Safety fence for elevator

Abstract

To provide an elevator safety fence that can reduce the rattling of the safety fence unit as much as possible without using consumables. 【Solution】In an elevator safety fence having three safety fence units surrounding three sides of the car except above the car door, each of the safety fence units includes at least two columns and upper crossbars 3400 and 1400 that are spanned across the upper end portions of the two columns. It is provided so as to be changeable between a use state in which the three sides are surrounded by the three safety fence units and a storage state in which they are not surrounded. In the use state, an engaging portion E1 is provided in which an end portion of the upper crossbar 3400, which is one of the upper crossbars of the adjacent safety fence units 3000 and 1000, engages with an end portion of the upper crossbar 1400, which is the other upper crossbar, to restrain the displacement of at least one of the upper crossbars 3400 in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety fence for an elevator, and more particularly to a safety fence for an elevator used on an elevator car.

Background Art

[0002] A safety fence is provided on an elevator car to ensure the safety of maintenance workers and the like (hereinafter simply referred to as "workers") when working on the car. The safety fence is generally composed of three safety fence units. These three safety fence units surround three sides of the car except above the car door. Above the car door is open for the worker to enter the car from the open landing door.

[0003] Each of the safety fence units generally has at least two columns and two horizontal bars horizontally spanned between the columns with a vertical gap. Hereinafter, among the two horizontal bars, the upper bar will be referred to as the "upper bar" and the lower bar will be referred to as the "middle bar".

[0004] By the way, in a building where a so-called machine-roomless elevator without a machine room provided in the upper part of the hoistway is installed, there is a demand for shortening the overhead dimension in order to suppress the height of the building. The overhead is the vertical distance from the floor surface of the top stop floor to the top of the hoistway.

[0005] As a safety fence unit corresponding to the shortening of the overhead dimension, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the column is erected during use and rotated about its base end (lower end) and laid down toward the car in a stored state during non-use (during normal operation of the escalator).

[0006] Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a safety fence unit configured to insert the column into a guide frame fixed to the side wall of the car, guide it slidably in the vertical direction, pull up the upper bar and the horizontal bar during use, and push down the upper bar and the horizontal bar to near the upper surface of the car for storage during non-use.

[0007] Since each of the safety fence units disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 has a movable structure such as rotating or sliding the support columns, so-called play is likely to occur even when standing (in use), and it is preferable to take some measures.

[0008] On the other hand, in Patent Document 3, the support columns of adjacent safety fence units 17 to 20 are tied together with binding wires 21, 21A, 21B, and 21C (FIG. 1 of Patent Document 3). According to this, since the movements of adjacent safety fence units are restricted from each other, it is considered that the play of each safety fence unit is reduced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] However, every time the safety fence is used (every time maintenance work is performed), disposable (consumable) binding wires are required, and if it is forgotten to carry them to the site, problems such as the above-mentioned tying work cannot be done occur.

[0011] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an elevator safety fence that can reduce the rattling of the safety fence unit as much as possible without using consumables.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, an elevator safety fence according to the present invention is an elevator safety fence having three safety fence units surrounding three sides of the car except above the car door, and each of the safety fence units includes at least two columns and a cross bar spanned over upper end portions of the two columns, and is provided so as to be changeable between a use state in which the three safety fence units surround the three sides and a storage state in which they do not surround, and in the use state, an engaging portion is provided in which an end portion of one cross bar among adjacent safety fence units engages with an end portion of the other cross bar to restrict displacement in the longitudinal direction of at least one cross bar.

[0013] Further, the engaging portion includes a slit formed in the end portion of the one cross bar and a convex portion provided in the end portion of the other cross bar and fitted into the slit.

[0014] The engaging portion further includes an insertion hole provided in the end portion of the one cross bar and a columnar protrusion provided in the end portion of the other cross bar and inserted into the insertion hole.

[0015] Further, the engaging portion includes an insertion hole provided in the end portion of the one cross bar and a columnar protrusion provided in the end portion of the other cross bar and inserted into the insertion hole.

[0016] Furthermore, the engaging portion is formed in a process of changing the safety fence unit including the other cross bar from the storage state to the use state after the safety fence unit including the one cross bar is in the use state.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the elevator safety fence according to the present invention having the above configuration, in the above use state, displacement in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the cross bars of adjacent safety fence units is mutually restricted.

[0018] As a result, compared with the case where the safety fence unit is supported only at the base end portion of the support column, it is possible to reduce the rattling of the safety fence unit in the use state as much as possible.

[0019] Moreover, since the engaging portion is realized by the shape of the end portion of the upper cross bar which is a cross bar of the safety fence unit, consumables such as the binding wire in Patent Document 3 are not required.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

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[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an elevator safety fence according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0022] <Elevators eligible for elevator safety fence installation> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a machine room-less elevator in which an elevator safety fence (hereinafter simply referred to as "safety fence") according to an embodiment is provided. Note that in Fig. 1, the safety fence and the car frame supporting the car are not shown.

[0023] The machine room - less elevator 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "elevator 10") has a car room 14 with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an entrance / exit 12 is provided on one side surface. A center double - opening car door 16 is provided at the entrance / exit 12.

[0024] The elevator 10 has a main rope 34 that is strung in this order around a suspension car 18 attached to the outer bottom of the car room 14, a first return pulley 22 provided at the upper part of the hoistway 20, a drive sheave 26 of a hoisting machine 24 provided at the lower part of the hoistway 20, a second return pulley 28 provided at the upper part of the hoistway 20, and a suspension car 32 of a counterweight 30. The first end 34a of the main rope 34 is attached to a high - level beam 36 provided at the upper part of the hoistway 20, and the second end 34b is attached to a high - level beam 38 also provided at the upper part of the hoistway 20. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, the main rope 34 is drawn as a single solid line, but actually, it is composed of a plurality of ropes.

[0025] In the hoistway 20, there are also provided car guide rails 40, 42 for guiding a car frame 48 (FIG. 2), which will be described later, for supporting the car room 14 in the vertical direction, and counterweight guide rails 44, 46 for guiding the counterweight 30 in the vertical direction, which are respectively laid in the vertical direction.

[0026] In the elevator 10 having the above - described configuration, when the hoisting machine 24 is driven and the drive sheave 26 is rotated in the direction of arrow A, the car room 14 (car frame 48) rises while being pulled up by the part of the main rope 34 from the first end 34a to the first return pulley 22, and the counterweight 30 descends due to its own weight and the like. On the contrary, when the drive sheave 26 is rotated in the direction of arrow B, the counterweight 30 rises while being pulled up by the part of the main rope 34 from the second return pulley 28 to the second end 34b, and the car room 14 (car frame 48) descends due to its own weight and the like.

[0027] Here, as shown in FIG. 1, each of the four sides of the top of the square car room 14 is referred to as a first side 14a, a second side 14b, a third side 14c, and a fourth side 14d. The side corresponding to above the car door 16 is the first side 14a. The side opposite to the first side 14a is the fourth side 14d.

[0028] <car cage frame> FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a car cage frame 48 that supports a car chamber 14 (not shown in FIG. 2) from the inside, and a safety fence 100 provided on the car cage frame 48.

[0029] The car cage frame 48 has an upper frame 50, a lower frame 52, and a pair of vertical frames 54 and 56 that connect between both ends of the upper frame 50 and the lower frame 52. At both ends of the upper frame 50, upper support members 58 and 60 made of section steel are joined in a posture orthogonal to the upper frame 50, respectively. At both ends of the lower frame 52, lower support members 62 and 64 made of section steel are joined in a posture orthogonal to the lower frame 52, respectively. Further, between one ends of the upper support members 58 and 60, a beam 61 made of section steel is spanned as another upper support member. Both ends of the beam 61 are joined to the upper support members 58 and 60, respectively.

[0030] That is, each of the upper support members 58 and 60 is attached to the upper frame 50 so as to intersect in a direction along the upper side (second side 14b, third side 14c) of the car chamber 14 with respect to the upper frame 50. Each of the lower support members 62 and 64 is attached to the lower frame 52 so as to intersect in a direction along each of the lower sides of the car chamber 14 with respect to the lower frame 52. Further, the beam 61 is attached along the fourth side (FIG. 1) of the car chamber 14.

[0031] On the upper surfaces of each of the lower support members 62 and 64, three anti-vibration rubbers 66 are installed at intervals in the longitudinal direction as anti-vibration members. The car chamber 14 (FIG. 1) is placed and stored inside the car cage frame 24 having the above configuration on a plurality of (six in this example) anti-vibration rubbers 66.

[0032] Note that the front surface (the side where the car door 16 is located) of the car chamber 14 (FIG. 1) is close to the vertical frames 54 and 56, and the second side 14b and the third side 14c shown in FIG. 1 are respectively stored inside the car cage frame 24 in a posture along the upper support member 58 and the upper support member 60.

[0033] The suspension car 18 described above is attached to the lower support members 62 and 64. Further, at the upper and lower ends of each of the vertical frames 54 and 56, roller guides 68a, 68b, 70a (the roller guide attached to the lower end of the vertical frame 56 is not shown in the figure), which are guide devices for guiding the car frame 48 and thus raising and lowering the car chamber 14, are provided, being guided by the car guide rails 40 and 42 (Fig. 1) for the car. Note that the guide device is not limited to a roller guide, and a guide shoe may be used instead.

[0034] <Safety fence, safety fence unit> A safety fence 100 is provided to prevent a worker working above the car chamber 14 from falling from above the car chamber 14 during maintenance and inspection.

[0035] The safety fence 100 has three elevator safety fence units 1000, 2000, 3000 (hereinafter simply referred to as "safety fence units 1000, 2000, 3000") installed corresponding to each of the three sides (the second side 14b, the third side 14c, the fourth side 14d) out of the four sides on the top of the car chamber 14, excluding the first side 14a above the car door 16.

[0036] In Fig. 2, the usage state of the safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 3000 and the storage state of the safety fence unit 2000 are respectively shown. The safety fence units 1000, 2000, 3000 are all attached to the car frame 48. Further, the safety fence unit 1000 is attached to the upper support member 58, and the safety fence unit 2000 is attached to the upper support member 60. The safety fence unit 3000 is attached spanning (straddling) one end portion of the upper support member 58 and one end portion of the upper support member 60.

[0037] The safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 2000 are symmetric with respect to each other when viewed from the first side 14a side at the top of the cage chamber 14 while being attached to the cage frame 48, and have basically the same configuration. Also, the safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 3000 have basically the same configuration except that the number of columns, the length of the horizontal bars, and a partial shape thereof, which will be described later, are different. Therefore, the last three digits of the reference numerals of the components of the safety unit 2000 and the safety fence unit 3000 are given the same last three digits of the reference numerals of the corresponding components in the safety fence unit 1000, and the description thereof will be omitted or only mentioned as appropriate. Hereinafter, the safety fence unit 1000 will be described as a representative.

[0038] In FIG. 2, a side view of the safety fence 100 viewed in the direction of arrow C is shown in FIG. 3(a). FIG. 3(a) shows the state of the safety fence 100 during use. FIG. 4 shows a side view of the safety fence 100 during storage viewed in the same direction as FIG. 3(a).

[0039] The safety fence unit 1000 has three columns 1100, 1200, and 1300. The three columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 are provided along the second side 14b (FIG. 1). A top bar 1400, which is a horizontal bar, is horizontally spanned between the upper ends of the columns 1100, 1200, and 1300. The top bar 1400 is joined to the upper end of each of the columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 by welding (the weld marks are not shown).

[0040] Also, a middle bar 1500 is spanned between the columns 1100, 1200, and 1300. The middle bar 1500 is attached to each of the columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. This slidable configuration will be described later.

[0041] Each of the three columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 has the same configuration and mounting method, differing only in the mounting position. Therefore, the column 1200 will be described as a representative, and for the columns 1100 and 1300, the last two digits of the corresponding components in the column 1200 will be given the same reference numerals as the last two digits of the components in the column 1200, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] The column 1200 is made of a square pipe. The column 1200 is attached to the upper support member 58 of the basket frame 48. Fig. 5(a) shows a perspective view of the attachment portion of the column 1200 to the upper support member 58. Fig. 5(a) shows the usage state of the safety fence 100. Fig. 5(b) is a perspective view of the attachment portion of the column 1200 to the upper support member 58 in the stored state of the safety fence 100, and is a view from the opposite side of Fig. 5(a). Fig. 6(a) shows a sectional view taken along line F·F in Fig. 3(a). Fig. 6(b) is a sectional view taken along line G·G in Fig. 6(a).

[0043] The short side portion 1202a of the L-shaped angle member 1202 is fixed to the upper support member 58 by two sets of bolts and nuts 1204 (not shown in Fig. 6). A U-shaped member 1206 made of a channel steel with a "U" cross-section is joined to the long side portion 1202b of the L-shaped angle member 1202 by welding in the posture shown in Fig. 5(a). A cylindrical body (a square cylindrical body in this example) is formed by the U-shaped member 1206 and a part of the long side portion 1202b, and the column 1200 is inserted into the cylindrical body. The column 1200 is guided to be slidable in the vertical direction by the cylindrical body. That is, the cylindrical body formed by the U-shaped member 1206 and a part of the long side portion 1202b functions as a guide member 1208 for guiding the column 1200 to be displaceable in the vertical direction. The U-shaped member 1206 has a window 1206a in which a part of the groove bottom is cut out in the width direction.

[0044] On the surface of the long side portion 1202b of the L-shaped angle member 1202 opposite to the U-shaped member, the short side portion 1210a of the bracket 1210 formed by processing the L-shaped angle material is fixed with two bolts 1211 (not shown in FIG. 6). A bolt hole 1210c is formed in the tip portion of the long side portion 1210b of the bracket 1210 in the thickness direction thereof.

[0045] Along the lower surface of the long side portion 1210b of the bracket 1210, a stopper 1212 made of a rectangular steel plate is provided. A long hole 1212a that is long in the longitudinal direction thereof is formed in the stopper 1212.

[0046] The bolt 1214 is inserted from below in the order of the long hole 1212a and the bolt hole 1210c, and a wing nut 1216 is screwed onto the exposed portion from the bolt hole 1210c. When the wing nut 1216 is tightened, the stopper 1212 is fixed to the bracket 1210, and when the wing nut 11216 is loosened, the stopper 1212 is slidable in the length direction of the long hole 1212a with respect to the bracket 1210.

[0047] In the long side portion 1202b of the L-shaped angle member 1202, a slit 1202c that is slightly longer than the width of the stopper 1212 is formed at a position facing the window 1206a of the U-shaped member 1206.

[0048] Further, through holes 1200a and 1200b through which the stopper 1212 can be inserted smoothly without play are formed in two opposing side surfaces of the lower end portion of the square tube-shaped support column 1200 (FIG. 6(b)).

[0049] FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 6 show a state after the stopper 1212 has been sequentially inserted into the slit 1202c, the through hole 1200a, the through hole 1200b, and the window 1206a. Thereby, the vertical displacement of the support column 1200 with respect to the guide member 1208, and thus the basket frame 48 (upper support member 58), is restricted, and the support column 1200 is in a use state protruding above the basket chamber 14.

[0050] The state where the stopper 1212 is removed (retracted) from the window 1206a, the through-hole 1200b, the through-hole 1200a, and the slit 1202c is shown in FIG. 7. FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are cross-sectional views taken at the same positions as FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), respectively.

[0051] When the stopper 1212 retracts as shown in FIG. 7, the above regulation on the support column 1200 is released, and the support column 1200 is guided by the guide member 1208 and can be displaced in the vertical direction. The support column 1200 is displaced in the vertical direction by manually moving the upper crossbar 1400 fixed to its upper end together with the support columns 1100 and 1300.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows a partially enlarged perspective view of the upper crossbar 1400 and the middle crossbar 1500 in FIG. 1. The upper crossbar 1400 includes a first pipe 1410, a second pipe 1420, and a flat bar 1430 that connects the first pipe 1410 and the second pipe 1420. The flat bar 1430 is bent in a "C" shape as shown in FIG. 8. The first pipe 1410, the second pipe 1420, and the flat bar 1430 are joined by a set of bolts and nuts 1440.

[0053] Similar to the upper crossbar 1400, the middle crossbar 1500 also includes a first pipe 1510, a second pipe 1520, and a flat bar 1530 that connects the first pipe 1510 and the second pipe 1520. The first pipe 1510, the second pipe 1520, and the flat bar 1530 are joined by a set of bolts and nuts 1540.

[0054] The reason for configuring the upper crossbar 1400 and the middle crossbar 1500 not with a single straight pipe but with a "C" - shaped flat bar 1430 interposed in the middle of their length direction will be described later.

[0055] As described above, the upper crossbar 1400 is joined to the upper end portions of the support columns 1100, 1200, and 1300. In contrast, the middle crossbar 1500 is provided so that it can be switched between a state fixed to each of the support columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 and a state slidable within a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction.

[0056] This switchable configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 9. Since the configuration is the same for any of the support columns 1100, 1200, and 1300, here, the support column 1200 will be described as a representative, and the descriptions regarding the support columns 1100 and 1300 will be omitted.

[0057] FIG. 9(a) is an enlarged front view of the portion where the support column 1200 and the middle crossbar 1500 (the first pipe 1510 thereof) intersect. FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c) are views obtained by cutting only the support column 1200 and the first pipe 1510 along the line H·H in FIG. 9(a). FIG. 9(b) shows the state where the butterfly nut 1220 described later is tightened, and FIG. 9(c) shows the state where the butterfly nut 1220 is loosened.

[0058] On each of the two opposing surfaces of the support column 1200 made of an angular pipe, long holes 1200c and long slots 1200d that are long in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) are respectively formed. Further, on each of the two opposing surfaces of the first pipe 1510 made of an angular pipe, through holes 1510a and 1510b having diameters equivalent to the widths of the long holes 1200c and long slots 1200d are respectively formed.

[0059] The bolt 1218 is inserted in the order of the long hole 1200c, long slot 1200d, through hole 1510a, and through hole 1 510b, and a butterfly nut 1220 is screwed onto the portion exposed from the first pipe 1510.

[0060] In the above configuration, when the wing nut 1220 is tightened, the cross member 1200 (the first pipe 1510 thereof) is fixed to the support column 1200 (Fig. 9(b)). When the wing nut 1220 is loosened, the cross member 1200 (the first pipe 1510 thereof) can slide vertically with respect to the support column 1200 within the entire length range of the long holes 1200c and 1200d (Fig. 9(c)).

[0061] As shown in Fig. 3(b), a bolt - nut 1222 is attached to the lower end portion of the support column 1200 as a retaining member for the guide member 1208. Specifically, bolt holes (not shown) are formed in each of the two opposing side surfaces of the lower end portion of the support column 1200. A bolt 1222a is inserted through one bolt hole, and a nut 1222b is screwed onto the threaded portion of the bolt 1222a protruding from the other bolt hole. By tightening the support column 1200 with the head of the bolt 1222a and the nut 1222b, the bolt - nut 1222 is fixed to the support column 1200, which functions as the above - mentioned retaining member.

[0062] Next, the movement of the safety fence unit 1000 from the stored state to the used state will be described by taking the safety fence unit 1000 as an example. Fig. 10(a) shows an enlarged view of part M in Fig. 4, with the middle part of the support column 1200 omitted. Fig. 10(b) is a view obtained by cutting only the support column 1200 along line N - N in Fig. 10(a). Figs. 11(a), 11(b), 12(a), and 12(b) are views showing the states during the process of reaching the used state, drawn according to Figs. 10(a) and 10(b).

[0063] In the stored state, the cross member 1500 is in contact with the guide member 1208. The upper cross member 1400 fixed to the upper end of the support column 1200 is in a state of having descended until the upper ends of the long holes 1200c and 1200d contact the threaded portion of the bolt 1218. The upper ends of the long holes 1200c and 1200d are set at positions where there is a gap through which at least a fingertip can be inserted between the upper cross member 1400 and the cross member 1500.

[0064] Here, if the upper shelf and the middle shelf are composed of a single straight pipe, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the horizontal shelves (upper shelf, middle shelf) interfere with the roller guide 68a and cannot reach the guide member 1208. Therefore, when storing (in the stored state), the upper shelf 1400 and the middle shelf 1500, which are horizontal shelves, are shaped to avoid interference with the roller guide 68a, that is, flat bars 1430 and 1530 in the shape of a "C" are provided in the middle of the length direction. As long as the shape can avoid interference with the roller guide 68a, it is not limited to the "C" shape, and for example, a semi-elliptical arc shape or the like may be used. Also, not limited to flat bars, the pipe itself may be bent into a "C" shape.

[0065] To change from the stored state to the use state, first, loosen the wing nut 1220. Then, insert the fingertips into the gap between the upper shelf 1400 and the middle shelf 1500, lift the upper shelf slightly, and then firmly grasp the upper shelf 1400.

[0066] Then, lift the upper shelf 1400. Along with this, the support column 1200 to which the upper shelf 1400 is fixed also slides upward (FIG. 11).

[0067] Furthermore, when lifting the upper shelf 1400 further, the lower ends of the long holes 1200c and 1200d formed in the support column 1200 abut against the bolts 1218, and the middle shelf 1500 also lifts and displaces upward together with the support column 1200 (FIG. 12).

[0068] Then, lift the upper shelf 1400 until the through holes 1200a and 1200b at the lower end of the support column 1200 communicate with the slit 1202c of the L-angle member 1202 and the window 1206a of the C-shaped member 1206, insert the stopper 1212 into the communicating holes, and tighten the wing nut 1216. Thereby, the safety fence unit 1000 is in the use state.

[0069] When adjusting the position of the middle shelf 1500 upward, lift the middle shelf 1500 to the desired position, tighten the wing nut 1220, and fix it to the support column 1200.

[0070] The above is a series of movements from the stored state to the used state of the safety fence unit 1000 (the same applies to the safety fence unit 2000 and the safety fence unit 3000). The safety fence unit 1000 in the used state, that is, the safety fence unit 1000 standing above the cage chamber 14, has only the base ends (lower end portions) of the support columns 1100, 1200, and 1300 supported by the guide members 1108, 1208, and 1308, and there is also some play between each guide member and the base end of each support column.

[0071] Therefore, in order to enhance the stability of the safety fence unit in the used state, in the present embodiment, engaging portions are provided where one end portion of the upper cross bars of adjacent safety fence units (the safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 3000, the safety fence unit 200 and the safety fence unit 3000) engage with each other.

[0072] The engaging portion between the safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 3000 has the same configuration as the engaging portion between the safety fence unit 2000 and the safety fence unit 3000. Therefore, the engaging portion between the safety fence unit 1000 and the safety fence unit 3000 will be described as a representative, and the description of the engaging portion between the safety fence unit and the safety fence unit 3000 will be omitted.

[0073] The upper cross bar 3410 of the safety fence unit 3000 is composed of a square straight pipe 3410 (hereinafter simply referred to as the pipe 3410). The pipe 3410 has the same size as the first pipe 1410 of the upper cross bar 1400 of the safety fence unit 100.

[0074] The following describes the 4 types of the above engaging portions. 〔The first type〕 FIG. 13(a) is an enlarged view of the S portion in FIG. 2, showing a first type of engaging portion E1 where the end portion of the upper cross bar 1400 of the safety fence unit 1000 engages with the end portion of the upper cross bar 3400 of the safety fence unit 3000. FIG. 13(b) is an enlarged perspective view of the end portion of the upper cross bar 3400 in the disengaged state, and FIG. 13(c) is an enlarged perspective view of the end portion of the upper cross bar 1400 in the disengaged state.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 13(b), a slit 3411 is formed in the end portion of the pipe 3410 in a direction orthogonal to its longitudinal direction.

[0076] On the other hand, in the end portion of the first pipe 1410, as shown in FIG. 13(b), one of the four corners is cut off, and a convex portion 1411 formed of a part of one side surface is formed.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 13(a), the engaging portion E1 is composed of the slit 3411 and the convex portion 1411 fitted therein. In view of providing the engaging portion E1 having the above configuration, when changing the safety fence 100 from the stored state to the use state, first, the safety fence unit 3000 is set to the use state, and in the process of setting the safety fence unit 1000 to the use state, the convex portion 1411 is fitted into the slit 3411 from below. That is, after the safety fence unit 3000 is set to the use state, in the process of changing the safety fence unit 1000 from the stored state to the use state, the engaging portion E1 is formed.

[0078] According to the engaging portion E1 having the above configuration, the end portion of the upper crossbar 3400 (pipe 3410) and the end portion of the upper crossbar 1400 (first pipe 1410) are engaged (interact), the displacement of the upper crossbar 3400 in its longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D1 and arrow D2) is restricted, and the displacement of the upper crossbar 1400 in the direction of its longitudinal arrow D3 is restricted.

[0079] 〔Second type〕 FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the engaging portion E2 of the second type, and FIGS. 14(a), (b), and (c) are respectively drawn in accordance with FIGS. 13(a), (b), and (c).

[0080] A through hole 3412 is opened in one side surface (lower side surface) of the four side surfaces of the pipe 3410 as an insertion hole for a bolt 1413 described later.

[0081] On one side, one of the four corners of the end portion of the first pipe 1410 is cut off, and a through hole 1412 is formed on the lower surface. A bolt 1413 is inserted into the through hole 1412 from below, and the head of the bolt 1413 is joined to the lower surface of the first pipe 1410 by welding (the welded portion does not appear in the figure). A columnar protrusion is formed by the bolt 1413 protruding from the lower surface.

[0082] As shown in Fig. 14(a), the engaging portion E2 is composed of a bolt 1413, which is a columnar protrusion provided at the end portion of the upper cross member 1400, and a through hole 3412, which is an insertion hole provided at the end portion of the upper cross member 3400 and into which the bolt 1413 is inserted. In this case, when the safety fence 100 is put into use, after the safety fence unit 3000 is put into use, the order of putting the safety fence unit 1000 into use is the same as that in the case of the engaging portion E1.

[0083] According to the engaging portion E2 having the above configuration, the end portion of the upper cross member 3400 (pipe 3410) and the end portion of the upper cross member 1400 (first pipe 1410) are engaged (interact with each other), and the displacement of the upper cross member 3400 in its longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D1 and arrow D2) is restricted, and the displacement of the upper cross member 1400 in its longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D3 and arrow D4) is also restricted.

[0084] Note that the columnar protrusion is not limited to the bolt 1413. For example, the through hole 1412 may be abolished, and one end of a pin member (not shown) may be joined to that position by welding or the like.

[0085] 〔The third type〕 Fig. 15 is a diagram for explaining the engaging portion E3 of the third type, and is drawn in accordance with Fig. 13 in the same manner as Fig. 14.

[0086] As shown in Fig. 15(a), the engaging portion E3 is a combination of the engaging portion E1 and the engaging portion E2. That is, the engaging portion E3 is composed of a slit 3411 and a convex portion 1411 fitted therein, and a bolt 1413 and a through hole 3412 into which the bolt 1413 is inserted.

[0087] According to the engaging portion E3 with the above configuration, the end portion of the upper crossbar 3400 (pipe 3410) and the end portion of the upper crossbar 1400 (first pipe 1410) engage with each other, and the displacement of the upper crossbar 3400 in its longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D1 and arrow D2) is restricted, and the displacement of the upper crossbar 1400 in its longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D3 and arrow D4) is also restricted.

[0088] [Fourth type] Figs. 16(a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining the engaging portion E4 of the fourth type, and are drawn according to Fig. 13 in the same manner as Figs. 14 and 15. Fig. 16(d) is a side view of Fig. 16(c) viewed in the direction of arrow P.

[0089] The engaging portion E4 is configured to mutually restrict the longitudinal displacements of the upper crossbar 3400 and the upper crossbar 1400 only by the shapes of the end portions of the pipe 3410 and the end portion of the first pipe 1410.

[0090] The shape of the end portion of the pipe 3410 is the same as that in the case of the engaging portion E1. That is, a slit 3411 is formed in the end portion of the pipe 3410 in a direction orthogonal to its longitudinal direction.

[0091] As shown in Fig. 16(c), the end portion of the first pipe 1410 has a shape in which a part is cut away from a position a little distance from its end portion from the upper surface to one side surface. Due to the cutting, a window 1414 with an L-shaped cross-section is opened in the end portion of the first pipe 1410. Further, due to the cutting, a convex portion 1415 formed of a part of one side surface is formed, similar to the engaging portion E1.

[0092] In the fourth type, the end portion of the pipe 3410 is fitted into the window 1414 in such a manner that the convex portion 1415 is fitted into the slit 3411 (Fig. 16(a)). Thereby, the engaging portion E4 is formed.

[0093] According to the engaging portion E4, the upper crossbar 3400 (pipe 3410) has its displacement in the longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D1 and arrow D2) restricted, similar to the engaging portion E1. For the upper crossbar 1400 (first pipe 1410), the side edges 1414a and 1414b of the window 1414 abut against the side surface of the pipe 3410, and its displacement in the longitudinal direction (the directions of arrow D3 and arrow D4) is restricted.

[0094] According to the engaging portion of the above embodiment, in the usage state of the safety fence 100, the displacements in the longitudinal direction of at least one of the upper crossbars (both upper crossbars in the engaging portions E2, E3, and E4) of adjacent safety fence units (safety fence unit 3000 and safety fence unit 1000, or safety fence unit 3000 and safety fence unit 2000) are mutually restricted.

[0095] Thereby, compared with the case where the safety fence unit is supported only at the base end portion of the support column, the rattling of the safety fence unit in the usage state can be reduced as much as possible.

[0096] Moreover, since the above engaging portion is realized by the shape of the end portion of the upper crossbar which is a horizontal crossbar of the safety fence unit, consumables such as the binding wire in Patent Document 3 are unnecessary.

[0097] Also, in the safety fence described in Patent Document 3, as can be seen from FIG. 1, due to the necessity of binding the support columns of adjacent safety fence units with a binding wire, two support columns have to be arranged at both end portions of the horizontal crossbar. For this reason, the interval (span) between the support columns becomes wide, and a large space is left between the two support columns, which is not preferable as a safety fence.

[0098] On the contrary, according to the present embodiment, in the usage state of the safety fence 100, since it is an engaging portion formed by the end portions of the upper crossbars of adjacent safety fence units (safety fence unit 3000 and safety fence unit 1000, or safety fence unit 3000 and safety fence unit 2000) engaging with each other, the support columns can be provided at arbitrary positions in the longitudinal direction of the upper crossbar, and the span between the support columns is not restricted as in Patent Document 3.

[0099] As described above, the present invention has been explained based on the embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described forms, and may be in the following forms. (1) In the above embodiment, an example of installing the safety fence 100 on the car frame of the machine roomless elevator has been shown. However, the elevator safety fence according to the present invention can also be installed on the car frame of a traction type elevator in which the machine room is above the hoistway.

[0100] (2) In the above embodiment, the number of columns in the safety fence units 1000 and 2000 was three, and the number of columns in the safety fence unit 3000 was two. However, the number of columns per safety fence unit is not limited to this. For example, depending on the length of the horizontal rails (upper rail, middle rail), it can be four or more. The point is that the present invention can be applied to a safety fence unit having at least two columns.

[0101] (3) In the engaging portions E1, E2, E3, and E4, a configuration in which the shapes of the end portions of the upper rail 1400 (first pipe 1410) and the shapes of the end portions of the upper rail 3400 (pipe 3410) are interchanged may be adopted (the same applies to the relationship between the safety fence unit 2000 and the safety fence unit 3000). In this case, to change the safety fence from the stored state to the use state, first, the safety fence units 1000 and 2000 are put into the use state, and then the safety fence unit 3000 is changed from the stored state to the use state.

Industrial Applicability

[0102] The present invention can be suitably used for an elevator safety fence installed on an elevator car, used during maintenance and inspection work, and stored during normal operation.

Explanation of Signs

[0103] 100 Safety fence 1000, 2000, 3000 Safety fence unit 1100, 1200, 1300 Column 1400 Upper rail 3100, 3200 Column Upper crossbar of 3400 Engaging part of E1

Claims

1. An elevator safety fence having three safety fence units surrounding three sides of the car excluding the area above the car door, Each of the safety fence units includes at least two posts and a crosspiece spanning the upper end portions of the two posts, and is configured so as to be changeable between a use state in which the three safety fence units surround the three sides and a storage state in which they do not surround the three sides, In the above-mentioned state of use, an engaging portion is provided in which an end portion of one horizontal rail of adjacent safety fence units engages with an end portion of the other horizontal rail, thereby restricting displacement of at least one horizontal rail in the longitudinal direction, the end portion of the one horizontal bar and the end portion of the other horizontal bar that constitute the engagement portion are each formed by the shape of the horizontal bar itself, Each of the safety fence units is configured to be pulled up from the storage state to the use state, An elevator safety fence characterized in that the engagement portion is formed in the process of changing a safety fence unit including the other cross bar from the stored state to the used state after the safety fence unit including the one cross bar is set to the used state.

2. The elevator safety fence according to claim 1, characterized in that the engaging portion includes a slit formed in an end portion of one of the horizontal bars and a protrusion formed in an end portion of the other horizontal bar that engages with the slit.

3. The one horizontal beam and the other horizontal beam are each made of a pipe, 2. The elevator safety fence according to claim 1, wherein each of the shapes of the two horizontal rails is formed by cutting out a portion of the pipe.

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