, the foot element 15 also contacts, with its end surface 27 (which extends transversely, in particular perpendicularly, to the running surface 9), the surface of the sheet metal 21 forming the foot element 15, which faces inwardly of the hollow profile 23. In particular, the end surface 27 of the guide element 7 rests on a contact surface 31 formed by the inner surface 29 of the foot element 15 and is supported by this contact surface 31 in a direction transverse to the support surface 17.

[0074] In the example shown, the hollow profile 23 of the foot part 15 is provided with a groove 37 that extends in the longitudinal direction 45 of the foot part 15. In the example shown, the groove 37 is T-shaped and thus forms an undercut 39. The groove 37 is formed by appropriately bending the sheet metal 21 forming the hollow profile 23. The contact surface 31, on which the end face 27 of the guide part 7 rests, is arranged on a subregion of the hollow profile 23 that surrounds the groove 37.

[0075] Here, the pressure surface 31 has a first curvature 33 in the form of a raised portion. In the example shown, the first curvature 33 is designed to protrude toward the guide element 7, i.e., it is convex, and is formed by a suitably curved region of the sheet metal 21. The guide element 7 has a second curvature 35 on its end face 27 that complements the first curvature 33. The second curvature 35 is designed as a depression, i.e., it is concave. Accordingly, the two curvatures 33, 35 can be nested within one another on the pressure surface 31 of the support element 15, on the one hand, and on the end face 27 of the guide element 7, on the other hand. In this way, in addition to the supporting forces transmitted to the support element 15 by the guide element 7 in a direction perpendicular to the pressure surface 31, so-called FF2 forces acting transversely to these supporting forces, in particular forces acting perpendicularly on the guide surface 11, can also be transmitted to the support element 15.

[0076] The undercut groove 37 can also be referred to as a sliding groove. The groove 37 can be used to connect adjacent guide rail elements 1 to one another by means of a rail connecting plate 47. Alternatively or additionally, the groove 37 can be used to fasten the guide rail element 1 to a wall bow 55 anchored in the shaft wall 19.

[0077] For this purpose, a fixing element 49 can engage in the groove 37. The widened area of such a fixing element 49 can be introduced in particular into the undercut 39 of the groove 37 and there serve as a seat for the fixing element 49. Specifically, for example, the screw head 53 of a screw 51 serving as the fixing element 49 can be pushed into the groove 37 and its undercut 39 starting from the longitudinal end of the hollow profile 23 in the longitudinal direction 45. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the opposite ends of the bolts 51 may be guided through suitable openings in, for example, the track connection plate 47 and secured by nuts 54 .

[0078] Alternatively, the bolt 51 can be used to fix the foot piece 15 of the guide rail element 1 to one of the wall sections 55, as in Figure 3 . Advantageously, the fact that the screw head 53 is displaceable along the slot 37 extending in the longitudinal direction 45 can be utilized here. Accordingly, a drop or shrinkage of the elevator shaft 6 that may occur, for example due to so-called building settlement, can be compensated by a corresponding displacement of the fixing element 49, which serves to fix the guide rail arrangement 3 to the shaft wall 19 and can be displaced in the slot 37 in the longitudinal direction 45.

[0079] Furthermore, other components, such as various additional devices, can also be fastened to the foot part 15 of the guide rail element 1 by means of screws 51 or other fastening elements 49 through the groove 37 .

[0080] As in Figure 3As can be seen in the figure, in the guide rail structure 3, a plurality of guide rail elements 1', 1" are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction 45 and are connected to one another. Here, the foot parts 15', 15" and the guide parts 7', 7" are arranged with an offset 63 relative to the longitudinal direction 45. Accordingly, the foot part 7" of the lower guide rail element 1" not only overlaps with the foot part 15" of this guide rail element 1", but also overlaps with the foot part 15' of the adjacent guide rail element 1" arranged thereon. Therefore, adjacent guide rail elements 1', 1" are connected to one another not only via the rail connecting plate 47 but also via the guide part 7" overlapping its two foot parts 15', 15".

[0081] Due to the supporting connection via the overlapping guides 7 ″, the rail connection plate 47 can thus be significantly smaller and lighter than conventional rail connectors, as are used in conventional, non-overlapping and solid and therefore very heavy guide rails.

[0082] In order to mount the guide rail arrangement 3 on the shaft wall 19 of the elevator system 5 , a plurality of wall bows 55 are first mounted on the shaft wall 19 at a distance from one another in the vertical direction.

[0083] Subsequently, the first foot part 15 ′ is fixed to one of the wall arches 55 and the second foot part 15 ″ is fixed to the other wall arch 55. This can be achieved in a very simple manner, for example, by inserting the screw 51 with its screw head 53 into the groove 37 of the corresponding foot part 15 ′, 15 ″ and then fixing it to the wall arch 55 using the nut 54. Preferably, the nut 54 is only lightly tightened during the assembly process, so that the screw head 53 is loosely accommodated in the undercut 39 of the groove 37 and the screw 51 can thus be moved along the groove 37.

[0084] After the foot parts 15 ′, 15 ″ have been assembled in this way, the associated guide parts 7 ′, 7 ″ are fixed to the foot parts 15 ′, 15 ″. Here, the guide parts 7 ′, 7 ″ can first be moved with their sub-regions 25 between the tabs 41 of the foot parts 15 ′, 15 ″ until the guide parts rest with their end faces 27 on the corresponding contact surfaces 31 of the foot parts 15 ′, 15 ″, wherein the guide parts are clamped by the tabs 41 and are thus at least temporarily held.

[0085] Subsequently, if necessary, it can be checked whether the tongue and groove connections of the two guide pieces 7 ′, 7 ″ at the mutually abutting ends of adjacent guide rail elements 1 ′, 1 ″ fit snugly into one another.

[0086] After the two guide parts 7 ′, 7 ″ are adjusted relative to each other if necessary, they can be fixedly connected to the corresponding support parts 15 ′, 15 ″, for example, by pressing, screwing, riveting, welding, etc. to the webs 51 of the support parts 15 ′, 15 ″.

[0087] The first track section formed in this way can then be suitably aligned relative to the shaft wall 19 or the wall arch 55 .

[0088] The slidable screw 51 accommodated in the groove 37 can then be tightened with a predetermined torque in order to ensure, on the one hand, sufficient retention of the guide rail element 1 on the wall bow 55 and, on the other hand, to enable the guide rail element 1 to be at least slightly displaced relative to the wall bow 55 in the longitudinal direction 45 .

[0089] In order to form the integral guide rail structure 3 , the above process can be repeated multiple times with an appropriate number of guide rail elements 1 .

[0090] The guide rail element 1 described herein, or the guide rail structure 3 constructed therefrom, offers several advantages. For example, the components comprising the guide rail structure 3 are significantly lighter than those in conventional rail structures, making them easier to transport. Furthermore, due to their low weight, the rail components are less susceptible to bending if improperly supported, as is the case with conventional, heavy rails. Furthermore, their simpler shape allows for easier stacking of sensitive guide components and makes them less susceptible to damage. The foot components can be made of relatively lower-quality materials than conventional guide rails and guide components. In other words, high-quality materials only need to be used where their properties are actually required—in the guide components, not the foot components. This saves material costs. Another advantage is that components can be specifically equipped with corrosion protection with regard to corrosion resistance. For example, the foot components can have different corrosion protection than the guide components, or at least one guide component can have no corrosion protection. Furthermore, the conventionally heavy connecting plates can be replaced with relatively lightweight rail connecting plates. Because of the potential misalignment between the guide and foot components, the mechanical connection between adjacent guide rail elements need not be solely provided by the connecting plates. This also saves weight and material. Finally, assembly speed can be maintained because, due to the proposed fixing of the guide rail element by means of a fixing element engaging in a groove and the possible sliding capability in the longitudinal direction within the groove, generally only a single fixing element is required per wall arch, and thus, for example, only a single screw serving as a fixing element needs to be tightened.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having," "comprising," etc. do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting.

Claims

1. A guide rail element (1) for a guide rail structure (3) of an elevator installation (5), the guide rail element comprising: an elongated guide element (7) which forms a guide surface (11) with a side surface (9) for guiding an elevator component (13) which is displaceable along the guide rail structure (3), and an elongated foot piece (15) which forms a support surface (17) extending transversely to the guide surface (11) for supporting the guide rail element (1) relative to a shaft wall (19) of the elevator installation (5), in, The support member (15) is constructed as a hollow profile (23) formed by using a plate (21). The foot part (15) is shaped and the guide part (7) is accommodated in the foot part (15) with a subregion (25) in such a way that the guide part (7) is supported with an end face (27) extending transversely to the side face (9) on a contact surface (31) formed by an inner surface (29) of the foot part (15) in a direction transverse to the support surface (17).

2. The guide rail element (1) according to claim 1, in, The support foot (15) has a first curved portion (33) on the pressing surface (31), The guide member (7) has a second curved portion (35) on the end surface (27) that is complementary to the first curved portion (33), and The first curved portion and the second curved portion (33, 35) are fitted into each other.

3. Guide rail element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The hollow profile (23) of the foot piece (15) has a groove (37) which extends in the longitudinal direction (45) of the foot piece (15) and forms an undercut (39).

4. The guide rail element (1) according to claim 3, in, The contact pressure surface (31) is arranged on a subregion of the hollow profile (23) of the foot part (15) surrounding the groove (37).

5. Guide rail element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The foot part (15) has two tabs (41) formed by edge regions adjoining opposite edges (43) of the sheet metal (21) forming the foot part (15), and The tabs (41) bear against the opposite side surfaces (9) of the guide element (7).

6. Guide rail element (1) according to claim 5, in, The web (41) is connected to the guide element (7) in a force-fitting, form-fitting and / or material-fitting manner.

7. Guide rail element (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The guide element (7) is arranged offset relative to the foot element (15) in the longitudinal direction (45).

8. A guide rail structure (3) having: A plurality of guide rail elements (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in, The guide rail elements (1) are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction (45) and are connected to one another.

9. The guide rail structure (3) according to claim 8, in, The guide element (7) of one of the guide rail elements (1) overlaps with a plurality of adjacent foot elements (15) and is supported on the foot elements.

10. The guide rail structure (3) according to any one of claims 8 to 9, in, The guide rail element (1) is constructed according to any one of claims 3 and 4, and Adjacent guide rail elements (1) are connected to one another via rail connecting plates (47), which are fixed to the guide rail elements (1) by means of fixing elements (49) that engage in grooves (37) in the respective guide rail elements (1).

11. An elevator device (5), comprising: an elevator shaft (6) defined by a shaft wall (19), at least one guide rail arrangement (3) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, said guide rail arrangement being fixed to one of the shaft walls (19), A displaceable elevator component (13) is displaceable on a guide rail structure (3) in such a manner that it is guided along an elevator shaft (6).

12. Elevator installation (5) according to claim 11, in, The guide rail element (1) is constructed according to any one of claims 3 and 4, and wherein the guide rail element (1) is fixed to the shaft wall (19) via a wall bow (55), The wall brackets (55) are fixed to the guide rail elements (1) by means of fixing elements (49) which engage in grooves (37) in the corresponding guide rail elements (1).

13. A method for assembling a guide rail structure (3) on a shaft wall (19) of an elevator installation (5), comprising: A plurality of wall bows (55) are mounted on the shaft wall (19), Fix the first foot piece (15') to one of the wall arches (55), Fasten the second foot piece (15") to the other wall arch (55). The first guide element (7) is then fastened to the first support element (15') and the second guide element (7") is fastened to the second support element (15").

14. The method according to claim 13, in, At least one of the guide elements (7', 7") is fixed in an overlapping manner to the first support element (15') and to the second support element (15").

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 and 14, in, The guide rail element (1) is constructed according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein adjacent guide rail elements (1) are connected to one another via rail connecting plates (47) which are fixed to the guide rail elements (1) by means of fixing elements (49) which engage in grooves (37) in the respective guide rail elements (1), and / or The guide rail elements (1) are fixed to the shaft wall (19) via wall brackets (55), which are fixed to the guide rail elements (1) by means of fixing elements (49) that engage in grooves (37) in the respective guide rail elements (1).

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