Method for installing a lift system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for installing a lift system. In the method according to the invention, a shaft module (14) is placed on a pit element (13) to form a lift shaft of the lift system. A car (22) of the lift system is arranged in the shaft module (14). According to the invention, before the shaft module (14) is placed on the pit element (13), a safety element (40) is arranged in the shaft module (14) or in the pit element (13) so as to delimit a downward displacement of the car (22) if the car (22) comes to rest on the safety element (40) during the downward displacement. A safety space (66) in the pit element is thus ensured.

Description

[0001] Procedure for installing an elevator system

[0002] The invention relates to a method for installing an elevator system according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] Installing an elevator system during the construction of a building is complex and therefore associated with considerable costs. In particular, the construction of the elevator shaft for the elevator system and the subsequent installation of elevator components in the shaft are quite complex. Typically, the elevator shaft is constructed together with the floors of the building housing the elevator system. After the elevator shaft is completed, 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 containing the elevator, i.e., at the site where the elevator system is manufactured, 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.

[0004] WO 2022 / 122364 A1 describes a method for installing an elevator system, in which shaft modules are stacked on top of one another to form an elevator shaft of the elevator system. In this method, a car of the elevator system is arranged and secured in a shaft module at the manufacturing site. The shaft module with the car is transported from the manufacturing site to the construction site of the elevator system and placed there on a foundation of the elevator shaft. The design of the foundation is not further described. When installing the elevator system, it is necessary to perform installation steps at the floor of the elevator shaft and thus below the car. WO 2022 / 122364 A1 does not address how such installation steps can be enabled. EP 3960677 A1 and WO 2022 / 103795 A1 also describe methods for installing an elevator system, in which shaft modules are stacked on top of one another to form an elevator shaft of the elevator system.Buffers are located in the shaft modules located at the very bottom of the elevator car to limit downward movement. These buffers are pre-assembled and are required during operation of the elevator system. However, the resulting space between the floor of the elevator shaft and the elevator car is so small that it is insufficient for a safety space during installation of the elevator system.

[0005] In contrast, the object of the invention is in particular to propose a safe and efficient method for installing an elevator system.

[0006] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1.

[0007] In the method according to the invention for installing an elevator system, a shaft module is placed on a pit element to form an elevator shaft of the elevator system. A car of the elevator system is arranged in the shaft module. According to the invention, before the shaft module is placed on the pit element, a safety element is arranged in the shaft module or in the pit element in such a way that it limits downward displacement of the car if the car comes to rest on the safety element during downward displacement.

[0008] This ensures a safety space within the pit element. The safety element is positioned in such a way that the safety space is high enough for an installer to safely stand within it and also perform installation steps from within it. The cabin resting on the safety element creates a positive and therefore particularly secure connection between the cabin and the safety element, reliably preventing the cabin from penetrating the safety space.

[0009] The at least one safety element is removed when the elevator system is installed to the point where the car is held by a support element and buffers are arranged at the bottom of the pit element. The buffers then ensure an appropriate safety clearance. If the safety clearance is ensured after the elevator system has been commissioned by other devices, for example, using extendable bolts on the car, the at least one safety element is removed, especially when the aforementioned device has been commissioned.

[0010] 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 elevator system's operating state. The operating state of the elevator system refers to the state after installation and commissioning of the elevator system. In the elevator system's operating state, people and / or goods can be transported in the elevator car between floors of the building housing the elevator system.

[0011] The shaft module has, in particular, a cuboidal basic shape with four walls, with at least one wall having a shaft opening in which a shaft door is arranged. The shaft module can also have a different basic shape. The aforementioned walls consist, for example, of concrete, wood, metal profiles, or formwork for later pouring with concrete. Elevator components such as guide rail sections, deflection pulleys, a drive, switches, or cabling can be assembled or at least pre-assembled in the shaft module at the manufacturing site. The aforementioned shaft module is the lowest shaft module in the completed elevator shaft, which is referred to below as the "base module." Additional shaft modules are placed on top of the base module, which are, in particular, identical in design except for a top shaft module, which is referred to below as the "top module."These identical shaft modules are referred to below as "intermediate modules." The placement of the base module onto the pit element, as well as the placement of the intermediate modules, is carried out primarily using a crane, such as a tower crane or a mobile crane.

[0012] The pit element, onto which the base module is placed, encloses a shaft space which, if required, contains the aforementioned safety space. The aforementioned shaft space is, in particular, slightly higher than the safety space. The pit element may, but does not have to, have a shaft opening. It is, in particular, also designed as a prefabricated element, i.e., one manufactured at a factory and transported to the installation site. The details regarding the design of the shaft modules therefore apply accordingly to the pit element. However, it is also possible for the pit element to be manufactured at the installation site, in particular, cast from concrete. The pit element can, for example, be designed as a primarily cuboid-shaped depression in the foundation of the building housing the elevator system.The pit element can also be designed in several parts, for example consisting of more than one shaft module or of one or more than one shaft module and a described depression.

[0013] The safety element can be installed at the manufacturing site or at the construction site in the shaft module or pit element. In particular, at least two safety elements are installed, particularly in the area of ​​or on two opposite walls of the shaft module or pit element.

[0014] It is also possible to install at least one safety element in both the shaft module and the pit element. The safety element in the shaft module thus ensures a first safety space, and the safety element in the pit element ensures a second safety space, with the first safety space being higher than the second safety space. The respective safety elements in the shaft module and the pit element can be identical or different.

[0015] The downward displacement of the cabin, limited by the safety element, can occur while the shaft module is being placed on the pit element. The cabin's displacement thus occurs simultaneously with the shaft module's displacement; in particular, there is no displacement of the cabin relative to the shaft module. The joint displacement of the cabin and shaft module ends as soon as the cabin rests on the safety element. If the shaft module is not yet resting on the pit element, a relative displacement of the cabin relative to the shaft module begins. This continues until the shaft module rests on the pit element.

[0016] It is also possible for the downward movement of the cabin, limited by the safety element, to occur after the shaft module has been placed on the pit element. In this case, the shaft module with the cabin is first placed on the pit element, and then the cabin is moved downwards relative to the shaft module and the pit element until it rests on the safety element. The cabin is held in particular by the crane used to stack the shaft modules. During this movement, the cabin can also be held by at least one chain hoist.

[0017] If the pit element is designed as a prefabricated element, the buffer can be installed at the bottom of the pit element before the pit element is installed. It is also possible for the buffer to be installed at the bottom of the pit element before a shaft module is placed on the pit element. Likewise, the buffer can be installed at the bottom of the pit element after the shaft module is placed on the pit element. In all cases, the safety element is higher than the buffer installed in the pit element.

[0018] In one embodiment of the invention, the safety element is designed as a support on the floor of the pit element, which is arranged in the pit element before the shaft module is placed on the pit element. Such supports, which are referred to as construction supports, ceiling supports, or assembly supports, for example, are inexpensive and available in numerous designs on the market. This makes the installation of the elevator system particularly cost-effective.

[0019] In particular, two supports are arranged as safety elements in the pit element. The cabin and the support(s) are designed and arranged in relation to one another in such a way that the cabin cannot be displaced downwards past the upper end of the support(s). The cabin and the safety element are designed in such a way that the cabin can rest on the support(s) with its full weight without sustaining damage. The support in question has square support surfaces, in particular at both ends. This allows the support to rest securely on the floor of the pit element. Furthermore, the cabin can rest securely on the support via the support surface. The support is also designed in such a way that its height, and thus the height of the safety space, can be adjusted.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, a guide rail section is installed in the pit element before the shaft module is placed on the pit element to guide the car during operation of the elevator system. Additionally, the support is connected to the guide rail section. This securely holds the support in its desired position and allows it to perform its function with exceptional reliability.

[0021] The guide rail section is in particular fastened to a wall of the pit element. This is done in particular by means of so-called rail brackets or brackets, which are already generally known. In particular, two guide rail sections are fastened to opposite walls of the pit element and thus arranged in the pit element. A guide rail section can be fastened to a wall of the pit element by means of at least one so-called omega bracket. The omega bracket is designed such that the guide rail section is spaced apart from the wall of the pit element. A travel path of a counterweight runs in the resulting space when the elevator system is in operation. In particular, a third and a fourth guide rail section are fixed to the omega bracket to guide the counterweight.

[0022] The support can be connected to the guide rail section in various ways. For example, the connection can be made using at least one tensioning strap. A connecting element can also be arranged between the support and the guide rail section, which can also be secured to the support and the guide rail section using at least one tensioning strap or suitable sleeves.

[0023] The connecting element has, in particular, a recess corresponding to a contour of the guide rail section. This allows the support to be connected particularly firmly to the guide rail section. Guide rails of elevator systems usually have a T-shaped cross-section and thus a T-shaped contour. The transverse part is referred to as the rail base, which is oriented towards the wall to which the guide rail is attached. The longitudinal part forms a guide surface for guiding the car. The recess of the connecting element is, in particular, designed to be complementary to the part of the guide rail section that forms the running surface. The recess can therefore, in particular, precisely accommodate said part of the guide rail section. The connecting element and the support can be designed as separate parts.In this case, the connecting element can have a recess at its end oriented toward the support, corresponding to a contour of the support. For example, the support can have a round cross-section and thus a round contour where the connecting element rests. In this case, the connecting element could have a semicircular recess. The support can be made of metal, for example, and the connecting element at least primarily of wood. It is also possible for the support and the connecting element to be constructed as a single piece.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, the safety element is designed as a bracket arranged on a wall of the shaft module or the pit element and projecting inward from said wall. This enables a particularly simple implementation of the method.

[0025] In particular, one bracket is arranged at the same height on each of two opposite walls. It is also possible to arrange more than one bracket, for example, two brackets, on each of the walls. The bracket(s) are typically designed as metal brackets, which are attached to the corresponding wall using screws or anchor bolts.

[0026] The console interacts in particular with a bolt arranged on the car, which can be extended outwards. The bolt is extended before the shaft module is placed on the pit element. Bolts of this type are known and are used to ensure a temporary safety space for maintenance in the shaft pit in elevator systems with no or only a small shaft pit. Bolts of this type and their connection to the car are intended so that the car is supported via the bolts. When using these bolts, no further measures need to be taken to ensure that the car is supported on at least one safety element. The bolt can also be arranged on the car during operation of the elevator system and used as described to ensure a temporary safety space. During normal operation of the elevator system, the bolt is in a retracted position.In one embodiment of the invention, a support is placed on the shaft module before it is placed on the pit element. The cabin is then suspended from the support via a support element. This allows the cabin to be installed particularly securely in the shaft module.

[0027] The support is designed, in particular, as a metal support, for example, as a double-T support. The support is placed, for example, on two opposite walls of the shaft module and can additionally be connected to said walls, for example, using screws. The support element is designed, in particular, as a cable or chain. The cabin is suspended from the support, in particular, via two support elements.

[0028] It is also possible for the cabin to be suspended in the shaft module from a support as described above and additionally rest on at least one bracket mounted on a wall of the shaft module. The bracket can, in particular, be designed as one of the brackets described above. This ensures that the cabin is particularly securely mounted in the shaft module and can be transported from the manufacturing site to the installation site without any risk of damage.

[0029] In an embodiment of the invention, the safety element is designed and arranged in such a way that the cabin rests on the safety element when the shaft module is placed on the pit element. This relieves the load on the cabin's fixation in the shaft module, in particular on the cabin's suspension via the holding element on the aforementioned support. The support can then be removed after the shaft module has been placed in place, without any further measures being necessary. An otherwise necessary measure would be, for example, to lift the cabin using a crane to relieve the load on the suspension, i.e. to move it upwards and, after the suspension has been released, to lower it in a controlled manner. Alternatively, the cabin could also be first lifted using at least one chain hoist and then lowered and thus moved downwards until it rests on the safety element.Each additional measure means additional effort, so that the described design of the method, in which the fixation is already relieved when the shaft module is placed on the pit element, is particularly effective.

[0030] If, as described above, the cabin rests on at least one bracket arranged in the shaft module in addition to being suspended from the support, the brackets are removed before the shaft module is placed on the pit element.

[0031] It is also possible for the shaft module to be placed on the pit element without the cabin resting on the safety element. Only after the aforementioned placement is the cabin lowered until it rests on the safety element. The downward movement can be carried out, for example, as described above.

[0032] In one embodiment of the invention, before the shaft module is placed on the pit element, a guide rail section is arranged on each of two opposite walls in the shaft module. The cabin is then positioned between the guide rail sections in such a way that the cabin is secured horizontally by the guide rail sections. This enables a particularly stable and secure arrangement of the cabin in the shaft module.

[0033] The guide rail sections are arranged primarily at the manufacturing site, i.e., prior to transport of the shaft module with the car to the installation site. The guide rail sections are arranged analogously to the arrangement of the guide rail sections in the pit element described above. The car is provided with guide elements, for example, in the form of guide shoes, each of which interacts with a guide rail section. When the elevator system is in operation, the guide rail sections are each part of a continuous guide rail, along which the car is guided when moved in the elevator shaft. The guide shoes, like the connecting element described above, have a recess corresponding to the contour of the guide rail section. Such guide shoes are available in various designs on the market.A horizontal fixation of the cabin is understood here to mean that the cabin cannot move, or can only move minimally, in the horizontal direction, i.e., transversely to a vertically extending main extension direction of the guide rail sections. 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.

[0034] Showing:

[0035] Fig. 1 shows an elevator system with a cabin in an elevator shaft composed of shaft modules,

[0036] Fig. 2 a snapshot when placing a basic module on a pit element,

[0037] Fig. 3 a snapshot when placing an intermediate module on the basic module from Fig. 2,

[0038] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section through a safety element designed as a support, which is connected to a guide rail section via a connecting element,

[0039] Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a cabin resting on a console arranged in a shaft module via an extendable bolt and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a cabin with an extended bolt before resting on a console arranged in a pit element.

[0040] 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 pit element 13, a base module 14, an intermediate module 16, and a top module 18. Depending on the number of floors, the elevator shaft 12 can comprise additional intermediate modules 16. The pit element 13 and 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 on top of one another. It is also possible for the pit element to be manufactured and provided with elevator components at the production site.

[0041] Fig. 2 shows how the base module 14 is placed onto the pit element 13 from above by means of a crane 20. The pit element 13 was previously placed on a shaft floor 17 in the same way, thus positioning it on the shaft floor 17. Fig. 3 shows how the intermediate module 16 is placed onto the base module 14 from above by means of the crane 20. Subsequently, the top module 18 is placed onto the intermediate module 16 in the same way, thus closing off the elevator shaft 12 at the top.

[0042] The elevator system 10 of Fig. 1 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 motor 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 motor 28. The drive motor 28 can move the suspension element 24 and thus the car 22 in the elevator shaft 12. The car 22 is connected via a suspension cable 34 to an elevator control system 36 arranged in the top module 18. The suspension cable 34 enables power supply and communication with the car 22.

[0043] The elevator system 10 has two buffers 19, which are arranged on the shaft floor 17 and thus also on the floor 42 (see Fig. 2) of the pit element 13. The buffers 19 are positioned such that the car 22 is stopped by the buffers 19 if it moves too far downwards.

[0044] As can be seen from Fig. 2, before the base module 14 is placed on the pit element 13, two safety elements in the form of supports 40 are arranged in the pit element 13. The supports 40 stand on the floor 42 of the pit element 13 and are thus supported on the floor 42. The supports 40 have square, horizontally extending support surfaces 44 at their ends. The supports 40 are each connected to a guide rail section 48 via an elongated connecting element 46. This connection is secured with tensioning belts (not shown).

[0045] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged section through the support 40, the connecting element 46, and the guide rail section 48. The guide rail section 48 is fastened to a wall 52 of the pit element 13 by means of a rail bracket 50. The guide rail section 48 has a T-shaped cross-section and thus a T-shaped contour. The transverse part 54 is oriented towards the wall 52. The longitudinal part 56 forms a guide surface for guiding the cabin 22. The connecting element 46 has a recess 58 in the direction of the guide rail section 48, which is complementary to the part of the guide rail section 48 forming the running surface and thus complementary to the longitudinal part 56. A part of the longitudinal part 56 of the guide rail section 48 is arranged in the recess 58.At the opposite end, oriented toward the support 40, the connecting element 46 has a semicircular recess 60, which corresponds to a contour of the support 40. It is also possible for the support and the connecting element to be formed as a single piece.

[0046] In Fig. 2, the elevator car 22 of the elevator system 10 is arranged in the base module 14 suspended from the crane 20. For this purpose, a support 62 was placed transversely on the base module 14 at the factory, and the car 22 was suspended via two support elements in the form of chains 64. In addition, two guide rail pieces 48 were arranged on two opposite walls of the base module 14, analogous to the pit element 13. The guide rail pieces 48 of the base module 14 interact with two guide shoes (not shown) of the car 22, so that the car 22 is arranged between the guide rail pieces 48 in such a way that it is fixed in the horizontal direction by the guide rail pieces 48.

[0047] The supports 40 are arranged in the pit element 13 such that when the base module 14 is placed on the pit element 13, the cabin 22 comes to rest on the support surfaces 44 of the supports 40. The cabin 22 thus rests on the supports 40 before the base module 14 stands on the pit element 13. This relieves the load on the suspension of the cabin 22 on the support 62 when the base module 14 is placed on the pit element 13, and the support 62 can be dismantled without any further measures being necessary. The displacement of the cabin 22 together with the base module 14 is thus limited by the support 40, and a safety space 66 extending between the floor 42 of the pit element 13 and the cabin 22 is ensured. In this safety room 66, an installer can stay and carry out work under the cabin 22.

[0048] It is also possible for the cabin to be lowered until it rests on the supports after the base module has been placed on the pit element. This can be done in a controlled manner, for example, using a crane or at least a chain hoist. The crane or chain hoist can also be used to lift the cabin first, thus relieving the load on the support and removing it.

[0049] Fig. 5 shows a safety element in the form of a bracket 68. The bracket 68 is designed as a metal angle which is screwed to a wall 70 of the basic module 14 and projects inwards into the basic module 14. A further bracket is fastened in a similar manner to an opposite wall (not shown). At the bottom of the cabin 22 there is an outwardly extendable bolt 72 which, in the state shown in Fig. 5, is extended so far towards the wall 70 that it rests on the bracket 68. The bracket 68 thus limits any downward displacement of the cabin 22. The bracket 68 is fastened to the wall 70 in particular at the production site and can thus hold the cabin 22 in addition to the support 62 in the basic module.

[0050] Guide rail sections arranged in the shaft module are not shown in Fig. 5. It is also possible that the car does not have an extendable pin. In this case, the bracket is designed and arranged so that the car rests directly on the bracket.

[0051] Instead of being mounted in the base module 14 as shown in Fig. 5, a bracket 74 can also be attached to the wall 52 of the pit element 13, as shown in Fig. 6. The explanations for the bracket 68 in Fig. 5 apply accordingly to the bracket 74 in Fig. 6. The bracket 74 then assumes the function of the support surface 44 of the support 40 in Fig. 2, so that the explanations regarding the function of the support 40 in connection with Fig. 2 apply accordingly to the bracket 74 in Fig. 6.

[0052] 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

Patent claims 1. A method for installing an elevator system, in which a shaft module (14) is placed on a pit element (13) to form an elevator shaft (12) of the elevator system (10), wherein a car (22) of the elevator system (10) is arranged in the shaft module (14), and before placing the shaft module (14) on the pit element (13), a safety element (40, 68, 74) is arranged in the shaft module (14) or in the pit element (13) in such a way that it limits a downward displacement of the car (22) when the car (22) comes to rest on the safety element (40, 68, 74) during the downward displacement, thus ensuring a safety space (66) in the pit element (13), characterized in that the safety element (40, 68, 74) is removed when the elevator system is installed so far that the car (22) is above a support means (24) is held and a buffer (19) is arranged on the bottom (42) of the pit element (13).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety element (40) is designed as a support (40) supported on a floor (42) of the pit element (13), which is arranged in the pit element (13) before the shaft module (14) is placed on the pit element (13).

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that before placing the shaft module (14) on the pit element (13) in the pit element (13) a guide rail piece (48) for guiding the car (22) during operation of the elevator installation (10) is arranged and the said support (40) is connected to the guide rail piece (48).

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said support (40) is connected to the guide rail piece (48) via a connecting element (46) and the connecting element (46) has a recess (58) corresponding to a contour of the guide rail piece (48) has.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the safety element (68, 74) is designed as a bracket (68, 74) arranged on a wall (70, 52) of the shaft module (14) or of the pit element (13) and projecting inwards from said wall (70, 52).

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that an outwardly extendable bolt (72) is arranged on the cabin (22), which is extended before the shaft module (14) is placed on the pit element (13) and cooperates with the said bracket (68, 74).

7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that before placing the shaft module (14) on the pit element (13), a support (62) is arranged on the shaft module (14) and the cabin (22) is suspended from the support (62) via a support element (64).

8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the safety element (40, 74), the pit element (13) and the shaft module (14) are designed and arranged in such a way that the cabin (22) comes to rest on the safety element (40, 74) during the placement of the shaft module (14) on the pit element (13).

9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that before placing the shaft module (14) on the pit element (13) in the shaft module (14), a guide rail piece (48) is arranged on each of two opposite walls (70) and the cabin (22) is arranged between the guide rail pieces (48) in such a way that the cabin (22) is fixed in the horizontal direction by the guide rail pieces (48).

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