Double guide rail and elevator assembly
The T-shaped profile guide rail design simplifies the manufacturing process of elevator guide rails, saves space, and improves bending rigidity, solving the problems of complexity and insufficient strength of existing guide rails.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511137342.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-08-14
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing elevator guide rails are complex in design and difficult to manufacture, require additional space for safety devices, and are not strong enough.
The guide rail design, featuring a T-shaped profile, uses a single metal sheet to form two parallel guide sections, which are directly integrated with safety devices, simplifying manufacturing and improving rigidity.
This achieves simplified manufacturing and space saving of the guide rail, while improving bending rigidity and reducing system cost.
Smart Images
Figure CN121591081A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a guide rail for guiding an elevator car and a counterweight during vertical movement of the elevator car and the counterweight, and an elevator assembly having an elevator car, a counterweight, and at least one guide rail or alternatively two guide rails. Background Technology
[0002] It is generally known that guide rails of various designs are used to guide the corresponding movement of the elevator car and its counterweight. It has been shown that these guide rails can be relatively complex to construct, and therefore relatively complex to manufacture. In particular, the need for safety devices on the elevator car and counterweight introduces additional space constraints. At the same time, the strength requirements for these guide rails increase.
[0003] In this regard, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide an improved guide rail that avoids the known drawbacks of the prior art. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This is addressed by the guide rail and elevator assembly according to the independent claim. Alternative embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.
[0005] According to one aspect, a guide rail is provided for guiding an elevator car and counterweight during vertical movement. Both the elevator car and the corresponding counterweight may include safety devices to prevent relative movement between themselves and the guide rail (depending on a certain speed / acceleration). The guide rail includes a first guide portion for guiding the elevator car and a second guide portion integrally formed with the first guide portion for guiding the counterweight. Each guide portion may form a base section (also called a base plate section) configured to be directly or indirectly connected to / attached to a part of the building, such as a wall or beam (of the hoistway). Furthermore, each guide portion may form a track section projecting from the base section, which may directly form a guide rail or guide track for the rolling elements (of the elevator car or counterweight). The cross-section of each guide portion is T-shaped. This achieves a guide rail that is as rigid as possible, especially resisting bending loads that typically occur during the vertical movement of the elevator car and counterweight. Furthermore, the T-shape design of the guide track section allows the safety device to be directly integrated between the elevator car or counterweight on one side and the guide rail on the other, thus saving installation space. The structure of the guide rail can therefore be significantly simplified. In this way, the guide rail is as simple to manufacture as possible, while at the same time having higher rigidity against bending moments.
[0006] On one hand, the two guide sections are integrally formed from a single metal sheet. This metal sheet can be a sheet of metal that has been folded or bent multiple times, such as sheet steel. This makes the guide rail easy to manufacture.
[0007] On one hand, the track sections of the two guide sections are parallel to each other. This allows for even more space-efficient arrangement of the elevator car and counterweight.
[0008] On one hand, the track sections of the two guide sections occupy most of the height of the guide section. This further optimizes the guide rail cross-section regarding the mass moment of inertia.
[0009] According to one principle, the track sections of the two guide sections have the same height, or the heights of the two track sections differ from each other by less than 10%. This further optimizes the guide rail cross-section regarding the mass moment of inertia.
[0010] On one hand, the track sections of the two guide sections are formed by two layers of metal sheets. This ensures a simple structure, while at the same time being as rigid as possible to resist bending.
[0011] On one hand, the base sections of the two guide sections are parallel to each other or located in a common plane. This also enables a compact design of the guide rail and its space-saving integration in the application area.
[0012] On one hand, the base sections of the two guide sections are formed by two layers of metal sheets. This ensures a simple structure, but also a structure that is as rigid as possible in terms of the base sections to resist bending.
[0013] According to one aspect, the first guide section and the second guide section are connected at their base sections by a common layer of metal sheet. This makes the guide rail easy to manufacture.
[0014] According to one aspect, the first plate region of the first guide portion connected to the track section on the side opposite to the second guide portion is shorter than the second plate region of the first guide portion facing the second guide portion. This further improves the rigidity of the guide rail.
[0015] According to one aspect, the first plate region of the second guide portion, which is connected to the track section on the side opposite to the first guide portion, is shorter than the second plate region of the second guide portion facing the first guide portion. This also improves the rigidity of the guide rail.
[0016] In one aspect, the track section of each guide portion is integrally formed with the top metal sheet layer of the base section of the same guide portion. This achieves a structure that is easy to manufacture.
[0017] According to one aspect, an elevator assembly is provided, comprising an elevator car, a counterweight for movably connecting with the elevator car, and a guide rail according to at least any of the foregoing aspects, the guide rail for guiding the elevator car and the counterweight during movement.
[0018] In other words, this disclosure pertains to a T-shaped guide rail profile. The counterweight guide rail nose can extend to accommodate the requirements of a counterweight with a safety device for using only a pair of guide rails.
[0019] The T-shaped profile improves the distance between guide rail supports (resulting in better inertia on the weak axis), and the extended counterweight nose allows safety devices to operate within the counterweight guide rail, thus avoiding the use of solid additional guide members. These two improvements have a crucial impact on the system cost for elevator systems. Furthermore, the new guide rail profile allows for elevator system installation in less space. Attached Figure Description
[0020] The embodiments of this disclosure, which are merely examples, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
[0021] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a guide rail with two track sections used to guide the elevator car and counterweight is shown; and
[0022] Figure 2 The image shows a top view of an elevator assembly, which includes two... Figure 1 The guide rails and elevator car, as well as the counterweights that interact with the guide rails. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same elements in the drawings are assigned the same reference numerals. It should be noted that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only, and the description of the embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.
[0024] Figure 1 The structure of guide rail 1 is shown. Figure 2 The area indicated is the application area of the guide rail 1. The guide rail 1 is used in the elevator assembly 20 to form an elevator system.
[0025] Guide rail 1 is used during operation to guide elevator car 2 and its associated counterweight 3 as they move up and down in the hoistway. In one embodiment, two guide rails 1 spaced apart from each other are used to guide elevator car 2 and counterweight 3. Furthermore, elevator car 2 and counterweight 3 are connected to each other in a conventional manner, for example via a tensioning member 17, which is indicated schematically.
[0026] It can also be seen that elevator car 2 can be configured as a cantilever type. Therefore, elevator car 2 can be configured as a panoramic model, in which at least two (or even three) adjacent sides are transparent, and thus will not be obstructed by any part of the building or elevator structure that blocks the view. Figure 2As can be seen in the top view of the elevator car 2, the guide rail 1 used to guide the elevator car 2 is located on the rear side 18 of the elevator car 2. The counterweight 3 connected to the elevator car 2 is also located on the rear side 18, and the counterweight 3 is also guided by the guide rail 1.
[0027] On the rear side 18 of the elevator car 2, two columns 21 are shown, attached to the rear side 18 of the elevator car 2, i.e., securely connected to the frame of the elevator car 2 (not shown). Each column 21, in the form of a track, interacts with the first guide portion 4 of each guide rail 1. In a conventional manner, rollers are also inserted between the column 21 and the guide rail 1 / first guide portion 4, and the rollers roll along the guide rail 1 during the up-and-down movement of the elevator car 2. A safety device can also be provided on the column 21 to stop / brake the elevator car 2 relative to the guide rail 1 in the event of accidental movement. This safety device (also called a safety brake) can be installed between the column 21 and the guide rail 1 / first guide portion 4.
[0028] The counterweight 3 is arranged and guided on each guide rail 1 in a manner similar to that of the elevator car 2. The counterweight 3 interacts with the second guide portion 5 of the guide rail 1. Conventionally, rollers are also inserted between the counterweight 3 and the guide rail 1 / second guide portion 5, and these rollers roll along the guide rail 1 during the up-and-down movement of the counterweight 3. In this regard, a safety device can also be provided on the counterweight 3 to stop / brake it relative to the guide rail 1 in the event of accidental movement. This safety device can be installed between the counterweight 3 and the guide rail 1 / second guide portion 5.
[0029] exist Figure 2 Ultimately, two guide rails 1 are used, arranged mirror images of each other, which are typically connected indirectly or directly to the building 8 / fixed to components such as steel beams or (shaft) building walls, located on the side opposite to the counterweight 3 and column 21. The guide rails 1 (whose longitudinal direction is therefore parallel to the intended direction of movement of the elevator car 2) are fixed to the building 8 at fixed points along their length in the base sections 6 and 7 of their guide sections 4 and 5.
[0030] Furthermore, it can be seen that, due to the relative arrangement of the counterweight 3 and the elevator car 2, the first guide portion 4 for guiding the elevator car 2 is arranged closer to the rear 18 of the elevator car 2 than the second guide portion 5 for guiding the counterweight 3.
[0031] at last, Figure 1 A more detailed structure of the guide rail 1 is shown. It can be seen that the guide rail 1 is formed from a single piece of material (i.e., a single (folded) metal sheet 11). Therefore, the two guiding portions 4 and 5 of the guide rail 1 are implemented as integrally formed components. From Figure 1It can also be clearly seen that the guide sections 4 and 5 are basically the same, and therefore, in addition to the base sections 6 and 7, there are also track sections 9 and 10.
[0032] The base section 6 of the first guide portion 4 may extend perpendicularly to the track section 9 of the first guide portion 4. The base section 7 of the second guide portion 5 may extend perpendicularly to the track section 10 of the second guide portion 5. The two base sections 6 and 7 may be plate-shaped. The two base sections 6 and 7 may also be located in a common plane, such as... Figure 1 As shown in the diagram. Alternatively, the two base sections 6 and 7 can also extend in different planes, for example, parallel to each other. Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the two track sections 9 and 10 can be directly used to guide the elevator car 2 and the counterweight 3.
[0033] Figure 1 It is also shown that the two track segments 9 and 10 can have the same length (as seen in cross-section; or, when viewed as a whole, as height). Specifically, the free ends of track segments 9 and 10 (which are at their maximum distance from base segments 6 and 7) can be at the same height (i.e., a common plane extending parallel to the plane of the corresponding base segments 6 and 7). However, it is also possible for track segments 9 and 10 to have different lengths / heights; for example, their lengths / heights can differ by less than 10%.
[0034] As can be seen, the guide rail 1 is largely multi-layered, i.e., double-layered, and the metal sheet layers are indicated by reference numerals 12, 12a, and 12b in the attached drawings. Guide rail sections 9 and 10 are entirely formed by two metal sheet layers 12. The two base sections 6 and 7 are also mostly formed by two metal sheet layers 12.
[0035] In this regard, it can be seen in more detail that, when viewed along the lateral direction of guide rail 1, track sections 9 and 10 are substantially centered relative to the base sections 6 and 7 of the corresponding guide portions 4 and 5. Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that track sections 9 and 10 are formed directly from the top metal sheet layer 12a of the base sections 6 and 7 of the corresponding guide portions 4 and 5. On the other hand, the bottom metal sheet layer 12b of the base sections 6 and 7 of the corresponding guide portions 4 and 5 extends along / parallel to the common plane in which the two base sections 6 and 7 are arranged.
[0036] Thus, the two T-shaped guide sections 4 and 5 are arranged adjacent to each other and directly merged. At least one of the two metal sheet layers 12 of the first base section 6 simultaneously forms the metal sheet layer of the other second base section 7 (integrated with the material). Figure 1As shown, the top metal sheet layer 12a of the first base section 6 can be integrally formed with the top metal sheet layer 12a of the second base section 7. The same applies to the bottom metal sheet layers 12b of these base sections 6 and 7. However, gaps may also exist between the bottom metal sheet layers 12b of these base sections 6 and 7.
[0037] It should also be noted that, in principle, it is feasible for the first plate region 13 of the first guide portion 4 / base section 6 (which connects to the side of the track section 9 opposite to the second guide portion 5) to be shorter than the second plate region 14 of the first guide portion 4 / base section 6 facing the second guide portion 5. Conversely, the first plate region 15 of the second guide portion 5 / base section 7 (which connects to the side of the track section 10 opposite to the first guide portion 4) may be shorter than the second plate region 16 of the second guide portion 5 / base section 7 facing the first guide portion 4.
[0038] Reference Symbol List
[0039] 1 guide rail
[0040] 2 elevator cars
[0041] 3 counterweights
[0042] 4. First Guiding Section
[0043] 5. Second Guiding Section
[0044] 6. The base section of the first guiding part
[0045] 7. The base section of the second guiding part
[0046] 8 buildings
[0047] 9. Track section of the first guiding section
[0048] 10. Track section of the second guiding section
[0049] 11 Metal Sheets
[0050] 12 layers of metal sheets
[0051] 12a Top Metal Sheet Layer
[0052] 12b bottom metal sheet layer
[0053] 13 First guide section, first board area
[0054] 14 The second plate area of the first guide section
[0055] 15. The first board area of the second guide section
[0056] 16. Second guide section, second plate area
[0057] 17 tensioning components
[0058] 18 rear side
[0059] 19 Front
[0060] 20 elevator components
[0061] 21 columns
Claims
1. A guide rail (1) for guiding the elevator car (2) and the counterweight (3) during vertical movement, the guide rail (1) comprising: A first guide portion (4) for guiding the elevator car (2), and a second guide portion (5) integrally formed with the first guide portion (4) for guiding the counterweight (3). Each guide section (4, 5) forms a base section (6, 7) configured to be directly or indirectly connected to a part of the building (8), and a track section (9, 10) protruding from the base section (6, 7). Its features are, The cross-section of each guide section (4, 5) is T-shaped.
2. The guide rail (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two guide portions (4, 5) are integrally formed from a metal sheet (11).
3. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, The track sections (9, 10) of the two guide sections (4, 5) are parallel to each other.
4. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The track sections (9, 10) of the two guide sections (4, 5) occupy most of the height of their guide sections (4, 5).
5. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The track sections (9, 10) of the two guide sections (4, 5) have the same height, or the heights of the two track sections (9, 10) differ from each other by less than 10%.
6. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The track sections (9, 10) of the two guide portions (4, 5) are formed by two layers of metal sheets (12).
7. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The base sections (6, 7) of the two guide portions (4, 5) are parallel to each other or located in a common plane.
8. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The base sections (6, 7) of the two guide portions (4, 5) are formed by two layers of metal sheets (12).
9. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first guide portion (4) and the second guide portion (5) are connected at their base sections (6, 7) by a common metal sheet layer (12).
10. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first plate region (13) of the first guide portion (4) connected to the track section (9) on the side opposite to the second guide portion (5) is shorter than the second plate region (14) of the first guide portion (4) facing the second guide portion (5).
11. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The first plate region (15) of the second guide portion (5) connected to the track section (10) on the side opposite to the first guide portion (4) is shorter than the second plate region (16) of the second guide portion (5) facing the first guide portion (4).
12. The guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The track section (9, 10) of each guide section (4, 5) is integrally formed with the top metal sheet layer (12a) of the base section (6, 7) of the same guide section (4, 5).
13. An elevator assembly (20) comprising an elevator car (2), a counterweight (3) for movably coupled to the elevator car (2), and at least one guide rail (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the guide rail (1) for guiding the elevator car (2) and the counterweight (3) during movement.