Platform for an elevator installation for a building in construction

Abstract

The invention relates to a platform (6, 7) for an elevator system (1) for a building (10) which is under construction and which comprises an elevator shaft (2) that becomes taller as the building height increases in the course of the building phase of the building. The platform has a pneumatically activatable seal (11) for sealing a gap between the platform (6, 7) and the elevator shaft (2), and the seal (11) is designed as a circumferential seal which is attached to the platform (6, 7). A compressed air source (12) in the form of a compressor is arranged on the platform (6, 7) in order to operate the pneumatically activatable seal.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a platform for an elevator system with an elevator shaft that increases in height during the construction phase of the building, and to such an elevator system. This elevator system can be used particularly on construction sites of high-rise buildings.

[0002] During the construction of a building, the lower floors, which are built first, may already be sufficiently complete to be habitable or otherwise usable. For this purpose, the elevator system includes an elevator car that allows access to the floors already occupied as residential or commercial spaces during the building's construction phase. This so-called construction elevator, with its elevator car, essentially grows with the building; that is, the usable lifting height of the construction elevator increases with the height of the building or the elevator shaft. This makes it possible to transport construction workers and building materials, or, if applicable, occupants of apartments or commercial spaces already occupied before the building's completion, using the elevator car. Such an elevator system is known from US 2016 / 0152442 A1.The elevator system features a machine platform that slides along the elevator shaft. The elevator car is suspended from this platform by means of support structures located within the shaft. The machine platform is raised to increase the usable lifting height of the elevator car within the shaft. To raise the machine platform, a platform movable along the shaft forms a support structure that can be braced against the shaft wall. This support structure, located above the machine platform, is raised to a height before the machine platform is raised. This height is then used by a first hoist located in the upper part of the elevator shaft. A second hoist, attached to the aforementioned support structure, is then used to raise the machine platform.

[0003] In the prior art mentioned above, the elevator car from the construction phase can continue to be used for normal building use after completion. However, concepts are also known in which the elevator car from the construction phase is replaced by a new elevator car after building completion. In such a case, the construction-phase elevator car can be designed as a self-propelled elevator car. Such a self-propelled elevator car, used in an elevator system for a building under construction with an elevator shaft that increases in height as the building grows during the construction phase, is known, for example, from WO 2019 / 238530 A1. Various platforms are also used here. Document FR2694279A1 discloses a device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] One problem with elevator systems featuring increasingly taller elevator shafts is that, during the building construction phase, temporary elevators can be damaged by falling objects. People inside the elevator shaft, such as maintenance personnel on the elevator car, can also be injured by falling objects. Those at risk include individuals working on assembly platforms, such as those installing the guide rails for the elevator car. Furthermore, unwanted contamination from concrete can occur, for example, when climbing formwork is used. Elevator shafts in buildings can be constructed using such climbing formwork. Climbing formwork is a type of discontinuous formwork system used for constructing tower-like structures.They can be used to produce concrete sections for the elevator shaft floor by floor.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the known invention and, in particular, to create a platform for an elevator system of the type mentioned above, which reliably protects the shaft space below the platform from falling parts and dirt and which is easy to operate. Furthermore, the elevator system equipped with such a platform should be able to be adapted to the increasing height of the building in a simple and efficient manner.

[0006] According to the invention, these and other problems are solved with a platform having the features of claim 1. A number of advantages can be achieved by the platform comprising a pneumatically actuated seal for sealing or closing a gap between the platform and the elevator shaft, which is designed as a circumferential seal attached to the platform. The aforementioned gap can be reliably sealed. Thanks to its pneumatic action, the seal can be precisely controlled. The sealing effect can be easily created by appropriate actuation and, if necessary, released for the reverse situation (returning to a rest position). The platform, which is vertically movable with increasing building height, can, for example, include an O-ring seal, wherein the volume of the O-ring seal is variable depending on the pressure applied to a cavity of the seal. However, other sealing variants are also conceivable.For example, the seal could also be designed as a pneumatic bellows. The circumferential seal forms a preferably closed or endless sealing arrangement when viewed from above. The pneumatically activated seal can be used in combination with various types of platforms, which are inherently suitable for the aforementioned elevator system with an elevator shaft that increases in height as the building grows during construction. It is also conceivable that platforms could be retrofitted to such elevator systems.

[0007] In this document, the term "elevator shaft" refers to a space within a building under construction, the height of which increases as construction progresses. This space is dimensioned and designed to allow at least one elevator car, typically one car and one counterweight, to move upwards and downwards along vertical tracks. Such an elevator shaft can be a single shaft enclosed by shaft walls. Alternatively, the elevator shaft can be part of a continuous space containing the tracks for the elevator car and, if applicable, the counterweight of each of at least two parallel elevators. In this case, there are no shaft walls between the tracks of adjacent elevators, but steel beams are typically present for mounting elevator components.

[0008] The pneumatically activated seal can be designed to switch between a rest position, in which the seal is spaced away from the elevator shaft or the adjacent shaft wall, thus allowing for unimpeded vertical movement of the platform, and an active position, in which the seal's volume is increased relative to the rest position so that it contacts the shaft wall or at least approaches it, thus completely or almost completely bridging the gap between the platform and the elevator shaft. A hermetic seal of the elevator shaft is therefore not strictly necessary; small openings are conceivable, ensuring that the protective effect remains sufficient.

[0009] The platform can include a base component, such as a protective roof or a supporting structure, which is adapted to the shaft space and almost completely fills it in a top view. This base component can be designed as a plate or a slab. When installed or during the construction phase, the base component is preferably oriented horizontally. The pneumatically activated seal mentioned earlier is attached to the outside or edge of the base component.

[0010] The seal can consist of an elastic or stretchable polymeric material, preferably elastomers and particularly preferably rubber. The polymeric material can be selected from the group of thermoplastic elastomers, for example, olefin-based or urethane-based, cross-linked thermoplastic elastomers based on olefins, thermoplastic copolyesters, styrene block copolymers (SBS, SEBS, SEPS, SEEPS, and MBS), and thermoplastic copolyamides. Furthermore, it can contain materials containing phthalates, preferably polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene copolymer, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, and the like, as well as mixtures of these materials.

[0011] The pneumatically actuated seal can be designed as a hollow chamber seal with at least one cavity, wherein the at least one cavity of the seal is filled or fillable with air or optionally another gaseous medium, and wherein the pressure in the cavity of the seal can be varied by means of a pneumatic actuator to create the desired activation state. The wall surrounding the cavity of the pneumatically actuated seal can have a wall thickness of approximately 0.5 to 10 mm and preferably approximately 2 to 5 mm, enabling the seal to withstand the high mechanical stresses during the construction phase, for example, caused by abrasion against the shaft wall.

[0012] It can be advantageous if the pneumatically activated seal is designed as a hose-like sealing strip.

[0013] The platform can have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a top or vertical perspective, with rounded corners so that the seal can be fitted to the platform without kinking, even in the corners. This rounding of the platform refers to the top view of the platform or, if the platform is used in the elevator system, to a vertical view. Preferably, the rounded corners of the platform's base component have a radius of at least 5 cm, and more preferably at least 10 cm. If the platform has a substantially rectangular base component when viewed from a top, the corners of the base component can be rounded accordingly.

[0014] For optimal sealing, it is advantageous if edge wedges are attached to or molded onto the seal in the corner areas of the elevator shaft. These edge wedges act as corner pieces and ensure that the pneumatically activated seal, when activated, fills the corners of the shaft more or less precisely. The edge wedges can be made of the same material as the seal or of a different plastic material. They can be separate sealing components that are glued or otherwise fixed to the seal. Alternatively, the edge wedges can be molded from the same material and integrated into the seal to form a monolithic component.

[0015] Furthermore, the pneumatically activated seal can be reinforced, at least in the area of ​​the upper surface, or provided with covers, thereby protecting the comparatively sensitive elastic or stretchable polymeric material of the seal. For example, the seal can be completely or partially encased in an abrasion- and / or cut-resistant film or other layer for reinforcement.

[0016] The seal can be positioned at the end face of the platform. For example, if the platform has a rectangular base component, the seal can be positioned at the end faces of the base component. However, it is also conceivable to position the seal on the top or bottom surfaces of the base component.

[0017] The platform can have a circumferential groove to accommodate the seal. This groove forms a kind of sealing bed for the seal, ensuring it is held securely.

[0018] It is advantageous if the platform can be arranged at the bottom of the platform (6, 7). The platform can include a preferably plate-like roof structure to form a protective roof and to cover the elevator shaft, and the seal can be arranged below or on an underside of the roof structure. This arrangement has the advantage that the seal, or at least sections of the seal, are protected by the roof structure. The arrangement of the seal can be such that it is completely covered by the roof structure in the rest position and, in the active position, a front portion of the seal projects beyond the roof structure.

[0019] Another aspect of the invention relates to an elevator system for a building under construction, with an elevator shaft that increases in height as the building grows during the construction phase, encompassing the platform described above. The elevator system, with at least one platform equipped with a pneumatically actuated seal, reliably protects the shaft area below from falling debris and dirt. The elevator system can include control means for actuating and operating the seal. These control means can be designed such that, after a lifting operation in which the platform has been moved, the pneumatically actuated seal is automatically moved from the rest position to the active position upon reaching the desired vertical position.

[0020] The pneumatically actuated seal is preferably used in platforms located where the guide rail has not yet been installed. For example, the platform equipped with the pneumatically actuated seal can be an upper protective platform that forms a protective roof for the assembly platform below.

[0021] The pneumatically actuated seal can also be used for platforms where the guide rails are already mounted. For example, the pneumatically actuated seal could be used in a protective roof of the machine platform, as described in WO 2015 / 003964. Fig. 4 As shown. It is also conceivable that the seal is divided into segments and that gaps are provided in the area of ​​the rails. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to adapt the platform and seal in terms of shape, e.g., by means of U-shaped indentations, so that the rail is bypassed and the gap to the rail is reduced in the active position.

[0022] Finally, a further aspect of the invention relates to a method for constructing an elevator system for a building under construction, the elevator shaft of which increases in height during the construction phase. The usable lifting height of the elevator system is adapted to the increasing height of the building by performing at least one lifting operation. In this operation, for example, a machine platform with an elevator drive and an elevator car suspended from the machine platform by means of lifting means are raised in the elevator shaft by means of a lifting device. The method includes the use of a platform equipped with a pneumatically activated seal. The seal is activated during the construction phase; in the corresponding active position, the seal seals or closes a gap between the platform and the elevator shaft.For a lifting operation, the seal is moved into its rest position, in which it is spaced away from the elevator shaft, thus allowing the platform to move upwards without interference. After the lifting operation, the seal is moved back into its active position to continue the construction phase.

[0023] Further advantages and individual features will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an elevator system for a building under construction with an elevator shaft that increases in height as the building grows during the construction phase; Fig. 2 a side view of a protective platform of an elevator system of the type shown. Fig. 1 , Fig. 3a a highly simplified side view of a platform with a pneumatically actuated seal in a rest position, Fig. 3b the platform with the pneumatically actuated seal in an active position, Fig. 4adie the platform made of Fig. 3a in a top view (resting position), Fig. 4b the platform made of Fig. 3b In the top view (active position), Fig. 5a shows an enlarged detail view of a corner area of ​​a platform with an alternative pneumatically actuated seal in rest position, and Fig. 5b shows the corner area and the platform with the seal in active position.

[0024] Fig. 1 Figure 1 schematically shows an elevator system 1 for a building 10 under construction. The building 10 includes an elevator shaft 2, which increases in height as the building progresses during construction. An elevator car 4 is installed in the elevator shaft 2. During vertical travel, the elevator car 4 is guided by at least one guide rail 3. Above the elevator car 4, the elevator system 1 has an arrangement for equipping the upward-growing elevator shaft 2, in particular with guide rails for the guide rail 3. This arrangement comprises a safety platform 7, a machine platform 6, and an assembly platform 5 located between these two platforms 6 and 7. The assembly platform 5 is the platform from which the guide rail 3 is extended upwards. The assembly platform 5 serves as a work platform for assembly personnel.Furthermore, the assembly platform 5 can also be used as a means of transport for other elevator components to be installed, in addition to the guide rails.

[0025] In Fig. 1 For the sake of simplicity, only one guide rail section 3 is shown. Two opposing guide rail sections are preferably used to guide the elevator car 4. The elevator mentioned above typically includes a counterweight (not shown here) in addition to the elevator car. Several guide rail sections are necessary for optimal linear guidance of the elevator car and the counterweight, with each guide rail section consisting of a series of guide rail profile sections.

[0026] Except for the area of ​​elevator shaft 2, which extends over several floors, other parts of the building outside elevator shaft 2 are in Fig. 1 Not shown. A special feature of elevator shaft 2 is its vertical extension, which in certain elevator shafts can extend practically the entire height of the building. Building 10 can include one or more such elevator shafts 2. In the present embodiment, elevator shaft 2 is designed for an elevator with a car and counterweight. However, elevator shaft 2 can also be designed for multiple elevators. Furthermore, elevator shaft 2 could also be designed for a self-propelled construction-phase elevator car.

[0027] Elevator cabin 4 enables the transport of people and goods to and from the lower floors even during the building's construction phase. In particular, the elevator cabin can be used to transport construction workers and building materials. It can also be used to transport occupants of apartments or commercial spaces already occupied before the building's completion, in compliance with regulations, between at least the floors to which these spaces are assigned.

[0028] The elevator shaft 2 is divided into several sections in the vertical direction. In a lower section of the elevator shaft 2, located below the machine platform 6, the shaft is already equipped with the necessary guide rails for the linear guidance of the elevator car and the elevator's counterweight for the completed building. The elevator system 1 for the building 2 under construction features a conventional elevator car 4 and a counter-rotating counterweight (not shown) in this section. However, the elevator car 4 presented here could also be replaced by a self-propelled construction-phase elevator car 4 for transporting people or goods during the construction phase of building 10. In this case, the machine platform 6 could be replaced by a different platform, specifically one without a drive unit for the elevator.

[0029] From the assembly platform 6, at least one guide rail section 3 is extended upwards in a rail assembly phase. This rail assembly phase is in Fig. 1 As shown. In addition to the installation of guide rails, further work for the installation of the shaft equipment or other work steps can be carried out from the assembly platform 5. In the phase referred to simply as the rail installation phase, the assembly platform 5 can be moved vertically up or down to the desired position using cables. The assembly platform 5 is suspended from the protective platform 7 by the cable-based lifting device 23.

[0030] The protective platform 7 is temporarily fixed in an upper section of the existing elevator shaft 2. The protective platform 7 is designed as a support structure. This support structure serves, among other things, to support the lifting device 23, which moves the assembly platform 6 up and down. The protective platform 7 also has means 24 for lifting the machine platform 6. Furthermore, the protective platform 7 is designed to protect people and equipment in the elevator shaft 2 – particularly on the aforementioned assembly platform 5 – from objects that might fall during the construction work taking place on building 2.

[0031] The rail assembly phase can be followed by a growth phase. After completion of the rail assembly phase and once the elevator shaft 2 has grown sufficiently high as the building 2 has been constructed, the protective platform 7 must be positioned at the next higher level. The protective platform 7 is lifted to the next higher level, for example, using a construction crane, thus allowing it to grow along with the increasing height of the elevator shaft 2 as the building grows. However, it may also be possible to move the upper protective platform 7 to the next higher level using other means and without a crane. Once the next higher level is reached, the protective platform 7 is temporarily fixed in the elevator shaft 2 again. The machine platform 6 can then be lifted to the next higher level. For this purpose, the protective platform 7 has lifting devices 24, such as a chain hoist.The chain hoist is designed to move the machine platform 7, preferably together with the attached elevator car 4, upwards for a lifting operation. However, moving the machine platform 7 to its upper operating position could also be accomplished using other lifting devices such as a crane, winch, hydraulic jack, or strand jack. Other elevator systems are known for buildings under construction, where the elevator shaft rises in height as the building grows during the construction phase, and these systems utilize additional or alternatively designed platforms. The specific solution for sealing the shaft space, shown below using platform 7 as an example and described in detail, is fundamentally applicable to all types of platforms used in such elevator systems.

[0032] Platform 7 of the elevator system according to Fig. 1 It can also be assigned to or even be part of a climbing formwork system. The climbing formwork includes (not shown) formwork for concreting. Platform 7 can therefore be designed as a climbing formwork platform for the floor-by-floor construction of concreting sections of the building core encompassing elevator shaft 2. The climbing formwork platform can have integrated climbing drives and be designed as a self-climbing formwork platform. As in Fig. 1 As shown, in another variant the climbing formwork platform can be suspended floor by floor in anchors in the shaft walls.

[0033] Fig. 2 shows a possible constructive design of a protective platform 7, which is used in elevator systems according to Fig. 1 The protective platform 7 features, for example, pivoting support elements 25, which are inserted into recesses in the shaft walls to secure the protective platform 7. Also visible is the motorized lifting device 24 with the chain hoist. The chain of the chain hoist is stored in a chain storage unit. The chain hoist can be used to move the movable machine platform and the elevator car from a lower temporary operating position to the next upper operating position. Chain hoists 26 are used to move the protective platform 7 upwards.

[0034] The protective platform 7 has a plate-like roof structure 16 for covering the elevator shaft 2, on the underside of which a seal designated 11 is arranged. The seal 11 is a pneumatically actuated seal for sealing or closing the gap between platform 7 and elevator shaft 2. The seal, designed as a circumferential seal, is attached to the edge of the platform 7. In the activated position, when the pneumatically actuated seal 11 is pressurized with compressed air, it presses against the shaft wall 21, thus ensuring the desired sealing effect. The seal 11 is designed as a hollow chamber seal and is made, for example, of rubber. However, other elastic or stretchable polymeric materials are also conceivable for the seal instead of a rubber seal. The pneumatically actuated seal 11 can, for example, be an O-ring seal whose volume varies depending on the pressure applied.The seal 11 is covered at the bottom by a protective plate 20.

[0035] The mode of operation of the pneumatically activated seal 11 of the protective platform or another platform for an elevator system for a building under construction is described by the Figuren 3a und 3b visible. The pneumatically actuated seal 11 is located in the Fig. 3a The rest position shown is spaced from the adjacent shaft wall 21, thus enabling unimpeded vertical movement of the platform. For example, the shaft space must be secured during the rail assembly phase. For this purpose, the seal 11 is inserted into the Fig. 3b The pneumatically activated seal 11 is brought into the active position shown. In the active position, the inflated seal 11 is enlarged in volume compared to the rest position, so that it contacts the shaft wall to close the gap between platform 7 and elevator shaft 2. The pneumatically activated seal 11 is arranged in a seal carrier 17, which is shown here as an example on the top of the roof structure 16 of platform 7. The seal carrier 17 has a groove 18 for forming a seal bed. However, the seal 11 could also be inserted into other receptacles for the seal, in particular into a circumferential groove with a cross-sectional shape other than the round one shown in this example.

[0036] The fact that the pneumatically activated or, in other words, inflatable seal 11 is designed as a circumferential seal, which is attached to the platform 7, is also evident from Fig. 4a removable. In the top view. Figuren 4a und 4b It is further evident that the seal 11 is more or less angular in the corner areas. Edge wedges 14 are formed on the seal 11 to create such corners. In the embodiment according to the Figuren 5a und 5b The edge wedges 14 are designed as separate elements that are glued or otherwise fixed to the seal 11. The edge wedges 14 ensure that when the seal 11 is activated (activated position, Fig. 4b ), and also to prevent dirt or objects from getting down into the corner areas. The edge wedges thus serve to seal the corner areas 19 of the elevator shaft 2.

[0037] Platform 7 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above. At its corners, platform 7, or more precisely the roof structure 16, is rounded in plan view or in a vertical direction. The rounded corners of platform 7 have a radius R of at least 5 cm and preferably at least 10 cm. The rounding of the corners is particularly necessary in those areas of the platform with which the seal 11 is in contact. Areas of the platform outside of a contact area for the seal 11, such as the groove 18 (see Figure 16), are not rounded. Fig. 3a / 3b If the specifications are given, more or less sharp-edged corner areas without rounding may still remain.

Claims

1. A platform (6, 7) for an elevator system (1) for a building (10) which is under construction and which comprises an elevator shaft (2) that becomes taller as the building height increases over the course of the building phase of the building, characterized in that the platform (6, 7) comprises a pneumatically activated seal (11) for sealing a gap between platform (6, 7) and elevator shaft (2), wherein the seal (11) is configured as a circumferential seal which is attached to the platform (6, 7).

2. The platform (6, 7) according to claim 1, characterized in that a compressed air source (12), preferably in the form of a compressor, is arranged on or in the platform (6, 7) in order to operate the pneumatically activated seal.

3. The platform (6, 7) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the platform (6, 7) is rounded in its corner regions.

4. The platform (6, 7) according to claim 3, characterized in that the rounded corner regions of the platform (6, 7) have a radius (R) of at least 5 cm and preferably at least 10 cm.

5. The platform (6, 7) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that edge wedges (14) are attached to or integrally formed onto the seal (11) in the corner regions.

6. The platform (6, 7) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the platform (6, 7) has a circumferential groove (18) to accommodate the seal (11).

7. The platform (6, 7) according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the platform (6, 7) is arranged at the bottom of the platform (6, 7).

8. An elevator system (1) for a building (10) which is under construction and which comprises an elevator shaft (2) that becomes taller as the building height increases over the course of the building phase of the building, the system comprising at least one platform (6, 7) according to any of claims 1 to 7, which platform (6, 7) is equipped with a pneumatically activated seal (11) for sealing or closing a gap between platform and elevator shaft (2).

9. A method for constructing an elevator system (1) for a building (10) which is under construction and which comprises an elevator shaft (2) that becomes taller as the building height increases over the course of the building phase of the building, characterized in that a platform (6, 7) equipped with a pneumatically activated seal (11) is used, which seal (11) is activated during the building phase and, in an active position, seals or closes a gap between platform and elevator shaft, which seal (11) is brought into a rest position for a lifting process in which the seal (11) is spaced apart from the elevator shaft (2), and which seal (11) is brought back into the active position after the lifting process.

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