Foldable elevator apron

Abstract

The present invention relates to a foldable elevator apron (1). The invention ensures the safety of a technician, as its height changes upon contact with an object, for example, the technician's foot. In this way, the invention requires less pit space while fully complying with regulations, both regarding its size for evacuation and technician safety. This is achieved through the apron (1) design, which consists of two metallic parts, where a movable metallic part (7) is able to slide relative to a fixed part (4), via a sliding element (8) with a novel design combining a pin (801), a washer (802), and a disk-shaped component (803).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a subsystem of an elevator known as an apron. Specifically, the invention refers to a foldable elevator apron.

[0002] Elevators are installed in buildings to serve the public and transport loads. One of the main parts of an elevator is the cabin, which serves as the transport space for passengers and includes the interior cladding and doors. According to existing specifications and the standards that set the safety rules for elevator construction and installation, the cabin must have an additional subsystem, known as "cabin apron", to enhance safety.

[0003] The cabin apron of an elevator is a vertical part, usually metallic, extending downward from the cabin sill. Its main function is to cover the potential gap that may occur between the cabin and the landing floor, contributing to safety in situations where the elevator unexpectedly stops between floors. During passenger evacuation, the apron prevents the risk of falling into the shaft. According to safety standards, the apron must have sufficient width to cover the door opening and a minimum height of 750 mm, as defined by current regulations.

[0004] As mentioned above, installing the apron requires specific pit depth space to avoid the apron coming into contact with the pit floor when the cabin reaches its bottom position. Moreover, the apron should not interfere with maintenance activities, as sufficient clearance must be ensured in the pit to safeguard the technician, even when the cabin reaches its lowest position. The required length of the apron may create design challenges, especially when the available shaft space is limited. This challenge is greater in cases where low headroom is required, resulting in even less pit space.

[0005] According to current safety standards, when the cabin apron is at its lowest position, it must leave at least 100 mm of free space in the pit to protect, for example, the foot of a technician from injury. This clearance ensures that, in case of emergency, the technician can safely place their foot without risk of entrapment or injury.

[0006] The last few years, folding versions of elevator aprons have been presented. These include metallic aprons that fold under the cabin, although they have the disadvantage of potentially coming into unwanted contact with other elevator components. There are also designs that use flexible material, which deploys through a complex and expensive electronic mechanism.

[0007] The present invention seeks to address this design challenge. It covers all the required space, defined by regulations, to ensure maximum safety during evacuation, optimizes shaft usage in low headroom conditions, and guarantees technician safety.

[0008] The key advantage of the invention is that it ensures technician safety, as the size - specifically, the height - of the apron changes upon contact with an object, for example, the technician's foot. In this way, the invention requires less pit space, while fully complying with regulations, both in terms of dimensions for evacuation and technician safety. This is achieved through the apron design, which consists of two metallic surfaces, with the lower one sliding relative to the upper one via a novel design that combines a pin, a washer, and a disk-shaped component.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention will subsequently become apparent to those skilled in the art, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is illustrated in a non-limiting manner. Figure 1 presents an elevator cabin and the invention. Figure 2 shows the entire invention isolated, from the front side. In Figure 3 is presented the entire invention isolated, from the rear side. Figures 4 (a) - (c) show various views of the sliding element between the metallic surfaces of the apron. Figure 5 shows a detailed view of the washer, which moves within the oval slot of the fixed part of the apron. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, we describe indicative applications of the device for mounting it on an elevator cabin, as well as its operation.

[0011] The present invention, relating to an apron (1), is located on an elevator cabin (2) and is connected via brackets (3) to the lowest part of the cabin, beneath the cabin door (Figure 1). The apron (1) consists of two metallic surfaces, specifically a fixed part (4) with side flanges at the rear (Figure 2), connected to two lateral arms (5), left and right, and a front metallic part (7), which can move vertically. The front metallic part (7) can move relative to the fixed part (4) via sliding elements. Specifically, there are at least six sliding elements (8) on the wide front metallic part (7) and at least four sliding elements (8) on the sides, two on each side. The sliding elements (8) move within similar oval slots (9) formed on the fixed part (4), which have a constant width along their length.

[0012] Thus, when the cabin reaches its lowest position in the shaft, the apron (1) is the component that comes very close to the pit floor, leaving only a few millimeters clearance. In case that during maintenance at the pit, the cabin inadvertently descends, and the apron (1) comes into contact with an object, for example the technician's foot, then the front metallic part (7) will slide relative to the fixed part (4), thereby protecting the technician.

[0013] The sliding of the front metallic part (7) relative to the fixed part (4) must be smooth and easy, unaffected by manufacturing imperfections such as burrs in the oval slots (9). This smoothness is ensured by the sliding elements (8). These elements are identical. A sliding element (8) is shown in detail in Figures 4 (a) - (c). The sliding element (8) consists of three parts: a specially designed pin (801), Figure 4(b), a washer (802), and a specially designed disk-shaped component (803). The disk-shaped component (803) has a central hole and a cylindrical protrusion, smaller in diameter than the washer (802), Figure 4(c). The pin (801) has a head (804) with a diameter larger than the hole of the disk-shaped component (803). The washer (802) is mounted around the protrusion of the disk-shaped component (803) and is placed from the inner side of the fixed part (4) in the oval slot (9), within which it can freely rotate, as shown in detail in Figure 5, where the disk-shaped component (803) is omitted for clarity. Then, the pin (801) passes through the circular hole in the front movable metallic part (7), through the assembly of washer (802) and disk-shaped component (803), and exits the other side of the fixed surface (4). In this way, the two parts, the fixed (4) and the front movable metallic part (7), are connected, while the washer (802) is able to rotate freely on the protrusion of the disk-shaped component (803) and within the oval slot (9) when a force is applied to the lower part of the front movable metallic part (7), so it is moving upwards. It is preferable for the proper function of the sliding element (8) that the washer (802) has an external diameter matching the width of the oval slot (9), to occupy all available space. When the force at the bottom ceases - for example, when the obstacle or the technician's foot is removed - the movable part (7) returns to its initial position under gravity.

[0014] Both the pin (801) and the disk-shaped component (803) are custom-made and manufactured using a lathe, CNC, or similar methods to achieve the desired shape.

Claims

1. Foldable elevator apron, comprising a base (6), which is attached to an elevator cabin (2) via brackets (3), with a fixed part (4) connected to the rear of the base (6) through arms (5), and a front metallic part (7), movable relative to the fixed part (4) via sliding elements (8) that move within oval slots (9) located on the front and side surfaces of the fixed part (4), characterized in that each sliding element (8) consists of a disk-shaped component (803) with a cylindrical protrusion at its center, which has a through-hole, on which a washer (802) is externally mounted, which moves within the oval slot (9), and a pin (801) with a head (804), which passes through the front movable metallic part (7), the fixed part (4), and the assembly of the disk-shaped component (803) with the washer (802).

2. Folding elevator apron according to claim 1, characterized in that the oval slot (9) has a constant width along its length.

3. Folding elevator apron according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the washer (802) has an external diameter matching the width of the oval slot (9).

4. Folding elevator apron according to claim 1, characterized in that when no force acts on the front movable metallic part (7), it returns to its original position by gravity.

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