UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR

Description

Field of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an elevator, in particular a passenger elevator. The inventive elevator is particularly well suited for use in various elevator shafts, especially concrete elevator shafts or lightweight elevator shafts, for example made of glass or aluminum. It is also well suited for retrofitting. Background of the invention

[0002] As the state of the art demonstrates, elevators are typically installed in an elevator shaft, which is part of the building's shell.

[0003] European patent 921 088 discloses an elevator with a typical elevator shaft. This shaft is cast in concrete and has various access openings at its front. An elevator car runs within the shaft. Space is provided at the rear of the car for the lifting mechanism and a counterweight. A drive unit is located at the top of the shaft. This drive unit is connected to and supported by the shaft wall.

[0004] European patent 665 181 discloses an open elevator shaft and an elevator car adapted to it. In particular, such an elevator shaft can be constructed with glass panels and a corresponding support structure. This is usually done during the construction of a building.

[0005] Japanese patent application JP 2006151625 A2 discloses an elevator with a compact guidance and drive unit. The elevator comprises a cabin on a square footprint. The elevator shaft is also square. Guide elements are provided to the left and right of the cabin. Further drive and guide elements are located behind the cabin. These include a counterweight that is guided along the rear wall of the elevator shaft. The overall design appears space-saving. However, the required shaft dimensions are significantly larger than the cabin dimensions. Only the front section of the shaft, which also houses access doors, is free of drive and guidance components. At the rear, the shaft must be considerably larger than the cabin, and large open areas must also be provided along the sides of the cabin within the shaft.This elevator is also intended for a shaft provided during the construction of the building. US 2018 / 237269 A1 discloses an elevator according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0006] In other cases, the elevator is retrofitted after the building has been constructed. In these cases, it is common practice to connect an elevator shaft to a building wall.

[0007] In both cases, different structures are typically used inside the respective shaft. The present invention aims to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art and to enable an elevator to be installed equally well in a prefabricated (concrete) shaft or in a subsequently added shaft.

[0008] The present invention therefore aims to provide a simple and economical elevator design that is compact and suitable for many shaft types. In particular, the elevator should be well-suited for both initial installation in a building and for retrofitting. Economic advantages are to be achieved by reducing the load-bearing capacity of the shaft walls and thus saving on building materials.

[0009] This problem is solved by an elevator according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. More detailed description

[0010] An elevator according to the present invention can be a passenger or freight elevator. It comprises a suitably adapted cabin. A passenger cabin will generally include at least one cabin door.

[0011] The elevator shaft is to be enclosed by an external frame. This frame forms the outer shell of the shaft and determines its dimensions. The external frame comprises a base, a ceiling, a first side, a second side opposite it, a third side, and a fourth side opposite it. In the case of an elevator shaft constructed during the building's shell construction phase, the base slab is typically made of stone or concrete. This generally also applies to the side walls, which are formed by the aforementioned surfaces. The same applies to the ceiling, which closes off the elevator shaft at the top along the ceiling surface but is typically equipped with penetrations.

[0012] The elevator shaft can be built over a rectangular base and thus have an essentially cuboid shape. This means it has four sides, corresponding to the aforementioned lateral faces. Alternatively, other shapes are possible; for example, elevators are occasionally built over the base of an isosceles octagon. In this case, additional lateral faces are added to the four mentioned. For an essentially circular shaft, the lateral faces can also be conceived as circumferential segments on the surface of a cylinder.

[0013] The external scaffolding can be part of a building or erected independently. A metal structure is frequently used. In the case of a cuboid elevator shaft, the metal structure typically has four corner posts, which stand on a suitable base plate and are connected, at least in the upper section, by crossbeams. Such crossbeams can also effectively support a ceiling. Depending on the height of the elevator shaft, additional crossbeams may be required. The walls of the external scaffolding can be closed off with suitable panels, such as metal or plastic panels. Glass panels are also commonly used.

[0014] The elevator must also have an internal frame. The internal frame consists of at least one primary guide post and a secondary guide post opposite it. These posts typically run the entire length of the elevator shaft in one piece. However, they can also be made of multiple sections. These guide posts serve to guide the elevator. They ensure, independently of the lifting mechanism, that the cabin moves in a defined position within the elevator shaft. In addition to the two guide posts, the internal frame can usually include a crossbeam at their upper ends. This crossbeam can be a cross member, in which case the guide post and cross member would form a kind of gate. The crossbeam can also be created by a cover plate.

[0015] This inner frame will support the weight of the cabin. The outer frame can therefore serve to increase the stability of the inner frame and, in particular, to prevent the inner frame from tipping around an axis of rotation in the area of ​​the base plate. However, the outer frame does not have to support the weight of the cabin. This represents a significant deviation from a conventional elevator design. It is conceivable that, within the scope of the present invention, the outer frame could also partially support the weight of the cabin, for example, 10% or a maximum of 20% of the weight. As a rule, however, the inner frame will support the entire weight of the elevator for structural reasons. In most cases, however, the inner frame is not suitable for providing the elevator without an outer frame. In particular, the outer frame advantageously serves to provide static support for the inner frame, especially against movements from the vertical.Furthermore, the side walls of the outer scaffold serve to safely separate the elevator from its surroundings. Shaft doors are also typically incorporated into the outer scaffold.

[0016] The first and second guide posts are positioned diagonally opposite each other, each located at the edge of the base plate. This leaves ample space between the guide posts for guiding the cabin. If the side surfaces of the outer frame are arranged in a rectangle, the first and second guide posts are typically positioned at opposite corners of this rectangle.

[0017] The inner frame can advantageously also support the drive unit. The drive unit will generally consist of a motor, often an electric motor, and, if necessary, a gearbox. The drive unit will generally also include at least one driven wheel. Within the scope of the present invention, it has proven advantageous for the drive motor to drive two wheels, each located in corner regions of the outer frame, preferably in such corner regions as the guide posts of the inner frame.

[0018] A particularly practical design results when the first and second guide posts are connected by a cross brace. This cross brace can be made of a single piece or multiple pieces. A single-piece cross brace is quite practical. This essentially results in a three-part internal frame consisting of the two guide posts and the cross brace. All three components, as well as the internal frame itself, can be made of a single piece or multiple pieces.

[0019] The crossbeam can also support drive elements. In particular, the motor can be supported by the crossbeam and is typically attached to it for this purpose. A drive shaft can also be provided parallel to the crossbeam. This drive shaft can also be mounted on the crossbeam. It is advantageous to have a drive wheel at one end; even more advantageous for the elevator construction according to the invention is often having a drive wheel at each end of the crossbeam. An end of the crossbeam is understood to be the outer quarter or fifth of its length. It is advantageous if the crossbeam runs diagonally in the shaft, i.e., in particular along the diagonal of a rectangle or square over which a cuboid shaft has been constructed.

[0020] Such a design deviates significantly from the prior art. In the prior art, the drive unit is typically arranged on a wider surface, for example, on an intermediate floor or the shaft ceiling. Where two drive wheels are used, they are driven by a single electric motor via a deflection gearbox, from which two drive shafts extend. However, such a design requires considerable space. It is particularly advantageous if only one drive shaft is required and this can then be oriented parallel to the crossbeam. A motor, preferably a gearless motor, can be used for this purpose, which is also mounted on or attached to the crossbeam.

[0021] If the internal frame supports both the weight of the cabin and the weight of the drive unit, the external frame does not need to bear a heavy load. This allows for greater design freedom in the external frame. In the case of a concrete external frame, this can save concrete (or a comparable building material). According to current knowledge, this has significant ecological advantages. If the external frame is erected independently of the building, it is also advantageous if it can be dimensioned so that it does not have to bear a heavy load.

[0022] It is advantageous for the first guide post to be connected to the outer scaffolding by at least one spacer. Typically, a number of spacers are used along the length of the elevator. For example, it might be advantageous to install a spacer at the level of each floor. The second guide post is also usually connected to the outer scaffolding by spacers; advantageously, the same spacers are used as for the first guide post, usually at the same level.

[0023] Such a spacer element can be designed to bridge a distance of at least 2 cm, meaning that the innermost point of the outer scaffolding and the outermost point of the inner scaffolding are 2 cm apart. It can be advantageous for this distance to be 5 to 10 cm, and it can even be up to 20 cm, but more than 30 cm is generally not necessary. It is also possible for the elevator to use spacers of different sizes, allowing for different distances to be bridged. In this way, irregularities in the outer scaffolding can also be compensated for. Therefore, it is possible, for example, to combine the inner scaffolding with a large number of prefabricated building shafts and easily compensate for construction defects.

[0024] Spacers that provide a mechanical connection to the outer scaffolding have proven particularly useful. This can be a pin or a flat piece that fits easily into a groove. A corresponding groove can be easily incorporated into the outer scaffolding (even continuously across all heights). Towards the shaft, i.e., towards the guide posts, the spacers can advantageously offer a differently designed mechanical connection. A mounting plate is well-suited for this purpose. Such a plate can have holes for screws or bolts.

[0025] It has proven advantageous to provide the guide posts primarily using T-beams. Such a T-beam is inherently very rigid. The base of the "T" is particularly well-suited as a guide (i.e., as a guide rail), while the shoulders of the "T" allow for secure attachment of the post to the outer frame. In practice, the shoulder of the T is usually connected to the spacer. (The horizontal line in the diagram represents the "shoulder.")

[0026] It has proven advantageous to manufacture the guide posts primarily from steel. This ensures sufficient rigidity and allows them to support the weight of the cabin and, if applicable, the drive unit. Correspondingly robust guide posts enable a lightweight outer frame. For example, the outer frame can be constructed entirely or partially from aluminum. It is particularly advantageous to use aluminum for the corner posts of the outer frame. Generally, four corner posts are sufficient to create a lightweight yet stable outer frame.

[0027] It has also proven advantageous if at least one post of the outer scaffolding has a groove oriented towards the inner scaffolding. If the outer scaffolding is erected on a rectangular area, it is advantageous if the groove is oriented along the diagonals of the rectangle.

[0028] The corner posts should ideally have a square cross-section. This can be chosen for at least two or even all corner posts. With such a square-section corner post, the groove can be conveniently positioned at a 45-degree angle to the side faces. The orientation of this groove is then essentially towards the center of the shaft. It may be advantageous to provide additional grooves or fastening elements in the side faces, i.e., towards the side walls, in addition to this groove.

[0029] This groove is particularly suitable for accommodating the spacers used to connect the inner scaffold to the outer scaffold. However, the groove can also accommodate other guide or control elements.

[0030] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and accompanying description below. The illustrations and descriptions depict features of the invention in combination. However, these features can also be encompassed by an object according to the invention in other combinations. Each disclosed feature should therefore also be considered as disclosed in technically meaningful combinations with other features. Some of the illustrations are slightly simplified and schematic. Fig. 1 shows a perspective view sketching an outer and inner frame according to the invention for an elevator. Fig. 2 shows a plan-like cross-section of an inner and outer frame according to the invention, as well as an elevator car adapted thereto. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of corner posts and guide posts of the elevator according to the invention. Fig. 2Fig. 4 shows a further horizontal cross-sectional view of a suitable drive unit for the elevator.

[0031] Fig. 1Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an elevator that can be used in this way within the scope of the present invention. However, a variety of other elevator designs are also possible. The elevator comprises the elevator shaft 10. This is preferably built over a rectangular base, i.e., it is cuboid overall. A square base is also suitable. The elevator shaft can be provided by a building, for example, cast in concrete, or it can be manufactured independently of the building using its own components. For example, an elevator shaft can be constructed from posts and struts and inserted panels. Such panels can be made of plastic, metal, or glass. The elevator shaft can also be designed for retrofitting to an existing building.

[0032] The elevator shaft comprises a front wall 12, followed by a side wall 14, then the rear wall 16, and opposite side wall 14, side wall 18. According to the shaft design, all side walls have a substantially rectangular, planar shape. The side walls are erected above the floor 20.

[0033] Access openings are provided in the side walls: on a first level, access opening 22 is located in the front wall 12. Above this, access opening 24 is located in the side wall 18. A further access opening, access opening 26, is provided on a higher level in the front wall 12. The access openings are typically closed with shaft doors. All access openings can be located on one side, for example, all in the front wall 12, or they can be located in different side walls.

[0034] The depicted elevator design even allows for access openings in all four shaft walls. This is not possible with conventional elevators. This feature, however, offers considerable freedom in architectural design. It can also be crucial in determining whether an elevator can be retrofitted. Retrofitting often restricts access to certain directions, and it can easily turn out that, for example, access on the ground floor must be from the front, while on an upper floor it is only possible from one side.

[0035] Shaft 10 is bounded at the top by the ceiling 28. However, within the scope of the present invention, it would be quite conceivable to provide a shaft without a ceiling.

[0036] Inside shaft 10, the internal framework 30 is erected. This consists of a first post 32, which is arranged in one corner of the shaft. The second post 34 is arranged in the diagonally opposite corner of the shaft. The two posts are connected by the crossbeam 36, which runs diagonally in the upper part of the shaft. It can run directly below the ceiling 28.

[0037] The crossbeam 36 can support various components; symbolically represented here are drive rollers 38A and 38B, which are located at the ends of the crossbeam 36 adjacent to the posts 32 and 34. The crossbeam 36 can also support a drive unit 40. The drive unit 40 will generally comprise an electric motor that can drive the drive rollers 38 via suitable drive means, such as appropriate shafts. Drive rollers are particularly suitable for driving toothed belts that can raise and lower an elevator car. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0038] Fig. 2 The figure shows in a plan-like cross-section an inner scaffold and outer scaffold according to the invention as well as an elevator cabin adapted thereto.

[0039] Cabin 110 includes the floor 112 and also the first cabin door 140 and the second cabin door 146.

[0040] The floor 112 extends within a square, but is itself not square, as the corners of the square are not filled. The cabin 110 is bounded by a first side wall 114 and a second side wall 116. The first access opening is located opposite side wall 114. The second access opening is located opposite the second side wall 116.

[0041] The side walls 114 and 116 converge at right angles but do not touch. Instead, a first obtuse corner 122 is provided in the area where the extensions of the side walls would intersect. Opposite this, a second obtuse corner 124 is provided in the area where the directions of the access openings intersect. A first acute corner is provided between the side wall 116 and the first access opening. A second acute corner is provided between the first side wall 14 and the second access opening.

[0042] A wall element 132 is provided between the first side wall and the second side wall 116. From a top view, an obtuse corner is formed between the side walls; from the user's interior view, another wall element 132 or panel is simply visible. A corresponding wall element 134 is arranged in the second obtuse corner 124.

[0043] Wall elements are also provided in the aforementioned acute corners. In the first acute corner, this is wall element 136. In the second acute corner, this is wall element 138.

[0044] The first access opening is closed by a first cabin door 140. The first cabin door 140 consists of two leaves, namely the first leaf 142 and the second leaf 144. The cabin door is designed to open towards the second obtuse corner 124. This means that the first leaf 142 moves a greater distance when opening than the second leaf 144. The first leaf 142 is therefore usually referred to as the "fast" leaf.

[0045] The second access opening is closed by the second cabin door 146. This cabin door has three leaves. Cabin door 146 comprises the third leaf 148 and the fourth leaf 150. It also includes the fifth leaf 152. Leaves 148 and 150 are also intended to open towards the second obtuse corner 124. Thus, the fourth leaf 150 is the fast-opening leaf. The fifth leaf 152 opens in the opposite direction, i.e., towards the second acute corner 128. The fifth leaf 152 is significantly shorter than the third leaf 48 and the fourth leaf 50. Alternatively, the second cabin door can also be designed with four leaves, two of which open in opposite directions.

[0046] The cabin design therefore allows for short wall panels (such as 132 and 134) and obtuse corners without any disadvantage to cabin use. These can be advantageously combined with an internal frame.

[0047] The cabin 110 is enclosed by the first shaft wall 154 and the second shaft wall 156. Opposite the first shaft wall 154 is the third shaft wall 158 and the first shaft door 160. Opposite the second shaft wall 156 is the fourth shaft wall 162 and the adjacent second shaft door 164. The elevator cabin is suitable for various types of shafts; shown here is a shaft constructed with corner posts, specifically corner posts 166A, 166B, 166C, and 166D. These corner posts are arranged at the corners of a square, giving the shaft a square base. As explained, the floor 112 is not square, but rather spaced away from the corners of the shaft, particularly in the corner areas. Therefore, the obtuse corners of the cabin 110 provide space for additional equipment within the shaft.A first guide post 170 is provided, which is connected to the corner post 166D by a first connecting element 168. Opposite this, a guide post 172 is provided, which is connected to the corner post 166B by the connecting element 174. Each guide post (generally within the scope of this invention) provides at least one guide rail. They can consist solely of a guide rail (e.g., a flat bar) or include further elements, e.g., designed as a T-beam. The guide posts can provide an internal framework. Accordingly, the guide posts are often simply referred to as guide rails. However, it is advantageous if the guide posts are self-supporting elements that do not require support from a shaft wall, and also if the guide posts are supported by the shaft floor.

[0048] Fig. 3Figure 1 shows an enlarged section of the shaft structure in the area of ​​corner post 166D. Such a corner post can be designed as a profile post. This allows the shaft walls, such as the third shaft wall 158 and the fourth shaft wall 162, to be easily connected to and supported by corner post 166D. Corresponding wall sections can be made of metal, for example aluminum, plastic, or even glass. They can be fitted with suitable frames. Grooves can be provided for the corresponding connection. Therefore, with a shaft post of essentially square profile, suitable connecting elements will extend at right angles.

[0049] Additional connecting elements can be provided between these connecting elements, for example at a 45-degree angle. These additional connecting elements can serve to connect to technical components for the shaft. For example, a groove extending at a 45-degree angle is provided here (not further specified), which receives the connecting element 168. This connecting element 168 supports the guide post 170.

[0050] This enlarged view highlights how the arrangement of the corner posts and guide posts creates an area within which the cabin door leaves can be moved in the open position. This area is shown hatched as area 176.

[0051] Fig. 4 Figure 1 shows a horizontal section through shaft 110 of an elevator according to the invention. The shaft construction is largely already made of... Fig. 2The view is from above, looking down at the shaft floor. The shaft is surrounded by the first shaft wall 154 and the adjacent, perpendicular second shaft wall 156. Opposite the first shaft wall 154 are the third shaft wall 158 and the first shaft door 160. Opposite the second shaft wall 156 are the fourth shaft wall 162 and the second shaft door 164. The shaft is constructed with a frame, making it suitable, for example, for retrofitting an elevator, and is supported by corner posts. Corner posts 166A, 166B, 166C, and 166D are visible.

[0052] Guide posts are provided in two diametrically opposed corners, which can be connected to the corner posts by connecting elements. Connecting element 168 connects guide post 170 to corner post 166D. Opposite this, guide post 172 is provided, which is connected to corner post 166B by connecting element 174.

[0053] The guide posts 170 and 172 form the internal framework and correspond to posts 32 and 34 in the schematic representation of the Fig. 1 The guide posts are designed as T-beams. They can not only support a cross brace in their upper section, but also guide the cabin along their length. Accordingly, the base of the T-beam points towards the inside of the shaft.

[0054] The view focuses on the drive elements in the upper shaft area. The shaft 80, which drives the first drive wheel 82 and the second drive wheel 84, is visible there. A drive motor 86 for driving the shaft is shown schematically. A gearbox 88 is also shown schematically, but this can be omitted within the scope of the present invention. In general, within the scope of the present invention, it is quite possible to position drive elements such as the drive motor or electrical switch boxes below the shaft ceiling defined by the outer scaffolding.

[0055] The shaft 80 is oriented precisely along the connecting line of the guide posts 170 and 172. It can therefore be easily supported by the guide posts themselves or by a cross brace attached to them. This orientation of a drive shaft is generally preferred within the scope of the present invention.

[0056] Overall, it is clear how an elevator can be designed in an efficient and ecological manner, which is versatile and can also be easily retrofitted. Reference symbol list

[0057] 10 Shaft 12 Front wall 14 Side wall 16 Rear wall 18 Side wall 20 Floor 22 Access opening 24 Access opening 26 Access opening 28 Ceiling 30 Internal frame 32 First post 34 Second post 36 Cross brace 38 Drive shaft 40 Drive [...] 80 Drive shaft 82 First drive wheel 84 Second drive wheel 86 Motor 88 Gear unit [...] 110 Cabin 112 Floor 114 First side wall 116 Second side wall 118 First access opening 120 Second access opening 122 First obtuse corner 124 Second obtuse corner 126 First acute corner 128 Second acute corner 130 Control element 132 Wall element 134 Wall element 136 Wall element 138 Wall element 140 First cabin door 142 First wing 144 Second wing 146 Second cabin door 148 Third wing 150 Fourth wing 152 Fifth wing 154 First shaft wall 156 Second shaft wall 158 Third shaft wall 160 First shaft door 162 Fourth shaft wall 164 Second shaft door 166 Corner post 168 Connecting element 170 Guide post 172 Guide post 174 Connecting element

Claims

1. Elevator comprising a car (110), an inner frame (32, 34, 36) and an outer frame, wherein the outer frame encloses an elevator shaft (10) and comprises a base plate (20), a first side surface (12) and an opposite second side surface (16) as well as a third side surface (14) and an opposite fourth side surface (18), wherein the inner frame (32, 34, 36) comprises at least one first guide post (32, 170) and an opposite second guide post (34, 172), characterised in that the inner frame (32, 34, 36) supports the weight of the car (110) and wherein the first guide post and the second guide post (32, 170) are arranged diagonally opposite each other at the edge of the base plate (20) over which the outer frame is erected.

2. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side surfaces are arranged on a rectangle.

3. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner frame (32, 34, 36) also supports the drive unit (40).

4. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner frame (32, 34, 36) also carries two drive rollers (38A, 38B).

5. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first guide post is connected to the outer frame by at least one spacer element (168, 174).

6. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spacer element (168, 174) is designed to bridge a length of at least 2 cm.

7. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first guide post (32, 170) and the second guide post (34, 172) are connected by a cross strut (36).

8. Elevator according to the preceding claim, wherein a drive shaft (80) is provided parallel to the cross strut (36).

9. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first guide post (32, 170) essentially consists of a T-beam.

10. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the first guide post (32, 170) is essentially made of steel.

11. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer frame is essentially made of aluminium.

12. Elevator according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer frame comprises four corner posts (166A, 166B, 166C, 166D).

13. Elevator according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one corner post (166A) has side surfaces (178, 180) arranged around a rectangular cross-section and a groove (182) which is arranged at a 45-degree angle to the side surfaces (178, 180).