Guide rail segment and guide rail arrangement for an elevator system, and corresponding production method

Abstract

A guide rail segment (1) of a guide rail arrangement (3) for an elevator system (101) has an elongate hollow profile (5) made of a curved sheet (7) and filler material (33) for example in the form of a wood or concrete core. The hollow profile has an undercut groove (9) extending in the longitudinal direction (113) of the hollow profile; a first compartment (13) and a second compartment (19), which are arranged protruding in opposite lateral directions (15, 21) next to the groove (9) and each form support surfaces (17, 23) for supporting the guide rail segment (1) relative to a shaft wall of the elevator system (101); and a third compartment (25) which is arranged protruding from the groove (9) in a vertical direction (27) transverse to the lateral directions (15, 21) and which is delimited on four sides by partial regions of the curved sheet (7) and which, with opposite side faces (29), forms a guide face (31) for guiding an elevator component to be displaced along the guide rail arrangement. The filler material is received in the third compartment in such a manner that on all four sides it rests against the partial regions of the curved sheet delimiting the third compartment on the respective side.

Description

[0001] Guide rail segment and guide rail arrangement for an elevator system and corresponding manufacturing process

[0002] The present invention relates to a guide rail segment of a guide rail arrangement for an elevator system, as well as to a corresponding guide rail arrangement and a corresponding elevator system. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a guide rail segment.

[0003] In an elevator system, a car is used to transport people or objects between different floors. During a movement along an elevator shaft, the car is guided along one or more guide rail arrangements. For example, a guide shoe can be attached to the car and rest on a guide surface formed by the guide rail arrangement when the car is moved. Additionally, the guide surface can be used as a braking surface, for example, to decelerate the car using a safety brake (also known as "safety gear").

[0004] Traditionally, the guide rail arrangement is formed using several elongated guide rails arranged vertically along the elevator shaft, one behind the other and butting against each other, forming a continuous guide surface. Conventional guide rails are usually used as solid components in the form of steel profiles.

[0005] Such guide rails are generally manufactured using a hot-rolling process and then cut to the desired lengths and post-processed. The manufacturing and post-processing processes can be relatively complex and may include, for example, drilling holes for attaching rail connectors (also known as "fishplates"), milling holes for the rail connectors, creating a tongue-and-groove connection by milling the corresponding tongue and groove, generating corrosion protection, and / or appropriately creating the guide surfaces by cold drawing. Furthermore, the guide rails, which are usually several meters long, are very heavy. For example, a guide rail with a typical length of 5 m can weigh well over 100 kg. This can be very labor-intensive during transport or during installation in the elevator shaft.Furthermore, the production of conventional guide rails requires a large amount of steel, which significantly increases manufacturing costs. Furthermore, when storing the heavy rails, it may be necessary to ensure that they do not deform due to their own weight.

[0006] CN 215755826 U describes a guide rail element which is constructed in two parts, wherein a solid guide part is fixed to a base part in the form of a rolled sheet metal profile which is formed with a sheet metal bent into a hollow profile.

[0007] There may be a need for an alternative guide rail segment that, among other things, at least partially avoids the aforementioned problems of conventional guide rails. In particular, there may be a need for a guide rail segment that can be manufactured easily and / or with few post-processing steps, that is lightweight or requires a small amount of material, such as high-quality steel, for its manufacture, that is easy to store and / or transport, that enables improved installation accuracy, and / or that can be manufactured and / or assembled overall with less effort and / or at lower costs than conventional guide rails.Furthermore, there may be a need for a guide rail segment in which forces, such as those generated when guiding an elevator car, can be efficiently transferred to a supporting structure on which the guide rail segment rests within the elevator shaft. Furthermore, there may be a need for a corresponding guide rail assembly and a corresponding elevator system. Furthermore, there may be a need for a method for manufacturing a corresponding guide rail segment.

[0008] Such a need can be met by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the following description or illustrated in the accompanying figures.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention, a guide rail segment of a guide rail arrangement for an elevator system is described. The guide rail segment comprises an elongated hollow profile made of a bent sheet metal and filler material. The hollow profile comprises at least the following areas:

[0010] (i) a groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, which is formed by partial areas of the bent sheet and which forms an undercut,

[0011] (ii) a first compartment which is arranged next to the groove projecting in a first lateral direction, which is bounded on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet and which forms a first support surface for supporting the guide rail segment relative to a shaft wall of the elevator installation,

[0012] (iii) a second compartment which is arranged next to the groove in a second lateral direction opposite to the first lateral direction, which is bounded on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet and which forms a second support surface for supporting the guide rail segment relative to the shaft wall of the elevator installation, and

[0013] (iv) a third compartment which is arranged projecting from the groove in a height direction transverse to the lateral directions, which is bounded on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet and which, with opposing side surfaces, forms a guide surface for guiding an elevator component to be displaced along the guide rail arrangement.

[0014] Each of the three compartments is bounded on one of its sides by a respective section of the bent sheet metal forming the groove. The filler material is accommodated in the third compartment in such a way that it rests on all four sides against the sections of the bent sheet metal bordering the respective compartment.

[0015] The bent sheet metal forming the hollow profile can be produced, for example, by means of a profiling process, and in particular by means of a roll-forming process. The hollow profile can advantageously be rolled from sheet metal, preferably sheet steel, and butt-welded at a suitable location. In other words, the hollow profile can be a rolled sheet metal profile. According to a second aspect of the invention, a guide rail arrangement is described which comprises a plurality of guide rail segments according to an embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, wherein the guide rail segments are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction and connected to one another.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the invention, an elevator installation is described which has an elevator shaft delimited by shaft walls, at least one guide rail arrangement according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, which is fastened to one of the shaft walls, and an elevator component to be displaced, such as a car, which is displaceable along the elevator shaft guided on the guide rail arrangement.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for manufacturing a guide rail segment is described. An elongated hollow profile is provided, which has properties as already defined in the first aspect of the invention. Filling material is then introduced into the third compartment of this hollow profile in such a way that it rests on all four sides against the partial regions of the bent sheet metal that border the compartment on the respective side.

[0018] By way of introduction, a basic idea for embodiments of the invention described herein will be briefly explained, whereby this explanation is to be interpreted as merely a rough summary and not as limiting the invention:

[0019] A guide rail segment is described which is not constructed as a solid component made of solid material, for example in the form of steel, but rather using a hollow profile made of bent sheet metal (produced, for example, by a profiling process and in particular by a roll-forming process). This results in several advantages compared to guide rails conventionally used in elevator systems. Such advantages include, for example, lower material requirements and therefore lower weight, as well as simple assembly, a reduced need for post-processing steps, and / or improved sustainability. The hollow profile comprises a longitudinal groove formed by the bent sheet metal and several elongated compartments adjacent to this groove.Two of these compartments serve specifically to form support surfaces that can be used to brace the guide rail segment against a shaft wall of the elevator system. Another compartment serves as a guide surface along which an elevator component, such as the car or a counterweight, can be guided.

[0020] Since such a guide surface can be subjected to high forces during operation of the elevator system, this third compartment in particular is mechanically reinforced by filling it at least partially with a filler material. The third compartment is designed and the filler material is introduced into it in such a way that the filler material rests on all four sides within the third compartment against sections of the bent sheet metal forming the hollow profile, which delimit the third compartment on the respective side.

[0021] In this way, among other things, it is possible to ensure that the filler material is reliably fixed within the third compartment, for example, through frictional forces and / or adhesion forces between the filler material and an inward-facing surface of the partial areas of the bent sheet metal that delimit the third compartment. On the other hand, the third compartment can be mechanically reinforced using the filler material, so that it can withstand, without damage, particularly high mechanical pressures, such as those that can be exerted on the guide rail segment and, in particular, the guide surface formed by it during emergency braking.

[0022] Using several of the described guide rail segments, a guide rail arrangement can be formed in an efficient manner and ultimately an elevator system can be equipped with it.

[0023] To manufacture a guide rail segment, the described elongated hollow profile can first be stiffened. This can be manufactured relatively easily, for example by roll forming, whereby a sheet metal joint can be welded together, for example. Furthermore, due to its relatively low weight, the hollow profile can be easily transported and / or installed in an elevator shaft. If necessary, the filler material can be introduced into the third compartment at or near the assembly site. In other words, the hollow profile can initially be transported without filler material, i.e., brought to a building housing the elevator system, for example, and then only within the building or the elevator shaft therein shortly before or, if necessary, after the hollow profile is attached to an elevator shaft, can the filler material be introduced into the third compartment.

[0024] In the following, possible designs and advantages of embodiments of the guide rail segment, the guide rail arrangement, the elevator system and the manufacturing process are described in more detail.

[0025] The guide rail segment as described herein can have similar or identical dimensions to conventional, one-piece guide rail segments. Furthermore, it can be used to implement similar or analogous functionalities to those achieved with conventional guide rails. In particular, a guide rail arrangement can be assembled from multiple guide rail segments by mounting the guide rail segments one behind the other and adjacent to one another along the elevator shaft. The guide surfaces formed by adjacent guide rail segments preferably merge continuously and flush into one another, so that a preferably flat, smooth guide surface is formed along the entire guide rail arrangement. A guide shoe attached to a car, for example, can then slide or roll along this guide surface and thereby guide the car along a desired travel path.

[0026] The guide rail segment is constructed in several parts and has at least one elongated hollow profile made of bent sheet metal, as well as filler material that partially or completely fills at least a portion of this elongated hollow profile in the form of a third compartment. Outer partial surfaces of this third compartment form the guide surface, while the first and second compartments are jointly configured as a base section to enable the guide rail segment to be attached to and supported by a shaft wall of the elevator system.

[0027] The hollow profile is elongated. For example, it can have a length of several meters, in particular more than 2 m, preferably more than 4 m, but in most cases less than 20 m or preferably less than 10 m. The hollow profile can be constructed in one piece or in multiple pieces. In particular, the hollow profile can be formed from a single sheet, in particular a metal sheet, preferably a steel sheet. For example, the hollow profile can be produced using a roll-forming process, as already mentioned. Alternatively, the hollow profile can be manufactured as a bent component or a punched-bent component by suitable bending or bending and punching.

[0028] The hollow profile comprises several regions, some of which are also referred to as compartments, which preferably extend side by side along the entire length of the hollow profile. A cross-section of the hollow profile can remain the same along the entire length of the hollow profile. The regions or compartments preferably surround separate volumes within the hollow profile. Each of the regions or compartments is formed or surrounded by sub-regions of the bent sheet metal. Accordingly, the various regions or compartments can be clearly distinguished from one another when viewed in the cross-section of the hollow profile.

[0029] The hollow profile comprises a groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the hollow profile as a central region. This groove is formed by a partial region of the sheet metal which is curved in such a way that it surrounds a concave depression extending inwards into the hollow profile and is bent in such a way that one or more undercuts are formed on one or more edges of the groove. The groove as a whole is designed in such a way that a holding element such as a bolt or a screw can protrude into the groove and engages behind the undercut(s) with a widened region at one end of the holding element, i.e. for example a bolt head or a screw head. The holding element can be displaced along the groove, i.e. its widened region can be moved within the groove in the longitudinal direction of the groove.The described groove can thus be used to fasten the guide rail segment with its hollow profile, for example, to a wall of an elevator shaft or to wall brackets (sometimes also referred to as "brackets") fixed there, via the holding elements engaging in the groove. Due to the engagement of the holding elements with their widened areas behind the undercut(s) on the groove, the guide rail segment can, on the one hand, be reliably fixed to the shaft wall and prevented from detaching or moving away from the shaft wall in a direction orthogonal to the shaft wall. On the other hand, due to the elongated design of the groove, it can be made possible for the guide rail segment, when installed, to be displaced in a direction along the groove, i.e. vertically and parallel to the shaft wall. This can, for example, prevent relative movements between the shaft wall and the guide rail segment, such as those that occur, for example,that may occur due to the settlement of a building (also known as building shrinkage).

[0030] The first compartment and the second compartment are arranged adjacent to the groove in opposite lateral directions. The first compartment protrudes in a first lateral direction relative to the groove, whereas the second compartment protrudes in an opposite second lateral direction relative to the groove. Both compartments are formed by subregions of the sheet metal forming the hollow profile, wherein these subregions are shaped such that the respective compartment is bounded on four sides by the subregions of the sheet metal. In other words, each compartment is bounded essentially on all sides by the sheet metal in the cross-sectional direction.

[0031] At least one of the partial regions of the sheet metal in the first compartment forms a first support surface, by means of which the guide rail segment can be supported relative to the shaft wall. In addition, at least one of the partial regions of the sheet metal in the second compartment forms a second support surface, by means of which the guide rail element can also be supported relative to the shaft wall. Both support surfaces can extend in a common plane. When the guide rail segment is mounted within an elevator shaft, the support surfaces can, for example, bear against an elevator shaft wall or wall brackets fixed there and, in particular, divert compressive forces acting on the guide rail segment orthogonal to the shaft wall and / or possibly also lateral forces acting parallel to the shaft wall to the shaft wall.

[0032] The third compartment is arranged on the groove in a third lateral direction. This third lateral direction is oriented transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the first and second lateral directions and is referred to herein as the vertical direction. The third compartment extends in the vertical direction relative to the groove. The third compartment is also bounded on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet metal.

[0033] Two oppositely oriented subregions, which form side surfaces of the third compartment, form a guide surface along which, for example, a guide shoe of a lift component to be displaced, such as a car or a counterweight, can be guided. The guide surface is composed of two preferably parallel surfaces on the outside of the third compartment. These surfaces preferably extend substantially in or parallel to a plane spanned by a longitudinal direction of the hollow profile and a direction orthogonal to the support surface.

[0034] In order to make the third compartment more resistant to compressive forces or clamping forces, such as those exerted on the guide surfaces when guiding an elevator component to be moved along the guide surfaces and especially when braking such an elevator component, for example, during an emergency stop, the third compartment is reinforced by incorporating the filler material. The filler material is introduced into the third compartment in such a way that it borders the sections of the bent sheet metal that define the compartment on all four sides.

[0035] The filler material thus extends, on the one hand, in a direction parallel to the first and second lateral directions between the two opposing side surfaces forming the guide surface, respectively, and supports them against compressive forces or clamping forces acting thereon. On the other hand, the filler material also extends in a direction parallel to the vertical direction between a partial region of the sheet metal, which borders the groove on one surface and borders the third compartment on an opposite surface, and a partial region of the sheet metal, spaced apart and extending opposite thereto, at the end of the third compartment facing away from the groove, such that the filler material is prevented from shifting in the vertical direction within the third compartment.In the longitudinal direction of the hollow profile, the filling material within the third compartment is generally held by frictional forces and / or adhesion forces, and possibly also by a form fit.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the filling material fills the third compartment to at least 80%, preferably at least 90% or particularly preferably at least 99%, based on its cross-section.

[0037] In other words, the volume occupied by the filler material corresponds to at least 80% of the total volume available within the third compartment. This means that at most minor volume fractions within the third compartment are not filled by the filler material, for example because the filler material itself has a certain porosity and cavities remain within the filler material or because the filler material does not reach small edge areas of the third compartment during filling. The filler material in the third compartment should preferably fill as completely as possible at least those partial volumes that extend between the opposite side surfaces forming the guide surface, in order to support these side surfaces as effectively as possible against compressive forces or clamping forces acting on them.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the first compartment and the second compartment are at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, at least 95% or even completely free of filling material.

[0039] In other words, preferably only the third compartment is filled with filler material. The first and second compartments, however, are preferably substantially free of filler material. In this way, the weight of the guide rail segment can be kept low. According to one embodiment, the filler material is a flowable, processable, hardening material. One embodiment of the manufacturing method can accordingly comprise pouring the filler material in flowable form into the third compartment and subsequently hardening the filler material in the third compartment.

[0040] In other words, the filler material can be flowable during a processing phase, i.e., liquid or pourable, and thus exhibit viscous or plastically deformable properties. The filler material can thus be introduced into an internal volume of the third compartment, for example, by pouring it into the third compartment from a longitudinal end of the hollow profile, thereby gradually filling said internal volume. The filler material can then harden within the third compartment, for example, due to chemical reactions or drying processes taking place therein.

[0041] After this curing, the filler material can be secured within the third compartment by frictional forces and / or adhesion forces, among other things. Optionally, projections and / or recesses can be provided within the third compartment, around which the flowable filler material can flow or into which the filler material can flow, so that, after curing, a positive connection can be established between the filler material and the sections of the hollow profile forming the third compartment.

[0042] Concrete, mortar, or plaster, for example, can be used as a flowable filler material. These materials have a very high compressive strength and can therefore very effectively support the third compartment, especially its opposite side surfaces that form the guide surface. Furthermore, these materials are usually easily and inexpensively available during the installation of a guide rail arrangement in a building. Alternatively, other flowable materials such as curable resins, thermosetting materials, thermoplastic materials, or similar materials can serve as filler material. It would also be conceivable to fill the third compartment by foaming. A suitable filler material in this case would be PU foam or PUR foam.According to a further specific embodiment, the third compartment can be sealed off from the first and second compartments in such a way that, in the flowable state, at most 20% of the flowable processable filling material flows from the third compartment into at least one of the first and second compartments.

[0043] In other words, the bent sheet metal forming the hollow profile can be designed, and in particular bent, in such a way that the third compartment is spatially completely or at least largely separated from the first and second compartments, such that at most a negligible portion of the flowable filler material introduced into the third compartment can escape into one of the other two compartments. The third compartment is thus completely or at least largely sealed from the other two compartments.For example, a partial area of ​​the sheet metal surrounding the first compartment or the second compartment may be directly adjacent to a partial area of ​​the sheet metal surrounding the third compartment or may be separated from them only by a very narrow gap, so that no flowable filling material or at most negligible partial volumes of the flowable filling material can flow between these two partial areas.

[0044] For example, it is conceivable that concrete, mortar or plaster is used as the filling material and that any gap between partial areas of the sheet metal forming the hollow profile between the third compartment and one of the other compartments is so small that at most a small volume of water and / or a liquid-viscous solvent, as is typically present in concrete, mortar or plaster, can pass through this gap from the third compartment into one of the other compartments, but coarser components such as gravel or coarse sand, which are also typically present in the concrete, mortar or plaster, cannot pass through this gap.

[0045] According to an alternative embodiment, the filler material can be formed as a prefabricated component. One embodiment of the manufacturing method can comprise the steps of providing the filler material as a prefabricated component and introducing the component into the third compartment. In other words, the filler material can be prefabricated separately from the hollow profile and then introduced into the third compartment of the hollow profile in the form of one or more units. For example, the filler material can be provided in the form of an elongated block of solid material. The block can have a length that is equal to the length of the hollow profile or slightly shorter than this length or corresponds to a fraction of this length. Furthermore, the block can have a cross-sectional geometry that corresponds to the internal cross-section of the third compartment, i.e. is essentially complementary to it.In this case, wood, for example, can be used as a filler material. Wood is particularly durable, resilient, lightweight, and generally inexpensive. However, other solid filler materials with similar properties, such as plastics, can also be used.

[0046] According to one embodiment, internal surfaces of the hollow profile can be protected against corrosion.

[0047] In other words, measures can be implemented on the guide rail segment to protect, in particular, the internal surfaces of the sheet metal forming its hollow profile against corrosion, particularly chemical oxidation. For this purpose, such surfaces can be provided with a sealing and / or corrosion-inhibiting coating, for example, in the form of a paint, a galvanically or electrolessly plated layer, or similar. Such measures can be particularly important when corrosive substances are used as filler material. For example, water or other solvents contained in concrete, mortar, or plaster can have a corrosive effect.

[0048] As an alternative or supplementary measure, according to one embodiment, the ends of the hollow profile can be hermetically sealed.

[0049] Hermetically sealing the end joints can, among other things, prevent corrosive substances such as water and / or corrosion-promoting gases such as air from penetrating the compartments of the guide rail segment during its service life. Sealing the end joints can be achieved, for example, with a plug that engages the hollow profile to form a seal or by filling the internal volumes in the hollow profile adjacent to the end joints with a sealing material.

[0050] A guide rail arrangement according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention can be assembled from the guide rail segments described herein. For this purpose, the guide rail segments are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction and connected to one another. The guide surfaces of adjacent guide rail segments preferably adjoin one another directly and flush to form a common guide surface of the guide rail arrangement, along which, for example, a car can be guided along an entire travel path spanned by the guide rail arrangement.

[0051] According to one embodiment, a connector insert can be arranged between each two guide rail segments which are adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction, which connector insert is pressed into at least one of the compartments in a first of the two guide rail segments and into at least one of the compartments in a second of the two guide rail segments.

[0052] In other words, adjacent guide rail segments can be connected to one another, among other things, by a connector insert (sometimes also referred to as an "inlay") being pressed into their adjacent end faces, preferably with frictional engagement, so that this connector insert aligns the two guide rail segments in alignment with one another on the one hand, and connects them to one another in a way that can withstand tensile loads on the other. The connector insert can, for example, be provided as a separate component and can be driven into the respective end faces of the guide rail segments during assembly of the guide rail arrangement. The connector insert can protrude into one or more of the compartments. In particular, the connector insert can have a cross-sectional geometry that is complementary to one or more internal volumes of the compartments.The connector insert can be made of a material with high mechanical strength, such as metal, especially steel. It can be advantageous if the third compartment is filled with filler material such that it is offset inward or shortened in the longitudinal direction relative to an end of the guide rail segment, thereby creating a receiving space for the connector insert. If the filler material is concrete, for example, the concrete core in the guide rail segment can be slightly shorter, for example 20 cm and preferably 10 cm shorter, than the guide rail segment itself, so that the connector insert can still be inserted at the end of the guide rail segment.

[0053] According to one embodiment, adjacent guide rail segments can be connected to each other via rail connector plates, which are

[0054] Fastening elements that engage in the grooves in the respective guide rail segments are attached to the guide rail segments.

[0055] In other words, the undercut grooves provided on the guide rail segments can be used not only to fix the guide rail segments, e.g. to the shaft wall or a wall bracket anchored there, using fastening elements that engage in the grooves, but also to attach rail connector plates (sometimes also called "fishplates") to them, with the help of which adjacent guide rail segments can be sufficiently securely connected to one another. In this case, the fastening elements can be screws, bolts or similar, the head of which can be inserted into the groove and thus engage behind the undercut. An opposite end of the fastening elements can then be fixed to the rail connector plate, for example by screwing it to it.In this way, rail connector plates can be attached to the adjacent guide rail segments quickly and easily, connecting them to each other in a mechanically resilient manner.

[0056] In an elevator system according to the third aspect of the invention, at least one of the guide rail assemblies described herein is attached to one of the shaft walls. For this purpose, the individual guide rail segments can be fixed, for example, to anchored wall brackets. Since the guide rail segments are designed with an undercut groove as described above, the guide rail segments can be attached to the shaft wall via wall brackets, wherein the wall brackets are attached to the guide rail segments by means of fastening elements that engage in the grooves in the respective guide rail segments.

[0057] It should be noted that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments of the guide rail segment described herein, as well as the guide rail assembly and elevator system formed therewith, and with reference to a manufacturing method. A person skilled in the art will recognize that the features can be combined, transferred, adapted, or exchanged in a suitable manner to achieve further embodiments of the invention.

[0058] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description are to be construed as limiting the invention.

[0059] Fig. 1 shows an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of a hollow profile for a guide rail segment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of a guide rail segment according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on a wall bracket.

[0062] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a guide rail segment according to an embodiment of the present invention with a rail connector plate and a connector insert for connection to an adjacent guide rail segment.

[0063] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. Like reference symbols denote like or equivalent features.

[0064] Figure 1 shows an elevator installation 101 with a guide rail arrangement 3 according to one embodiment of the invention. An elevator component 119 to be displaced, for example in the form of a car 105 or a counterweight (not shown), is accommodated in an elevator shaft 103. The car 105 is held by support means 107 and displaced vertically along the elevator shaft 103 by a drive 109. The car 105 is guided along guide surfaces 31 of the guide rail arrangement 3 by means of guide shoes 111. The guide rail arrangement 3 is composed of a plurality of guide rail segments 1 arranged one behind the other in a longitudinal direction 113 and connected to one another. The guide rail segments 1 are supported and fastened by support surfaces 17, 23 on wall brackets 117 ("brackets") anchored in the shaft wall 115.

[0065] Figure 2 shows a cross-section of a hollow profile 5 for a guide rail segment 1. Figure 3 illustrates a guide rail segment 1 attached to a wall bracket 117.

[0066] The hollow profile 5 comprises several regions or compartments 13, 19, 25, which are formed by suitable bending of a sheet metal 7 and are each delimited and separated from one another by partial regions of the sheet metal. The aforementioned bending of the sheet metal can take place during a profiling process. The bending of the sheet metal can be, for example, a roll bending process. The hollow profile 5 can preferably be produced by means of a roll-forming process. The hollow profile 5 is thus advantageously rolled from a steel sheet and butt-welded at a suitable location.

[0067] In particular, the hollow profile 5 comprises a groove 9. The groove 9 extends in the longitudinal direction 113 of the hollow profile 5. The groove 9 is configured such that a widened area, such as a screw head 53 of a screw 51 serving as a fastening element 49, can be received therein. The groove 9 is provided with an undercut 11 on each of its lateral edges. The undercuts 11 are formed by suitable bending of the sheet metal 7. These undercuts 11 can be engaged behind by the screw head 53. The screw 51 can thus, on the one hand, be displaced ("slided") within the elongated groove 9 in the longitudinal direction 113 and, on the other hand, can hold the hollow profile 5 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction 113 by engaging behind the undercuts 11, in order to be able to fasten it, in particular, to one of the wall brackets 117.Due to this functionality, also referred to as the slide function, assembly speed can be increased, among other things, since only one screw 51 per wall bracket 117 needs to be tightened to secure the guide rail segment 1 to the respective wall bracket 117. The screw 51 can be tightened with only a low torque to allow the screw 51 to slide within the groove 9 and thus enable at least a slight displacement of the guide rail segment 1 vertically relative to the shaft wall 115. In this way, for example, shrinkage of the building accommodating the elevator system 101 can be compensated. The groove 9 can also be used to attach other components or additional equipment to the guide rail segment 1.

[0068] Starting from the groove 9 as the central area, several compartments 13, 19, 25 extend in different directions 15, 21, 27 on the guide rail segment 1.

[0069] In particular, a first compartment 13 extends in a first lateral direction 15 and a second compartment 19 extends in an opposite second lateral direction 21 on opposite sides next to the groove 9. The first and second compartments 13, 19 are each delimited on four sides by suitably bent partial regions of the sheet metal 7. The first compartment 13 forms a first support surface 17 and the second compartment 19 forms a second support surface 23. The two support surfaces 17, 23 run in a common plane on the opposite sides adjacent to an opening of the groove 9. With the help of the support surfaces 17, 23, the guide rail segment 1 can be supported, for example, on a surface of the wall bracket 17 anchored in the shaft wall 115 and thus relative to the shaft wall 115.

[0070] A third compartment 25 protrudes from the groove 9 in a vertical direction 27 perpendicular to the lateral directions 15, 21. The third compartment 25 is also bounded on four sides by suitably bent portions of the sheet metal 7. Opposing side surfaces 29 form the guide surface 31 for guiding the elevator component 119 to be displaced. The side surfaces 29 extend orthogonally to the first lateral direction 15 and the second lateral direction 21, respectively.

[0071] As shown in Fig. 3, filler material 33 is accommodated in the third compartment 25. In the example shown, the filler material 33 is designed as a prefabricated component 37, for example in the form of a wooden cuboid serving as a wood core. The wood can be treated, for example, to protect it against mold growth and / or fire. The wooden cuboid can, for example, be pressed or hammered into the third compartment 25 in the longitudinal direction 113. In an alternative embodiment, the filler material 33 can be poured into the interior of the third compartment 25 as a flowable, hardening filler material 35 (referenced by dashed lines), for example in the form of concrete, mortar, or plaster. After it has hardened there, it can thus form a solid concrete, mortar, or plaster core.

[0072] In both cases, the filler material 33 is accommodated in the third compartment 25 in such a way that it rests on all four sides against the partial areas of the sheet metal 7 that bound the third compartment 25 on the respective side. The filler material 33 thus supports these partial areas of the sheet metal 7 from the inside. In particular, the side walls extending in the vertical direction 27, which form the side surfaces 29 serving as the guide surface 31, are stabilized with the help of the filler material 33, so that they can withstand, for example, guiding or clamping forces acting orthogonally thereto with greater strength.

[0073] The sheet metal 7 forming the hollow profile 5 is bent in such a way that the various compartments 13, 19, 25 form volume regions that are largely separated from one another. In particular, the third compartment 25 is separated from the first and second compartments 13, 19 in such a way that a flowable filling material 35 used to fill the third compartment 25 cannot flow from the third compartment 25 into one of the other compartments 13, 19, or can only flow in negligible amounts.

[0074] For this purpose, partial regions of the sheet metal 7, which delimit the respective compartments 13, 19, 25 and adjoin one another, can be bent in direct mechanical contact with one another, so that there is no direct connection between the compartments 13, 19, 25. Alternatively, a slight gap 39 (indicated in Fig. 2) can exist between these partial regions, whereby this gap 39 can be so narrow that at most insignificant amounts of flowable filler material 35 can pass through this gap 39. For example, the gap 39 can be dimensioned such that water contained in flowable filler material 35 in the form of concrete, mortar, or plaster can escape through this gap 39, but not any gravel or coarse sand also contained therein.

[0075] To protect the hollow profile 5 against corrosion damage, its internal surfaces 41 can be coated or otherwise protected against corrosion. Furthermore, the ends 43 of the hollow profile 5 can be hermetically sealed, in particular to prevent moisture penetration.

[0076] In order to be able to hold the guide rail segment 1 in position in both lateral directions 15, 21, in the example shown, stop segments 55 are attached to the wall bracket 117 on both sides next to the guide rail segment 1. These stop segments 55 may be necessary because the screw 51 is preferably only slightly tightened to continue to allow displacement of the guide rail segment 1 in its longitudinal direction 113.

[0077] In order to form the entire guide rail arrangement 3, a plurality of guide rail segments 1 are arranged adjacent one behind the other in the longitudinal direction 113 and mechanically connected to one another. As illustrated in Fig. 4, a connector insert 45 ("inlay") can be pressed into at least one of the compartments 13, 19, 25 in the two adjacent guide rail segments 1 (wherein, for the sake of simplicity, only one guide rail segment 1 is shown). In particular, the connector insert 45 can be pressed into the respective third compartments 25 in order to align the guide surfaces 31 of the two guide rail segments 1 formed thereby in a manner that is flush with one another and capable of withstanding mechanical loads. The filling formed with the filling material 33, such as the wood core or concrete core, can be slightly shorter, iefor example, 10 cm shorter than the guide rail segment 1 itself, so that the connector insert 45 can still be inserted at the end 43 of the guide rail segment 1. Alternatively or additionally, the adjacent guide rail segments 1 can be connected to one another via rail connector plates 47 ("fishplates"). The rail connector plates 47 can be fixed to the adjacent guide rail segments 1 in the area of ​​the end ends 43 using fastening elements 57, such as screws 59. For this purpose, the fastening elements 57 can engage in bores in the hollow profile 5, which are provided, for example, in the first and second compartments 13, 19 near the end ends 43, and / or engage in the grooves 9 in the two guide rail segments 1.

[0078] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having," "comprising," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.

Claims

- TI - Patent claims 1. Guide rail segment (1) of a guide rail arrangement (3) for an elevator system (101), comprising: an elongated hollow profile (5) made of a bent sheet metal (7), Filling material (33), wherein the hollow profile (5) has the following areas: - a groove (9) extending in the longitudinal direction (113) of the hollow profile (5), which is formed by partial regions of the bent sheet (7) and which forms an undercut (11), - a first compartment (13) which is arranged next to the groove (9) projecting in a first lateral direction (15), which is delimited on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet (7) and which forms a first support surface (17) for supporting the guide rail segment (1) relative to a shaft wall (115) of the elevator installation (101), - a second compartment (19) which is arranged next to the groove (9) in a second lateral direction (21) opposite to the first lateral direction (15), which is delimited on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet (7) and which forms a second support surface (23) for supporting the guide rail segment (1) relative to the shaft wall (115) of the elevator installation (101), and - a third compartment (25) which is arranged projecting from the groove (9) in a height direction (27) transverse to the lateral directions (15, 21), which is delimited on four sides by partial regions of the bent sheet metal (7) and which, with opposing side surfaces (29), forms a guide surface (31) for guiding an elevator component (119) to be displaced along the guide rail arrangement (3), wherein each of the three compartments (13, 19, 25) is delimited on one of its sides by a respective partial region of the bent sheet metal (7) forming the groove (9), wherein the filling material (33) is received in the third compartment (25) in such a way that it rests on all four sides against the partial regions of the bent sheet metal (7) which delimit the third compartment (25) on the respective side.

2. Guide rail segment (1) according to claim 1, wherein the filling material (33) fills the third compartment (25) to at least 80% of its cross section.

3. Guide rail segment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first compartment (13) and the second compartment (19) are at least 80% free of filling material (33).

4. Guide rail segment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the filling material (33) is a flowable, hardening filling material (35).

5. Guide rail segment (1) according to claim 4, wherein the third compartment (25) is sealed off from the first and second compartments (13, 19) in such a way that, in the flowable state, at most 20% of the flowable processable filling material (35) flows from the third compartment (25) into at least one of the first and second compartments (13, 19).

6. Guide rail segment (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the filling material (33) is designed as a prefabricated component (37).

7. Guide rail segment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein internal surfaces (41) of the hollow profile (5) are protected against corrosion.

8. Guide rail segment (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein ends (43) of the hollow profile (5) are hermetically sealed.

9. Guide rail arrangement (3) comprising: a plurality of guide rail segments (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide rail segments (1) are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction (113) and are connected to one another.

10. Guide rail arrangement (3) according to claim 9, wherein between two guide rail segments (1) which are adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction (113), a connector insert (45) is arranged in each case, which connector insert is pressed into at least one of the compartments (13, 19, 25) in a first of the two guide rail segments (1) and into at least one of the compartments (13, 19, 25) in a second of the two guide rail segments (1).

11. Guide rail arrangement (3) according to one of claims 9 to 10, wherein adjacent guide rail segments (1) are connected to one another via rail connector plates (47) which are fastened to the guide rail segments (1) by means of fastening elements (49) which engage in the grooves (9) in the respective guide rail segments (1).

12. Elevator installation (101) comprising: an elevator shaft (103) delimited by shaft walls (115), at least one guide rail arrangement (3) according to one of claims 9 to 11, which is fastened to one of the shaft walls (115), an elevator component (119) to be displaced, which is guided along the elevator shaft (103) and can be displaced on the guide rail arrangement (3).

13. Elevator installation (101) according to claim 12, wherein the guide rail segments (1) are fastened to the shaft wall (115) via wall brackets (117), wherein the wall brackets (117) are fastened to the guide rail segments (1) by means of fastening elements (49) which engage in the grooves (9) in the respective guide rail segments (1).

14. A method for manufacturing a guide rail segment (1) of a guide rail arrangement (3) for an elevator system (101), the method comprising: - Providing an elongated hollow profile (5) made of a bent sheet (7), the hollow profile (5) having the following areas: (13, 19, 25) where each of the three compartments (13, 19, 25) is surrounded on one of its sides by a respective partial area of ​​the bent sheet (7) forming the groove (9), - introducing filling material (33) into the third compartment (25) in such a way that it rests on all four sides against the partial areas of the bent sheet (7) delimiting the third compartment (25) on the respective side.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the filling material (33) is introduced by means of one of the following steps: - Injecting the filling material (33), a flowable, hardening filling material (35) into the third compartment (25) and subsequently hardening the filling material (33) in the third compartment (25); - Providing the filling material (33) as a prefabricated component (37) and inserting the component (37) into the third compartment (25).

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