Shaft module and method for producing a lift installation composed of shaft modules mounted one on top of the other
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INVENTIO AG
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-17
Smart Images
Figure EP2024071292_13022025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Shaft module and method for producing an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules
[0002] The invention relates to a shaft module according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to claim 6.
[0003] Installing an elevator system is complex and therefore associated with considerable costs. In particular, the construction of an elevator shaft for the elevator system, for example, during the construction of a building, and the subsequent installation of elevator components in the elevator shaft are quite complex. Typically, the elevator shaft is first constructed entirely within the building housing the elevator system, and then the elevator system, along with its elevator components such as the car, counterweight, drive motor, and guide rails, is installed in the elevator shaft. It has previously been proposed to construct the elevator shaft from several prefabricated shaft modules with shaft walls in which elevator components, such as guide rail sections, are at least partially pre-assembled.Prefabrication and preassembly are not carried out on the construction site of the building housing the elevator, i.e., at the site where the elevator system is built, but in a factory and thus at a manufacturing site. This approach requires less time at the construction site. Furthermore, this approach has a positive impact on the quality of the installation and the occupational safety of the installation personnel. A prefabricated shaft module encloses a hollow space in the form of a shaft chamber, which can at least partially accommodate a car.
[0004] WO 2022 / 103795 A1 describes a shaft module for forming the lowest shaft module of an elevator shaft for an elevator system composed of stacked shaft modules, in the form of a so-called pit module. The pit module has two opposing side walls to which guide rail sections can be at least indirectly fixed. WO 2022 / 103795 A1 also describes a method for producing an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules.
[0005] EP 3960677 A1 also describes a shaft module for forming the lowest shaft module of an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules. Guide rail sections fixed to opposite side walls are supported on a floor of the elevator shaft via two plates arranged one above the other and immovably relative to each other.
[0006] US 2004 / 129505 A1 describes a support device for supporting guide rails of an elevator system on the floor of a conventional elevator shaft, i.e. one that is not composed of individual shaft modules.
[0007] In contrast, the object of the invention is, in particular, to propose a shaft module and a method that enable both the secure assembly of a guide rail section in the shaft module at the manufacturing site and the alignment of the pre-assembled guide rail section during installation of the elevator system. According to the invention, this object is achieved with a shaft module having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 6.
[0008] The embodiments and exemplary embodiments of the invention described below relate equally to the shaft module and the method. In other words, features mentioned below, for example, with reference to the shaft module, can also be implemented as method steps, and vice versa.
[0009] The shaft module according to the invention for forming a bottommost shaft module of an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules for an elevator system has a first side wall and a second side wall opposite the first side wall. A guide rail section is fixed at least indirectly to one of the side walls; in particular, several guide rail sections are fixed to both side walls. A bottommost shaft module of an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules is referred to below as a pit module. According to the invention, the shaft module can assume an assembled state and an operating state.It has a lower support device and an upper support device, wherein the lower support device is immovably connected to a lower end of the first side wall and a lower end of the second side wall and thus extends between the lower end of the first side wall and the lower end of the second side wall. The upper support device rests from above on the lower support device. The said guide rail piece is supported from above on the upper support device and the lower support device. In the assembled state of the shaft module, the upper support device is arranged so as to be displaceable relative to the lower support device, and in the operating state of the shaft module, the upper support device is arranged immovably relative to the lower support device.
[0010] The provision of upper and lower support devices, on which the guide rail section rests from above, enables secure fixation of the guide rail section in the shaft module, even when the shaft module is not placed on a floor. The guide rail section can then rest securely on the combination of upper and lower support devices and is fixed in the pit module in such a way that it cannot detach from the shaft module, even during transport from the production site to the installation site. This allows the guide rail section to be securely mounted in the shaft module and transported in the shaft module from the production site of the shaft module to the installation site of the elevator system. During the aforementioned transport, the pit module is in a transport state.In addition, the ability of the upper support device to move relative to the lower support device when the shaft module is assembled allows the upper support device and thus also the guide rail section to be aligned during installation, thus enabling precise installation of the elevator system comprising the elevator shaft.
[0011] In the following, directional information such as up, down and sideways or vertical and horizontal refers to the orientation of the respective component in the operating state of the elevator system. The operating state of the elevator system is understood to be the state after installation has been completed and the elevator system has been put into operation. When the elevator system is in operation, people and / or goods can be transported in the car between floors of the building in which the elevator system is located. When the elevator system is in operation, the shaft module in the form of the pit module is also in its operating state. In addition to the two side walls, the pit module also has a front wall and a rear wall. The front wall and / or the rear wall can have a shaft opening in which a shaft door is or can be arranged. The side walls orall walls can be made of concrete or wood or be formed by metal profiles.
[0012] During the installation of the elevator system, at least one, usually more than one, additional shaft module is placed on top of the pit module. These additional shaft modules, which are usually identical in design, are referred to here as base modules. The elevator shaft is closed at the top, in particular, by a so-called top module, which may contain a drive for the elevator system.
[0013] In particular, more than one guide rail section is arranged in the pit module, specifically four guide rail sections. Two guide rail sections serve to guide a car of the elevator system, and two guide rail sections guide a counterweight connected to the car via a suspension element. In the case of self-propelled cars, the pit module can also have just two guide rail sections to guide the car. During installation of the elevator system, i.e., during or after stacking several shaft modules to form an elevator shaft, related guide rail sections are each joined together to form a continuous guide rail. The guide rail sections are usually fixed to the side walls of the pit module using so-called rail brackets or other special holders. This is understood here as indirect fixing to a side wall.
[0014] The pit module can also have one or more buffers, which also rest on the upper support device and thus also on the lower support device. The buffers are arranged so that they are located below the car or below a counterweight when the elevator system is in operation.
[0015] The pit module can also contain additional elevator components; thus, additional elevator components can be at least pre-installed in the pit module at the manufacturing site. These elevator components can include, for example, a speed governor pulley, a ladder, particularly for later maintenance of the elevator system, switches, particularly safety switches, and cabling, for example for the aforementioned switches.
[0016] The pit module can assume an assembled state and an operating state. During installation of the elevator system, in particular during the alignment of the upper support device, the pit module assumes its assembled state. In the assembled state, the upper support device can be moved relative to the lower support device, which is immovable relative to the side walls. This moveability enables the aforementioned alignment of the upper support device during installation or assembly of the elevator system. The upper support device is aligned in particular in such a way that the elevator system can be installed with existing adjustment options on the shaft doors and rail brackets. Once the installation of the elevator system is complete, the elevator system and thus also the upper support device are in their respective operating state.In this state, the car is displaced vertically along the guide rails supported by the upper support device. The aforementioned immobile arrangement of the upper support device relative to the lower support device in the operating state of the upper support device ensures that the alignment of the upper support device and the guide rails established during installation is maintained during operation of the elevator system.
[0017] The lower support device is bolted, welded, or riveted to the lower ends of the first and second side walls for the aforementioned immovable connection. It can also be constructed integrally with a side wall or part of the side wall. It thus forms a stable abutment in all operating states of the pit module, upon which the upper support device and the guide rail section can rest.
[0018] The upper and / or lower support elements are made of metal and have a T-shaped basic form, with a cross element running along a side wall. At least the upper support element can be referred to as a so-called pit set and can generally be constructed like an "elevator pit assembly" described in US Pat. No. 7,000,736 B2. Such pit sets are commercially available. The upper and / or lower support elements can consist of metal plates. However, it is also possible for at least one of the two support elements to have profiles arranged next to each other and spaced apart from one another, in particular metal profiles, which are connected to one another with cross connectors. These profiles are designed, in particular, as corner profiles. A support element constructed in this way requires little weight and is lightweight. Pit sets of this type are also commercially available.
[0019] In an embodiment of the invention, the upper support device has an upper recess and the lower support device has a corresponding lower recess. These recesses are designed and arranged such that they at least partially overlap both in the assembled state and in the operating state of the pit module. This enables, on the one hand, simple fixing of the upper and lower support devices to a shaft floor and, on the other hand, alignment of the upper support device. These recesses are provided so that a fastening means, for example in the form of a screw or an anchor bolt, can be guided through an upper and a corresponding lower recess, thus fixing the upper and lower support devices to the shaft floor. The fastening means can be guided through the recesses while the pit module is still in its assembled state and can be pre-fixed at least to the shaft floor.It is thus at least pre-fixed to the shaft floor during alignment of the upper support device. The aforementioned design of the recesses still allows for alignment of the upper support element.
[0020] The two support devices, in particular, have a plurality of corresponding recesses. The recesses are designed, in particular, as through holes with a circular diameter, wherein the diameter of an upper through hole in the upper support device is smaller than the diameter of a lower through hole in the lower support device.
[0021] In one embodiment of the invention, when the pit module is in its transport state, the upper support device and the lower support device are immovably but detachably connected to one another. This enables particularly safe transport of the pit module from the production site to the assembly site. The pit module is brought into its transport state at the production site; in the aforementioned embodiment, the upper support device and the lower support device are immovably but detachably connected to one another. After the pit module has been transported to the assembly site, the aforementioned connection between the two support devices is released, thus moving the pit module from the transport state to the assembly state. This can take place before or after the pit module has been placed in its final position.
[0022] The aforementioned detachable connection between the upper support device and the lower support device is designed and arranged in such a way that it can be released from above. This makes releasing the connection particularly easy.
[0023] By means of the aforementioned detachable connection of the upper support device to the lower support device, a guide rail section and / or a buffer is at least indirectly fixed to the upper support device. This advantageously allows the aforementioned guide rail section and / or buffer to be safely transported with the pit module and made available for installation at the correct location.
[0024] The detachable connection can be achieved, for example, using self-tapping screws or clamping sleeves inserted into corresponding recesses in the upper and lower support devices. These clamping sleeves can be knocked out or drilled out to release the connection.
[0025] The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a method for producing an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules with the following process steps:
[0026] - Providing a shaft module as described above in the form of a pit module,
[0027] - Arranging the said shaft module on a shaft floor,
[0028] - Align the upper support device and
[0029] - Fixing the upper support device and the lower support device to the shaft floor. Provision of a shaft module here means that the shaft module is manufactured at the factory and transported to the installation site. Arranging the shaft module on a shaft floor here means that the shaft module is lowered or placed on the shaft floor. This is done, in particular, by means of a crane. After being arranged on the shaft floor, the entire shaft module can be aligned, in particular by placing leveling plates underneath it, for example, to compensate for unevenness in the shaft floor or to ensure vertical alignment of the side walls.
[0030] Before the aforementioned alignment of the upper support device, any detachable connection between the upper and lower support devices is released as described above. The alignment of the upper support device is thus carried out when the shaft module is assembled. During alignment, the upper support device is moved relative to the lower support device. The fixing of the upper support device and the lower support device to the shaft floor is carried out, in particular as described above in connection with the corresponding recesses in the upper and lower support devices. The alignment of the upper support device is only carried out once all shaft modules have been stacked on top of one another to form an elevator shaft.
[0031] In one embodiment of the invention, the lower support device is mortared beneath the shaft floor. This enables particularly secure support of the guide rail sections and thus the guide rails via the upper support device and the lower support device on the shaft floor. This secure support ensures that the guide rails remain correctly aligned during operation of the elevator system, thus enabling safe and comfortable operation of the elevator system. The mortaring takes place, in particular, before aligning the upper support device.
[0032] Mortaring the lower support structure against the shaft floor involves filling the void created between the shaft floor and the lower support element when the pit module is placed on the shaft floor. This ensures a stable, full-surface, and void-free support of the lower support element on the shaft floor. Concrete or, in particular, special expanding mortar can be used for the mortaring. The mortaring can be done manually or with the help of a special mortar pump.
[0033] To secure the upper support device and the lower support device to the shaft floor, a fastening element is inserted through the upper recess of the upper support device and the corresponding lower recess of the lower support device and secured in the shaft floor. This enables particularly simple and stable fastening.
[0034] In particular, several fastening means are used, especially in the form of screws or anchor bolts. In particular, one or more fastening means are used to fix a guide rail section and / or a buffer at least indirectly to the shaft floor.
[0035] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings, in which identical or functionally equivalent elements are provided with identical reference numerals. The drawings are merely schematic and not to scale.
[0036] Showing:
[0037] Fig. 1 shows an elevator system with a cabin in an elevator shaft composed of shaft modules,
[0038] Fig. 2 a snapshot of a basic module being placed on a pit module of an unfinished elevator shaft of an elevator system,
[0039] Fig. 3 a pit module in a side view,
[0040] Fig. 4 an upper support device and a lower support device of the pit module from Fig. 3 in an enlarged view from above and
[0041] Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a method for manufacturing an elevator shaft composed of stacked shaft modules.
[0042] According to Fig. 1, an elevator system 10 has an elevator shaft 12 for a three-story building, which in the present embodiment is composed of a first pit module 14, a base module 16, and a top module 18. Depending on the number of floors, the elevator shaft 12 can comprise additional second base modules 16. The aforementioned shaft modules 14, 16, 18 are prefabricated in a factory and thus at a production site and provided with elevator components. They are then transported to the construction site of the building housing the elevator system 10 and thus to a production site and stacked one on top of the other.
[0043] Fig. 2 shows how the base module 16 is placed onto the pit module 14 from above by means of a crane 20. The pit module 14 was previously placed on a shaft floor 17 in the same way, thus positioning it on the shaft floor 17. Subsequently, the top module 18 is placed onto the base module 16 in the same way, thus closing off the elevator shaft 12 at the top.
[0044] The elevator system 10 of Fig. 1 also has a car 22 that can be moved vertically in the elevator shaft 12 along guide rails (not shown in Fig. 1). For this purpose, the elevator system 10 has a suspension element 24, the first end 26 of which is fixed in the top module 18. It then runs around the bottom of the car 22 and is guided by a drive machine 28 arranged opposite the first end 26 of the suspension element 24 in the top module 18. From there, it runs through a suspension of a counterweight 30 to its second end 32, which is fixed in the area of the drive machine 28. The drive machine 28 can move the suspension element 24 and thus the car 22 in the elevator shaft 12. The car 22 is connected via a hanging cable 34 to an elevator control 36 arranged in the top module 18. The hanging cable 34 provides power supply and communication with the cabin 22.
[0045] According to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the pit module 14 has a vertically extending first side wall 40 and an opposite second side wall 42. The side walls 40, 42 are constructed from metal profiles, like a front wall and a rear wall of the pit module 14. A lower support device 48 runs between a lower end 44 of the first side wall 40 and a lower end 46 of the second side wall 42. The lower support device 48 is screwed to the first side wall 40 and the second side wall 42 by means of screw connections (not shown) and is thus immovably connected to the lower end 44 of the first side wall 40 and the lower end 46 of the second side wall 42. In addition to the screw connection mentioned, other connection techniques, such as welding or riveting, are also possible.
[0046] An upper support device 50 rests on the lower support device 48 from above, so that the upper support device 50 rests on the lower support device 48 from above. Two buffers 52 are arranged on the upper support device 50, which are arranged below the car 22 in the operating state of the elevator system 10.
[0047] A first guide rail section 56 is fixed to the first side wall 40 via rail brackets 54. A second guide rail section 60 is fixed to the second side wall 42 via two so-called omega brackets 58. The first guide rail section 56 and the second guide rail section 60 rest on the upper support device 50 and are thus supported from above via the upper support device 50 on the lower support device 48. In the operating state of the elevator system 10, the first and second guide rail sections 56, 60 are part of continuous guide rails along which the car 22 is guided.
[0048] The omega brackets 58 are designed such that the second guide rail section 60 is spaced from the second side wall 42. In the resulting space, a travel path of the counterweight 30 runs during the operating state of the elevator system 10. To guide the counterweight 30, a third guide rail section 62 and a fourth guide rail section 64 are fixed to the omega brackets 58 on the second side wall 42. The third guide rail section 62 and the fourth guide rail section 64 also rest on the upper support device 50 and are thus supported from above via the upper support device 50 on the lower support device 48.
[0049] As can be seen from Fig. 4, both the upper support device 50 and the lower support device 48 have a mainly T-shaped basic form. The lower support device 48 projects beyond the upper support device 50 in all horizontal directions. The guide rail pieces 56, 60, 62 and 64 are supported on the upper support device 50 via rail supports 66 (not shown in Fig. 3). The rail supports 66 are fundamentally identical in construction, which is why only one rail support 66 will be described in more detail. The rail support 66 is designed as a mainly rectangular metal plate and has a round through-hole 68 at each of its corners. The through-holes 68 of the rail support 66 coincide with through-holes 70 in the upper support device 50. The lower support device 48 has through-holes 72 with a larger diameter that correspond to the through-holes 70 in the upper support device 50.Corresponding through-holes 70 and 72 overlap each other. Corresponding through-holes 70 and 72 are designed and arranged such that they at least partially overlap even after the upper support device 50 has been displaced relative to the lower support device 48. The through-holes 70 of the upper support device 50 can be referred to as upper recesses of the upper support device 50, and the through-holes 72 of the lower support device 48 can be referred to as lower recesses of the lower support device 48. A guide rail section is fixed to the corresponding rail base by means of a metal bracket (not shown).
[0050] It is also possible for the through holes of the upper support device to have a larger diameter than the through holes of the rail base. This allows the rail base to be slightly displaced horizontally relative to the upper support device.
[0051] The rail base 66 is also connected to the upper support device 50 and the lower support device 48 with two self-tapping screws 74. Figure 4 thus shows a transport state of the pit module 14, in which the upper support device 50 and the lower support device 48 are immovably but detachably connected to one another. The self-tapping screws 74 can be unscrewed upwards, allowing the aforementioned detachable connection between the upper support device 50 and the lower support device 48 to be released from above. Instead of self-tapping screws, the described detachable connection can also be realized with clamping sleeves, which can be knocked out or drilled out from above to release the connection.
[0052] The two buffers 52 are supported on the upper support device 50 via buffer supports 76 (not shown in Fig. 3). The buffer supports 76 are basically designed the same as the rail supports 66, so that the statements regarding the rail supports 66 apply accordingly to the buffer supports 76.
[0053] In conjunction with Fig. 5, a method for manufacturing an elevator shaft of an elevator system composed of stacked shaft modules is described below. In step S1, a pit module, one or more base modules, and a top module are manufactured in a factory at a production site and equipped with elevator components. The various shaft modules can be manufactured at different production sites, and different manufacturing steps can be performed for each shaft module at different production sites.
[0054] The pit module is manufactured according to the pit module described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4. Thus, an upper support device, a lower support device, guide rail sections, and buffers are arranged in the pit module. The arrangement of the buffers is optional. The pit module is brought into its transport state in step S1; thus, as described above, the upper support device and the lower support device are immovably but detachably connected to one another. In particular, the guide rail sections and the buffers are also connected to the upper support device and the lower support device as described above.
[0055] After completion of step S1, the shaft modules are transported in step S2 to the construction site of the building housing the elevator system, i.e., to the installation site. This is done, for example, by truck over the road. Steps S1 and S2 together can be referred to as the provision of the shaft modules.
[0056] Subsequently, in step S3, the pit module is first positioned on a shaft floor in or on the building, specifically by placing it on the shaft floor using a crane. After the pit module is positioned, the base modules are placed one after the other, and then the elevator shaft is closed off at the top with the top module.
[0057] In the subsequent step S4, the lower support structure of the pit module is mortared beneath the shaft module. For this purpose, so-called expanding mortar is introduced into the space created between the lower support structure and the shaft floor.
[0058] After completing step S4, the upper support device is aligned in step S5. To do this, the pit module is first moved from its transport state to the assembly state. The connection between the upper support device and the lower support device is loosened, i.e., the self-tapping screws are removed or the clamping sleeves are drilled out or knocked out. The upper support device can then be moved relative to the lower support device to ensure correct alignment. It is also possible to move the pit module into the assembly state before mortaring the lower support device.
[0059] In the subsequent step S6, as described in connection with Fig. 4, the guide rail sections and optionally the buffers are fixed to the shaft floor using fastening means, together with the upper support device and the lower support device. The pit module is thus moved from the assembled state to the operating state, in which the upper support device is immovably arranged relative to the lower support device.
[0060] The following step 7 includes all other necessary steps not further described to complete the elevator shaft.
[0061] 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 within the scope of the claims. Reference signs in the claims are not to be considered as limitations.
Claims
Patent claims 1. Shaft module for forming a lowest shaft module (14) of a lift shaft (12) composed of stacked shaft modules (14, 16, 18) for a lift installation (10) with - a first side wall (40), - a second side wall (42) opposite the first side wall (40), - a guide rail piece (56, 60, 62, 64) fixed at least indirectly to one of the side walls (40, 42), - a lower support device (48) and - an upper support device (50), wherein - the upper support device (50) rests on the lower support device (48) from above, - the guide rail section (56, 60, 62, 64) is supported from above on the upper support device (50) and the lower support device (48) and - in the operating state of the shaft module (14), the upper support device (50) is arranged immovably relative to the lower support device (48), characterized in that - the shaft module (14) can assume an assembly state and an operating state, - the lower support device (48) is immovably connected to a lower end (44) of the first side wall (40) and a lower end (46) of the second side wall (42) and thus extends between the lower end (44) of the first side wall (40) and the lower end (46) of the second side wall (42) and - in the assembled state of the shaft module (14), the upper support device (50) is arranged so as to be displaceable relative to the lower support device (48).
2. Shaft module according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper support device (50) has an upper recess (70) and the lower support device (48) has a corresponding lower recess (72), which are designed and arranged such that they are in the assembled state as well as also at least partially overlap in the operating state of the shaft module (14).
3. Shaft module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a transport state of the shaft module (14), the upper support device (50) and the lower support device (48) are immovably but detachably connected to one another.
4. Shaft module according to claim 3, characterized in that said detachable connection of the upper support device (50) to the lower support device (48) is designed and arranged so that it can be released from above.
5. Shaft module according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that by means of said detachable connection of the upper support device (50) to the lower support device (48), a guide rail piece (56, 60, 62, 64) and / or a buffer (52) is fixed at least indirectly to the upper support device (50).
6. Method for producing an elevator shaft (12) composed of stacked shaft modules (14, 16, 18), comprising the following process steps: - Providing a shaft module (14) according to one of claims 1 to 5, - arranging said shaft module (14) on a shaft floor (17), - Align the upper support device (50) and - Fix the upper support device (50) and the lower support device (48) to the shaft floor (17).
7. The method according to claim 6, comprising the further method step - Mortaring the lower support device (48) against the shaft floor