Roller guide shoe for guiding an elevator car or an elevator counterweight

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a roller guide shoe according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Elevators for transporting people and goods contain elevator cars that can move up and down in an elevator shaft. The elevator cars are moved vertically in the shaft by means of a drive unit, using suspension elements such as cables or belts. In addition to the elevator car, the elevator typically includes at least one counterweight that moves in the opposite direction within the shaft. The elevator car and the counterweight run in guide rails. Guide shoes are usually used to guide the elevator car and counterweight; these guide shoes can be either sliding or roller guide shoes.

[0003] Commonly used roller guide shoes are complex designs with three rollers, as described in US patents 5,107,963 and 7,562,749. These roller guide shoes utilize air springs, coil springs, and elastomeric springs to achieve a comfortable ride. Their complex construction and high material requirements make them correspondingly expensive.

[0004] WO 2013 / 170532 A1 discloses a roller guide shoe according to the preamble of claim 1. Another roller guide shoe is known from US 2020 / 317472 A1.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known design and, in particular, to create a roller guide shoe for guiding an elevator car or an elevator counterweight, which is characterized by a simple design. Furthermore, the roller guide shoe should be cost-effective and easy to install.

[0006] According to the invention, these and other problems are solved with a roller guide shoe according to the features of claim 1. The roller guide shoe for an elevator for passenger or goods transport serves to guide an elevator car or a counterweight along a guide rail extending in the direction of travel or longitudinally. The roller guide shoe comprises at least one roller and a support structure with a preferably plate-like base section for attaching the roller guide shoe to the elevator car or to the counterweight and at least one web section, preferably projecting at right angles from the base section. The base section can have fastening means, for example in the form of recesses for receiving fastening screws. The web section is that part of the support structure that is associated with the roller.Preferably, the support structure has one web section for each roller to support and carry the at least one roller. Roller guide shoes often have three rollers. In this case, the support structure would essentially comprise the aforementioned base section and three web sections projecting from the base section to support and carry the rollers. A lever element, preferably designed as a bent part, is arranged between the support structure and the at least one roller. In this context, a bent part is understood to be a component that can be subjected to bending. Bending refers to the fact that the bent part is elastically bent under load. Therefore, the focus regarding the bent part is on its spring properties and not on how the part is manufactured.The lever element, designed as a bent component, can be positioned within the roller guide shoe, once the shoe is installed in the elevator, in such a way that the lever element is bent, thereby creating a preload that presses the roller against the guide rail. The at least one roller is mounted to rotate freely at a free end of the lever element. The roller guide shoe is evidently characterized by a particularly simple design, as it essentially consists of only three components: a support structure, a lever element, and a roller. By arranging a lever element, designed as a bent component, between the support structure and the at least one roller to apply preload to the roller in the operational state (or when the roller guide shoe is fully installed in the elevator), a sufficiently good ride comfort can be achieved.Since no additional spring or insulating elements such as helical compression springs and elastomeric springs are required, this roller guide shoe offers significant cost advantages over conventional roller guide shoes. A further advantage of this roller guide shoe is its low maintenance requirements during operation.

[0007] The support structure, comprising the base section and the web section, can be formed as a single-piece molded body made of plastic. Alternatively or additionally, at least one lever element can also be formed as a single-piece molded body made of plastic. Such molded bodies are simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The use of plastic also offers weight advantages compared to the comparatively heavy, conventional roller guide shoes made of metallic materials.

[0008] The support structure can be made of a high-strength plastic material, e.g., PE, PP, PA, PS, PES, POM, PEEK, or TPEs, whereby fibers can also be added to the plastic material to reinforce the structure. It is particularly preferred to manufacture the support structure from a fiber-reinforced plastic.

[0009] It can be particularly advantageous if the support structure, including the base and web sections, is an injection-molded part and / or the lever element is also an injection-molded part. Injection-molded parts are plastic parts manufactured using an injection molding process. This allows for the creation of a stable and torsionally rigid support structure in which the base and web sections are monolithically joined.

[0010] At least one roller can have an internal bearing bushing and an outer wheel rim, freely rotatable to the bearing bushing via, for example, a roller bearing or a plain bearing, to form the running body. The bearing bushing and the wheel rim can be made of plastics. The wheel rim can, for example, be made of several plastic components, which can further improve ride comfort.

[0011] According to the invention, the lever element is inserted or snapped onto joint cams arranged laterally on the web section, the joint cam engaging in a recess on the lever element to define a joint axis.

[0012] According to the invention, a locking element, preferably designed as a projection, is provided in the web section of the support structure as an alternative or additional feature. This locking element serves as an abutment for the lever element, providing support and forming a stop to prevent the lever element from pivoting around the joint axis. The projection is integrally formed with the support structure and can be easily created using the aforementioned injection molding process. However, instead of such projections monolithically connected to the support structure, separate locking elements could also be used, which could be detachably or permanently attached to the support structure.

[0013] For ease of assembly, it is advantageous if the locking element is a detent lug in which the lever arm engages with the detent lug in a detent-like manner. The detent lug can include a contact surface that makes contact with the lever element when the detent is engaged, and a ramp-like approach surface adjoining the contact surface. This ramp-like approach surface can be inclined such that, during assembly, the lever element can move along the approach surface until the end position, or until the detent is engaged, is reached; the lever arm is then in contact with the contact surface, which ultimately provides the support.

[0014] The lever element can have two lever arms that define a V-shape. Such a V-shaped lever element is particularly well-suited as a bending component for applying preload to the roller. Thanks to the V-shape, the two rigidly connected lever arms easily provide spring-like properties, enabling the bending required to generate the preload. The V-shape is especially advantageous when the lever element is made of plastic.

[0015] An advantageous bending part results when the lever arms enclose an angle of 120° to 150°.

[0016] The lever element may then preferably have reinforcing ribs or webs extending transversely and preferably provided on a lateral outer contour for stiffening.

[0017] The lever element can have a stub axle integrally formed laterally at the free end of the lever arm to accommodate the roller. For example, the roller can be inserted into the stub axle via the bearing bushing.

[0018] The roller guide shoe can have three rollers. These three rollers can consist of two rollers facing each other, which serve to guide along the parallel lateral guide surfaces of the guide rail, and one roller which serves to guide along the end-face guide surface of the guide rail that connects the lateral guide surfaces. Each roller is preferably associated with a lever element.

[0019] The support structure for the roller guide shoe with three rollers can have a preferably plate-like base section and three preferably perpendicular web sections projecting from the base section. The web sections can form a "T" shape in a top view.

[0020] If the roller guide shoe has three rollers, it can be advantageous if at least two of the three lever elements, and in particular the lever elements with the rollers that serve to guide the rollers along the lateral guide surfaces of the guide rail, each have two coaxial axle stubs for receiving rollers arranged on opposite sides of the lever element. This allows identical lever elements to be used for the two lever elements intended for lateral guidance. This has the advantage that the same mold can be used for injection molding, which has a positive effect on manufacturing costs.

[0021] For the roller guide shoe with three rollers, the support structure preferably has web sections projecting at right angles from the base section to support the rollers, with the web sections being connected to each other via a connecting area. An emergency guide can be integrated into the support structure such that an emergency guide channel extending along the web sections is provided in the connecting area. Due to its length, such an emergency guide channel is characterized by excellent emergency guidance properties. The length of the emergency guide channel can essentially correspond to the outer dimension of the support structure with respect to the longitudinal direction.

[0022] The emergency guidance channel can be formed by channel wall sections, which form a U-shape. In other words, in a plan view, the channel wall sections together form a U-shaped profile section. This U-shaped profile section is preferably an integral part of the support structure and monolithically connected to it. The web sections can connect to the channel wall sections at right angles. Consequently, each web section is associated with a channel wall section, and the respective web sections terminate in their corresponding channel wall sections. A further advantage of this design of the emergency guidance channel is that it can provide additional stiffening to the support structure.

[0023] Another aspect of the invention may relate to an elevator car or a counterweight for an elevator, wherein the elevator car or the counterweight is equipped with the roller guide shoes described above. Finally, another aspect of the invention may relate to an elevator system comprising an elevator car and a counterweight connected to the elevator car via support means and movable in the opposite direction to the elevator car, wherein the elevator car or the counterweight is equipped with such roller guide shoes for guiding the elevator car or the counterweight on guide rails.

[0024] Further advantages and individual features will become apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a roller guide shoe for an elevator, and Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the roller guide shoe made of Fig. 1 .

[0025] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a roller guide shoe for an elevator, designated as 1. The roller guide shoe 1 is used to guide an elevator car or a counterweight along a longitudinally extending guide rail (not shown). An elevator for a multi-story building can have an elevator shaft in which an elevator car can move vertically up and down to individual floors to transport people or goods. The elevator can, for example, be designed as a traction elevator system with a counterweight that moves in the opposite direction to the elevator car, with the suspension elements typically being designed as suspension ropes or belts.

[0026] The in Fig. 1 The roller guide shoe 1 shown is particularly suitable for guidance along a guide rail formed by a T-profile (see below). Fig. 2 The T-profile can, for example, be a steel profile manufactured by rolling. Such guide rails 2 have been known, used, and widely distributed for a long time. For guidance along such a T-profile guide rail 2, the roller guide shoe 1 has three rollers 4, 4', 5. Each of the rollers 4, 4', 5 is in contact with a guide surface of the guide rail 2 and runs along it during cabin travel.

[0027] The roller guide shoe 1 further comprises a support structure 6 with a plate-like base section 7 and web sections 8, 9 projecting from the base section 7. The base section 7 serves to attach the roller guide shoe 1 to the elevator car or to the counterweight. Holes 27 are provided in the base section 7 for attaching the roller guide shoe 1 (see figure). Figur 2 ) provided, into which the fastening screws 28 are passed or can be passed, with which the roller guide shoe 1 is attached to the in Fig. 2 The guide rail 2, shown only in outline, can be attached. Metal sleeves (not shown) can be inserted into the holes 27 for reinforcement. The web sections 8 and 9 serve to support and carry the rollers 4, 4', and 5. Web section 8 serves to carry the two rollers 4 and 4' facing each other. Roller 5, which guides along the end face of the guide rail 2, is associated with web section 9.

[0028] Lever elements 10, 11 are arranged between the support structure 6 and the respective rollers 4, 4', 5. Each roller 4, 4', 5 is freely rotatable at a free end of the respective lever element 10, 11. The respective lever element 10, 11 has two lever arms 12, 13. The two lever arms 12, 13 are rigidly connected to each other, with a recess 17 provided centrally between the lever arms 12, 13 to define a pivot axis. The lever element 10, 11 is inserted into a pivot cam 16, which is arranged laterally on a web section 8, 9. After insertion, the pivot cam 16 engages in the recess 17 on the lever element 10, 11.

[0029] The lever element 10, 11 is designed as a bent component, which allows a preload to be applied to the roller 4, 4', 5, at least in the operational state. When the roller guide shoe 1 is installed in the elevator, the lever element 10, 11 is positioned in the roller guide shoe 1 such that it is bent, thereby creating a preload that presses the roller 4, 4', 5 against the guide rail 2. This bending is minimal and barely perceptible to the naked eye. Thanks to its spring-like properties, which are primarily influenced by the effective length of the lever arm, its shape, and the choice of material, the desired contact pressure for the rollers can be set quite precisely. The lever element 10, 11, and in particular the lever arm 12 associated with the roller, is elastically deformed in the process.The roller guide shoe 1 can be designed such that the bending necessary to effect the preload is applied as far above the joint axis as possible, i.e. in the lever arm 12 between the joint axis and the roller, in order to avoid causing wear by rotation in the joint cam 16.

[0030] It is evident that the roller guide shoe 1 achieves sufficiently good ride comfort without additional spring elements such as coil springs or elastomer-based springs. A further advantage is that such bent parts can be manufactured inexpensively in large quantities.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the lever element 10, 11, designed as a bent part, has a V-shaped configuration. The two lever arms 12, 13 define a V-shape. The lever arms 12, 13 enclose an angle of 120° to 150°. The "V" is therefore obtuse-angled. In principle, however, other shapes for the lever elements 10, 11 would also be conceivable. For example, the lever element 10, 11 could have a curved shape or another shape with one or possibly several curves.

[0032] Each of the lever elements 10, 11 has transverse reinforcing ribs 21 provided on the lateral outer contour for stiffening. Depending on their number, orientation and shape, the reinforcing ribs 21 can also be used to optimally adjust the bending in the lever element for generating the preload.

[0033] The respective web sections 8, 9 of the support structure 6 have locking elements 18 as abutments for the respective lever elements 10, 11. The locking element 18 is designed as a projection formed laterally on the support structure 6 and forms a stop to prevent pivoting of the lever elements 10, 11 about the pivot axis. The locking element 18 is exemplified as a detent lug in which the lower lever arm 13 of the lever elements 10, 11 engages with the detent lug.

[0034] Further constructive details of the roller guide shoe 1 are made of Fig. 2 Removable. The support structure 6 has web sections 8, 9 projecting at right angles from the plate-like base section 7 for carrying the rollers 4, 4', 5. The web sections 8, 9 clearly form a T in plan view. The T-shaped web sections 8, 9 projecting from the base section 7 are connected to each other via a connecting area, in which an emergency guide is integrated such that it forms an emergency guide channel 25 extending along the web sections 8, 9. Channel wall sections 26 are provided to form the emergency guide channel 25, which together form a U-shaped profile section in plan view. The respective web sections 8, 9 connect to the associated channel wall sections 26 at right angles. A metallic insert (not shown here) can be provided to reinforce the emergency guide channel 25.This insert can be a U-shaped metal part in cross-section, which is inserted into the emergency guide channel and rests against the channel wall sections 26 after insertion.

[0035] The support structure 6 is designed as a one-piece molded body made of a plastic. Preferably, the support structure 6 is manufactured as an injection-molded part. The support structure 6 can be made of a high-strength plastic material, e.g., PE, PP, PA, PS, PES, POM, PEEK, or TPEs, with the support structure 6 being particularly preferably made of a fiber-reinforced plastic. However, other materials are also conceivable. The support structure 6 could also be made of metallic materials, for example, an aluminum casting.

[0036] The lever elements 10, 11, like the support structure 6, are also one-piece molded plastic components. Numerous advantages arise, particularly when the lever elements 10, 11 are injection-molded plastic parts. Injection-molded parts can be manufactured with high precision and at low cost. Even relatively complex lever shapes can be easily produced in this way. The bending and preload for the roller 4, 4', 5 can be generated or adjusted via the geometry and material of the lever element 10, 11, for which injection-molded parts are particularly well-suited. For the lever element 10, 11, suitable materials include, for example, PE, PP, PA, PS, PES, POM, PEEK, and TPEs. Fiber-reinforced plastics, such as glass fiber-reinforced plastic, are particularly suitable. This material has excellent fatigue strength and ensures the spring properties of the lever element over a long period.Since, unlike conventional roller guide shoes, no additional spring elements (e.g., helical compression springs) are required, the roller guide shoe 1 consists of only a few components, making it easy to assemble and offering significant cost advantages. The bent part or lever element 10, 11 of the roller guide shoe 1 essentially performs the combined function of a roller support and a spring element. The spring constant of the lever element 10, 11 can be determined by its lever structure.

[0037] A metallic version of the roller guide shoe 1 would also be conceivable. The support structure 6 could be made of metallic materials, for example as an aluminum casting. The lever elements 10, 11 could also be made of aluminum, for example.

[0038] The three rollers 4, 4', 5 are identical in this case. However, it is also conceivable that different rollers 4, 4', 5 could be used. In particular, roller 5 could be designed differently from rollers 4 and 4'. Each roller 4, 4', 5 comprises an inner bearing bushing 14 and an outer wheel rim 15, which is freely rotatable from the bearing bushing via a rolling bearing. Both the bearing bushing 14 and the wheel rim 15 are preferably made of plastics. The wheel rim can be made of a single plastic component or, optionally, of several plastic components made of different plastics. These components can be applied using multi-stage injection molding processes. The wheel rim 15 can, for example, be designed as a two-component injection-molded part. An outer component of the wheel rim 15 would typically have a greater hardness than the inner component.

[0039] As can be seen from the exploded view of Fig. 2 The roller guide shoe 1, which can be removed, is constructed from only a few components. Essentially, the roller guide shoe 1 consists of only three components: the support structure 6, the lever elements 10, 11, and the rollers 4, 4', 5. The three lever elements 10, 11 are almost identical. The two lever elements 10 for the rollers 4, 4' are identical; the lever element 11 for the roller 5 differs from the lever elements 10 only in that, for space reasons, it has a stub axle 22 on only one side. In principle, however, this lever element 11 could also be designed like the lever elements 10 with two stub axles 22, 23 (e.g., in a roller guide shoe with rollers of a larger diameter).

[0040] Fig. 2Figure 1 further shows how the locking lug is designed to form the locking element 18. The locking lug has a contact surface 19 which contacts the lever element 10, 11 when the locking connection is established, thus defining a stop. A ramp-like approach surface 20 adjoins the contact surface 19. The approach surface 20 is inclined such that, when the lever element is assembled, the relevant lever arm 13 of the lever element 10, 11 can move along the approach surface of the locking lug until the end position is reached, in which the lever element 10, 11, or rather its lever arm, is engaged with the locking lug in a detent position.

[0041] The roller guide shoe 1 can be mounted as follows: First, the support structure 6 is attached to the elevator car or the counterweight, e.g., by means of screws 28. Then, the lever elements 10, 11, which are already fitted with the rollers 4, 4', 5, are mounted to the support structure 6. The rollers 4, 4', 5 can be pre-mounted or, if necessary, attached to the lever elements 10, 11 on site. To mount the lever elements 10, 11 to the support structure 6, they are placed onto the support structure 6, snapped or slid onto the pivot cams 16 in the area of ​​the pivot axis by axially inserting their recess 17 and locking them into place at the locking element. To secure the lever elements 10, 11 against unintentional loosening, retaining rings, nuts, cotter pins, etc., can be used and attached to the pivot cam 16.For example, locking devices could also be detent projections on the circumference of the joint cam 16, over which the lever elements 10, 11 are snapped on.

Claims

1. Roller guide shoe (1) for guiding an elevator cab or a counterweight of an elevator along a guide rail (2) extending in the longitudinal direction (z), comprising - at least one guide roller (4, 4', 5), - a support structure (6) comprising a base portion (7) for fastening the roller guide shoe (1) to the elevator cab or to the counterweight, and at least one web portion (8, 9) protruding away from the base portion (7) for carrying the at least one guide roller (4, 4', 5), wherein a lever element (10, 11) is arranged between the support structure (6) and the at least one guide roller (4, 4', 5), the respective guide roller (4, 4', 5) being mounted in each case at a free end of the lever element (10, 11), so as to be freely rotatable, characterized in that the lever element is inserted into joint cams (16) arranged on the side of the web section (8, 9), wherein the joint cam (16) engages in a recess (17) on the lever element (10, 11) and / or that a locking member (18) for the lever element (10, 11), preferably designed as a projection, is provided in the web section (8, 9), wherein the locking member (18) is a locking nose in which the lever element (10, 11) engages with the locking lug in a locking manner.

2. Roller guide shoe (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the support structure (6) and / or the lever element (10, 11) are each designed as integral molded bodies made of a plastics material.

3. Roller guide shoe (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the support structure (6) is an injection-molded part and / or the lever element (10, 11) is an injection-molded part.

4. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one guide roller (4, 4', 5) has an inner bearing bush (14) and an outer wheel rim (15), the bearing bush (14) and the wheel rim (15) being made of plastics materials.

5. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lever element (10, 11) has two lever arms (12, 13) that define a V-shape.

6. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the recess (17) is positioned centrally in the lever element (10, 11) for predefining the articulation axis.

7. Roller guide shoe (1) according to either claim 5, characterized in that the lever arms (12, 13) enclose an angle of 120° to 150°.

8. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lever element (10, 11) has reinforcing ribs (21) or reinforcing webs.

9. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lever element (10, 11) has, in the region of the free end of the lever arm (12), an axle journal (22, 23), integrally formed laterally on the web portion (8, 9), for receiving the guide roller (4, 4', 5).

10. Roller guide shoe (1) comprising three guide rollers (4, 4', 5) according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the roller guide shoe (1) has three lever elements (10, 11), in each case one lever element (10, 11) being assigned to each guide roller (4, 4', 5), and in that at least two of the three lever elements (4, 4') each have two coaxial axle journals (22, 23) for receiving guide rollers (4, 4'), the axle journals (22, 23) being arranged on opposite sides of the lever element (10).

11. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, for a roller guide shoe (1) comprising three guide rollers (4, 4', 5), the support structure (6) preferably has web portions (8, 9) which project away from the base portion (7) at right angles, for supporting the guide rollers (4, 4', 5), an emergency guide being integrated in the support structure (6) such that an emergency guide channel (25) extending along the web portions (8, 9) is provided in a connecting region of the web portions (8, 9).

12. Roller guide shoe (1) according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the emergency guide channel (25) is U-shaped by means of channel wall portions (26), and in that the web portions (8, 9) each adjoin the channel wall portions (26) at right angles.